We arrived safely and on time in Kingston, Jamaica! After a delicious lunch of jerk chicken and festival we took a quick tour of the (in)famous Port Royal. Once the stomping grounds of pirates such as Henry "Captain" Morgan and the setting of Pirates of the Caribbean, it was known as the "wickedest city on earth". An earthquake sunk half the city into the sea and it was believed that it was God's punishment on the city for being so wicked. It was also the site of a former British navy stronghold in the Caribbean. We toured Fort Charles and took a picture in the "Giddy House". This house was a warehouse for ammunition and was partially sunk in an earthquake leaving it tilted. When you walk inside you lose your balance and it makes you feel "giddy".

We're settled in at the hotel now and many are resting before our big week. Please pray for us this week as we work with the autistic children at the Promise Learning Center and show them God's love.

We stopped by an old lighthouse to take a picture after leaving Port Royal.

Today we had the pleasure of visiting and helping serve at the Promise Learning Center; a school for children with Autism located in the heart of Kingston, Jamaica. We were instantly greeted by the smiling, excited faces of the students and staff. Throughout the morning we worked within the classrooms helping children with classwork and completed an art project with tye-dying shirts. We were all impressed at how well the facility was run despite having limited resources,

After a delicious lunch served on site we began our service project of tiling floors in several different rooms. It was a new experience of mixing cement on the ground and working on uneven surfaces. Despite the circumstances, the group remained positive and worked hard until the end of the afternoon.

Some highlights of the afternoon included enjoying delicious, fresh Mango and Coconut, as well as being able to play a short game of football (american soccer).

We appreciate all the prayers and encouragement as we continue our journey. We are definitely witnessing reflections of Christ in every place we've been.

Hey guys! Our first two days in Jamaica have been so good. The past two days have been spent at Promise Learning Center, the only school for Autistic children in Jamaica. Our days have consisted of re-tiling three areas, spending time with the children of the facility, doing crafts, and helping with a building addition. Everyone is safe and sound and all having such a good time. It is so awesome to see how God is working through each of our lives, and I know we all can't wait to share our experiences with all of you. The next few days will consist of going to Missionaries Of The Poor, add our finishing touches to the work at the learning center, and doing more crafts with the kids. Thank you for all the prayers and support.

Today is Tuesday, June 19,2012. Everyone on the trip went to the autistic school, Promise Learning this morning, and we all work with the children doing cross necklaces. I worked with this one girl particularly who couldn't talk. She could only make noises and sometimes would say the word sure. When i first began working with her she didn't make any noise, just smiled sometimes. Then I began to explain to her what the cross meant and resembled. I told her how Jesus saved her and died just for her. That she was beautiful and she was created in God's image. I also told her about heaven. When i got through talking she picked up her cross necklace and put it in my hand and said "Jesus." And i said,"Yes! Do you want to know more?" and she said "sure." I told her more and she had the biggest smile. She began to scream and jump around in her seat moving her arms. This was the first time i had seen her get excited all day. Her eyes lit up. The more I told her the more excited she would get. Eventually I got up and walked to the front of the room and dragged me back to her seat. I told her about praying and how she has a choice to be with Jesus. I explained to her how she has to talk to Jesus. That if she asks him to save her then he will. She looked overjoyed. I asked her if she wanted to say the salvation prayer. She started screaming joyfully again. Then I said, "Yes, thats how you talk to Jesus." Then I asked her if she wanted me to pray it with her and she said "sure." So I asked her to close her eyes and I prayed that she would be saved and that Jesus would be a part of her life. God was defiantly shining radiantly through this little girl.

Yesterday was yet again another amazing, God-inspired day for our team. We started off early as usual, made sure we filled up on some coffee and traveled to the Missionaries of the Poor located in downtown Kingston. This particular organization is a Catholic foundation run by monks in training from all over the world. The residents at this facility range from having severe metal, emotional and physical handicaps and are of every age. They are the forgotten and rejected of society and the brothers offer a place a solace and care for all those in need that they can help.

There is no way you can prepare yourself in advance to take in the sights, sounds and smells that you'll encounter at a place like this. We, as a team were inspired by the dedication of the bothers, staff and volunteers to give so much of themselves to provide a safe place where this group of individuals can be cared for. When we arrived, our group split up into two smaller groups and visited the adult and children's side of the facility. The team fed children, changed diapers, danced and talked with residents, and prayed for many. It was an experience that none of us will ever forget and when we discussed the day later we were reminded of the verses in Matthew that state:

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

Matthew 25:34-40

A simple reminder to all of us that there may be circumstances in life that feel overwhelming or uncomfortable, but to ultimately remember that our goal is to do everything as though we are directly serving our father.

In the afternoon we went back to the Promise Learning Center to continue working on our service project. It was a very successful day as we continue to build relationships with the locals and crank out our projects. The team has done an awesome job of keeping a positive attitude and working hard.

Other highlights of the day include: Eating more delicious Mango and a yummy trip to Scotchies to enjoy some of the best jerk chicken around.

Thank you all for the continued prayers, love and support as we prepare to wrap up the end to a wonderful week.

Well folks it was another awesome day. We were back at Promise Learning Center and had the children paint pictures. It was so fun to see them express their creativity, especially since sometimes it's very difficult to know what's going on inside the mind of someone with Autism. The morning as a whole was blast as the children continued to open up more and more with us. You could hear laughter and joy ringing out throughout each room of the building, which was yet again another reminder of Christ's love for His children.

After lunch we were treated to a concert by some of the students and every one of us were emotionally touched by the talent and musicianship of each student. Despite their limitations, each student we interacted with had their own special talent and abilities that inspired us.We were blessed to have been able to play even a small part in these children's lives and will leave this place forever impacted by the children and staff.

In the afternoon we finished up our service project and enjoyed the evening with a bus trip up the hills to get a beautiful view over all of Kingston. One of the major lessons we are walking away with is to be intentional with every conversation we have and to not look past the "invisible" people in our communities, but take the time to interact and be Jesus with skin to them.

It has been a blessed week and we are all looking forward to a fun day at Ocho Rios tomorrow. As always thank you for the prayers and support of our team.