Well we arrived in Montego Bay, Jamaica yesterday afternoon. Actually we flew in at 1:30 and left the airport around 4:30. A lot of flights arrived at the same time and it made for a hectic time getting through customs and immigration. Once we arrived we headed straight for St. Ann's Bay, where we'll be spending the week. The St. Ann's Bay Baptist Church circuit is the church we'll be working with. We met our cook, Niel, last night and had our first meal (chicken with rice and beans). Last night we also settled into the Marcus Garvey Technical High School, where we're staying for the week. A cold shower topped off our day to cool us down and get us ready for bed.

Well it’s Monday night, and our team is doing well. The last couple days have been very busy but we’re enjoying it and seeing God in the work and ministry we’re doing. Yesterday we got to experience an authentic Jamaican church service in the morning and a Jamaican “Prayer and Praise” service in the evening. It was a great time of fellowship with the believers in the St. Ann’s Bay circuit. Yesterday wasn’t just church though! We also did some hospital ministry during which we got to go into the hospital wards and spend time praying with and encouraging the patients. We had our first vacation Bible school on Sunday too. Only a handful of kids showed up but we had a great time getting to know them and share the love of Christ with them.
Today we began work painting at the Seville property. The time flew by as we got a lot done on our first day. Richard is the name of the man working construction with us. He’s been helping us along the way. After lunch the girls on our team headed for the Windsor Girls Home, where we got the opportunity to spend time with about 25 girls who live in the home that are orphaned and court ordered to be living there. The guys went to the high school to play soccer with the local soccer team that is staying on campus.
God is good and we’re seeing some educational, shocking, and moving things here in Jamaica. Praise God for all that is happening. Thanks for your prayers and support. We’re ready for another full day tomorrow!

Hello friends and family,
We hope you are doing well. Things are going amazing here. We had a very good hard morning of work this morning out at the Seville land. Our team helped once again in preparing to build a wall for the outreach center that is to be built. God is blessing us with plenty of opportunities to serve and to be stretched while we're in Jamaica.
Our team is currently involved in the VBS at the St. Ann's Bay church. There are many more kids than the first day and God is giving us chances to share His love with others. A good number of youth have been showing up as well, allowing for more interaction with our students and for relationships to begin.
The guys on our team had the chance to play a soccer game with our neighboring "foot" ball team today. We lost 2-0 but enjoyed spending time with the guys. One guy who was at the game, who was not playing but was talkative with our team, gave his life to Christ today! Amazing! He will be at the independence celebration tomorrow night!
Tonight we're heading out to Liberty Baptist Church to participate and help lead in the Bible study on the book of John. Keep us in your prayers, you are missed, but we're so blessed to have these opportunities!

This week seems like it has flown by! We've been so busy with so many things, and Wednesday evening is upon us already. Our VBS has been blessed and we're enjoying a final day on Jamaica's independence day (August 6th, 1962) . Today we layed bricks out at the Seville land! After a couple days of preparing rebar, bending steel, and mixing cement, it was great to be able to lay part of the wall we had been preparing! This afternoon we got to participate in homeless ministry / street outreach. Our team was joined by some locals at the church and we were led into the streets of St. Ann's Bay. It went very well and we passed out a number of meals to those who were living on the street. The community is active in fulfilling needs for the homeless here in town, and the church we're working with is a big part of that! This evening we're looking forward to an independence day celebration that the church's youth program will coordinate. We're going to have a chance to get to know the people at the church a little more, particularly the young people. Tomorrow we're ready for a day of fun and relaxation! We'll be spending time on the beach and in Ocho Rios, a local town. Pray for us as we wrap up our week. God bless you!

Our team is currently in the airport and beginning our journey home. It's been an emotional week. It's been full of amazing things, great people, and unforgettable experiences. We thank God for what He's done this week, far and above our expectations. Yesterday we spent the day at Ocho Rios- it's a nearby tourist town bustling with people, especially when a cruise ship is docked (which on Thursday there was one). Many of us spent a lot of time at the beach and walked about town, shopping for souvenirs and eating local cuisine. For some of us it was tough to swallow the fact that so much money goes into tourism and there is such poverty literally right across the street. Last night we gathered together with the rest of our Praying Pelican team and had our last supper at a place called the Almond Tree Restaurant. Salad, spaghetti and desert hit the spot for most of us, especially since we were overlooking the beautiful caribbean ocean off the northern coast of Jamaica. We held our debriefing meeting at the restaurant as well, celebrating for everything that's happened during the week and spending one last time all together with the rest of our team. This morning on our way to the airport we continued our ministry by spending some time at the Blossom Garden Children's Home. Many of us spent time holding, playing with, and entertaining small children. We look forward to seeing you all as we arrive home! God bless you all and praise Him for a great week!