Fort Bend Christian Academy

We all got to Jamaica in time and in good spirits! We've made our way out to Hopewell and are getting settled in. Thank you for your prayers so far! Continue praying for us as we serve this week!

As we awoke this morning the breeze was cool and the day was clear. The “ladies first” feeding line policy left some of the guys (I’m not bitter) without pancakes, but not a lot of time to mope as we were off to church at the Hopewell Baptist Church close to the deliverance center. The overlook of the church is beautiful and so are the people. The Jamaicans have such a warm spirit and our time worshipping with them was such a blessing. We covered every element of Baptist tradition, Sunday school, singing hymns, communion, a baby dedication, a report on church business and finances, and a special by the choir. We also received some phenomenal teaching from God’s word accompanied by a praise band leader that loved to throw in random B.B. King riffs. It really was a tremendous blessing. We came back for lunch and headed out to St. James Infirmary a home for the poor and elderly. Our group had a chance to meet Henry a sort of Eagle Week celebrity that the Jamaica teams for the past 2 years have mentioned in their testimonies of the trip. A blind gentleman that sung hymns with us shining an infectious joy of Christ. It was such a blessing to watch your students interacting with these men and women, many of whom routinely feel forgotten. Sharing the love of Christ with what some would consider “The least of these…” Some break time this afternoon allowed for a trip to the corner store and gave several of our students a chance to try some raw sugar cane for the first time. In our devotional time this evening we discussed what it looks like to get closer to God. I explained to the students my desire to see their lives changed for Christ’s Kingdom as a result of this trip, but would rather see small changes that are permanent rather than big changes that don’t last. As we settle in to our Jamaica routine, I am excited about the impact this trip will have on your students. They are a blessing, thank you for trusting them to us. Blessings, Will Mathews

Walking into church...what a view!

Today was our first day of ministry work as we left the deliverance center and headed to Cocoon Castle to work at the primary school. It was a great day for our students to be there, as one of the classroom teachers was off campus with other duties and our students actually taught her class today. With the help of our Praying Pelicans house mother Ms. Norma, a 30 year veteran teacher, and our own rock star teacher Ms. Hooper, the class was quickly in order and working on math and creative writing. Recess is a favorite of all students in Jamaica as well. After lunch a rugged work crew began construction on an additional room at the Hopewell Baptist Church. Another group headed out along a narrow mountain path by bus to the Westhaven home for the physically and mentally handicapped. Our students lived out the Gospel by sharing love with these people and you would have been so proud of them. Taking Christ to the world is not always comfortable, but it is satisfying. In our time of devotion tonight we talked about drawing closer to God by keeping his commandments to love others. Conversely we talked about James 1:27 and pure and undefiled religion, and keeping ourselves unstained by the world. Please continue to pray for us as we share the good news of Christ’s love with the wonderful people of Jamaica. Blessings, Will

Another great day to get up and praise the Lord for the cool breeze and a fresh calling. We headed back out for a morning at the Cocoon Castle school where, again, a classroom was without a teacher and our students stepped right in. My favorite moment was watching Jordan W. work with a 4th grade boy on fractions. As soon as the recess bell rang for the older class, this young fella was finding it hard to pay attention and I hear Jordan tell him several times “Man, you gotta focus”. Finally Jordan was able to use his fingers to demonstrate fractions and that drew the young man’s attention back in. I was proud of Jordan for his patience, as I have been with so many of our other students. A small group spent time at the basic school which is kindergarten and 1st grade. Those little ones were so precious and we were able to renew some youthful vigor by joining them in a round of “Father Abraham”. Coach T was able to keep the 2nd and 3rd graders busy with a game that he said he invented because he got tired of chasing them around. There really is something about spending time with children that can renew places within us that we forget to pay attention to in our everyday. The afternoon was about a couple of different construction projects with some local churches. Margo S. is now an expert at mixing mortar and stucco without a mixing machine. Our students were once again able to serve the people of Cocoon Castle Church by floating the interior walls with stucco. Last years team put the roof on this wing of the church and it is a year later and just now nearing completion. It is a work in progress and a work we are proud to partner in. Your students have been hard workers and outstanding representatives of Christ and their families. Please continue your prayers for lives to be changed as our students are challenged to seek Christ more earnestly.