Jamaica - June 2013
JAMAICA 2013 – JUNE WORK & WITNESS REPORT
Tuesday, June 4, 2013: We left Pittsburgh at 8:00 am and arrived in Montego Bay, Jamaica at 12:40pm. After gaining entry, we gathered our luggage and went through customs. I went first and explained we were in a group of 13 and all our luggage (24 bags) was on 3 carts. The customs agent proceeded to let us through until the last 4 in the group (1 adult and 3 teens). In case you don’t know, once you pass the customs desk, there is no reentry, so James C. and the 3 boys were on their own. After being questioned, they were sent to the TSA line to have all bags examined. Chances were that with the amount of supplies, tools and gifts, that we would be taxed and/or have stuff confiscated. There was only one agent in the inspection line, so after James was questioned again, the bags were going to be opened and examined. The agent asked how many bags? James said 24. The look on the agents face said it all, and she responded exasperated, 24 bags? At that point the agent approved entry without inspection, and all the bags made it through. We were thankful God allowed everything to make it safely. We found our driver, took a beautiful ride over the mountain to Frome, JA, stopping at the project site on the way. A few workers were there unloading stuff for our work. I was amazed that the building stood pretty much as we left it 2 years ago, other than some minor finishing work on the first level. Once at the mission house, we settled in, had orientation and prepared for tomorrow’s day of work. It was so exciting to arrive in Jamaica. It was so great to see so many friends, Deary, Lorraine, Lawrence, Dalton, Pastor Brown and Jennifer. This has truly become a Home away from Home.
Wednesday, June 5, 2013: Everyone is excited to get started. Butch and Debbie lead devotions and discussed how nothing can separate us from the love of God. They also reminded us the importance of keeping the churched youth involved so they do not lose focus on God. After breakfast, we loaded up the vans and headed to the site. After a 20 minute drive we arrived at the site. Some of our materials had arrived, but not everything. Likewise, some important pieces of equipment that were to be provided were not yet on site. Although a little frustrating, with what we had available, we were able to knock out a lot of prep work that would have had to be done later (cutting wood, making concrete forms, cutting and bending rebar, etc.). We broke down in groups, divided and conquered. Everyone worked well together and the diversity of our team members really worked in our favor. We spent most of the day doing this work. It was so hot, and most of us had to get acclimated to the climate (which took several days). Water became our most cherish tool. Short breaks throughout the day were welcomed, as it gave opportunity to refresh our bodies, while at the same time allowed us to catch up with many friends and get acquainted with those whom we had never met. We shared candy and toys with the kids, and also passed out salvation bracelets, used to share the gospel. At about 5 o’clock, we headed back to get cleaned up and have dinner. Afterwards, we went to Wednesday evening church at Burnt Savannah, where Pastor Mike shared a message of pressing on for Christ, even when we don’t fell like it, or when things get hard. Little did we know how encouraging this message would be in the upcoming days? It didn’t take long to remember the difficult work we committed ourselves to, but as before, we also were reminded of the blessing and strength God provides to help one accomplish the work. What a terrific first day. God is Faithful!
Thursday, June 6, 2013: Today at the site, we began what would become typical work over the next several days. We sifted sand for mortar, moved wheel barrels of sand and then stone for mixing concrete, unloaded 500 Masonry blocks (the first delivery of 2500 units) and stacked then on the 2nd floor, set up forms and placed rebar, and mixed concrete. There is just something about hard labor that will change your perspective on things. In addition to the normal work, the new concrete stairs were formed up and filled with concrete. This was vital as we needed better and quicker access to the 2nd floor. The stairs will be safe to use tomorrow. Throughout the day we mixed mortar, and supplied the masons with mortar and block as needed. With 4 masons working, this kept everyone busy. At lunch to today we gave an ‘evangleball’ to the kids. This is a soccer ball with the colors of salvation on it. It is very useful to break the barrier and open up opportunities to talk about Jesus. Tonight after dinner, the teens went to NYI (Nazarene Youth) meeting. The adults had devotions and a great discussion about our goals and some shared needs for support and prayer. Pastor Mike’s devotion was about having a willingness to serve because of Jesus’ love and what He did for us. It was a real humbling time and used by God to tighten up team unity.
Friday, June 7, 2013: Today many of the things the team would be tested by began to happen. When we woke this morning I was sick, yes the vomiting kind. Yuck!!! I couldn’t believe this… I was mad. I asked the house staff to make some ginger tea and soup, both good for stomach issues. Then I just prayed God would intervene. I then made arrangements with the team as to who would be responsible for the boys. Before I got back to my room, we heard from group 2. They were stuck in Pittsburgh because the plan was broke. They were told by the time the plan was fixed they would miss the connecting flight in Orlando. Ahhhh!! Tomorrow we were to do our VBS, but Katie has all the material with her in Pittsburgh. We are expecting 50 kids tomorrow… now what? I told group 2 I would call them later to check in, but they should keep us posted. I soon went back to bed and was quick to sleep. Everyone else headed to the site to continue the same work we had be doing the last two days. Around noon, I woke up to a knock on my door. There was tea and soup. I was feeling 90% better, so I ate the food, got dressed and thanked God for restoring me so quickly. Pastor Brown was at the house, so we headed to the site to check the progress. Today a good amount to work was done laying up walls. The building is coming along great. God has really used all of use along with the locals to get much accomplished in 3 days. More concrete block came around 2:00pm so we unloaded the block and stacked it on the roof. Another team member, Jim, was also feeling ill today. I believe the stomach issues were caused by dehydration and the water just wasn’t enough to replace all we were losing in the extreme heat. After we laid up more block, prepare sand for mortar, set rebar, and formed columns, it was time to head back to the house. Some want to the river for a quick swim, others got ready for dinner, and Jim went right to bed after his shower. Dinner was much needed and satisfying. After dinner we talked to group 2, they were being put up in Orlando by the airline, and will be on the same flight tomorrow that they were to be on today. With no more glitches, we should see them by 4:00pm tomorrow. Having this information, we shifted our schedule. VBS will now be next Saturday, and tomorrow will be a work day around the mission house and the GMC. Jim was to do devotions tonight, but I filled in since he was recuperating. I talked about the Great Commission, Matthew 28:18-20 and about how God gives us the power to accomplish what he calls us to, 2 Timothy 1:7. After devotions, we spent time as a group and then headed to bed.
Saturday, June 8, 2013: Because our schedule has been changed around, today we will stay at the mission house and did some maintenance work. It was also a great day to catch up on laundry and prepare for Sunday’s services. After breakfast, several team members began to weed the flower areas around the house and GMC (Gamertsfelder Medical Center), while others moved rebar and building materials to the covered walk on the rear of the GMC. After working ½ day, we had some time to work on lessons and personal stuff. Isaac and James T. went with me out to the main street with bibles, and witnessing materials to talk with several locals. We were able to have 3 really great conversations; one was with a young man who attended church, but had not fully committed his life to Christ. The second was with an older fellow who was a recovering “Rum Drinker” but was now striving to live for Jesus. The third conversation was with two elderly women who had served most of their life in Salvation Army Church. We had a great time passing out tracks, sharing our faith and encouraging any believer to dive deeper into a relationship with Jesus. Once done at the street, we walked down to the river and passed out salvation bracelets to the local teens who were there swimming and shared with them about salvation and Jesus. Around 4:00pm our remaining weary travelers, Rick, Kevin and Katie arrived at the House. We welcomed them warmly, got them settled in and enjoyed dinner as a complete team. After dinner, Jim J. gave devotions about simply serving Jesus out of love. It was direct and to the point. After devotions, we finalized our Sunday plans, played some games together, and shot off to bed. Sunday will be a busy day.
Sunday, June 9, 2013: As a team, we are scheduled to speak at 3 different churches today, so the plan is to divide and conquer. Rick Carnahan is speaking at Mt. Carmel on ‘Enduring till the end – Finishing the race strong’. Pastor Mike is speaking at Mt. Shiloh (the location of our project) on ‘The Power of the Resurrection’. I am speaking at Burnt Savannah (Pastor Lionel & Jennifer’s church) on ‘What is holding you back – A Luke warm church’. Katie is doing part one of VBS with several of the teens. The rest of the team split up and went to one of the locations. Without going into great detail, once I heard the reports of each church service, I am confident the Lord had each of us in the church where He needed a specific message taught. It is amazing to me how God orchestrates his plan through people who live thousands miles apart. I must say that my Sunday morning experience challenged me in new ways. I was in a place where I needed to just trust God to speak through me to people who needed to hear his message. My prayer is that God will move mightily in calling people back to a place of humility and holy living. Sunday afternoon we rested, had dinner, did laundry and any other miscellaneous things that needed done. Around 5:00pm, Pastor Johnson from the Llandilo C.O.N. came to pick us up for street ministry. The last time we were in Jamaica, his church was about out 12 people. Attendance now runs between 30 – 40 and they meet in a building that is 20’ X 30’. We met with 3 members of the Llandilo church and split into 3 groups and began going house to house sharing the gospel of Jesus and inviting all we spoke with to Church. We gave out bibles, used the salvation bracelets, and offered candy when we finished talking (with sugarcane being the major product in Westmoreland, any type of sweet goes a long way to break down barriers). After about an hour of witnessing we held a street meeting, singing and sharing the message of Jesus to all who gathered and would listen. Elliott helped lead singing, Isaac got involved sharing house to house, and I was able to watch God move in this Jamaican neighborhood. This was my favorite experience of the trip. After the service we headed back to the mission house to prepare for the next day. Once we arrived home, I know Satan was trying to stop our joy and rejoicing from the street service. As everyone was settling down, I went to the kitchen for some water. Darlinda McDonald (our senior team member) was in the dining hall. As I was in the kitchen I heard a yelp of pain. I came into the dining hall and Dar was holding her foot. I asked if she kicked the table. Her reply was “No, I was bite by a giant centipede looking creature and it ran away fast”. I looked at her foot and could see the bite and the swelling. She kept saying it burned and hurt so bad. Mark, the missionary intern heard the ruckus and came in. I told him what happened and He said his wife was once bite by what is called a “40 legs” (search Peruvian Centipede ) and they are venomous . I called the Browns and they were a few minutes from being home. Once they arrived, they gave Dar some Benadryl and took her to the hospital. The doctor gave her shots and anti-venom. The poison is typically only deadly to small animals, but if left untreated, it could have been deadly if the poison traveled to the major organs and she had any allergy to the toxins. But because of our quick response, prayer and God’s healing power. Darlinda recovered over the next few days w/ no ill effects. God is gracious in our time of need! I waited for Dar, Kevin (her husband) and the Browns to return. I talked to Dar, prayed for her, and headed off to bed. What a crazy day.
Monday, June 10, 2013: Today is excursion day! Darlinda is able to go, but not allowed in the Ocean. But before we go to the beach at Negril, we headed to Frome Technical High School for morning devotions and to speak to the kids. Pastor Mike spoke about Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego while the team acted out the message. All the schools in Jamaica start the days with singing and morning devotions. Speaking the name of Jesus in School is permitted across the Island. After devotions, we headed back and prepared for the beach. The day is great. The beach is about a 45 minute drive. We go to the beach where you can snorkel, parasail, swim, lay out, and just simply relax, have fun and rejuvenate for another week of grueling labor. Until you experience this work first hand, you really can’t understand how vital the excursion day is to keep up moral. We had lunch on the beach, did some shopping, went to the cliffs at Rick’s Café, had a group dinner and then head home. It is a terrific day and a good team building experience. Even though this day is about self restoration, it is so beautiful to see different parts of God’s creation that we don’t have available in our everyday world. Seeing a new country helps you see and understand God’s magnificence in a new and more powerful way. Romans Chapter 1 tells us that man is without excuse, because of the evidence of God in creation and our surrounding environment. Look around and know God! I had 3 opportunities today to share Jesus. One was with a lady working on the beach. The second was with a dealer trying to sell me Ganja (marijuana), and the third was with a guy who asked me what my story was after he saw me giving some little kids a few bucks without anything in return. God will use you wherever you are. Just look for opportunities and always be prepared to share the hope you have in Jesus.
Tuesday, June 11, 2013: Well, back to the job Site. All accept for Darlinda. Her foot is still a little swollen from the centipede bit. Many of the local Jamaican’s did some work yesterday preparing for the work that really needed to be completed while we are available. More material deliveries where made, so all the sand, stone, block and water needed moved to the second floor so masonry walls could be continued. Some continued to form the areas where new walls will be laid. Others created lines to move materials. By day’s end we moved over 700 blocks and numerous amounts of material for concrete. Any walls that were in place were filled with grout so the walls would be ready to be continued in the morning. The weather was really hot today. The work was difficult, after lunch it began to rain and that really cooled things off. It was so refreshing that it gave us new strength to finish the day strong. Today was very successful. We headed back and cleaned up for dinner. Afterwards, we had devotions and James C. talked about God’s protection and His plans for our lives. Sometimes we steer ourselves in directions away from God’s plans, but he often has ways to get us back on track even if it takes longer then he originally planned. I’m grateful for God’s Provision.
Wednesday, June 12, 2013: This morning everyone was excited to get back to the site. First thing I had a conversation with Dar and Lionel. Lionel was asking the Dar stay back one more day. Her foot was still hurting, so we thought it best for her to get another days rest. None of us expected this, but Dar is using the time to listen to God and see what he wants her to learn. Today’s work consisted of continuing all the work started yesterday. We moved the rest of the block to the second level and enough stone, sand and water to make mortar and grout to continue building the walls. The team also continued tying up rebar and forming the upper part of the concrete columns. We had a quick lunch and headed back to work. There was rain on the horizon and we wanted to get as much done as possible. After about an hour of laying block, the sky’s opened up and it rained harder than it has since we’ve been here. The good news was we completed the work we needed to for the day and the rain really cooled things down. The bad news was we used up all the cement we had bought and the project money sent was exhausted. While it rained we had time to talk with the Jamaican workers. After working like we had with each other, it was easy to start conversations. Many of us took advantage of that time and I talked with Rushawn, we started talking about being a father and setting an example. This led us to talk about how Jesus helps us be the men with need to be. Seeds were planted and now the Holy Spirit needs to water and make them grow. I pray God will use our work to bring Rushawn back to Him and pray that Rushawn will be obedient to the Lord’s calling. Soon we headed back for dinner. Afterwards, Darlinda and Kevin lead devotions. They shared about the armor of God. Dar also shared share about her challenge of the centipede and not being able to do work she came to do. Even though her plans changed, God still used this time to build her faith and challenged her to trust him fully, even when we do not understand. Tomorrow we will lead NYI in the evening and James C. will be sharing his life story.
Thursday, June 13, 2013: After breakfast we began our day the same way by packing into the vehicles and heading to the site to see what we can do. Because we ran out of concrete, the only thing we could do was to move materials in place to continue when possible. Pastor Mike and I had a discussion about materials. I noted that because of the generous giving of all our supporters, we had some money still coming in even after we left for the trip. I recommended that we use that money now to buy more concrete to take advantage being here, able to do more work. Mike agreed, so we ordered more cement. While waiting for the cement, we moved all remaining block, stone, sand, and water to the roof. Soon the cement came so we began carrying the 100 lb bags to the roof while at the same time testing the strength of our new concrete steps… so far, so good. Once the cement was in place, we began mixing cement and mortar to lay up as much block as possible and grout the cells as we went. The team worked diligently until about 3:45. By that time we had done all we could do. Since we had to be at NYI, we packed up our stuff and headed back. Dinner tonight was Jerk Chicken. This is a team favorite and a staple the Jamaican’s are known for world wide. Soon we headed to the NYI event. This became a combined event with the teens and Adults. Jennifer Brown started the service with worship and Lionel lead corporate prayer. We then got acquainted by challenging the Jamaican’s to a “In it to Win it” competition of 4 events. Pastor Mike and Lionel faced off in the first challenge. Lionel pulled out the victory with a little extra help after the buzzer. The next 3 events went back and forth and we finished in a tie. After games, Elliott sang a special song “One things Remains.” James C. was up next with the message. James gave his testimony, tying in the points of the consequences bad choices and God’s saving grace. To close the service, I summed up the fine points James made and gave and alter call. Lionel and Jennifer than sang an old hymn. I don’t know what it is called, but it was about how God gives grace even when we don’t deserve it. Once we returned home, we gathered together to debrief. James answered questions about his testimony, we discussed highlights from the trip so far, and then Katie and Alyssa lead devotions about being the Salt of the world. This has been an Excellent Day!
Friday, June 14, 2013: I am so amazed that we have come to our last day of work. In the 11 days we have been here, we have worked very hard on the project, held Wednesday service, adjusted our itinerary 3 times, overcome travel delays, lead 3 Sundays services, did street ministry in Llandilo, took and excursion to Negril, lead devotions at Frome High School, and ran the NYI service. Now, here we are with 1 day left to work and VBS tomorrow, then home. Time goes so fast. Overall this has been a great trip. There were many challenges, but we overcame. Again God has proven his goodness and faithfulness! Well, here we go one last time… Off to breakfast and then the project site. Today is all concrete, as all the block is up to lintel height. We need to pour the remaining lintels and grout walls to prepare the walls for the top course to reach truss bearing. After arriving, we began take down forms from the concrete poured yesterday to reuse on the remaining lintels. Once the forms were set, we began mixing concrete. This continued for a good hour until the mix we started was all used up. This was half the material, leaving half to finish after lunch. Lionel arrived to take us back as we were only to work half a day. But my belief and attitude is we came to work and we will finish what we started. We broke for lunch. Lionel gave a speech of appreciation and thankfulness to our team and to those who came to help. He asked me to say a few words as team leader, so I did. I told them how much we have grown to love Jamaica and consider it a home away from home. Jamaica is now a place where we have friends and family (through Christ) and have built relationships. Mt Shiloh has become an extension of Hubbard. I encouraged those present to embrace the friendship, and more so to seek God with all their hearts, minds, soul and strength. I asked them to not to be hesitant in serving Jesus, but to be active in their faith and to endure to the end. Pastor Knight (the pastor of Mt. Shiloh) then gave thanks and discussed the plans they have for the facility. We then headed back to the roof, and within the next hour we completed all the concrete we could until the materials were exhausted. We cleaned up the site and prepared to head back to the mission house, but first, the hardest part of the trip arrived. It was time to say our goodbyes. It’s amazing how quickly you can bond with people that you have just met when the goal and focus are the same. We hugged each other, took pictures and laughed. Many of the Jamaican workers do not even have decent shoes to work in, so most of us took the boots off our feet and gave them to the first person that asked. All the tools we brought we given the district so work can continue on projects in our absence. All the supplies we had, bibles, school supplies, athletic equipment, tooth brushes and tooth paste, and even dentals tools (complements of Braydich Dental, my dentist) were given to individuals, schools, and the GMC to be used in ministry work. For one last time we loaded on the vans and headed back to the mission house. Before we came down to Jamaica, I caught wind of a group of kids from Burnt Savannah who began children’s quizzing this year. Four of these kids qualified for World Quiz to be held a General Assembly in Indianapolis on June 29th. Being involved in Children’s quizzing myself, I reached out to our church and quizzing district to raise money for the Jamaican kids to help them make the trip. Tonight at dinner, we had a surprise visit from these kids and their coaches. They came to say thanks and that gave us opportunity to encourage them and get to know them better. God will surely use these children. What a great group. (They did very well at world quiz!!!). After their visit, we finished up dinner and then most of our time was spent packing things up and getting ready for tomorrow’s VBS.
Saturday, June 15, 2013: This morning is another warm morning. Today will be hot, but there is rain in the forecast. Breakfast was a little later this morning, so we worked on VBS stuff. After breakfast, we headed over the Burnt Savannah C.O.N. and began to welcome kids to VBS. We opened up the church, turned on the fans, and then opened the doors. We had about 60 kids show up. Katie welcomed the kids, we sang songs and played some games. Katie then gave a message about the armor of God. Isaac helped but putting the armor on Joe T. as Katie described the importance of each piece. We then did a play about Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, showing how through their faith God protected them. We then finished up with some bead crafts and bracelets. 3 hours went fast. We took a few group pictures and said goodbye to the kids. Once back at the house, we had lunch of soup and Jucci Patties (a Jamaica fast food) filled with chicken, beef or veggies. After lunch we toured they GMC. The Clinic is now functional. People can come here to get discounted medical help for dental, vision, medical and surgical. All the areas are open except surgery as there are waiting for medical approval of this area. The lower level of this building is a daycare where children will be cared for, taught and nourished, both physically and spiritually. The building is named after an optometrist, Dr. Paul Gamertsfelder, who was the founding father of Work & Witness in the Church of the Nazarene. Dr. Paul is from the Columbus, Ohio area. ( You can learn more about the GMC at the Mission of Sight webpage). After our tour, a storm blew in from nowhere. It rained hard with lightning for over an hour. This really cooled things down. Joe Thompson, one of our teens, said that he believed he needed to be baptized, so he called home and talked to his parents. They were excited, so we went down to the river, the water was not that high, surprisingly, since it jut rained, so Joe and Pastor mike went into the river and Joe was baptized. What a very exciting time and a memorable moment. After that we want back to the house were the boys (5 teens) lead us in our final devotion of the trip. The boys each picked a favorite verse and a favorite memory of the trip and discussed why this was important to them. To our surprise, the conclusion of each boy was similar even thought the verse and experience was different. They each saw God move and understood the importance of helping others. After Prayer, we each finished packing up for our very long trip home. I am so grateful for this trip. I firmly believe that God will do miracles through what we have done.
Sunday, June 16, 2013: Today we leave. Our airport transport will be here at 8:30 to take us to Montego Bay. We arrived on time, checked in went the terminal. We had 1 hour before take-off so we did some last minute shopping in the concourse, grabbed lunch, waited to load. While we were waiting, Kevin and Darlinda McDonald receive a call from their daughter Jennifer, who live in Florida, with news that she had been diagnosed with Leukemia. Dar and Kevin have had a rough trip. But they just asked everyone to pray, believing God will take care of everything. (Since then, Jennifer had received treatment, and was told she was in remission. But just last week, 12-15-13, Jennifer was told the cancer had come back. Please pray that God will intervene). The flight home was smooth, even with a 5 hour layover in Atlanta, and we arrived in Pittsburgh at 12:09am (Monday). Everyone grabbed luggage, shuttled back to the hotel and headed home. By 3:30am everyone was home safe and sound. Back to work tomorrow….