2011 Jamaica Mission Team: En Route

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Our last day here in Jamaica was filled with enjoying God’s beautiful creation.  We woke up bright and early and headed straight for Port Antonio.  We stopped along the way at Boston to eat Boston-style jerk chicken for lunch.  We spent over an hour in the straw market of Port Antonio purchasing souvenirs and talking with the vendors.  After haggling down a few prices at the market, we packed up and headed back toward the beach.  The waters were so blue and the waves were extremely choppy today!  We enjoyed a wonderful dinner at a local restaurant on the beach, taking in the breath-taking view of the ocean.  Most of us fell asleep in the vans on the way back, and were ready to play a round of Mafia before our devotional.  We came to  the conclusion that as a mission team, we came to Jamaica as strangers, and we will leave the country as family.  We have been blessed to enjoy such a wonderful week filled with reaching up to God and reaching out to man.

Friday, March 18, 2001

As the last working day comes to an end, Group One finished sealing the cement for Brother Grant’s bedroom, as well as replacing two doors. Group Two went to the same location as yesterday and painted the walls they replaced. Te nursing majors on our team were able to spend an hour taking a tour at the local hospital. We all were able to visit the patients infirmary today. We went to each of the wards and sand our favorite hymns and devotional songs with the patients. It was such a joy to bring laughter and love to the lives of each individual in the home. After our visit to the infirmary, a group of us went up to the mountain to visit a church at Soho. Matt explained the work and services the past Jamaica mission teams have done. After yet another good meal we all gathered into a circle to play some Jamaican games – a tradition here for mission groups. We played different kinds of hand slap games, fruit basket turnover, and a game called atoms. To finish the night we played a few heated rounds of Mafia.

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day! We started our morning by going to a elementary school to teach a VBS-type devotional.  Needless to say, we all enjoyed having about 50 children around us begging for hugs.  We discussed an interactive story about David and Goliath.  The children enjoyed playing the characters in the story, along with singing and dancing to VBS songs.  After we had breakfast, we separated into our groups and headed to our designated work sites.  Group One was finally able to mix the cement and completely finish one room for Brother Grant. Group Two went to another house in the community and replaced the walls to a bedroom.  After all the hard work this morning, we went to Yallahs to enjoy jerk chicken.  Afterwards, we went to the beach to cool down and relax.  For the rest of the night, we played Mafia, dominoes, and card games at the church. 

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

We have gotten so much work done today at the construction sites.  Group One filled another one of Brother Grant’s rooms with rock and dirt to prepare it for cement tomorrow.  Slight, sporadic rain showers prevented us from mixing the cement, and we had to postpone that for tomorrow.  Group Two (joined by the Evangelism Team) completed the second coat of paint for the house that received a new roof and kitchen, completing that project. The final revival sermon tonight was about developing a passionate desire to make Heaven your home when life is over.  We have all been deeply motivated by the revival meetings this week and sad to see them come to an end tonight.  We have enjoyed the energetic lessons brought to us by Brother Martin from the Cayman Islands.  The mission team has had wonderful bonding experiences playing our favorite game called “Mafia.”  We are having a wonderful time serving our Lord!
Philippians 1:21
²¹ For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011

It has been another wonderful day here in Jamaica! Group One prepared Brother Grant’s floor to pour cement and finish up tomorrow.  Group Two successfully replaced a roof and painted the house for one of the church members. The last group was given another opportunity to go throughout neighborhoods and invite the community to our revival meetings. We were thrilled to see the increase in attendance tonight thanks to the evangilism efforts. We worked so hard this morning, that we took a break to cool down at the near by beach of Golden Shores around 2:00 PM. Our lession tonight at the revival meeting was about having the desire to develop spiritual gifts and talents that we can use for the service of God.  We learned that what we do with our God-given talents and gifts are based on the choices that we make and the desires of our hearts.
1 Peter 4:10-11
 As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. ¹¹ If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Monday, March 14, 2011

Today we divided into three service teams and dispersed throughout the community.  One group was responsible for re-constructing Brother Grant’s floor.  The second group was in charge of replacing a roof on one of the church member’s home, as well as replacing the walls around the kitchen.  The last group went to different areas of the community to spread the word about the church’s revival meetings.  We all had special experiences and great bonding time with our team and the Jamaicans we met along the way.  Our lesson from the revival meeting tonight continued on the subject of Desire.  The main point of the sermon was to actively desire to worship God not as a spectator, but as a participant. 
Psalm 27:4-5:
One thing I have desired of the LORD,
That will I seek: 
That I may dwell in the house of the LORD 
All the days of my life,
To behold the beauty of the LORD,
 And to inquire in His temple.
 For in the time of trouble
 He shall hide me in His pavilion;
 In the secret place of His tabernacle
 He shall hide me;
  He shall set me high upon a rock.

Sunday, March 13, 2011

 We are finally in Morant Bay, Jamaica! We were greeted with a light rain shower as soon as we departed the plane.  After renting the vans and meeting Brother Michael at the airport, Matt proudly proved himself as a true Jamaican driver!  We arrived at the church around 4:30PM with an amazing lunch awaiting for us.  The rest of our afternoon was filled with fellowship with the church members, playing soccer, and duck-duck-goose with the children.  At 7:00PM, the church held the “tent meeting” based on the topic of desire.  We were all encouraged by Brother Martin’s enthusiastic message on the subject.  For Tomorrow, we have divided into three teams (two teams based at different construction projects and the other team door knocking in the community).

The 2011 Lipscomb Spring Break Mission Team is currently en route to Morant Bay. Stand by for the latest news and updates from the team.