Jamaica Missions Trip

We are in Jamaica, mon! The journey began Friday, July 24th as the team spent the night at the church to prepare for an early departure on Saturday. We got up at 3:30 a.m. on so that we could leave by 4:30 a.m. Our flight left JFK International airport at 10:32 a.m. and landed in Montego Bay, Jamaica at 2 p.m. Everything was great! We got through customs and the airport without any problems, and then into the bus to start our two-hour journey to Christiana. That's where the fun began! I thought that drivers in NYC were crazy, but they don't hold a candle to the drivers in Jamaica. Once we got off the main roads, the turns were pretty crazy. It was bumpy, curvy, and hilly! The driver used his horn every five seconds to warn other drivers that we were coming. Megan was so freaked out at some points that she was hanging on to me and the bus for dear life! I will post a picture, once I figure out how to do that :) The drive was going well, even with all the turns and cars swerving to miss one another, until the bus started to overheat. The driver stopped immediately on a hill to let the bus cool down. We stayed there for about an hour, praying that everything would turn out fine. Our driver, Ricky, was afraid it was something serious, but we eventually got it cooled down and drove the rest of the way to the Chrildren's Home. I had to laugh at Megan again though, because she had to go to the bathroom really bad. She only had two options: 1. go in the woods on the side of the mountain, or 2. ask the family whose house we were stuck in front of to use their restroom. She was insistent that she could wait until she found out we were still an hour away from the home. She chose to ask the family there. I guess when you gotta go, you gotta go :) We got to the New Vision - City of Refuge home about 6:30 p.m. We unloaded the bus, got settled into the team cabin and had some sandwiches and pumpkin soup. It was delicious! Spicy, but delicious! We concluded the evening by going over some of the rules with Jeff and Becky and then it was off to bed as we were exhausted by the long day of travel.

On Sunday, we were able to sleep in till about 8 a.m. because church service didn't start until 10:45 a.m. Pastor Gary had Jeff introduce the team and called me up to greet the congregation. The service was awesome, although I must admit it's very different! The atmosphere was very laid back and unconcerned about the "technical" side of church. Their slogan down here is, "No problem, mon!" That definitely fits them well. Nothing seems to get them worked up. The power went out during the message and Pastor Gary kept on going like nothing was wrong. Even though the attitude is more laid back, they definitely know how to praise God! Time was not an issue as service ended about 1:10 p.m. and it could have gone on a lot longer. The rest of the afternoon has been filled with the students getting to know the kids in the home much better as they play foursquare, soccer, b-ball, and other games. Tomorrow we will start our VBS for the kids in the morning and some construction work in the evening. We are excited as a lot of neighborhood kids come out to play on the b-ball courts and soccer fields. We are praying that we can do a sports camp that we can use as an opportunity to share the gospel of Jesus with them. Continue to keep us in prayer as we are here!

p. jon