Friday...all good things must come to an end...

Hello friends.

Friday was our last full day in Jamaica. :(

Bill spent the day unloading 1258 boxes of food (an entire shipping container) from Feed My Starving Children in MN and delivering them to 7 different churches and schools around the island. Needless to say, it was a LONG day for that crew!

Phyllis, Helen, Lauren and Pastor Stacy spent the day shopping at the local market and grocery store for some 'treats.' The afternoon included a sunset catamaran ride complete with snorkeling, foot rubs and some reggae to dance to.

This morning, we are packing up and preparing to head home...it has been an amazing week, but we are all ready to come home. Please have the sunshine and warm air waiting...we'll do our best to bring some home.

Please pray for safe flights...we'll see you at church tomorrow morning!

Peace-
Your Mission Jamaica Team

PS sorry about the lack of pictures...but the computers have not been cooperating. We are excited to share them all with you when we get back.

Thursday...what a day.

Hello friends.

Sorry we didn't get a chance to add a note last night, but we didn't get back until late from a very special evening...

Bill, Helen and Phyllis spent the day working at Clifton Home for Boys. Bill, once again worked on a roof...dismantling an old one and replacing it with a new sturdy, un-leakable one. Phyllis and Helen were able to spend some time with the residents of Clifton Home playing games, reading, coloring, crafts and other educational activities. They started the day singing songs with Pastor David playing the guitar...never have such beautiful voices been heard! They were able to share the Passion Story with the boys during the day...what an amazing opportunity right before Holy Week.

In the evening we were all treated to one of the most special parts of our week...we were able to spend an evening in the mountains with Pastor Stacy's "2nd"family. The evening began with an authentic Jamaican meal of fried chicken, brown-stew chicken, rice and peas and vegetables. It continued with singing, dancing, laughing and conversations that allowed us to build new, lasting relationships as friends and family. It was quite a treat to be joined by many (MANY) extended family members and hear their stories and share their lives for just one, short evening. There are not enough words to describe our evening, so we'll have to share more when we get home in stories and pictures.

Friday we are off to the local market to track down some Jamaica souvenirs and then to a sunset catamaran ride to close out our week.

Thank you, again, for all of your prayers and notes...we've had an amazing week and cannot wait to share more of it with you when we get home.

Peace-
Your Mission Jamaica Team

Wednesday...saying good-bye to our new friends.

Hello friends.

Parting is such sweet sorrow...

We learned that this statement is most certainly true today. It was our last day at Westhaven Children's Home and also the last day for the medical clinic. Phyllis, Lauren and Pastor Stacy were able to put the finishing touches on the paint and plants in the Westhaven Memorial Garden with the help of a few other friends. The finished project is quite beautiful and will hopefully become a place where the children and all those visiting Westhaven can take a few moments to pause and remember the joy and blessings brought by those children who have passed away. After finishing the garden, they helped wrap up various projects and spent time with the kids...

Helen wrapped up another successful day at the medical clinic. Today, they switched venues and were seeing patients in a make-shift clinic in the spare room of the local Basic School (ages 3-6). They saw 52 more patients today, making their grand total well over 275 in 3 days. What was most striking was that people were walking miles and miles on rocky, mountainous ground to see one of our doctors. What a difference they have made in so many lives. Helen was able to enjoy a few minutes of "lap time" with some of her favorite kids before we had to leave.

Bill continued his concrete work by hammering and chisling away at previous Jamaican engineering efforts. Most of the day was spent building forms and preparing the structure for finishing touches by next week's team. He also got to spend some time doing his favorite thing: mixing concrete by hand with a hose and shovel.

At the close of the day, we were treated to one of the finest banquets we have ever seen. The director of Westhaven, Ms. Grant, and the staff put together a sampling of some of Jamaica's finest treats: cheese sandwiches, bun & cheese (a local favorite) and mango punch...complete with cake and rum-raisin ice cream. It was a treat for us but hard to eat while all the children waited patiently for us to finish...for once we were done, we were all able to take a plate and serve a child for the last time before boarding the bus for home...

Tomorrow, most of the group will be heading to Clifton Boys' Home for a day of projects and relationship-building with the boys that live there. Look for an update on that adventure tomorrow!

Peace-

Your Mission Jamaica Team

Tuesday...heat and hard work are taking their toll.

Hey friends.

We just got back from a quick road trip and are exhausted...we wanted to let you know that we had another great day and worked very hard.

Phyllis & Lauren spent another day working in the Memorial Gardens at Westhaven. Painting benches was the task of the day. Phyllis got the awesome opportunity to ride with one of the mission coordinators to the nursery to pick out plants...can't wait to see the finished product tomorrow!

Bill spent 1/2 the day on the roof again then got recruited to the "concrete crew" where he made friends with the Jamaican locals. Especially when they had found out that he has done concrete work before! :)

Helen and Pastor Stacy spent the day working at the medical clinic where we once again saw over 100 patients and helped them with all their various medical needs, watched their children and prayed for health and safety.

All-in-all it was another great day...we are headed to bed and will update with more pictures and stories tomorrow.

Thanks to all for reading and for your encouraging comments...it keeps us going to know that so many are praying for us back home.

Peace-
Your Mission Jamaica Team

Monday...Work Day #1 is in the record books.

Hello everyone...Right off the bat we must beg your forgiveness for any typing errors as we are all VERY tired after a long day at work...but we'll try our best! :)

Today's Trivia

1 - What's the secret to dispensing medications to 120 patients at a free community clinic in one day?? Ask Helen...she's the pharmacy tech of the day!

2 - How many swings of a hammer does it take to pound out a 4" x 5" hole in a concrete wall? Lauren "jackhammer" Struzik has your answer for that one!

3 - How warm does it get removing shingles from a black roof on a cottage in Jamaica in the hot sun with no cloud cover? Ask Bill (once he cools down and can think straight! :) )

4 - What does it feel like to be the lead gardener on the first-ever Memorial Garden planted at Westhaven Children's Home?? Our very own Phyllis is the only one who can answer that!

5 - What does it take to keep 4 sheep watered, lathered in sun screen and willing to work another day while helping on which ever projects can be found?? Pastor Stacy might have an idea...

Things we learned today:

1 - A rastafarian with 18 children can support himself and his family by weaving baskets from bamboo and banana leaves...with a little help from the missionary shoppers.

2 - 40-leg poisonous centipedes DO exist in Jamaica...thank goodness for brave souls who "take care" of them for us!

3 - The Montego Bay business district makes Bentonville-Rogers look like a glorious city where

the streets are paved with gold!

4 - Here "school colors" means the color of the uniform that you are required to wear.

5 - After a long day of seeing patients, dispensing meds, pulling weeds, ripping shingles and pounding walls, we are all ready for day #2...assuming we can get up and out of bed, that is!

Peace to all....keep the prayers comin'!

Your Mission Jamaica Team

Sunday...PRAISE THE LORD! (must be said while raising arms in the air!)

We learned many things today:

1 - "Little Percy" (our bus driver) shows no mercy, with Chris, you cannot miss"...we think he means the pot holes.

2 - In order to drive in Jamaica, you must have a PhD....Pot Hole Dodger Certificated.

3 - Goats run wild...just imagine razorbacks running around wild (but they are goats).

4 - Preparing for church and welcoming guests are "an event" in Jamaica.

5 - Who would have thought that "white people," handicapped orphans in wheelchairs and Jamaicans dressed "to the 9s" walking their way to church up the rough side of the mountain would make such a beautiful processional?

6 - 3 men carrying a child in a wheelchair up a rocky mountain and 10 steps = handicapped accessibility for a Jamaican Pentecostal Church.

7 - Our workout regimen for Sunday was a 2 1/2 worship service complete with dancing, clapping, singing and praise...and NO air conditioning.

8 - Proof-positive that a 40-minute sermon CAN be enjoyable!

9 - A 1/2 cheese-whiz sandwich and a package of club crackers makes a beautiful feast when shared in the house of the Lord with brothers and sisters.

10 - It's amazing how people and children who are seen as under-privledged can give so much and so unconditionally in a few short, precious moments.

11 - Despite primitive conditions, the cup of hospitality was overflowing with love and joy.

Today was a good introduction and a time to prepare for the week to come. Please continue to pray for safety, good health and productive labors.

Peace-

Your Mission Jamaica Team

P.S. As you can imagine, the slow island lifestyle has caught up with the technology. We are not able to get pictures uploaded. Check back Monday night and say a prayer.

Saturday...We're leeeeavin' on a jet plane!

Hello friends...sorry that we didn't get a chance to blog Saturday night, but after 14 hours of traveling, travel delays, room mix-ups and general exhaustion, we went to bed early!

We arrived safe and sound (only about 2 1/2 hours after we were supposed to), waited in line for an hour at immigration, found our bags after a search of the luggage area and then waited in customs before finding ourselves in the warm, humid, WONDERFUL Jamaican air! Pastor Douglas was waiting for us and greeted us with a warm smile and hugs all around. We made our way to our home for the week and waited some more...for our rooms to be cleaned and for rooms with appropriate sleeping arrangements for teammates! :)

Our hotel is open, humongous and FULL with delicious food and a beautiful, sandy beach! Bill has been in Heaven back in the ocean (he wasn't kidding when he said he was an ocean baby!) and we were all exited to get some rest to be ready for worship on Sunday!

That's all for now...Check out our next post for our thoughts on a Jamaican Pentecostal worship service!

Peace-

Your Mission Jamaica team