Team Jamaica Day #7

Our day off has finally arrived. The students have worked very hard and endured humid temperatures; they were ready for Dunn’s River Falls. Although it was a day off everyone had to get up earlier then they had all week. Mr. McIntyre was schedule to arrive at 7:30am and so breakfast was served at 7:00am. The eggs and the bread looked fairly normal; however, the round fried meat looked suspiciously like bologna. At least, that was our best guess.

On our way to the falls we picked up Rajive and Heather. Also on the bus were Mrs. Gallimore, her sister and nephew -- Ricardo. We headed out for our two hour drive. The first twenty minutes was on a fairly smooth highway. The last hour and a half was like the App-Gap…through the jungle. The road was narrow and had tons of switch backs along steep embankments; this scared me more than 100 Lane yesterday. By the time we arrived nearly half a dozen students and leaders felt like vomiting. The nauseous feelings soon passed when we reached the falls.

Instead of trying to describe this experience, check out http://www.dunnsriverfallsja.com/
Now that you have seen the pictures you can probably imagine how much fun we had! I can also report that there were no injuries. Ally Wetmore, if you are reading this I made sure to show the team where I saved your life. We were able to ascend the falls twice in two hours and had plenty of time to explore different routes. A small group of us were able to climb one of the more challenging sections. Props go to Shannon, Carolyn, Nancy, Adam, Meyer, Isaac and Matt. Although I have been to falls twice before this trip, I don’t remember ever seeing such large spiders. For one group photo, I had everyone stand on the river bank; Emily bumped a web and revealed a two inch black and yellow spider. That group photo ended quickly.

By 1pm we were all ready to head to lunch. I was told Island Grill was a good Jamaican restaurant to bring the students to. We drove to downtown Ocho Rios and enjoyed some jerk chicken-- and probably the best tasting French fries we’ve ever had. The plan was to bring the students snorkeling at Turtle Beach. When I inquired about the rental costs, “Jamaica Joe” met me and offered to take the students out to the reef on his glass bottom boat. It would cost $20/person for the boat, $10/person for snorkeling gear and $3/person for beach access. I said that was too much and asked him if he would take $20/person for everything. “Because you are a mission group, I can do that”. That works out to about $27,000 (Jamaican). I went back to the bus to ask the students whether they wanted to take the deal. “Yes” was the answer. Our Jamaican passengers said that was too much money. They suggested that I offer him $18,000 and to bring the group with me. I went back to Joe with $14,000. He did not like that number. Just then, thunder clapped overhead. As if rehearsed, two students said “I’m not sure if I want to get in the water”. I responded loud enough for the group and Joe to hear me, “Oh, would you rather not go?” Jamaica Joe felt the sale slipping…”Ok, I’ll take $14,000.” (That’s about $11 US)
For most of the group this was their first time snorkeling, let alone in the Caribbean. Although there were occasional sprinkles the conditions were very nice. The students had a full hour to explore the coral reef, colorful fish and sea urchins. Personally, I love to see students experiencing things like this for the first time. Their excitement is fun to watch. I mention sea urchins because Kerry found one with the inside of her right arm. The two puncture wounds are not dangerous but did need to be cleaned out. Beyond that incident, the whole afternoon was a success.

We arrived back at the hotel at around 7:30pm. A dinner of spaghetti and meatballs was waiting for us. We had a quick team meeting and then split guys and girls for devotions. Matt prepared a message for the boys and Carolyn spoke to the girls. I think the students appreciated a break from me tonight. The only other mention for the night would be “Ho down, throw down”. You will have to ask Nancy for more details on that.

Team Jamaica Day #6

I hope you’ve enjoyed hearing from the students the last few days. I’m sure it was nice to get things from their perspective. Well, today, I decided to write. It is probably best you hear it from me.

(Warning: mature content to follow)

Recently there has been some political unrest in Kingston. It largely stems from two groups; one which had been in power for 17 years and the second which just came to power. I do not remember the names of the two, but I know one is represented by the color green; the other by the color orange. At times, tempers have flared and people have resorted to violence. Communities have been ripped apart. One community in particular has earned a reputation for unrest.

The basic (elementary) school in the 100 Lane community was shut down 18 months ago due to these problems. The one room school house laid empty; its bathroom and kitchen area becoming targets of vandalism. Weeds filled the playground and trash was everywhere. The property, which only measures 100 x 200 ft, is flanked by two streets. Each street marks the line for each political party. The school lies in what you might call the neutral zone.

Can you guess where today’s post is going? The Jamaica Baptist Union wants to open the school again and saw the arrival of our group as a good time to launch the initiative. Mr. McIntyre pulled onto the property and dropped us off. We were met by Mrs. Galimore, Mr. Wood and several community members. Also greeting us were 6 or 7 men who were also from the community, but seemed to keep to themselves outside the school. I introduced myself to the group of men and learned that they are all fathers....and that they all feel quite comfortable smoking pot in broad daylight. The students unloaded and walked into the small building. I covered several ground rules for the project. Namely: Don’t draw attention to yourself, just work diligently.

Task #1 consisted of scraping, sanding and washing the inside of the school. It was hard to imagine that these filthy walls would ever host children. The paint had not arrived yet, so all the students started in on this task. Other than Mrs. Galimore, most of the people stayed outside while we worked. The group of fathers started painting a new basketball backboard.

Task #2: paint the walls. Once the paint and supplies all arrived, we were able to start. The delay was unfortunate, but we kept good attitudes. Matt and I used the two rollers...now we had to figure out how to keep 12 students busy with four brushes. Luckily, we had...

Task #3: Clean up outside. This was a four hour job. From trash, to branches and weeds...the task was a big one. Ben, Aliza, Carolyn and Jacob joined 2 or 3 of the men and started to get to work. Shovels, brooms, machete and a wheel barrow: everything you need to clean a playground. (the machete was used to trim trees)
Oh, I almost forgot to tell you. Shortly after we arrived, so did the police. Two officers were assigned to the school while we worked. It was like having Chief Gibbs at your job site...well, I guess it would be, if Chief Gibbs was wearing a bullet proof vest and had an M-16 slung over his shoulder.

Task #4: Paint the concrete wall that surrounds the property. We started this after the first coat was applied inside. Carolyn, Aliza and I started the job about 11am. In fear that we would run out of paint, I decided to cut it with water. That planned worked just fine; we had just enough and finished the job by 1:30pm.

I’m sure that some of you are wondering about the decision to work at 100 Lane. I assured parents that the safety of the group was my first concern. Trust me; it WAS my first concern today. I remembered the prayer the pastor offered yesterday in church. “Lord, put a hedge of protection around this team.” I knew the team was not a target in anyway, because the issues were between the political parties. The police were there to remind the locals: today is not a day to disagree; it is a day to work together to open the school again for their children.

Before we left this morning I shared the story of Nehemiah. I told the students how Nehemiah had to deal with people who wanted his project to fail. He was able to build and finish the wall by delegating the work to families all around the city. I told them that today’s work was about one brick. We do this one project and perhaps it will motivate others to do more. Nehemiah was building a wall; we were helping to take one down.

The students worked very hard. They worked side by side with Jamaicans. All day people walked by and inquired whether the school was opening again. They all thanked us. What a great experience; one we will never forget.

The day ended with a dip in the pool. No, not at 100 Lane. We drove to Beverly Hills. That is a very wealthy area and happens to be the community that a member of Bethel Baptist church lives in. The Harrison’s graciously offered us their pool for the afternoon. As Wayne said, “that was so nice!”

The evening ended with dinner and Aliza, Kerry, Emily, Shannon, and Sam getting their hair corn rowed. Isacc passed on the opportunity.

Team Jamaica Day #5

(By Kerry Cyr)

When we went to breakfast we were all relived to have cereal. However, there is no dairy industry here so we had boxed milk, which thankfully tasted pretty much just like normal milk. We also had cinnamon dumplings and collared greens (the greens were gross).

After breakfast, those who were not ready for church got ready and the bus came to pick us up around 9:45 and took us to Mamby Park Baptist Church. Over the last day or so a few of us had prepared some things to share with the congregation there. When it came to our part of the service Todd introduced us and then Ben gave his testimony explaining how growing up in the church has affected his life. Then I gave my testimony (very similar to the one I gave at baccalaureate). Todd, Isaac, Meyer, Emily, Jacob, and Aliza had prepared a skit about prayer that followed the testimonies. The length of the service was about 2 .5 sweaty hours of sitting; much longer than most of us had ever experienced. When it was over we were served refreshments (fruit juice, chicken, rolls, and chocolate cake).

We returned to the hotel around 1:30 and ate lunch (a special father's day buffet). After lunch we had some down time. Some people took naps, some played games - dominoes and cards - and some just hung out. There was a thunder and lightning storm and it poured. When the rain stopped it was very humid.

At 5:30 we got back on the bus and headed to Bethel Baptist Church for a special children's drama night. The power there had gone out from the storm so none of the fans or lights were on. But when we all started singing the electricity thankfully came back on. The performances were so much fun to watch; there was singing, dancing, a dub poem (a mix between rapping, singing, and reciting), and a play called "Camp Can Do." There were two little girls (probably 4 years old) who sung a song together (SO CUTE!).

When it was over we once again returned to the hotel. Dinner was ready when we got there (chicken sandwiches). We had our group meeting during dinner and picked names from a hat for our journal write. We each wrote an encouraging letter to the person's whose name we picked.

Rook was a big hit tonight so most of us hung out in the conference room to play or watch before going to bed around midnight.

Team Jamaica Day #4

(By Meyer Bilson and Isaac Prescott)

We awoke to Todd knocking on our doors telling us that breakfast was ready. We came to the dining room to a pleasant surprise, a more American breakfast of pancakes and bacon with the signature Jamaican touch of lots of vegetables. Before we left we had our usual meeting this time brainstorming ideas for games to play with the children. We gathered our things for the day, namely sunscreen and water, the only layer of defense our poor white bodies have against the unforgiving Jamaican climate.

we where met by Maurice Mackintyre the son of Archie Mackintyre who both have been doing an amazing job driving our bus, in the seemingly unorganized traffic of Kingston. Before we started our work at the Kingston gardens center, we again donned our tacky floral shirts and strapped on our cameras for yet another sightseeing trip. This time our tour took us to the University of the West Indies, and to U-tech. at UWI we enjoyed seeing a beautiful chapel on campus, basking in the glory of a breathtaking mural, taking goofy pictures, and seeing where Usain bolt, world record Olympic runner, trained. At U-tech, we saw where our bus driver Maurice worked and saw yet another example of a less impoverished side of Kingston.

Our next stop was a money exchange or a "Cambio" as it is called in Jamaica. We walked in and all exchanged our money without incident. Meyer gave them $92 and was given $8050 Jamaican dollars in return. That may sound like a very large sum but in Jamaica one dollar here is worth a little over a penny in America so although the prices may seem outrageous, they are actually great deals.

The next stop on our seemingly endless itinerary was the mall. We stopped there for lunch, which consisted for the most of us, of KFC, another disgustingly accurate taste of home. Some people also stopped for Ice Cream.

We pulled into Kingston gardens eager to see the backbreaking work we had done the previous day, in action. We walked into the building just before the children started to arrive. Once they had arrived we had a short session of singing which was partly hindered by the fact that we did not know many similar songs. The songs ranged from praising God, to just being goofy, which was a great icebreaker for the inner city children. Then Todd taught a lesson on David's selection for king. He made the point that "People look at the outside, God looks on the inside (the heart)"

We then split them into two groups according to age. The children with Carolyn’s group where from age 1 to 13, while the kids with Todd’s group where teenagers ages 15 to 16, all of which were girls. This proved initially awkward for Todd and his all male group leaders, but eventually they warmed up to each other.

Carolyn’s group met each other by finding each others shoes, which where thrown in a pile in the middle. The group really started interacting when I (Isaac) taught them how to make paper hats out of news paper. At the same time they were making a paper chain out of pieces of paper which they wrote things they are thankful for on. After they started to become restless we brought them outside to play games such as the multiple games that involved singing and moving, but also where educational at the same time. While doing this many of us where able to build relationships with the children that we hope will stay with them forever.

Meanwhile, Todd’s group was busy performing the skit "Jesus and Me" for the teenagers which was followed by a discussion. They also played some games to break the rather thick layer of ice between the Jamaican girls and the all male mission team members by playing “Honey, if you love me.” The time at Kingston Gardens ended with time to talk with the kids and learn some games that they taught us.

After leaving Kingston Gardens we went to the super market to buy various Jamaican goodies. People bought things ranging from mangos to boxes of chocolate. This is the place were lots of people got the chance to get their first taste of Jamaican products.

Then we took another short sightseeing trip up the hills that we look at from our hotel. As we twisted around the switchback turns, Isaac thought out loud that we may be a little close to the curb; seconds later we bounced off said curb. Maurice pointed out various houses of entertainers and cricket players. The houses were in the price range of about 250 million JD or 1.5 million US. Once we got to the top of the hill we were able to get out and had a photo taken of the group looking out over the beautiful city of Kingston. When we arrived at the hotel everyone went to their rooms to quickly store their spoils from the super market. Our dinner was chicken and potatoes. Hmmm, chicken again.

After dinner we started having fun by putting a bottle in Emily’s puffy hair and making it stick up like a cone. Afterwards we had our group meeting in which we discussed many things about the day. We talked about how well behaved the children were and ways we could improve how we work with the children. We ended our day with games of Dominos and Rook. Some of us went to sleep at 12:00 while others went to bed at 2:00.

Team Jamaica Day #3

(By Aliza Kamman and Emily Wood)

We started this morning with another eight o'clock breakfast, this time of cod fish and beans with dumplings. Our normal breakfast of cheerioes were distant memories. We then had another brief team meeting to plan and prepare for our upcoming day. After slopping on layers and layers of sunscreen we headed to the bus which arrived at nine.

Before landing at our final work destination, we took on the role of tourists and were shown around Emancipation Park by our bus driver Mr. McIntyre. The park was beautiful, filled with flowering trees and plants as well as a fountain, a statue (of which you can ask your team member later), and a 500 meter running track. After taking a bazillion pictures and visiting the park office for brochures, we were entertained by a running race put on for us by Ben, Carolyn, Issac, and Shannon. These four crazy souls braved the heat and humidity and raced along the track. Isaac was was the clear winnner, with Ben nipping at his heels. Carolyn was close behind and Shannon brought up the rear. After departing from the park we drove to see the statue in Kingston that honors Bob Marley. Our stop there was quick, as we were all restless from riding on the bus and eager to get working.

Upon our arrival at Kingston Gardens, we were greeted again by Mrs. Gallimore, and our new friend Heather. We were shown around the house of which the majority of the rooms had been turned into makeshift classrooms and health clinics. We were quickly put to work in two groups. Nancy and Matt led the outside group under the direction of Heather, which cleaned up the yard and planted new flowers and trees. They claimed that digging holes for the trees was like working with cement. As fast as you could pour water in it, it dried up and was once again rock solid. On the inside of the building Kerry, Ben, Carolyn, Aliza, Emily, Adam, Wyane and Conor scrubbed walls, windows, floors, and bathrooms under the direction of Todd and Mrs. Gallimore.

Finally lunch arrived and we all were able to take a much needed break. Juici Patties were brought in. The breaded tacoish lunch, which resembled a hot pocket in some ways, was quite popular among the team. While the chicken ones were preferred by some, others preferred the beef, which were said to be 'less spicy'. After lunch, we resumed our work until 2:30, when all the work that could be done was done. We then quickly gathered our belongings in hopes to get back to the Y to play games with some of the boys from yesterday. While Todd was whisked off by some JBU members to take care of some business, we all boarded the bus and were off.

Making our way to the pool we were provided with entertainment of sorts from Rajive and Heather, as well as a cricket game that was playing on the bus radio. When we reached the Y we were all disspointed to find that since it was Friday the boys had been dismissed early and were no longer there. They graciously let us use their pool anyway, and we all jumped in to "Cool our core temperatures down" as Matt told Adam while strongly suggesting to him that swimming was a good idea.

After a little cool down, we were all feeling much better. We headed back to the locker rooms to change hearing that Todd was "On his way back." After and hour of Ninja, Jehovah Can-Can, and the Froggy Clapping Game, we were reunited with Todd, and we were on our way to the supermarket. With american currency (that confused the cashiers quite throughly) in hand, we picked up snacks for the downtime after dinner, and some more of the much loved Kola Champange. Then it was back to the hotel for dinner. After a quick change of clothes and a very filling meal of chicken, beans and rice, and cucumbers we were back on the bus.

After arriving at the Bethel Baptist Church we gathered with Heather, Rajive, and many of their other friends for Youth Fellowhsip (youth group). Todd, Jake, Ben and Conor preformed the "Jesus and Me" skit. We were never aware that Jesus smiled so much! The Fellowship leaders asked for volunteers to help out, Wayne and a few others joined in the company of some 'regulars' to perform a few other skits on the topics of tithing, sexual purity, and challenges faced at work. They were very pleased to have us, and we loved the oppertunity to worship and praise with them them! After goodbye and many goodnights (a term they use as a greeting in Jamaica), we boarded the bus to head back for the hotel for the night.

Mr. McIntyre's son, Maurice, drove us home and taught us all we ever needed and wanted to know about computer software, as he is an expert in that field. After swapping stories of the day on the bus, we climbed out and gathered at the hotel for our evening meeting. We were assigned our journal writing prompt for the day, gave our props to one another, discussed what we could do better, and went over the plan (subject to change as always) for tomorrow morning. When we were dismissed we were reminded to stay quiet, as we now have neighbors in the rooms next door. Snacks from the supermarket were eaten and keys got locked in rooms. *cough Conor cough Meyer cough* After a tiring day we are all ready for bed (especially Todd).

Team Jamaica Day #2

Good morning...it's 4:30am...5:30am...6:30am. Needless to say, I didn't sleep all that well. But I have to say how thankful I am for air conditioning. Most everyone was up at 7am. Breakfast (eggs, sausage and fried bananas) was served at 8am and we enjoyed morning devotions at 8:30am. (Philippians 2 and 4) We were on our way shortly after 9am.

Before I tell you about our day, let me describe the Springburn House. It is in a very quiet community. All the houses/buildings have gates and fencing around their properties. The Springburn is a large guest house. There is a welcome desk in the foyer; office space, dining rooms, kitchen and three guest rooms are on the first floor. The second floor has all the rest of the rooms and a fairly large open space with couches. The building, inside and outside walls are made of concrete (like every building here) and the floors are all tile. And the humidity has got to be close to 100%. The clothes and towels are having difficulties drying.

Our other driver, McKensi, picked us up and we were off to YMCA of Kingston. But before we got there he was kind enough to bring me to a DigiCel store so I could purchase a cell phone for the week and some water at the supermarket. Matt Brown could not pass up 4 liters of Cola Champagne. (A fruity cream-like soda) The phone will be helpful so I can contact our drivers and coordinators. And also, the students will be able to call home in limited fashion. If you have not heard from your son or daughter...don't worry. Either they didn't want to talk to you or they sold their 3 minute phone call to someone else, but they are fine. (just kidding about selling minutes)

The YMCA school serves boys ages 11 - 16. They are generally students who have dropped out of regular school, have had behavioral issues or learning disabilities. We arrived and were met by the General Secretary, Mrs. Martin. She gave the team a brief history of the association and what they currently try to do for the boys. She then introduced Marcie; she was our contact today. Marcie gave us a property tour, introduced us to 5 classes and their teachers and then told us to break into 5 groups. I said "Great, can we come alongside the boys as they do their classwork?" Marcie replied, "The teachers will turn their classes over to you...you have lessons, right?"

Ok...maybe the that bit of information was lost somewhere between Marci, Mrs. Martin, Ms. Gallimore, Ms. Redwood and myself. Hmmm, I DID tell the team they would need to be flexible...but how about incredibly resourceful and improv professionals. Action plan #1: Make sure the girls on the team are "escorted" by capable boys on the team. Needless to say Sam, Shannon, Kerry, Aliza, Carolyn, Emily and, yes, Nancy...were very popular today. Action plan #2 Do something "schoolish". Wow! Great action plans.

Can you imagine? First of all, one class was meeting outside under trees. They each had chairs and the teacher was writing on chaulkboard on wheels. Several classrooms were shipping containers. Complete with windows and side doors. Very resourceful school...but highy usual circumstances for our Mt. Abe students.

You'll have to ask your child, or favorite team member about their individual experiences. Personally, Kerry-Sam-Wayne and I had the class under the trees. We covered long multiplication, careers and me singing the "Star Spangled Banner". The others joined me for the Pledge of Allegiance, but I was on my own for the national anthem. It was no problem. What was very cool...the 20 or so boys then stood up and, in unison, sang the Jamaican national anthem.

At lunch, the team was buzzing about everyone's experiences. Tutoring, reading, answering questions...the students were very interested in learning about us. The whole time they referred to us as "Sir" and "Miss or Ma'am". Our team was struck by how even the "drop-outs" were respectful.

After lunch we returned to the class rooms...or class "tree grove". Wayne, Sam and I came back during "Life Styles" class. The topic: relationships, dating, sex. I gave Wayne the first 15 min of class to lecture on the above topics. haha. No, but I certainly did. The teacher gave me full reigns...and I took them. What a great opportunity. I think it was helpful for the boys (13-16) to hear these things from a man. I covered HIV, Abstinence, STD's...it helped that I subbed for Ann Pollender's class a few weeks ago. I moved to the topic of Sexual Purity...it was great to be able to have the boys turn to God's word and read about purity, integrity and God's plan for marriage/family. I got to talk with them about God's cleansing and healing; about forgiveness. OH MAN! I was thrilled to have this time. The boys tossed a lot of questions at me...they were participating. I trust that they will consider what it means to be a young man who honors God.

The classes all broke about 3pm. Then we all headed to the gym. The big draw was soccer. One boy told me (speaking of Emily) "She's a baller". Jake and I started a basketball game. It doesn't take much physical activity to sweat down here. So, the YMCA let us use their pool before we left. So nice!!!

Back to Springburn. It was chill out time. Some played cards, some read and some sat outside in the courtyard. Dinner was Curry chicken, beef/beans and rice. Good stuff. At 8pm we met for evening devotions and a team meeting. We affirmed team members, discussed the areas of success and challenged each other to improve in other areas. We read I Cor. 12 and spent time in our journals. By the time we ended, we had a bit more time to wind down, play games. build sick "card towers" and get ready for bed.

Team Jamaica Day #1

The day started very well. The team was on time, parents we're present and Pastor Randy offered a prayer of blessing. Judy Brown and Matt Wood were our volunteer drivers and we headed to Boston. The day was sunny and the traffic was light. Departure: 8:45am

We arrived at Logan International about 1pm. With a quick unload, we were in line at American Airlines. After 45 minutes and no movement in the line, Nancy Luke made contact with a person of importance and we were whisked away to different counters. Praise God for Nancy! Even with the special service, we made it to the gate with no time to spare. The students probably learned the important lessons of arriving early and knowing who to talk to.

The flights were fine, even though the students were spread out over the plane's seating. That may have been a blessing in disguise, because given the color of our team shirts...and the message "Eyes for Eternity, Hope for Humanity"...the students were already able to share about our ministry.

We went through customs and immigration with only one problem. Meyer sneezed. Apparently when you sneeze in front of a Health Official, who happens to be on high alert for the swine flu, you get asked some very personal questions. He was able to convince them that he was merely dealing with hay fever.

We were met out side my our driver, Mr. McIntyre; our travel guide, Rajive; and a Jamaica Baptist Union representative. It was 9pm...I was very glad to see so many people who were ready to receive us. With the bus loaded, we departed for the Springburn House. The drive from the airport was about 45 min and it took us through some very depressed...poor; hmmm, some very scary places. The students were getting a good look at the area. I was glad it was from behind glass traveling at 30 mph.

At the Springburn House we were met by Ms. Redwood, my contact; and Ms. Gallimore, our itinerary coordinator. They briefly introduce themselves, met the team and went over our itinerary. After that meeting, dinner was served. Beef stew, mashed potatoes and vegtables. Yes, we're eating very balanced meals. After dinner, we went over room assignments and went to bed.