VBS at Windsor Lodge

As I looked around the room at the orphanage, chaos reigned. Then Lance, with his booming voice, got the kids’ attention and had them sit down around him. He told them how the disciples tried to keep the children from coming to see Jesus, but Jesus declared that they are precious to him, and how He wanted them to come to Him. The kids listened attentively, and then it was my turn.
I would be presenting the gospel using the Gospel Flipper-Flapper. It is a small cardboard booklet with a different symbol on each flap. Each symbol represents a different aspect of the Gospel. About a month and a half ago I went to Amarillo with Janet Johnson and a group of teens for a training conference through CEF. We learned how to use the Wordless book and the Flipper-Flapper, among other things.
Now I was praying I would remember everything I had been taught.

The majority of these kids have behavioral problems. Most of them are there at the orphanage because their parents are unable to care from them, and from my understanding the parents are the ones who brought them there. As I looked out at the young faces around me, I was filled with excitement that God had allowed me the opportunity to verbally share his love with them. As I started speaking, 30-something pairs of eyes watched closely as I held up the Flipper-Flapper. They interacted with me, answering my questions. When I asked them who Jesus is, one little boy, about 9 or 10 years old, responded, “He’s our Savior.”
I am certain that this is not the first time these kids have heard the Gospel. And many of them will hear it several more times before they actually listen and make a decision. But one of the things I was taught through CEF is that God’s word will not return void. Whenever His truth is taught, it is powerful and seeds are planted. Each time a church group comes and shares the Gospel, another seed is planted in another child’s heart.
These kids are desperate for the love and security that can only be found in Jesus Christ, and for 4 days this week, a handful of people from Grace Church had the privilege of showing it to them.

Amy Underwood

More work being done

Pete and a few other worked in the apartments all week installing new "door bells" for the residents. They are installing door bells that are attached to lights. When a visitor presses the door bell, a light flashes in each room to let the resident know someone is at the door.


Travis and many others worked hard to get the block laid for the walls of the the dining hall and dorms. This project is expected to be completed in 2010.


Many hands make light work. Or at least lighter work!

More Pictures from Jamaica

Becky Looney with the children of the residents in the Deaf Village. Becky and several others spent a few hours every afternoon playing with the children and giving them time to interact with hearing adults. What a blessing this has been to the children in the village.


Paul Bice and Becky Marushia are laying block with help from TJ Wright. What a great team!


Several members of the team painted the women's dorm. This building will be the new missionary house this coming year and they are doing everything they can to get it ready for the new arrivals.

Trusting God

Coming on this trip was a big step for me in learning to trust Christ. Much of it has been uncomfortable for me, but I keep focusing on the Lord’s goodness and His truth. The people on this team and in the village here have been an amazing tangible expression of God’s love to me. This has helped to increase my trust in Him. I thank everyone at Grace for allowing me to join the team for afar.
Heidi Truitt

A Wonderful Experience

It is the last day at the worksite and we have survived. What a wonderful experience and blessing. I can’t wait to share it in detail with everyone.
Linda B. & Jenny C.
P.S. – We have become known as “the Sister Act!”

What an Awesome Place

What an awesome place and experience; I never tire of coming here because God has something different for me each time. As I looked over the team list, I was struck by the fact that so many people with whom I have served here have so deeply influenced me. VBS at the Windsor Lodge carries with it mixed emotions; sadness that the children there are either parentless or have been abandoned because either the parents can’t care for them or don’t want them, but joy that we can, at least for a brief time, bring some happiness into their day and share Christ’s love with them. We have reached our last day here at the deaf village. We are tired and sore but also excited because we have accomplished much, under God’s grace, both at the village and in our own personal lives. Our God is truly an awesome God!
T.J. Wright

God's Hand is on the Team

Racing to complete the last row of blocks on the west wall of the new dining hall-I was caught up in the tyranny of the urgent. I heard the cry that Donna McCulloch was hurt and possibly had a broken wrist. I immediately jumped off the scaffold to discover Donna had fallen at the work site and indeed her wrist was broken. Karen Nordahl immediately responded with an ice pack and we splinted her wrist with a 2 x 2 board from the work site. I would soon learn that God was in control and would provide for his faithful servant. Her first words after the accident were “I can’t finish my job” not that I am in pain or look how deformed my wrist looks. Mark White informed us how long it would take to get proper care and he told us it would probably be a couple of days. He also told me he could not guarantee high quality of care by American standards.

Our prayer chain was initiated, e-mails went out and God would provide care and comfort for his good and faithful servant Donna. Being of limited faith, God would soon teach me a valuable lesson. Our missionary Mark White called for their local doctor who was on vacation and could not see us. The orthopedic doctor’s office was full and would not take an appointment for the afternoon. We embarked to Mandeville and we were seen by a very kind and competent orthopedic surgeon. Upon entering the office we heard strains of Christian music and were immediately comforted. He agreed with our diagnoses of a Colles Fracture. He sent us to an X-Ray Facility and told us we would probably wait a couple of hours. Upon entering the facility we saw a sign that said x-rays would be interpreted four to five hours after they were taken. Twenty minutes later we had our x-ray in hand, talked to the Board Certified Radiologist from the US named Dr Chamberlain, and were traveling back to the orthopedic surgeon’s office. Dr. Mullings and his kind wife administered a Bier’s Block for anesthesia and were able to set the right radial and ulna fractures essentially pain free. A cast was applied and we walked out of the office shortly after four. Our missionary proclaimed he wanted to join our church’s prayer chain. What a miracle we had witnessed today. Praise God.

Paul Bice

Pictures

TJ at the infirmary sharing the gospel with one of the residents.


Karen laughing and reading a story to the kids at children's church on Sunday.


Russell, Brittani, and Jeremy mixing mortar. More Morta Mon, More Morta!


Enjoying some down time playing dominos with Lawrence Jr.

The Manchester Infirmary

The Infirmary - Sunday

Imagine the prospect of visiting a nursing home in Jamaica. The thought strikes fear in the bravest of hearts. But God is good! He wants us to press the limits and then goes there with us. So it was with the Manchester Infirmary we visited. The residents there are the people who have illnesses no one can cure – poverty, disease, brokenness. They are not going home. They are there to live out the remainder of their days. Some of them are old but some of them are surprisingly young. Our goal was to bring Christ’s joy to them.

Roy is a resident of 34 years. He was a builder who had a job related accident August 14, 1973, and broke his neck. But he loves the Lord and says he is blessed to be alive and he is content. When Doug asked him if he shares his faith with the other residents he responded, “Ya Mon! When I can!”

Lynn met a wonderful woman who showed Lynn her Bible and told her, “this is the most sacred book and I am privileged to be here. I know Jesus loves me and He’s going to take me home soon.” I met Eric who had injured his leg in a bicycle accident. He asked me to tak his picture and then pulled his Bible out of his pocket. He asked me to read Psalms 34 to him, “I will bless the Lord at all times…” I read this first verse and he quoted the rest to me.

When I climbed back on the bus, I realized those residents had brought Christ’s joy to me.

Becky Marushia

Work Site - Day 1

Work Site – Day 1

Our first workday got off to a surprisingly smooth and quick start. The biggest project this year is continuing the work started last year on the new dining hall/dorms. We were able to start almost immediately setting up scaffolding, mixing mortar and laying block for the walls. We had several brick, mortar and concrete teams all working on different sections of the building. Dave Lehfeldt worked with the backhoe all day digging a new cistern for the building; others built forms, hauled supplies, and moved rocks. It was amazing. Our worksite coordinator Lawrence was hoping we would have someone in our group that new how to use a backhoe since they really need the new cistern for water. We happen to have four! One of the fun things about the worksite is getting to learn new skills and doing things you’d probably never do at home. Today I learned some masonry skills mixing mortar and concrete in the mixer and laying block for the first time. I also got to drive the mule! The weather was hot but we had a nice breeze. We got a lot accomplished, especially for the first day! Plus, no one got hurt, so the week is off to a good start!

Kathryn Gilbert

VBS - Day 1

VBS at the orphanage (Monday)

The Windsor Lodge was great today. This was my second time to visit and see the kids from last year. Some had grown and matured, while some of the kids were gone. It’s always fun when we pull up to the lodge and the kids rush our van. It reminds me that we are the light in their world when I see their smiles. The kids at the orphanage are some of the most beautiful kids I have ever seen on the inside and out; and it is a privilege and an honor to be a part of their life, even if it is only for a week. These kids have blessed my life in so many ways. I can only hope that our time with them means the same to them.

Brian Ballard

Sunday Church Service

Sunday Church Service

Sunday morning after breakfast we walked down to the church. It’s just a one room building with no air conditioning. The windows were open, the ceiling fans were on, and you could feel a slight breeze (a very slight breeze). Even in the summer heat, the Jamaicans were wearing their Sunday best. We tried not to sit as a large group and spread out over the church. Sitting in front of me was a young mother with a two-year old little girl. During the service the little girl signed to me. I wish I had known what she was saying to me. One thing that really impressed me was the emotion and passion they put into their service. Whether it was teaching or singing, they put everything into it! The pastor started his message with a fresh clean long sleeve shirt and a tie. By the end of the service it was soaking wet, front and back. He was all over the stage rapidly signing his message. He would ask questions during his sermon and hands would fly into the air trying to answer whatever question he had just asked. After the pastor was done with his sermon he said they had a special song to sing. They don’t have anything fancy for their music, just a CD player and an interpreter for us. The deaf girl leading the music was just amazing. Not being able to hear the music on the CD, she had to be cued when to start signing; a constant moving motion of body and hands. The special music was about freedom in Christ, the exact theme of our trip and our nightly bible study! Talk about amazing! Even though we were hot and sticky, we were content to just sit there and soak it all in. You could feel God’s presence in that little one room church.

Brenna Petree

We have arrived!

The trip to Jamaica has been amazing! I love this group of people so much and I am very excited to build relationships and get to know others on a deeper level. We had to leave the church around 5:30. It was early, but I was too excited to sleep on the bus.  On the plane, I met three girls that were traveling to Jamaica to visit their families. I saw them eyeing some candy I had brought on the plane; so I offered it to them and then we started to chat. They asked me questions about us and I told them what we were doing and where we were going. They said they would be thinking of us and encouraged the mission. The drive to the village was such a thrill! I loved it! The road was very narrow with two lanes. Our driver was nice and knew what he was doing; so that was comforting. We drove on the coast for a while; which was absolutely gorgeous. We stopped at the Burger King in Mandeville to eat dinner. LOL  When I ordered my food, the lady at the counter said “that will be $300.00,” which is really the equivalent to about $5 US. Needless to say, that threw me for a loop! Some of my friends laughed at me. The Deaf Village is so beautiful. As we arrived, we saw a lightening storm off in the distance and it was awesome! Waking up was even better. The land is lush and full with vegetation; and there is a really soft but frequent breeze. It’s truly a hidden paradise and I’m grateful to be experiencing it.

Audrey Rumbo