After 19 months of praying, promoting and planning we finally arrived in Jamaica! The team is excited and anticipating a blessed adventure as we serve our Lord with thanksgiving and gladness. After 19 months of praying, promoting and planning we finally arrived in Jamaica! The team is excited and anticipating a blessed adventure as we serve our Lord with thanksgiving and gladness.When we arrived in Jamaica our group was ushered to the customs area where they questioned us concerning the ten suitcases of VBS materials included with our luggage. We explained what we were doing and realized we were in a delicate situation. The supervisor said the materials were subject to custom taxes which would be 40% of the materials value ($800.00 US). I froze. She asked if this was our first time to Jamaica; Did we notify the Customs Office with a detailed list of all the items we were carrying; and did Rev. Brown contact the Custom Office as well. for first time and for other questions.
Some ladies told Judy they would be praying for our luggage and supplies and God answered their prayers! The Custom Office Supervisor inspected our VBS supplies and told us she would allow this to enter duty free this one time. God is Good!
The two and a half hour bus ride to Mandeville turned into four hours as we travel up the winding mountain roads and through the little towns and villages. Poverty is very apparent on this third world, sub-tropic island.
Our first full day began on Friday as we ate breakfast at 8:00 AM, gathered for our morning devotions and then began our work at the Retreat Centre in Mandeville. Tomorrow we will have our morning prayer, however we will have our devotions after lunch due to the mid-day heat.
Our assignments are to use wire brushes to scrape the metal portion of the security wall across the front of the property and prime it. Tomorrow we will finish priming and then paint the metalwork and the block portions of this wall.We also washed and began painting the banister around the balcony on the back of the Retreat Centre. Washing was completed and the painting began. We will finish this tomorrow as well.
Time permitting we will wash and paint the banister around the front porch of the Retreat Centre as well.
We had a surprise visitor today. Rev. Keith Hastings, pastor of the Montego Bay Church, came to visit us. He is an engineer in charge of inspecting the cement work done on the western side of Jamaica. Being a government inspector he travels a lot, however before making the two hour drive back home he stopped to greet our team, thank us for coming to Jamaica and to encourage us in our service to the Lord and their country. Rev. Hastings will never know how much he lifted the spirits of our team with is visit and kind words. God has good pastors in Jamaica!
Our evening devotions were blessed by God as some shared a little of their life story and how blessed they are because they made the decision to do what was necessary so they could be part of this Jamaica Journey adventure.
Judy spoke to us about the VBS we will conduct at the Burnt Savanah Church next week. The challenges of planning a VBS in a country 1,800 miles for her home; for people she has never met; in a culture she does not understand challenged her the to max. But as we all know, God is in charge and it is up to Him to bless so the VBS will change the lives of those who attend.
It is late and time for bed. Keep checking back to this website for updates and pictures.
To quote Red Skelton Good night and God Bless.
Rev. Charles A. Bledsoe,
EMD PrimeTime W&W Director
