My Current Time in Jamaica

I'm nearing the end of my second week in Jamaica and the time has been productive. My first week I served with a team in the parish St. Mary, in a town called Hampstead. Each year the same church returns to this area in Jamaica and partners with Hampstead All Age School during the week in the classrooms teaching the students about the love of Christ through songs, crafts, games, and Bible stories. It's amazing the things you can teach simply using the Bible.

My second week was spent in the parish of Trelawny, in an area called Granville. This was a particularly sweet trip because my first mission trip to Jamaica was spent serving in this same area - Granville, Clark's Town, and Duncan. For this week the church that came partnered with Granville Primary School. For the past three years this church has come and partnered with this same community and their relationship is growing strong. This church was able to raise extra funds to help with construction at several other locations in the community as well. (The pic included is of Granville Primary School.)

You never know the impact just sharing your life with someone will have. Many of the children we work with at the schools come from broken homes and your simple smile makes a bigger difference than you know. For instance, one of of team members was sitting with a child at the school as they were drawing pictures. The girl was drawing a picture of her family but there wasn't a father in her picture. Our team member told the girl she was sorry her dad wasn't around, but the girl smiled and drew another figure on the paper. She said that she wasn't sad because now she had a new sister, meaning the team member sitting with her. And that's what gets me through long weeks. Just knowing that sometimes our presence alone is enough to change their lives for the better.

You may think you have nothing to give, but you can give yourself. That's enough to brighten the life of a child. Christ will give you the strength to give when you feel like you have nothing left to give.

The truth is, though, that you don't have to travel to Jamaica to do this. There is plenty of need right at home. Look for those opportunities to share Christ through a smile or a few minutes of your time.

Continue to pray for me, Praying Pelican, and our teams over the next two weeks. I'll post dates when I can. Thanks!