Hello!!!

Boy I thought the work days were long, butt these last 2 days have really been long.  I got up at 4 yesterday to get ready to go to the airport.  My ride did not come til 6:30 am, but I had given my watch away earlier on Wednesday and that was how I normally got up.  I was worried that I would make my ride late to Montego Bay, so the inner clock woke me up and would not let me go back to bed.  I got ready and had some last minute conversation with Doug.  My ride came and I went to the airport. I had breakfast at the bobsled cafe (it really is a sweet restaurant), and then waited around for 4 hours for my flight.  My flight was delayed by an hour, and so that put me into Atlanta a little late.  Got through immigration and customs with no problem and met my mom and dad in the terminal.  It was good to see them.  We then drove from Atlanta to Chattanooga, arriving in Chattanooga around 10:10 pm.  I got some clean clothes together (what I had) and put them in a suitcase, jumped in the car, and headed towards Nashville.  I arrived at my aunt's place around 12:30 am and went to bed.  That was a long day.

I got up at 4:30 am to be able to catch my flight to Kansas City for a conference that I am attending here.  My flight left at 6:30 am, so I needed to be there early to get checked in.  There was only like 45 people on my Southwest flight, so loading and unloading was easy.  We all had A boarding passes.  I landed in KC and went to get my rental car for the weekend.  I left the rental place at 8:30ish and proceeded to my host family I was staying with, Kimbre and Ben Birdwell.  It was so good to see them and catch up on life.  We decided to go to head quarters and take a tour, so we made the 30 minute trek and did so.  It was cool to see the new building and see where all the decisions are made for our church.  We came back to the house and Ben gave me a tour of Nazarene Theological Seminary (they live right across the street from it).  It was cool to see and get the private tour.  We came back and ate lunch, and during started to talk about the conference.  Ben had gone through it, but Kimbre had not and so they decided to be a walk in couple and came to the conference with me.  It was cool to have them come and be apart of that.

The conference was very good.  It was long, but good.  We went from 1 to 5, and then had a dinner break. We got pizza and a movie, and then went back to do a 1 on 1 interview with some of the leaders.  This was a chance to get to tell them what we were working on with missions and let them tell us some of the process.  It was nice, but I was pretty out of it.  We drove home and I am getting ready to go to bed.  Well, I am exhausted and going to bed.  I am not going to proof this so I hope this all makes sense. Thanks for reading and God Bless!!

Final Blog in Jamaica!!!

Today was a good day.  I worked in the clinic with Dr, McCloy and his staff all day, which was a nice turn from all of the hard work that I had been doing.  One of the things that they do when they have these clinics is pray with all the patients before they leave.  Doug asked me to be in the prayer room and to pray with these patients.  I told him I would, and it truly was a great time.  I was partnered with Delroy, (another one of my favorite Jamaicans) and we had a great time in the Lord.  Delroy would sing songs, and I would pray.  I am so thankful that this was how I got to spend my last day.  There really is no better way to have spent it.

Tonight I got to spend some time with Dr. McCloy.  We went to Savannah La Mar and got some dinner, then went to an ice cream shop called Devon's House.  It was a great time to catch up on life and a little bit of business as well.  I really admire and respect Dr. McCloy and the work he has done here in Jamaica.  It is great to call him friend and brother in Christ.

Well, it is hard to believe that I leave so soon.  I am working on packing everything up right now, which is a little saddening.  My trip has been so good, and I am so thankful for this opportunity.  I know God will continue to bless my life wherever I go and whatever I do.  My hope and prayer is to stay in the center of His will.  Thanks so much for the prayers, and I hope they continue to come as I continue to wrestle with the idea of what God has called me to do.  Thanks once and again and God Bless!!!

That was 2 long days of work!!!

These last 2 days have been very tough and long days of work.  They have been good but exhausting.  I have done quite a few things from, mixing and pouring concrete, to sweeping a whole wing of the medical building, to mixing more concrete.  I have had the opportunity to work with Leon quite a bit over the last 2 days, and that is well worth the trade off.  Today was my last day of grueling work, which is a good thing. I am going to have to work on growing my muscles when I get back to the states, so I will be ready in case I come back.

I know many of you are probably wandering about the meeting that I was going to have tonight.  Well, Doug is in Jamaica, but got held up in Montego Bay.  Therefore, he will be coming in tomorrow.  I am looking forward to seeing him and catching up on life.  I am super excited about the clinic, and am glad I will get a chance to see one in the center here.  That will be another first for me (I am guessing my last 1st for this trip).

I am not sure if I will post tomorrow night or not.  This could be my last post til I get back state side.  Thanks for following me on this journey, and I will continue to write a blog as I deem it very therapeutic, and a nice way to keep a log of what is going on.  Thanks for everything and God Bless!!

I need a haircut!!!

Good evening my brothers and sisters!!  I now sit with less than 4 days left on my time here in Jamaica (that is hard to believe).  I have been so blessed to be here, and am so thankful that God has allowed me this opportunity to be here with the Jamaican people.  I truly will cherish this time that I have had with my friends here in Jamaica.

Did I mention that I need a haircut!!!!  And a shave!!!!

Sorry so grainy, but there are not to many places to go at night to find good light.  Believe me though, my hair is long!!

I was able to experience another first with my time in Jamaica.  Today was the first time I was asked to preach while on the island.  I was pretty nervous, but I believe that God was with me and helped me through my message.  I was not able to prepare as much as I would have in the states, but I know God can use any willing heart, and pray that He somehow used the words that came out of my mouth today.  It was fun to preach here, as the congregation was very responsive to what I said, and seemed to be very attentive.  I pray and hope this will not be my last time to speak here in Jamaica.  Pastor told me with a little practice, I could be a preaching man (definitely took that as a compliment).

Yesterday was a sluggish day for me.  I was planning on getting out and doing some work with mason here on site, but I was not feeling very good.  The milk that I drank for breakfast was bad, and that did not sit very well with my stomach.  Therefore, I stayed inside and studied all day, preparing for today.  Although it was not what I expected, it still turned out to be a good day.

This week will be another work week for me I hope.  I will hopefully get a chance to work out at the medical center on Monday and Tuesday, which I am looking forward to.  Then on Tuesday, I hope to have a meeting with Dr. McCloy and Pastor Brown about future plans and ideas.  I am praying that God will work in that meeting and pray that you would do the same.  Wednesday, we have a clinic going on here at the GMC with Dr. McCloy, and then Thursday, Dr. McCloy will take me to the airport to fly back to the states.  From there it will be more travels as I journey to Kansas City on Friday morning for a Cross Cultural Orientation with the Church of the Nazarene.

Thanks once again for your prayers and support!!!!  I love you all!!  God Bless!!

Empty House Again!!!

I just saw the Crossroads Church of the Nazarene team off from Jamaica.  They seemed to have a very good time and I truly enjoyed them being here.  It was nice to be with family.  The house is empty once again, and will remain that way for the rest of my trip.  Dr. McCloy will be coming down in about 5 days, and I am looking forward to getting to visit with him and talk some business.

Yesterday, we went to the beach (it never gets old).  We set up shop at Travelers, and played a nice game of ultimate frisbee in the sea (very solid work out trying to run in the water).  We then went shopping, and I finally got to see my friend at the market named Jeff (I usually buy most of my stuff from him).  We talked for a bit and caught up on life.  After the craft market, we went and did more shopping at a little mini mall place called Times Square and then proceeded to Rick's Cafe (check out the website if you would like more information on Rick's).  Several of the guys jumped from the cliffs, and no one got hurt (thank goodness).  After we got done jumping (well I actually did not jump), we went and had dinner at the restaurant.  There was live music playing, a cool breeze, and an amazing sunset.  After the sun went down, the starts came out and were amazing.  It was a glorious way to end the day.

Today, I am going to take it pretty easy.  I am a little burnt from yesterday, and I will probably relax a little bit and try to get my feet back underneath me.  I look forward to getting back to work though tomorrow. Sister Brown (Pastor Brown's wife) asked me if I would like to speak on Sunday morning at Burnt Savannah Church of the Nazarene.  I told her I would be willing to if she needed me.  She says that it is a NMI (missions) service, and sees it as fitting that I would speak.  She is going to ask Pastor if that is alright though, so we shall see.  Please be praying for me if this does happen, as this will be my first time to preach here in Jamaica.

Well, I am going to wrap up for now.  Hopefully I will have another video coming soon.  Keep living the life God has called us to life and God Bless!!!!!

Flat Tires!!

Hello again everyone.  It feels like forever since I have blogged, but it has only been a little over a day or so.  Well, here is what I have been up to.

Yesterday was good.  I went to Mt. Shiloh to help out with the VBS there.  The kids for the most part did very well, as I (being the bouncer and making sure the everyone stayed where they were suppose to) did not have to talk to too many of them.  It was fun to hang out with some of the kids though, and it was nice to get a break from some manual labor.  When we left VBS to go and pick up the other group from their VBS, we got a flat tire.  Surprisingly, this is the first time I have been in a vehicle that has gotten a flat tire in Jamaica (the roads are rough and I imagine that a flat happens rather frequently).  We just stopped right in the road, and changed the tire there on the street.  Lawrence was our driver yesterday, and he changed the tire like he was working for Jeff Gordon in the pit stop.  He did a great job and within 10 minutes we were back on the road and running.

Today, I was back at the manual labor stuff.  It was a good and productive day, and I tried to make sure that the guys who were there with the team took their time and rested when need be.  We worked on the back fence all day, and almost got it completed.  It is cool though, because the group can look at the fence and see what they actually completed.  You will hopefully get to see the fence next week.  It was a very hot day today, and after lunch all those who had gone to VBS came out and helped us finish up our project.  Then we all went and jumped in the river.  It felt very nice!!

Tomorrow, we go to Negril.  I am looking forward to being on the beach again, as it never really gets too old.  The team seems to be excited as well.  We will cap it all off with a dinner at Rick's Cafe watching the sun drop into the sea.  It is always a blessing to see this and know that I serve the God who created that.  It is still hard to believe, but my time here in Jamaica is winding down.  I look forward to see how God will continue to move within my life.  Thanks for reading and God Bless!!!!

Ride like the Jamaicans do!!!

A Jamaican van like the one talked about below!!

Yesterday was church day, and I got to experience a Sunday morning at another church other than Burnt Savannah.  I went with the group to Mt. Caramel for church , and we had a great time.  Delton, our normal bus driver (who has a big bus we usually ride in), showed up to take us to church in his sons van.  It is a pretty big van (like the one pictured above), and we got 15 in it on the way to church.  Pastor took the other group of four.  It was pretty packed in our van.  When we arrived and got situated, the group continued doing the VBS they started on Saturday.  The kids colored and chit chatted til service time.  The service we had was great.  The team got involved, sometimes because they were not given a choice, and all did very well in what they were asked to do.  My brother preached for the morning, and he did a great job as well.  After church, another driver, named Carlton, came with the bus to pick us up.  We had no other car, so 19 of us crammed into the van (it was 20 with the driver).  It was truly a site, and many Jamaicans were yelling at us as they saw us on the streets.  It was fun though, and I got some video of everyone getting out of the van on my brothers camera.  I will have to see if I can get it from him to put on here sometime.

The afternoon was very relaxing, and last night we worked on VBS stuff and had group time before we went to bed.  It was a great time just to relax and rest and truly take a Sabbath like it should be taken.

Today, we split the group up into three different groups.  One group went to Mt. Caramel to continue the VBS there, one group went to Mt. Shiloh to start their VBS, and one group stayed here to work on the center and the grounds.  I stayed here to work with the group on the grounds because I am so strong, or maybe I just knew what I was doing and would be able to help the other guys out a little (I will let you decide which one it was).  The VBS's went well, but the kids were a little more rowdy today.  Hopefully tomorrow will go better for the groups and the kids will co-operate with the team.  I will be on work detail again tomorrow, and we will probably be mixing more concrete and laying more floor.  We ay also be working on putting a fence up on the back of the property, which can be seen in the video of the mission house.  I always enjoy getting to get some work in.

This evening I was able to get a nap in after my shower (I was pretty nasty from work) and did not here my alarm go off.  Therefore, I slept through the team going to the courts.  I think I needed the rest though.  I really am enjoying my time, and can not believe that I almost to single digit days remaining til I come home.  It is good though, and I ask that you would continue to pray that God will have His way and that His will would be done when it comes to me and future possibilities.  Thanks for everything and God Bless!!!

Bro is in da Town!!!

This picture has nothing to do with the blog, but I just think it is funny!  Gotta love the afro hat!!!!

Today, the team got up and worked.  I had to finish up my work on the powerpoint and program, so I was unable to work with the team.  I was able to check up on the people who were working here on the center though.  Part of the group went for their first day of VBS at Mt. Caramel Church of the Nazarene.  They had 75 kids, which is a good number.  I went with pastor to the memorial service today to run the power point.  It was raining pretty hard when we left, so we held the service off a little while to let those that walk have a chance to get there.  The service was for a lady who had attended Burnt Savannah for a long time.  She died a year ago and most of her family was in the states and could not make it down.  Since most of them did not come down for the funeral, they held the memorial service today so that they could all reflect on their mother and grandmother.  It truly was great to hear about a woman that touched so many lives.  Just sitting and listening made me wish that I had known her.  I hope at the end of my life, people will talk of me, like they talked of her.

Tomorrow is church.  As of right now, I am not sure where the team is going to church, as they may be going to Mt. Caramel.  We are going to talk to pastor and see what he thinks is best.  I am super stoked though to be in the house of the Lord with other believers though, and hope that God speaks and moves in a mighty way.  I hope you all have a great night and a awesome day in the Lord tomorrow.  Remember God told us to stop every once in awhile!!!  God Bless!!!

Here is a link to the video!!!!

2 post in one night, that is a record for myself.  Well, I have mentioned that I have worked on a video of where I am staying and now I am just going to publish the link so you can go and watch it on youtube.  If you get motion sick, I am very sorry, but I could not see what I was recording.  My camera is not working, so I recorded it on the Mac.  I hope you understand.  All of my future videos I will link on the side, but will let you know through a post they are up.  Thanks for watching and God Bless!!

Mission House

Half Way!

It is hard to believe, but I am a little over half way through my trip.  I think I said this before, but man this trip is flying by.  It really does feel as though I just got here yesterday.  I really am enjoying my time and experience here in Jamaica.

Today was a good and easy day.  I woke, and worked on some stuff on the computer this morning. I then went and worked on the medical center.  Today, I worked with a carpenter named Taylor.  We mostly put in base boards all day.  He would cut the boards, and then I would then nail them to the wall.  I must say I did pretty well.  I only bent 1 nail all day, and it was a concrete nail that hit something solid while I was trying to get it into the wall.  All of my nails were evenly spaced as well.  I would have made my Pawpaw and Uncle Anthony very proud (they were both masons, but know how to do everything when it comes to working on or building a house).

Tomorrow I go to Montego Bay with Delton to pick up my brothers team.  They are leaving Phoenix tonight and will arrive in Jamaica at 2:45pm tomorrow afternoon.  They will have a long night ahead of them.  I hope they can get some rest as they travel so that they can really enjoy Jamaica once they arrive.  I am excited to see my brother and sister-in-law, and can not wait to get some hang out time.

Well, I am off to take some exams.  Yes, I have to take exams for the Cross Cultural Orientation that I will be attending at the end of this month in Kansas City.  Thanks for reading and God Bless!!

Update!

Hello all.  Yesterday was a good day.  There was a great mix of work and play.  I started out doing some landscape work outside, which was in the shade and out of the sun.  After that, I pretty much sat around for awhile and waited for the carpenter to get back so I could help him out a bit.  It rained yesterday a couple times, but I ended up finishing out the landscaping project with Leon, an amazing Jamaican man.  I was able to take a nap yesterday afternoon, which was very nice and I relaxed last night.  I worked on a movie to show you guys of the house, but for some reason I can not get it to upload into blogger.  I will continue to work with it and see if I can get it to load.

Today was a good day as well.  I assisted one of the receptionist from Dr. McCloy's office as she came to the clinic to take payments for glasses and to give glasses out to those who had paid for them.  This was super easy.  The hardest thing I did was put some folders in alphabetical order.  I was there for her though if she needed anything.  We got a lot of rain today, and late in the afternoon pastor and I went out to pick up some supplies.  I had no idea were we were going, and we went quite a ways out.  It had rained so much and so hard that there were many sections of the roads completely covered in water.  It was pretty nuts.  While we were out I accomplished another first.  We ate at KFC, and that is something that I had never done in Jamaica.  It was nice to have an easy day, as I know when Jeremy's team gets here there will be a lot of work to do.

As I said, I am working on a video and hopefully you will all get to see it soon.  Thanks for the prayers and God Bless!!!

Jamaican Muscle!!

Today I had the opportunity to use my Jamaican muscle (I was going to show you a picture of my muscles, but they were too small).  I worked for several hours outside today with the mason here on site.  It was intense work, and I did most of the heavy lifting.  It was a lot of fun, but I had to pace myself and come in several times to cool off and get a drink.  It is very hot outside for sure.  Tomorrow, we will be getting some stuff ready for Crossroads Church of the Nazarene from Phoenix.  I am not exactly sure what we will be doing, but I imagine we are going to be pulling a lot of sand and rock up to the 2nd floor in a bucket.  It should be fun, and give me more of an opportunity to build my Jamaican muscles some more.  I will have to remember to wear sunscreen tomorrow though, as today I got pretty burnt.

Yesterday was a great day of church.  Pastor had told me that church starts at 10:30am.  I came out of my room ready to walk to church at 10:15am and pastor said that I would join him to Negril to pick up the guest speaker.  So we left to get the speaker and arrived at church around 11:30am.  The church had been singing and dealing with business til we got there.  The speaker was from Pittsburgh, Brother Stomp, and he did a fantastic job.  After church, I went to the market to pick up some bread and milk for the meals that I would not have provided for me.  I ate lunch with the pastor after I returned home, and was planning on taking a nap but did not hear the alarm to wake.  Therefore, i went to sleep at 6:30pm last night and slept through this morning.  I was very tired, but feel well today.

I got to talk to my mom and dad tonight, which is always a great time.  They have been very busy I know.  They soon will go out and watch my nephews while my brother and his wife are down here working in Jamaica.  I am so thankful for my parents and their support.  I would not be where I am today without that.  They have always encouraged me to go for my dreams, whatever they may be like flying across the sea, and I am very grateful for that.

I hope you all are well, and thanks once again for following me on this journey.  May God Bless you all more than you could ever imagine!!

An Empty House!!

I now sit in an empty house again.  The Wooster team just left, and it was hard to see them go.  This will be  one of the stretches that I have here in Jamaica where I will be here by myself.  The Wooster guy team leaders wanted to help me out because they did not want me to be alone.  I introduce you to Eric, Joel, and Jeff.

From right to left (that is how the Hebrews do it)
Joel, Eric, Jeff, and Seth

Thanks guys for the coconut and the thought.  As for the rest of the week, I am looking forward to some rest, but hope that I will also have some work to do from pastor.  We will see.

Yesterday was a great day.  I had the chance to return to Negril and the beach yesterday.  It is always so beautiful and nice.  We had rain in the afternoon while we were shopping, but got to view an amazing sunset out behind Burger King (that is right, Burger King).  It really was beautiful.  That was not really the most beautiful part about it though, as 2 girls from the group who had not been baptized decided it was time to show their public confession of faith.  So as the sun was setting, a baptism was conducted right there on the beach.  It truly was a great experience.  To follow that up, the youth sang and worshipped all the way home on our bus ride.  There really is not a greater sound than the voice of youth singing praises.

I had a Jamaica first for me last night.  I have never had fast food in Jamaica, other than Juici Patties, and last night I got to experience Burger King in Jamaica.  It tasted exactly like the Burger King in the states, but the bread was a little different.  It was very good though, and I think that the kids enjoyed it.  All in all, we had a great time yesterday and I am looking forward to see what God has in store for me this week.

Well, it is time to start thinking about getting ready for church.  I will be off to there, and then on to Sav to buy some food for the time that the teams are not here.  Thanks for reading and God Bless!!

VBS is Over!

Well, today was the last day for VBS with Burnt Savannah Church of the Nazarene.  It was a great week, but it was a very tiring week as well.  I am looking forward to getting some rest next week, as there is not going to be a team here.  I am not exactly sure what I will be doing next week, so I will have to let you know as I go for sure.  We finished up VBS today with a party.  We had music time, story time, and then bounce house and trampoline time.  It still amazes me how a simple trampoline, something you could easily find all over America, is something that these kids just go crazy over.  I am sure for some of them this was their first time that they had ever jumped on a trampoline.  After the bounce time, we had a meal for them to eat and then we let them go home.  It really was a great week and the kids loved it.

Right now, we are planning to head over to the courts by the church to play some of the Jamaicans in net ball (it is similar to b-ball).  I am not to sure that this will happen, as it is about to rain.  Other than that, it will be a restful evening.

Yesterday, we got to go to the river for some swim time.  We stayed close to the shore, as the current was not to strong when we did.  The water was very high still, but the group was glad that we were able to get some swim time in.  They soon will get plenty of swim time though, as tomorrow we head back to the beach.  I am super excited to be able to return there, and always love the scenery and sounds of the beach.

Well, it looks like net ball will happen.  I will wrap up for now, but feel free to continue looking to see what has been going on while I have been here.  I love you all and God Bless!!!

The River!

Hello all!!  Things here in Jamaica are very nice.  It is a little warm, but that is no problem man.  I have sweated a lot since I have been here, but I knew coming in that I would.  One thing has been different though from the other times that I have come down.  Usually on those overly warm, and hot days, I cool off by going and taking a dip in the river out behind the mission house.  It is always a nice way to end a days work, and rinse the sweat from your body.  Since we have had so much rain, the river is higher than ever (well at least it is the highest I have ever seen it.  For those who have been here, the rope that is used as a swing, is almost in the water, which means the water is very high.  Since the water is so high, the current is very strong.  I got into the river the other day, only my second time since I had been here, to test the current and see if the team would be able to get in or not.  I could barely stand up in the current because it was so strong.  The team has only had the opportunity to swim in the river once since they have been here.  That is ok though, because we have the beach coming up on Saturday.

VBS has continued to go well.  I did not get a final count on today, but don't think we were to far north of 200.  It seemed like I was breaking up a lot of fights early on, but through the day it seemed to get better.  These kids really need to hear the love of Christ, and I hope they are hearing it.  After VBS, we came back and did some work on the medical center.  I got to play supervisor and inspector of the work that was being done within the facility today.  This was a nice change from my usual working hard position (although I did work some).  Tomorrow we have VBS again, and then they are planning on pouring some concrete in the afternoon.  The teams seems to be looking forward to that.

We had church tonight, and during the service I got to pray with Leon.  Leon is Pastor Brown's brother, and a man that I love being around while down here in Jamaica.  Most people can not understand Leon when they come down, but for some reason, I can stay with him when he talks.  He prayed for me tonight, and I for him.  It truly was a great time in the Lord.

It is hard to believe that I have been here for 7 days now, and that I only have 22 days left before I leave.  I am so enjoying my time, and hope and pray you (my family and friends) are not worrying for me as I am on this journey.  God is in control and is leading only as He can.  Thanks for everything and God Bless!!

VBS Galore!!

Today was the 2nd day of VBS at Burnt Savannah Church of the Nazarene.  Wooster has done a great job with the organization and planning of the VBS, and they are doing a fantastic job of carrying it out.  Yesterday, we had about 120 kids come out to VBS.  That was a lot, and in the past we would usually have that many by the end of the week.  Today, we had over 200 kids.  It was crazy.  We are a little worried about how many kids we will end up with by the end of the week.  As I said earlier, the Wooster team has done amazing so far, but it has been very difficult to keep the kids under control.  It is something we all have to work at together, and is definitely a challenge.  It has been fun though, and I have enjoyed seeing some of the kids that I knew.  Please pray for us this week as we continue to work with the kids, that God will speak through a loving touch, or even speak through a stern voice.

Last night, we went to the courts.  It was my first time down there since I have been in Jamaica.  We had a good time of sports and playing, but left probably about 10 minutes to late, as we had to walk back in the dark.  We will not make that mistake again.

I am so blessed to be here, and am so thankful that I have had this opportunity.  The time is flying by and soon I will be returning to the states.  I have learned so much, and look forward to continued growth and development.  Thanks for your support and prayer!!

The Porch!!

Sorry the photo is a little crooked.  I took several with my laptop, and this was the best one.

The house I stay at in Jamaica has a front porch, or garage for those who are Jamaican.  I have been able to get a lot of thinking done on the front porch in Jamaica over the times that I have been here.  The porch is super nice because there is a breeze that usually makes it cooler out here than in the house (well at least during July).  I am on the porch now and a rain has just come through pushing some cool air in, and it is super awesome right now, not to make you jealous.

Today was church day and it was great.  I love worshiping with the Jamaicans, as they really know how to cut loose.  After worship, we came to the river behind the house and 10 or so people were baptized.  They all went through a class with pastor to make sure that they were ready for their baptismal.  It was really cool to experience, and I am thankful that I was here for that.  I always love experiencing new things in Jamaica and look forward to experiencing some more new things within my time here.

The Wooster group that is here now is awesome.  They truly have done a great job of making me feel apart of the group.  I have been able to answer many questions for them, which has been good since it has given me a continued sense of purpose ( not that I did not have before, but it is always good to feel needed).  They are prepping for a VBS this week that will be had at Burnt Savannah Church of the Nazarene.  I will be there all week with them, and am very excited to see some kids that I know.  The plan is to do VBS in the morning and then go back to the courts each night to hang out and play some sports with the kids in the neighborhood, which I also enjoy.  I am looking forward to this time.  I will let you know how it goes.

I am so thankful that I am here in Jamaica.  Please pray for me and the leadership of Jamaica, and that God will have His way within all things.  I will post more later on.  God Bless my brothers and sisters!!!

The Beach!!

Photo not taken by Seth Thompson

I send you greetings from Jamaica.  As I type this, I am sitting on my bed in a new room that is the location I will be staying for the rest of my time here.  I was able to get settled in a little bit, which was nice, and now as I type, I am waiting for Reverend Brown to come and get me as we plan to go to Savannah La Mar, which is 15 minutes away.  The beach yesterday was great.  I laid on the beach most of the day and read a book.  The water felt amazing, and there was a really nice breeze that blew all day long.  Some within the group were even complaining of it being cold, which is not something you hear very often in the summer in Jamaica.  The Dayspring Wesleyan group left out this morning, and now we await for the Wooster Nazarene group to come in, which they should be here around 4 or 5.  I look forward to meeting them and interacting with them while they are here in Jamaica.  We will not do so much construction, but will spend most of their time within the community doing VBS and sports ministries.  This will be a great time.  Well that will be it for now.  Til Next time, God Bless!!!