Worship service at Cataboo

Day 5 Report

Day 5 at Cataboo was wonderful.  It was perhaps the hottest day since we’ve been here.  Several of our team members were dragging because they were exhausted and sore.  Yet, all of us stuck in there and finished strong.

Our construction men woke up at 5:30 AM in order to get to the church early and get some extra work done.  They completed three and a half beams, which only leaves one and a half for the Jamaicans to do on their own.  We ended up painting all of the inside, varnishing the entire ceiling, and priming the outside of the church.

We had no VBS on Saturday, but we did have Jenny Howell’s dental seminar for the children.  Nearly 200 children showed up!  Jenny taught them proper dental hygiene and gave them all a dental care kit.  The kids had a blast.

Pastor James and his family joined us for dinner last night at the hotel.  He shared his heart with us and we all got a glimpse into this faithful man of God.  We had a great week at Cataboo and look forward to worshipping with them this morning.  Today we head to Montego Bay for a well deserved couple days of R and R.

Day 4 at Cataboo

Day 4 at Cataboo was wet, wet, wet.  We were unable to paint outside as we had planned because we had rain all day.  Our construction men did a fabulous job putting up more faux beams on the church ceiling.

We had about 180 children at our last day of VBS.  Because of the rain and the number of kids, VBS was definitely a fly by the seat of your pants situation.  However, our team did a wonderful job adjusting and the children had a great time.

We also took an extended lunch break to have some Juicy Patties and take a safari tour on the Black River.  Everyone had a great time on the river and most enjoyed their patties. While on our safari, we were able to see crocodiles, birds, and even swim in the river (where the crocs live!).

Yesterday also included three birthdays (Emily Davis, Thomas Bryan, and Katie Heldenbrand) and one spiritual birthday (Nic Linn).  We had plenty of balloons, decorations, cake and ice cream, and good old fashion fun as we celebrated after dinner.

Enjoy the pictures.

Day 3 Photos

Day 3 at Cataboo

More children, more work completed, and more happy missionaries.  That can sum up day 3 at Cataboo Baptist Church.

Our construction team has finished all the painting inside, most of the varnishing on the ceiling, and started to wrap some metal beams in wood to enhance the appearance.  I think the locals underestimated the carpentry skills of our Kentucky boys.  They are very impressed with the work we’ve done so far.

Last night at VBS, we thought our numbers would be down a little bit when we only had 80.  However, in the next 15 minutes we had between 150-160!  At points it felt like we were just trying to control the chaos.  Yet, we know the children had a great time and we’re so thankful for the opportunity for ministry.

Our evangelism team went into the community again on day 3.  We’ve gone over a mile in every direction from the church, talking to folks about VBS, the church, and most importantly, the gospel.  All but two of our team members have gone out evangelizing.

Today, we will be at the church again doing construction and our last day of VBS.  We will take an extended lunch break in order to go on the Black River Safari.  One word: Crocodiles!

Fun Facts:

-Pastor James is an avid fisherman, yet has never owned a fishing pole (he uses line tied to his hands).  We presented him with a new rod and reel and he was smiling from ear to ear.

-We’ve met two other pastors besides pastor James, one of which is the president of the Baptist college.

-At the super market you can buy milk in boxes that doesn’t expire for months.

Day 2 at Cataboo Baptist Church Report

Day 2 at Cataboo was fantastic!

We are moving along quickly on our construction work.  All of our team members are pitching in and working very hard despite the heat.  It’s a full time job just keeping our bottled water and ice stocked for our team.  We are still varnishing the ceiling and painting the walls.  We hope to start tile today or tomorrow.

Our evangelism teams went out into the community again on day 2.  They had good conversations with the local people.  Many are familiar with the church and Pastor James.  Also, many of the children are already coming to VBS.  We’re finding that the people of Jamaica are very open about their faith (or lack of it) and are willing to talk about spiritual matters.

VBS had 125 children on the second day!  If we continue to grow at this rate, we will not be able to hold all the children that come.  We sent a bus to two spots in the community so the children did not have to walk as far to come.  Many of them had to walk over 30 minutes on a dirt and rock road to come.

Everyone is healthy, positive, and having fun.  Please continue to keep our team, our work, and the people we come into contact with in your prayers.

See pictures attached.

Day 1 Report at Cataboo

Day 1 at Cataboo was amazing.  At the end of the day, we were exhausted, yet our hearts were lifted.

We arrived at Cataboo at 9:45 AM and began our construction work as soon as possible.  Our team was delayed at times due to lack of supplies (it’s about an hour to get to the hardware store and back), yet we remained patient and focused.  After construction was done, we had completed about half of the inside painting and started varnishing the wood ceiling.

During the day, we split up into two evangelism teams and started walking the community to tell folks about VBS and share the gospel.  Many children were invited and came to VBS last night.  One of our teams was also able to lead a local woman to Christ.  This soul has now moved from darkness to light; from death to life!  Praise the Lord!

We had 53 children at VBS last night.  It was a wonderful attendance considering that we had lots of rain yesterday, and that the children are still in school.  We were prepared to lead VBS from 3-6 PM, only to find out it was rescheduled to 5-7 PM.  Our team was very flexible, and pulled off a quality first day.

We are grateful to God for leading us the first day.  Pastor James of Cataboo Baptist Church was extremely encouraged and pleased with the work we’ve completed so far.  Please pray that His Spirit continues to fill us and work amoung the people of Jamaica.

Fun Facts:

-After loading 30 people on our 30 passenger bus, we fit about a dozen children in our laps, the aisles, and anywhere else they could fit

-One of our young people thought a child was asking for sweet tea because he said he wanted a “sweetie” (that’s what they call candy)

Famous Quotes:

-”I’m dirty, sweaty, tired, I have paint in my hair, and I’m happy.” -Emily Davis

-”This is better than playing video games.” -Nic Linn

-”No problem mon!” -Keith Brown

Pictures to come.

Day 1 at Cataboo

Today will be our first day at Cataboo Baptist Church.  We plan to start construction in the morning and VBS in the afternoon.  The people of Cataboo Baptist Church will cook us breakfast and lunch today.  We’re so thankful for the opportunities we have for ministry here.  Please pray for the following requests:

-That God will pave the way for ministry and witnessing opportunties

-That our team will be prepared to share Christ

-That our team will receive the food and drink well here in Jamaica

-That no one will fatigue due to the heat and amount of ministry needs we have

We made it through the first day

We have completed the first day of our mission trip in Jamaica.  The weather is hot and humid.  Our team is tired, but we are excited about our day tomorrow.  We were able to share a tract and Bible with a lady at the Montego Bay airport.  We’re excited about the ministry opportunities to come.  We will periodically update the blog when possible.  Attached are a few pictures to show you what we are up to.

Made it to Charlotte

We’ve made it to Charlotte, NC. Next stop, Montego Bay!