I can't believe it, but it's my last day in Jamaica.
I'm just in awe of how the Lord has used me on this trip, and how this trip has been used in me. I've grown so much closer to Him, I've built friendships with the amazing people on the team and lots of Jamaicans, I've gained knowledge and experience of sharing the Gospel that I can take back home with me, I've gotten to sink deep into the real Jamaican culture, and so many other things.
I went into this mission trip knowing there would be parts I'd be uncomfortable with but needed to grow in, and sure enough, God came through. I had to learn how to share my faith with complete strangers, and seeing how the Gospel ignites people I don't even know has inspired me to bring it more fervently to the people I do know! It's so exciting how the living, God-breathed Word moves in people. All I did was sign up for a trip with the desire to be used by God, and I've gotten to see how faithful He is to the ones who want to follow Him. I want to do this for the rest of my life; go everywhere, dive into cultures and see how Jesus transforms people no matter who they are or where they come from.
I am going home tomorrow a changed woman.
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God." -Ephesians 2:8
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Saturday, June 29, 2013
Set My Heart Free
I can't believe we only have three full days left in Jamaica.
This past week was awesome but super tiring. We spent another full week on UTech and UWI's campuses, talking to more and more college students every day. The CRU ministry here has a nice huge list of students to contact in the fall!
Today was our last fun day, and we spent it at Holywell National Park up in the mountains above Kingston. It was about 30 degrees cooler up there, so while we were the perfect temperature, the Jamaican college students with us were freezing! We got to hike around for a few hours and I got lots of wildlife pictures.
When we first meet a student on campus and have a good discussion with them, we usually ask them if they'd like to have a follow-up meeting. This past work week was full of really awesome conversations - on Thursday a couple of guys approached us, Jon and Aldon. Jon seemed really engaged in the Gospel message we were showing them, and we set up a meeting for the next day to continue telling him about the relationship we can have with God. When we met up the next day we got to tell him that once you have a relationship with Christ, He will never let go. Jon seemed to be just in awe of the message, which was so cool! Hopefully he'll get involved with CRU this fall. That is what reminds me why I'm here. The Lord puts the right people in place at the right time.
Here's a picture of Rachael and I talking with Jon and Aldon for the first time, Jon is on the left and Aldon is on the right.
"I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free." -Psalm 119:32
This past week was awesome but super tiring. We spent another full week on UTech and UWI's campuses, talking to more and more college students every day. The CRU ministry here has a nice huge list of students to contact in the fall!
Today was our last fun day, and we spent it at Holywell National Park up in the mountains above Kingston. It was about 30 degrees cooler up there, so while we were the perfect temperature, the Jamaican college students with us were freezing! We got to hike around for a few hours and I got lots of wildlife pictures.
When we first meet a student on campus and have a good discussion with them, we usually ask them if they'd like to have a follow-up meeting. This past work week was full of really awesome conversations - on Thursday a couple of guys approached us, Jon and Aldon. Jon seemed really engaged in the Gospel message we were showing them, and we set up a meeting for the next day to continue telling him about the relationship we can have with God. When we met up the next day we got to tell him that once you have a relationship with Christ, He will never let go. Jon seemed to be just in awe of the message, which was so cool! Hopefully he'll get involved with CRU this fall. That is what reminds me why I'm here. The Lord puts the right people in place at the right time.
Here's a picture of Rachael and I talking with Jon and Aldon for the first time, Jon is on the left and Aldon is on the right.
"I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free." -Psalm 119:32
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Fishers of College Students
The Lord is good. Good and kind and loving. He has something to teach me every single day here through the Jamaican people, through the members of the CRU team, through His Word. Trips like these are amazing because my focus is on the Lord all day, every day. I'm in a place where He is able to show me where I lack and what needs to be strengthened, but also where He can instruct me and remind me of His truths.
This past week was amazing. Most of the conversations I had with the people on campus were very spiritually filling. A huge, huge recurring theme in Jamaican believers is their reliance on works. When I ask someone the question of whether or not they think they're going to heaven, the answer almost always goes something like this:
"Probably not; I haven't been baptized."
"I think I am. I'm generally a good person."
"Maybe not, I haven't been going to church lately."
Or a number of other answers that rely solely on how well that person has been doing in their walk with God. It's really neat to be able to show them that belief in Jesus' death and resurrection is a promise that He will carry us to be with Him some day.
Some other great news: our little team of 16 has given out over 300 Knowing God Personally booklets to college students, and we still have a whole week left. :) wow!
On Friday, at the end of a very busy week on campus, we got to go to the Jamaican World Championship qualifying track meet and see Usain Bolt and a number of other world famous runners compete. So, so neat.
and on Saturday we got to visit the beach where I had the best lobster I've ever had, in a seaside shack of all places.
As for our last full week here in Kingston, it's going to be filled with trips to campus again, mostly to follow up with students and grow the CRU ministry here in Jamaica!
"'Come, follow me,' Jesus said, 'and I will make you fishers of men.' At once they left their nets and followed him." -Matthew 19-20
This past week was amazing. Most of the conversations I had with the people on campus were very spiritually filling. A huge, huge recurring theme in Jamaican believers is their reliance on works. When I ask someone the question of whether or not they think they're going to heaven, the answer almost always goes something like this:
"Probably not; I haven't been baptized."
"I think I am. I'm generally a good person."
"Maybe not, I haven't been going to church lately."
Or a number of other answers that rely solely on how well that person has been doing in their walk with God. It's really neat to be able to show them that belief in Jesus' death and resurrection is a promise that He will carry us to be with Him some day.
Some other great news: our little team of 16 has given out over 300 Knowing God Personally booklets to college students, and we still have a whole week left. :) wow!
On Friday, at the end of a very busy week on campus, we got to go to the Jamaican World Championship qualifying track meet and see Usain Bolt and a number of other world famous runners compete. So, so neat.
and on Saturday we got to visit the beach where I had the best lobster I've ever had, in a seaside shack of all places.
As for our last full week here in Kingston, it's going to be filled with trips to campus again, mostly to follow up with students and grow the CRU ministry here in Jamaica!
"'Come, follow me,' Jesus said, 'and I will make you fishers of men.' At once they left their nets and followed him." -Matthew 19-20
Monday, June 17, 2013
Breathtaking
I don't think I've mentioned yet how hot it is here. Every single day I come back to our apartments a sweaty mess! It's actually not much hotter than St. Louis in the summer, but the humidity here is off the charts. At least I'll come home with a nice tan. :)
Anyway, Saturday was a fun day, and we went to a zoo and botanical garden. It was a blast! The zoo was unusual; it consisted mostly of birds, with some reptiles and a few mammals thrown in, but all the exhibits were kind of sad. The animals didn't have much to entertain them, and most of them were just dirt lots.
It was a lot of fun though, and I got some great pictures! The botanical gardens were beautiful as well:
Saturday evening a couple invited us to their home in the mountains for dinner, and it was incredible. Their home was gorgeous and obviously worth a LOT of money. They fed us lasagna, let us explore their home, and were overall very kind and fun hosts. That wasn't even the best part. The icing on a perfect-evening cake was the view they had from their back deck - a view of the ENTIRE city of Kingston. It looked a little something like this, although pictures don't really do it justice.
Beside the fun day, today I got to go to University of the West Indies campus for the first time, and it was almost completely deserted in the morning, but in the afternoon I got to have a neat conversation with a man who followed an African religion. We didn't get to talk to him for very long before his sister came, but when we explained to her why we were there she told us she'd love to talk with us another time. Not a super productive day, but we'll see what the rest of the week brings!
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." -Philippians 4:6-7
Anyway, Saturday was a fun day, and we went to a zoo and botanical garden. It was a blast! The zoo was unusual; it consisted mostly of birds, with some reptiles and a few mammals thrown in, but all the exhibits were kind of sad. The animals didn't have much to entertain them, and most of them were just dirt lots.
It was a lot of fun though, and I got some great pictures! The botanical gardens were beautiful as well:
Saturday evening a couple invited us to their home in the mountains for dinner, and it was incredible. Their home was gorgeous and obviously worth a LOT of money. They fed us lasagna, let us explore their home, and were overall very kind and fun hosts. That wasn't even the best part. The icing on a perfect-evening cake was the view they had from their back deck - a view of the ENTIRE city of Kingston. It looked a little something like this, although pictures don't really do it justice.
Beside the fun day, today I got to go to University of the West Indies campus for the first time, and it was almost completely deserted in the morning, but in the afternoon I got to have a neat conversation with a man who followed an African religion. We didn't get to talk to him for very long before his sister came, but when we explained to her why we were there she told us she'd love to talk with us another time. Not a super productive day, but we'll see what the rest of the week brings!
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." -Philippians 4:6-7
Friday, June 14, 2013
Reaching Up, Reaching Out
Yesterday was our last day visiting Spring Garden school and the boy's home.
After we showed the Jesus film to third and fourth graders, we had the option to go to the boy's home or go to Spring Village community center down the street, and I decided to go to the community center for a change of scenery.
Spring Village is part of a trade school where students learn welding, electrical wiring, housekeeping, etc, and we got to have some conversations with them while they were hanging out after class. On Wednesday they had shown them a short film with a "prodigal son" theme, about a girl who runs away from her father and consumes herself with drugs, alcohol, and men. I didn't get to see the video, and we were suppose to be having a small group discussion about the film. I started talking to the guy next to me, and it turns out that he hadn't seen the video either. Instead, we talked about his life and his view of God. I was in awe of how the Lord directed our conversation - he really opened up about his current situation, a little bit about his past, and I got to share some of my testimony where it applied to what he is going through. We didn't have time to go too far into the Gospel before he had to leave, but I gave him a KGP for the road. I was really encouraged by my conversation with him. We were both listening very intently to what the other had to say, and I hope God used me to reach out to him.
Here is a picture of our entire team at the
community center.
Today we are back on campus at U Tech, and in the afternoon I get to have discipleship with Karen, one of the moms on the trip. In the picture, she's the lady in the white shirt in the back row on the right.
"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." -Galatians 5:1
After we showed the Jesus film to third and fourth graders, we had the option to go to the boy's home or go to Spring Village community center down the street, and I decided to go to the community center for a change of scenery.
Spring Village is part of a trade school where students learn welding, electrical wiring, housekeeping, etc, and we got to have some conversations with them while they were hanging out after class. On Wednesday they had shown them a short film with a "prodigal son" theme, about a girl who runs away from her father and consumes herself with drugs, alcohol, and men. I didn't get to see the video, and we were suppose to be having a small group discussion about the film. I started talking to the guy next to me, and it turns out that he hadn't seen the video either. Instead, we talked about his life and his view of God. I was in awe of how the Lord directed our conversation - he really opened up about his current situation, a little bit about his past, and I got to share some of my testimony where it applied to what he is going through. We didn't have time to go too far into the Gospel before he had to leave, but I gave him a KGP for the road. I was really encouraged by my conversation with him. We were both listening very intently to what the other had to say, and I hope God used me to reach out to him.
Here is a picture of our entire team at the
community center.
Today we are back on campus at U Tech, and in the afternoon I get to have discipleship with Karen, one of the moms on the trip. In the picture, she's the lady in the white shirt in the back row on the right.
"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." -Galatians 5:1
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Bread of Life
The past couple of days have been really neat.
Instead of going to campus, we've been visiting a little school called Spring Garden and showing a Jesus film to the kids. We get to talk to them about Jesus and hang out with them too. The kids are so excited to have us there, and they love playing with our hair! :)
After that, a group of us have been going down the street to a boy's home to show them the film and do activities with them. Today I talked to a sixteen year-old boy named Marlon the entire time, and he opened up a little about his life and I got to share the Gospel with him.
We're going back tomorrow, so I hopefully get to talk to him again! I can feel the Lord moving through our team and in the people we've been meeting, and it's something I don't understand but am blessed to experience.
"And Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of life. He who comes to me shall never hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst.'" -John 6:35
Instead of going to campus, we've been visiting a little school called Spring Garden and showing a Jesus film to the kids. We get to talk to them about Jesus and hang out with them too. The kids are so excited to have us there, and they love playing with our hair! :)
After that, a group of us have been going down the street to a boy's home to show them the film and do activities with them. Today I talked to a sixteen year-old boy named Marlon the entire time, and he opened up a little about his life and I got to share the Gospel with him.
We're going back tomorrow, so I hopefully get to talk to him again! I can feel the Lord moving through our team and in the people we've been meeting, and it's something I don't understand but am blessed to experience.
"And Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of life. He who comes to me shall never hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst.'" -John 6:35
Monday, June 10, 2013
Ya Mon!
We've been in Kingston for a few days now!
We had a fun day this past Saturday where we went to Dunn's River Falls and relaxed on the beach:
Today we got down to business. We were on University of Technology's campus from 10 to 2, just having conversations with students and going through the Knowing God Personally booklet. Most of them are very willing to talk and listen, so it's encouraging to be able to share our faith with people so easily! Our group split up today, and some went to University of the West Indies (UWI), which I haven't been to yet but will have plenty of chances to go to.
The response to the Gospel, as I said before, is very accepted here. Most people have a Christian church background and already know what we are telling them, but I've found that people are usually consumed with works. I've talked to a few students who say that "trying hard" and going to church and being a good person is what gets them to Heaven, which turned into some good conversations about Jesus and how we are saved only through Him.
I'm just incredibly eager to see what the next three and a half weeks bring. Tomorrow, Wednesday, and Thursday, we are going to a boy's home to show the Jesus film and just interact with all the kids. :)
God is good!
"You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." -Galatians 3:26-28
We had a fun day this past Saturday where we went to Dunn's River Falls and relaxed on the beach:
Today we got down to business. We were on University of Technology's campus from 10 to 2, just having conversations with students and going through the Knowing God Personally booklet. Most of them are very willing to talk and listen, so it's encouraging to be able to share our faith with people so easily! Our group split up today, and some went to University of the West Indies (UWI), which I haven't been to yet but will have plenty of chances to go to.
The response to the Gospel, as I said before, is very accepted here. Most people have a Christian church background and already know what we are telling them, but I've found that people are usually consumed with works. I've talked to a few students who say that "trying hard" and going to church and being a good person is what gets them to Heaven, which turned into some good conversations about Jesus and how we are saved only through Him.
I'm just incredibly eager to see what the next three and a half weeks bring. Tomorrow, Wednesday, and Thursday, we are going to a boy's home to show the Jesus film and just interact with all the kids. :)
God is good!
"You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." -Galatians 3:26-28
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