Aldersgate UMC

After arriving from a long plane ride to Jamaica we greet our team with some wonderful Jamaican juicy patties which they have with some water then we were off to the Belmont community which is our lodging area after having a beautiful view from the house of Montego Bay then we head down to sit down to an awesome dinner which we have our team meeting getting ready for service tomorrow god bless we will keep in touch

We all woke up refreshed with plenty of sleep, ready for our new adventure. Our large group had a delicious breakfast together then split up for church. The high school group had church at 9ish (we're still getting used to island time). Brian Roesler did the sermon at Comfort Hall church "Of many, one people". Ellie Miller picked out some points to share: *We are all the same family of God bonded by the spirit. *Love all Christ's family to build his kingdom. *We are here to proclaim his name, give him glory, and sing his praises. After church The high school group went on a prayer walk through the community to invite local children to VBS. The college group attended Roehampton church at 10. While at church Kaitlyn was recruited to play piano/organ for the prise team. I (Lauren) was recruited to teach bible school to the young children. The other young aduts attended bible study and talked about Ruth and Naiomi. Pastor Richards preached about Standing up for the word of God "If you don't stand for SOMETHING, you will FALL for ANYTHING" Caleb Brandt read Daniel chapter 3 which talked about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego who survived being thrown in the fire because they stood UP for their faith and FOR GOD! We all met back for lunch and then took a bumpy curvy road up the mountain to a home for children with disabilities. This is indescribable and nothing like we've seen in the US. We helped feed children, we sang, danced, played and prayed with them. They we're overjoyed to have us there and I can tell they have already made an impact on our hearts. We ended the day in a mixture of our songs and Jamaican Hymns. "Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God ,my God."

Photo from the comfort of church

We started our day off with breakfast at the church at 7:30 a.m., 30 minutes later than yesterday, I am sure everyone enjoyed that extra sleeping time. Breakfast consisted of bread, eggs, very good hashbrowns and as far as fruit goes, there was fresh papaya, mango, cantaloupe, and watermelon. For many this was the first time trying papaya and there were mixed responses as to who liked it and who did not. Both groups left at 8:15 to go to the churches we were having VBS at. The high school group went to Comfort Hall and the college group went to Roehampton. College VBS: We started with a small number of kids but thankfully as the hours passed it grew to many. We began with interactive songs that the kids loved to dance along with. They started out shy but by the end all were participating. It was then story time where we shared the story of Jonah and the Whale. We sprayed the kids with spray bottles which was a big kick but also backfired because they loved them a little too much and could not put them down. Afterwards we split them up into boys and girls and they rotated through crafts and games. The craft was this cute, little whale made out of an egg carton that was supposed to be the whale that swallowed Jonah. Surprisingly, the boys seemed to enjoy the craft more than the girls. For the game they played four square and other simple ball games. We then wrapped up the first session and ate some lunch which was provided by the church there in Roehampton. It was so good! We had rice and beans, mashed potatoes, chicken, more fresh fruit, and the traditional Jamaican meal of acai and saltfish. They also had this wonderful, sweet, mango tasting gravy to put on top whatever you wanted to. The second session consisted of walking down the road to the local school, playing games, making bead bracelets, and having lots of fun. The kids went home for the evening and we headed back to "Beverly Hills". On the way back we stopped at a market to get a drink and ran into the high school group there. High School VBS: Writing about their time is just through interviewing a couple different people so our version is not near as detailed as the college groups was so we apologize. Theirs took place at Comfort Hall where the church has a basement. It was very similar to ours where more and more children showed up throughout the day and it was a wonderful time. Their story was about Noah's Ark and creation and was very interactive and fun for not only the kids but everyone there as well. They were having two different sessions as well but lunch took an hour longer than expected so Brian and Dennis improvised by coming up with more activities and songs to sing. They ended VBS for today beautifully, connecting with not only the kids but their parents as well! Both groups had down time from 3 to 5:30. Some slept while others adventured or worked out. For dinner we had a choice of beef or chicken burger and some of the best homemade fries EVER. Everyone proceeded outside where there is an open field where the locals were practicing for a futbol match. They invited us to play so several of them ran to take up that offer. Abby Brandt even scored a goal (not to mention they were all boys). We wrapped up the night with some amazing worship and everyone sharing their highs and lows. We are all very tired so pray for some good rest! Until tomorrow, -Jamaica Mission Team 2016 *it is also Independence Day and we are a little upset we could not celebrate with some fireworks today. Supposedly they are illegal but nothing could beat this day in this beautiful country.

Photos from the Rohamton Baptist Church

Hello all! Another day in Jamaica is in the books! Today was a continued blessing filled with heartfelt ministry and fellowship where we, as a mission team, left just as blessed as those we hope to have influenced in today's interactions. The day started off with a hearty breakfast of individual omelets that were hand-crafted by our cook Oliver. I mention his name so that I may ask anyone who is willing to offer up a prayer to him, and those that helped him, because of the amazing dedication and hard work he has put in for us thus far. We have been shocked by each of the meals he has taken the time to prepare and we have been so thankful. ??Following breakfast the high school and colleges groups once again parted ways and journeyed back to their VBS locations. Each group was so happy to report that the number of kiddos in attendance grew in both communities and participation in activities was, though chaotic, very energetic. The high school's focus today was on Daniel and the lion's den and God's triumph over our fears. The college had two stories with one main focus for the day--God's word is for everyone! We utilized the story of Noah's ark and Jesus' death and resurrection to facilitate this key phrase. Whether the kids were playing with water balloons, water guns, kick-balls, footballs, or or other variation there were smiles all around and we even had some kids who were asking us how they could get to heaven... AKA lives are being changed and influenced here in Jamaica!! ??The evening was spent at the St. James Infirmary where we were given a tour of the men's and women's quarters. The group spread out and sang, prayed, read scripture or maintained conversation with those who claim their residence there. Again, many of our team were touched by the individuals we spoke with rather than the other way around. So much joy can be found in those who seem to have so little and this is a lesson we all are walking away with today. We send our love and blessings home and we feel the love of those who support us and pray for us across the ocean every day. Looking forward to tomorrow!! Good night and sweet dreams.

?Breakfast was served at 7:30 and consisted of pancakes, eggs, bacon and fresh fruit; all the necessities to fuel our bodies for our work day! Thank God for our cook Oliver and his helper Mrs. Lorna, both are so sweet and seem so happy to be here serving us this week. The high school group was in charge of painting the Comfort Hall Baptist Basic School and the Comfort Hall Baptist Church as well. The group split in two and got to work. They had a lovely lunch of mackerel and veggies, dumplings, ackee and saltfish, fried bananas, roasted breadfruit, yams, bbq fried chicken, and homemade limeade to drink. We have been spoiled with meals to say the least. A rain storm rolled in while they were finishing and they got back around 3:40, leaving a couple of hours before dinner where the groups came back together. As far as the college group goes we traveled to Pathway Basic School (about 10 minutes past Roehampton where we were the last two days) to pour concrete to expand the building. We worked from the time we got there at 9 until 1:30 when lunch was served. Work included moving dirt, gravel, and cement powder from the ground to the roof using buckets and assembly lines. Water was needed to begin to mix the concrete so it took a couple of tries to figure out how to get it up there. Once that task was done is when the dirty work started. The concrete was hand mixed and transported to make the roof of the expansion. Working along side other Jamaican men from the community who had done this before made things go smoother and more structured as to what to do next. About half of the roof was done when we ate curry chicken, rice, breadfruit and bag juice to drink. The break was needed as many of us has gotten hangry but we got back to work fast as the rain was quickly approaching our worksite as well. The job got done right after the downpour began and we got back to the house around 3:15. Both groups cleaned up and met at the church around 5:30 for some jerk chicken, spaghetti, pork, vegetables, and fruit of course. We then headed to Comfort Hall Baptist Church for Wednesday night service. It was a wonderful outdoor service and many of the kids from both VBS's were there and were excited to see us. Most of the service was just music but it was a very good time. Both Pastor Richards and Pastor Miller spoke and one person from each community shared their testimony. We ended our night with more singing and dancing and the children did not want us to go. It is so nice to see how much of an impact we have had not only on them but all of the communities we have been working in. I am pretty sure we have all said we want to take one of the kids home with us at least once but sadly they will not fit in our suitcases (if only it was that simple). We are all thrilled for tomorrow as it is our free day and we will travel to Negril for some cliff jumping, swimming, and shopping! Hope you all are having a good time at home and are not missing us too much.