Before I share our latest update, we as a team want to thank those of you who have prayed faithfully for us. I believe that your prayers are probably part of what God used to keep Erin Boone safe when she was lost yesterday while doing street evangelism (I happened to see the area she got lost in yesterday, and it truly is God's work she made it out safely!) and what kept my E-day team safe last night as we entered a very dangerous neighborhood (more on that below).
The theme for this update is "sharing". And the first person I want to share about is the "lost one", Erin Boone. She found herself working in the Galley (kitchen) yesterday. When I captured her in action, she had just finished dicing onions to share with the 500 people who would be sharing the noon meal together (and the meal was very good!).
Then I headed to the Engine Room to catch Jay and Andrew sharing in the work Mark and I had done on Wednesday. And they were just as dirty as we were! Unfortunately for them, the place was a lot smellier than when Mark and I worked on the tank, and it was MUCH hotter. Just standing down there for a few minutes taking pictures and I was sweating as if standing out in the sun in 90˚ weather.
The good news for them was that the dirty stuff was done by lunch time, and they shifted from removing old paint and rust to applying primer and a new coat of paint to prevent further rusting.
I tried to find Kandy to get a picture of her in action, but I could not locate her in the book fair where she was assigned. That's because she was relocated for a while into the book hold, which is the ships' version of a book warehouse. She later came and relieved me after her lunch break at the cashier line (I had some time over lunch where I had no assignment, so I went in to the book fair to help with crowd control). It's a difficult job, but Kandy accepted it with a smile on her face!
Mark and I were scheduled for E-days (experience days). Unfortunately, Mark's trip to do a school assembly was cancelled, so the team instead had a 2-hour Bible study on evangelism that Mark really enjoyed. Then being the incredible servant he is, Mark shared the rest of his time in the book fair, Icafe', and taking cold water to the crowds waiting outside in the hot line.
My E-day team (made up of 4 other crew members from the Logos Hope) took off immediately after supper to head into the mountains overlooking Montego Bay. We were told we were going to be doing street evangelism, but it wasn't quite what any of us expected. The lady in the photo above came to Christ in the past year or two out of a lifestyle of drugs and alcohol. She lost two sons to violence in the Norwood neighborhood outside the city. For us to head out into the neighborhood to do evangelism was considered too dangerous. So instead, we basically helped lead a church service in this impoverished neighborhood. We worked alongside the same ministry Jay and Kandy worked with on their E-day trip to a prison. They set up a sound system, cranked the volume, and invited the neighborhood to come join them. About 20 children and maybe a dozen adults showed up.
For the past 6 weeks, I've been spending Friday nights in a particular bar in Cedar Rapids, praying that God would open up conversations about spiritual matters with people (before they get too drunk for the night). Before leaving for Jamaica, I was slightly bummed that I was going to miss a Friday night at the bar. Well, by God's providence, I did get to spend my Friday night at a bar. And this particular bar was turned into a pentecostal church meeting!
But what impacted me the most were the children. Most all of them were there in the darkness without any parents. And they craved the attention of our Logos Hope team. Many of our team danced with them, the girls let the kids play with their long hair, and we just held them.
This particular 5-year-old boy was especially attracted to me because of my camera (and by the way, I want to thank the Lord for helping me get this camera off Craigslist just days before our team left!). He was constantly looking over my shoulder as I crouched to take pictures of the kids. And even when I stood, he stood against my leg, leaning his head into my hip, wanting my attention and touch. I couldn't help but think that this precious little boy is receiving scant attention and love at home. I was so thankful I was chosen by God to share some love, attention, laughs, and more with this precious little guy for a couple of hours outside a bar in a pitch-dark poor neighborhood in the Jamaican mountainside. But I wanted to give so much more! There are kids like this little one all over the world - who is sharing with them?
The biggest reason I chose "sharing" as the theme is because of what I experienced in the afternoon before my official E-day began. I slipped into the Hope Theater to see one of the school programs in action (see photo above). I then helped out around the Icafe', sharing cold water with those in line, and overseeing the Kids' Zone (that is the children's play area, where you see Mark in the photo several paragraphs above). While in the Kids' Zone, I saw a lot of popcorn that needed swept up, so I grabbed a broom & dustpan and got to work.
Well, there was so much popcorn and trash on the floor that I ended up doing almost the entire Icafe. As I swept between the tables and people, I heard numerous conversations. Many of them were about Jesus. I heard the cross being preached, Christ's resurrection, and what it means to surrender one's life to him. Children, moms, dads, business men, single ladies, grandmothers, school children, teachers, and more were engaged in conversation with local Jamaican Christians and crew about the man Jesus Christ, and the significance of the cross. It was so encouraging to me as I heard Jesus' name being shared table after table. Most people came for books, but many left with a new faith in Jesus. And that's the best thing, I think, that was shared yesterday.
Share in Prayer:
- Strength. Mark & I are especially tired after staying up late helping the book fair prepare for the next day.
- Outreach. I typed up all of the above, but did not get it sent because we had a last minute trip come up to a homeless ministry in Montego Bay. (More on that in tomorrow's update if I have time to do one). Also, we head to different churches tomorrow (Mark, Andrew, & Erin to a Church of God, Jay, Kandy, & I to an Assembly of God).
- Mental sorting. We are still trying to figure out what ways and opportunities our church family can be involved, whether with the Logos Hope or in the Caribbean region.
- Preparation. We have been fully integrated into ship life and ministry this week. Pray for us as we fly home and jump right back into life with our families, jobs, schooling, and ministries.
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