Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
TESTIMONY: Zach Snow
During this trip, God spoke to me. He came into my heart, and let his light shine through me. He helped me through the up’s and downs of the trip. From the spiritual warfare, to praying the salvation prayer for two men that weren’t saved, God helped me through it, and he really changed my perspective on life. He showed me how the people in Jamaica have nothing, but they still worship the Lord because he is their only hope. He showed me that we have everything, and how it is so easy for us to turn away from God, but if we spread his word, more and more will come to learn about him. He also showed me how healing a boy who was born deaf and mute was just a small fraction of his power, and that nothing is impossible for God! He can move the mountains if you just believe, because he has greater things in store for the whole world and through him the blind will see, the dead will rise, and we will be free of our sin. God also told me throughout this trip that when I get back home, I am going to make a difference, and I’m ready for his challenge no matter what it may be, because I have the Armor of God, and nothing can stop me now. After this trip, I made a decision to become a missionary because I love witnessing to people who are hungry for the Lord. That is my testimony from the Jamaica missions trip, and I hope that after you read this, that you feel empowered to do something great for your community because you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you!
TESTIMONY: Risch Minford
As I stepped out in faith and decided to trust God for Him to provide the finances for me to go on the trip I knew that if it did not happen He did not want me to go on the trip at the time. As the months, turned into weeks God came thru with the finances. I had to deal with a lot of negativity from people I knew that heard about me going on the trip. At a prayer night I asked them to pray for me, for the trip and the direction in my life. God spoke thru one of the people that were praying for me and told me that this is exactly where He wanted me to be and that the trip was what He wanted for me.
As the weeks got closer I still received some negativity but I now had confirmation from God that this is where I was supposed to be and what I was supposed to be doing. As I got to know the people that were on the team, I was so amazed to see how passionate, how talented and how much love for the Lord that they had. I did question as to what my purpose would be on the trip or the reason I was going, but also knew that God would reveal things to me at the right time.
On the second day God really gave us an amazing day and provided an opportunity out of the blue for us to minister and share with members of the village. I felt my heart jump for joy as I watched the team members act out The Everything Skit and see the reactions of the village members as they watched. I witnessed our team members as they guided new believers with the sinners pray. This experience led to a great worship service that night. We really sought God, prayed for each other and for the children and people we would minister to in Jamaica. We truly believed that God would touch so many in that village, and that we would witness His miracles and awes of wonder. One consistent prayer that we all had was the healing of Javon a deaf boy from the village that had touched us from the moment we met him. What an awesome and amazing day! I could not even believe the day that we had and it was only our first day ministering. I knew that God had so much in store for each one of us.
As the week progressed I was touched by the children that I met, bonding and growing experiences within the group, and just the beauty and the journey that God put us there to experience. My eyes were also opened to the living conditions I saw that I take for granted. I could not wait to see the finished church or what God could do in that little village. As Sunday grew closer and we were going to have the dedication service we were asked to go and canvas the village and tell them about the church service. This was something that I had never done before and it really challenged me. I could feel the Holy Spirit fill me as I approached different people to talk to.
During Saturday night family time we were told to be prepared to pray for people and with people, and that the Sunday service was going to be amazing. Sunday morning came and on the drive to the village we prayed. I could see how much each of the people in my van were excited for the day but had also grown in their faith and comfort in praying out loud – myself included. We arrived at the village for the church service and witnessed the construction team putting the final touches on the church which literally had some of us teary eyed. It was amazing to see that an entire church had been built in 4 days. I knew that this was truly a blessing from the Lord.
The service was amazing and I know that God had the Holy Spirit really filling the entire building. I was especially excited because when they called for people to pray for those that needed healing I jumped at the chance. I did not even have a chance to fear if I was going to look foolish, because I could feel that the Holy Spirit was upon me and the words just flowed from my mouth. I even found myself excited going around to different people and praying with them without caring what they might think. I watched and joined the entire team as we prayed tirelessly over the deaf boy. I truly believed that God would heal him when the time was right. The things I experienced and witnessed in that day made the entire week worth every minute.
Monday was our free day which we took advantage of by going to the beach and relaxing and enjoying our team dinner on a boat. That evening we learned the good news about Javon the boy from the village. Part of the Georgia team had returned to the village to finalize things and Javon was giving them hugs and interacting with them. A far change from what he used to do by hitting or running from people because he did not know how else to communicate. He was even asked a question and answered “Yes”. Are you kidding me……He spoke……AWESOME! We were so grateful and gave praise to God that He healed Javon in His time. We were so thankful that we were able to witness this miracle before we left Jamaica.
What I experienced on this trip not only led me out of my comfort zone but also stretched my faith as well. I learned that my laugh was blessing and encouragement to the whole team and that God used my special gifts to be a part of the team. I learned so many new things and how much more I can do knowing that God is right behind me. I really began to believe the verse Joshua 1:9 - Be strong and courageous; do not be terrified. Do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. I know that I will always be truly grateful for such an amazing opportunity and experience to witness how God moves in so many ways and in the lives of so many people. He truly is the One True God that answers prayers, fills us with His Spirit, provides strength and courage, forgives us, breaks our hearts for what breaks His, provides the right people in our lives at the right moments, and loves us unconditionally.
As the weeks got closer I still received some negativity but I now had confirmation from God that this is where I was supposed to be and what I was supposed to be doing. As I got to know the people that were on the team, I was so amazed to see how passionate, how talented and how much love for the Lord that they had. I did question as to what my purpose would be on the trip or the reason I was going, but also knew that God would reveal things to me at the right time.
On the second day God really gave us an amazing day and provided an opportunity out of the blue for us to minister and share with members of the village. I felt my heart jump for joy as I watched the team members act out The Everything Skit and see the reactions of the village members as they watched. I witnessed our team members as they guided new believers with the sinners pray. This experience led to a great worship service that night. We really sought God, prayed for each other and for the children and people we would minister to in Jamaica. We truly believed that God would touch so many in that village, and that we would witness His miracles and awes of wonder. One consistent prayer that we all had was the healing of Javon a deaf boy from the village that had touched us from the moment we met him. What an awesome and amazing day! I could not even believe the day that we had and it was only our first day ministering. I knew that God had so much in store for each one of us.
As the week progressed I was touched by the children that I met, bonding and growing experiences within the group, and just the beauty and the journey that God put us there to experience. My eyes were also opened to the living conditions I saw that I take for granted. I could not wait to see the finished church or what God could do in that little village. As Sunday grew closer and we were going to have the dedication service we were asked to go and canvas the village and tell them about the church service. This was something that I had never done before and it really challenged me. I could feel the Holy Spirit fill me as I approached different people to talk to.
During Saturday night family time we were told to be prepared to pray for people and with people, and that the Sunday service was going to be amazing. Sunday morning came and on the drive to the village we prayed. I could see how much each of the people in my van were excited for the day but had also grown in their faith and comfort in praying out loud – myself included. We arrived at the village for the church service and witnessed the construction team putting the final touches on the church which literally had some of us teary eyed. It was amazing to see that an entire church had been built in 4 days. I knew that this was truly a blessing from the Lord.
The service was amazing and I know that God had the Holy Spirit really filling the entire building. I was especially excited because when they called for people to pray for those that needed healing I jumped at the chance. I did not even have a chance to fear if I was going to look foolish, because I could feel that the Holy Spirit was upon me and the words just flowed from my mouth. I even found myself excited going around to different people and praying with them without caring what they might think. I watched and joined the entire team as we prayed tirelessly over the deaf boy. I truly believed that God would heal him when the time was right. The things I experienced and witnessed in that day made the entire week worth every minute.
Monday was our free day which we took advantage of by going to the beach and relaxing and enjoying our team dinner on a boat. That evening we learned the good news about Javon the boy from the village. Part of the Georgia team had returned to the village to finalize things and Javon was giving them hugs and interacting with them. A far change from what he used to do by hitting or running from people because he did not know how else to communicate. He was even asked a question and answered “Yes”. Are you kidding me……He spoke……AWESOME! We were so grateful and gave praise to God that He healed Javon in His time. We were so thankful that we were able to witness this miracle before we left Jamaica.
What I experienced on this trip not only led me out of my comfort zone but also stretched my faith as well. I learned that my laugh was blessing and encouragement to the whole team and that God used my special gifts to be a part of the team. I learned so many new things and how much more I can do knowing that God is right behind me. I really began to believe the verse Joshua 1:9 - Be strong and courageous; do not be terrified. Do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. I know that I will always be truly grateful for such an amazing opportunity and experience to witness how God moves in so many ways and in the lives of so many people. He truly is the One True God that answers prayers, fills us with His Spirit, provides strength and courage, forgives us, breaks our hearts for what breaks His, provides the right people in our lives at the right moments, and loves us unconditionally.
TESTIMONY: Lydia Snow
Wow! This missions trip has been truly incredible and such an amazing experience for me!! There are so many great memories that have been made on this trip. However, one of them in particular I know I will never forget. On Thursday evening, Becky had asked everyone on the trip to stand in faith and to pray for a little boy named Javon, who was born deaf and mute. I had immediately started praying for this little boy that night. Because nothing is impossible for God, right? Then the next day, Alyse and I saw Javon and we immediately started to "play" with him. But, since he is deaf and mute he is also socially inhabited so he would not come near us and if he did he would hit us. Over the next couple of days Alyse and I gained his trust and we grew to be the two closest people to him on the team. At the church dedication service on Sunday, I looked around wondering where Javon was. I saw his little brohter Sherman there, but not him. I got nervous because I knew that Pastor CJ was going to be praying for him in the service. However, Javon did end up showing then! Alyse and I went over to him when Pastor CJ asked for anyone who needs healing to come up front. His mother was holding him down while Alyse, Danielle, and I began to pray for him. I have never in my life prayed so intensely and so loudly for someone. I don't think I have ever wanted anything before in life than for Javon to be healed. Javon was getting very uncomfortable and scared and his mom had to take him away. It made me very upset to see him acting like that. After he left, Alyse and I asked Sherman if he would like to pray for his brother so that Javon could hear and talk. He nodded his head yes, he bowed his head, and then started to pray. This touched my heart! If a little boy of about 7 can pray so intensely for something, then why aren't people praying intensely like that everyday? The service then came to a close and so Alyse and I walked to Javon's house. His mother invited us inside and we said our good-byes. I asked Javon for a hug and he actually came up and gave one to me and then Alyse! This was truly incredible!! I knew then that even though God had not yet cured Javon of being deaf and mute, that he had already started the healing process with just a simple action of a hug! Then, on Monday when I found out about Javon being healed, I immediately started crying and shivering. I had helped heal someone!! I could not believe it, but yet I could because God is truly incredible and nothing is impossible for him!! This one moment has made me realize that God can do anything for us, if we just ask him and pray about it. I now have absolutely NO doubts that God is still producing miracles today. We truly do serve an inredible and awesome God!
TESTIMONY: Maddi Holland
Before Jamaica, one of my biggest fears has been praying for someone
out loud. I always thought people would think I said something weird or
that my prayers wouldn't be powerful enough, but I did pray that first day
at 8 mile.
We just got done doing the skit "Everything" in the streets and Joey got
up and asked for anyone that needed prayer to come up so we would pray for
them.
I got so scared and didn't want anyone to come up to me just because
I didn't think I was ready yet. But a lady stepped up to me and Pastor
Melissa and said she needed to be saved and also needed prayer for her leg .
I thought I would just let Pastor Melissa do all the work but she looked at
me and asked, "Want to lead off in prayer?" I couldn't say no and I felt
God telling me to do it. So before I prayed for her I prayed for myself. I
asked God to give me the strength and words I needed.
After I was done being afraid over the whole thing, I grabbed the woman's
hands and told her to repeat after me. After I was done, the woman had
tears in her eyes and said "thank you." I don't even remember what I said
because God was just specking through me to her. He was putting the words
in my mouth that he wanted me to say, and when it was over, that fear I've
had for so long was gone.
I'm so happy I was the one to pray for this woman to be saved. This
is a memory I know I will never forget. I believe when God put that woman
there that day, He was not only thinking of her, He was thinking of me.
Because of this experience, I'm no longer afraid to pray in front of others
or for others and I've learned to trust God to speak through me.
out loud. I always thought people would think I said something weird or
that my prayers wouldn't be powerful enough, but I did pray that first day
at 8 mile.
We just got done doing the skit "Everything" in the streets and Joey got
up and asked for anyone that needed prayer to come up so we would pray for
them.
I got so scared and didn't want anyone to come up to me just because
I didn't think I was ready yet. But a lady stepped up to me and Pastor
Melissa and said she needed to be saved and also needed prayer for her leg .
I thought I would just let Pastor Melissa do all the work but she looked at
me and asked, "Want to lead off in prayer?" I couldn't say no and I felt
God telling me to do it. So before I prayed for her I prayed for myself. I
asked God to give me the strength and words I needed.
After I was done being afraid over the whole thing, I grabbed the woman's
hands and told her to repeat after me. After I was done, the woman had
tears in her eyes and said "thank you." I don't even remember what I said
because God was just specking through me to her. He was putting the words
in my mouth that he wanted me to say, and when it was over, that fear I've
had for so long was gone.
I'm so happy I was the one to pray for this woman to be saved. This
is a memory I know I will never forget. I believe when God put that woman
there that day, He was not only thinking of her, He was thinking of me.
Because of this experience, I'm no longer afraid to pray in front of others
or for others and I've learned to trust God to speak through me.
TESTIMONY: Jessica Grasso
This was my first missions trip and I had mixed emotions. I was excited yet nervous at the same time. I wasn't sure what to expect, and I knew I would be pushed way out of my comfort zone. I was willing to be stretched and couldn't wait for what God had in store. The whole trip exceeded my expectations. I know that I tend to put God in a box at times, and in my own mind I put a limit on what God can and cannot do. Experiencing the dedication of the new church and being part of that service was something I will not soon forget. Seeing lives changed and transformed really opened my eyes and made me believe more fully that God is more than able to do what His word says He can do. Ephesians 3:20 says: "...to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us..." We sometimes fail to remember that it is His power working through us that can move mountains. We are the vessels He works through; we just need to be open and willing. During the service I felt like God was calling me to take a step of faith and go up to people and ask them if they needed prayer. This is not something I normally do, but I saw that as I was obedient the Lord spoke through me and I knew that I was speaking His words, not my own. The miraculous acts in the bible were real, and they are just as real today. God is the same God He was yesterday, is today, and will be tomorrow. My faith has grown tremendously. I want to take every lesson that I learned and apply them in my day to day walk. I know that this trip wasn't just about giving one week of my life in Jamaica, but giving my all to God and serving others every day. I choose to boldly proclaim the awesome power of God, knowing that greater things are still to come, in my life and in the lives of millions around the world.
TESTIMONY: Alyse Lewis
This year’s trip to Jamaica has completely changed my life. I think my mind is still trying to comprehend the magnitude of God’s work in the duration of this trip. For me personally, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from the trip this year because I had gone last year to Jamaica, and had high expectations for the trip this year. Weeks went by and trainings for the trip were completed, and I found myself enduring spiritual warfare in preparation for the trip. I found myself wondering if I should even be going on the trip. Then, only a few nights before we left to go to Jamaica, Vickie Roland commented about all the negative stuff going on with our team. She said “God must have something huge planned for us if the devil’s trying this hard to attack us and tear us down.” After that, I started praying for strength to endure all the stuff that was going on around me because God must have something bigger planned for me on this trip, which is why I was facing so much opposition. The day we were leaving for the trip finally came, and the bundle of nerves and excitement that you feel before leaving on a missions trip was stirring inside of me. We left and got to Jamaica and the first time we stepped into Eight Mile the stronghold that was over the town was more than evident. Drugs, false religion, and sex had a grip over the town. After talking to several people in the town, I found myself in prayer just crying out to God that they would be able to see His love and mercy, because you could see the devil was trying to convince the people of the town to fill the void in their lives with other junk. That's where Javon comes into the story. After the second day of ministry, Becky Wiles mentioned during family time that she truely believed that God would heal this little boy of being deaf and mute, which has been apart of him since he was born. The people of Eight Mile needed to physically see the truth, power, and love of our God. We worshipped and cried out for the people of Eight Mile, and it turned into a 2 hour prayer and praise session. I felt completely submersed in the greatness, power, and love of God. I found myself in that moment saying and knowing with every inch of myself that "Nothing is impossible for God." Every fiber of who I am, and then some, was screaming it and I felt myself praising and thanking Him for the incredible and awesome love He has for us. That was the first moment that I knew without a doubt that God was going to move in that little boy’s life. Throughout that entire week, Lydia and I had been growing closer to Javon, his brother Sherman, and his mother. We would play with Javon, and go everywhere while each holding one of Sherman’s hands. The day before the dedication service, though, I got sick. I had stomach pain, was throwing up, and had a fever. That night, I had a really vivid dream that Javon spoke to me right outside of the church we were building. When I had that dream, my fever broke. I woke up that morning completely moved by the intensity and reality of the sensations of God I felt in my dream. We headed out to the church, and I was so pumped to see what God had instore for the day that we’d been waiting and praying for! We started the service, and I saw Sherman there, but not his brother or his mom. To all of our delight, both of them showed up to the service. The time came when Pastor CJ asked if anyone wanted prayer for healing, and Javon and his mom went up to the altar. Lydia, Danielle, and I all started pouring our hearts out to God to work a miracle in this boys life. God was his only hope out of this situation, and we all knew that He could do anything, include bringing miracles in that place. Our hearts were breaking for him, but we knew that it was in God’s hands, so we lifted our voices in prayer together. Javon started crying and became very uncomfortable, and ended up being taken out of the service to be calmed down. When he left, Lydia and I asked Sherman if he would want to pray to God for his brother that he would be able to hear and talk. He shook his head, and bowed it, and started to pray. This absolutely moved my heart to see this little boy with so much faith that God would bring healing. We continued to pray until the end of the service, when Javon and Sherman’s mother got saved! Lydia, David and I then went to say goodbye to Sherman and Javon’s family before we had to leave. Miss Night invited us into her house, and we gave out plenty of hugs to everyone, including Javon! The fact that he came up to give us a hug was proof of God already working inside of him, because it was so different than his normal hiding and hitting behavior he normally had. We told Miss Night as we were leaving that we would be praying for her and her family every day, and that Javon would be healed. She smiled and thanked us, and said “I love you” to us before we hugged her as well and left. The next day, the team from Georgia went to Eight Mile for some construction stuff, and said that Javon not only played with them, but hugged them as well! And Javon, the boy who had been deaf and mute since birth, spoke to answer a question that someone asked him! When I found this out, I started shaking and crying with overwhelming joy and thankfulness to God for what He had done, and what I got to be a part of. I had learned throughout that entire week not to put God in a box, because He is truly capable of doing more than we can even comprehend! God stretched me by trusting in His timing. Because he was healed the day after the dedication service, it made me stay strong in faith and trust in Him because I KNEW He would heal that little boy, just not when. There is no one like our God, and I was so blessed to have been a part of this team with my AMAZING brothers and sisters in Christ. I had only a glimpse of what God’s capable of this past week, and I’m so in awe of our amazing God and all that He’s done and will continue to do... greater things are yet to come!
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Amazing Stories!!!
Hi!
There isn't much time - we're packing up to leave.... But I have INCREDIBLE news to tell you....
1. The construction team was unable to finish the building on Saturday because of delayed delivery of supplies. However, they were determined to have it finished for the service at 9a.m. the next day... The guys left Teen Challenge around 5a.m. to drive up to 8 Mile to have it finished just minutes before the service started.
2. On the drive to the church, someone passed me a note from the back of the van saying, "I want to give my testimony or more today - Gaby." I was so proud of her for volunteering, but even more proud of her when she told me she wanted to get baptized along with her testimony!
3. At first we were disappointed because the funeral kept many people away from the service... It was very empty in the beginning. But as the service went on, curious onlookers stopped by and stood in the doorway to see what was going on. The team did the Everything skit, which Pastor CJ then preached on and gave a salvation message... followed by a call for baptism... followed by a call for healing. At the end of the service, four accepted Christ, two were healed (one of back pain, one of depression), one was water baptized, and one baby was dedicated (at the request of a couple who just committed their lives to Christ)! It was pretty amazing...
4. BUT... we couldn't help being disappointed because the deaf child, Javon, still wasn't healed even though we prayed our hearts out and really believed he would be. That morning, I spoke with the little boy's mother (who was not saved), and she explained to me that they boy had been deaf since birth, but they only realized it when he was two years old. He could not attend a regular school, and to attend a special school, he would have to take 2 different buses everyday because it was so far away, and obviously unaffordable. For that reason, the boy did not attend school and had little chance of becoming self-sufficient.
When the service started, the mother, Miss Night, and Javon were no where to be found... To our delight, they arrived later. The mother brought the boy to the front for the healing call, and the whole team prayed with all their might... As his mother held him still he fought and hit to get away (the only way he really knows how to respond to people). Eventually Miss Night left with her son. Peter visited her at her home to encourage her and reassure her. Somehow in conversation, she expressed her desire to be saved, and so she came back to the church a few minutes later to publically accept Christ. We were thrilled she gave her life to Christ, but disappointed and confused regarding her son. We really, really thought he would be healed as a testimony to the village. Either way, we celebrated the other victories of the day.
And then I got the news. A few of the construction workers from Georgia who had been working along with us went up to the village today to finish a quick project. While they were there, they noticed that Javon's temperment had totally changed. He no longer ran away or hit. Now he was hugging and playing and being sweet. The construction team asked him a question, and he responded, "Yes!"
The deaf boy was healed!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I've never experienced anything like it. It was in God's timing, which is so much better than our own. Had it occured yesterday, we may have taken credit for it. Since we waited, it really stretched our faith. The whole thing reminded me of Mark 2 which talks about the friends who lowered the paralytic through the roof. They came for physical healing for their friend, and the man received salvation FIRST. If Miss Night hadn't brought Javon for healing, she may not have accepted Christ. God did the salvation first and the healing later, just like in Mark 2! Absolutely phenomenal!!!!!
Love and gratitude,
*Pastor Courtney and our Jamaica family :)
P.S. Today we had our free day today at Dunn's River Falls, the craft market, and out on the catamaran for our ceremony. It was a great close to the trip, and we can't wait to fill you in on all the details!
There isn't much time - we're packing up to leave.... But I have INCREDIBLE news to tell you....
1. The construction team was unable to finish the building on Saturday because of delayed delivery of supplies. However, they were determined to have it finished for the service at 9a.m. the next day... The guys left Teen Challenge around 5a.m. to drive up to 8 Mile to have it finished just minutes before the service started.
2. On the drive to the church, someone passed me a note from the back of the van saying, "I want to give my testimony or more today - Gaby." I was so proud of her for volunteering, but even more proud of her when she told me she wanted to get baptized along with her testimony!
3. At first we were disappointed because the funeral kept many people away from the service... It was very empty in the beginning. But as the service went on, curious onlookers stopped by and stood in the doorway to see what was going on. The team did the Everything skit, which Pastor CJ then preached on and gave a salvation message... followed by a call for baptism... followed by a call for healing. At the end of the service, four accepted Christ, two were healed (one of back pain, one of depression), one was water baptized, and one baby was dedicated (at the request of a couple who just committed their lives to Christ)! It was pretty amazing...
4. BUT... we couldn't help being disappointed because the deaf child, Javon, still wasn't healed even though we prayed our hearts out and really believed he would be. That morning, I spoke with the little boy's mother (who was not saved), and she explained to me that they boy had been deaf since birth, but they only realized it when he was two years old. He could not attend a regular school, and to attend a special school, he would have to take 2 different buses everyday because it was so far away, and obviously unaffordable. For that reason, the boy did not attend school and had little chance of becoming self-sufficient.
When the service started, the mother, Miss Night, and Javon were no where to be found... To our delight, they arrived later. The mother brought the boy to the front for the healing call, and the whole team prayed with all their might... As his mother held him still he fought and hit to get away (the only way he really knows how to respond to people). Eventually Miss Night left with her son. Peter visited her at her home to encourage her and reassure her. Somehow in conversation, she expressed her desire to be saved, and so she came back to the church a few minutes later to publically accept Christ. We were thrilled she gave her life to Christ, but disappointed and confused regarding her son. We really, really thought he would be healed as a testimony to the village. Either way, we celebrated the other victories of the day.
And then I got the news. A few of the construction workers from Georgia who had been working along with us went up to the village today to finish a quick project. While they were there, they noticed that Javon's temperment had totally changed. He no longer ran away or hit. Now he was hugging and playing and being sweet. The construction team asked him a question, and he responded, "Yes!"
The deaf boy was healed!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I've never experienced anything like it. It was in God's timing, which is so much better than our own. Had it occured yesterday, we may have taken credit for it. Since we waited, it really stretched our faith. The whole thing reminded me of Mark 2 which talks about the friends who lowered the paralytic through the roof. They came for physical healing for their friend, and the man received salvation FIRST. If Miss Night hadn't brought Javon for healing, she may not have accepted Christ. God did the salvation first and the healing later, just like in Mark 2! Absolutely phenomenal!!!!!
Love and gratitude,
*Pastor Courtney and our Jamaica family :)
P.S. Today we had our free day today at Dunn's River Falls, the craft market, and out on the catamaran for our ceremony. It was a great close to the trip, and we can't wait to fill you in on all the details!
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Friday Highlights
Hey guys!
So much has happened in the last few days! Our days start super early and end super late, so it's been difficult finding time to blog - my apologies to all the blog addicts :)
On Friday, we changed things up a bit. The guys all went to the construction site in Eight Mile, and the girls stayed behind in Ocho Rios. We made an impromptu visit to the Parrytown Basic School with Miss Wynters!!! They are the brightest and sweetest children, and the teachers show so much sincere gratitude - they really consider us friends! I was amazed when I walked up to the school and one of the girls started calling out my name! I was even more surprised when they showed us the picture board they put together with all the photos from last year's team members! They mentioned memories from some of last year's team members, and they took photos of all the new team members for their board. As we were leaving, Miss Wynters insisted on giving a blessing and prayer which was absolutely beautiful and encouraging.
In the afternoon, we went to the Windsor Girls Home, a home for teenage girls who have been abused and/or abandoned. Jessica did a great job leading the devotional, and Sami totally let me put her on the spot when I had her sing for the girls. We spent the rest of the time there doing a craft and sharing our dance.
In the evening, we went to Rock Teens, where Pastor CJ shared a powerful message. Alyse and Sami sang a song they learned that morning, and Brandon shared an awesome testimony (it's obvious he's a preacher in the making!).
Meanwhile the construction guys made progress on the church, but not as much as they hoped because materials were not delivered on time. We knew we'd have a ton of work to do to catch up if we wanted to get the building done in time for the dedication service.... This team is more than able!
Love and gratitude,
*Pastor Courtney and the Jamaica family
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Thursday Highlights
Hello family and friends!
We've been so busy, so it's been hard to find time to check in - my apologies! The team is alive and well :)
The student team spent the morning holding VBS at a school for students age 6-15 (quite a range!).... and then did it all over again in the afternoon! It rained in the afternoon, so we had to quickly come up with a plan B and move all the stations from outside into one room with 150 noisy, unruly students (a formula for sheer pandemonium!). The team was incredible - flexible, creative, and fun. Alex and Trevor spoke at the first school assembly - I was so proud of them for stepping up to that challenge! They were great!
Back in 8 Mile, the guys made incredible progress on the building! The walls are now up and the windows are in! The girls did their part in construction by forming an assembly line to move the wood pile, and got a bit muddy in the process! Andrew Wiles managed to unclog the baptism tank (which we found out has be come a bath/pool for the locals), which means we're having our baptism service on Sunday morning to baptize the new believers!!!! SOOOO exciting!
Pastor CJ and Brandon stayed back at Teen Challenge to lead a devotional, preach at the chapel service, and counsel with the TC students. I figured they would be good, but it was confirmed when Brother T called me to rave about Pastor CJ and ask if we could have someone speak in their evening chapel!
We had the most incredible family time tonight! I feel like words can't possibly do it justice. We met on the roof for our typical "hero of the day" and instructions for the next day of ministry, but we started off with a time of worship. That time of worship went from being a 2-song sing-along to a 2 hour prayer time, with the whole team crying out to God from the bottom of their hearts for the town of 8 Mile. Our prayer echoed the words of the song, Hosanna :
I see a generation rising up to take their place
With selfless faith, with selfless faith.
I see a near revival, stirring as we pray and seek
We're on our knees, we're on our knees.
Heal my heart and make me clean.
Open up my eyes to the things unseen.
Show me how to love like you have loved me.
Break my heart for what breaks yours.
Everything I am for your kingdom Lord,
As I walk from earth into eternity.
Our hearts are heavy for this village, but excited for what God is going to do. This village has been blinded by the false teaching of the Rasta religion... It's been turned off by the legalistic teaching of the Jesus-Only church... It's been lured by the power of voodoo. We believe that it will take signs and wonders for people to really come to recognize and know the one true God, and we're believing for it this weekend. In fact, there is a boy in the village who is deaf, and we're praying and believing for his healing. It would mean so much to us if you would join with us in prayer.
That's all for now! We'll report back tomorrow!
*Pastor Courtney
The student team spent the morning holding VBS at a school for students age 6-15 (quite a range!).... and then did it all over again in the afternoon! It rained in the afternoon, so we had to quickly come up with a plan B and move all the stations from outside into one room with 150 noisy, unruly students (a formula for sheer pandemonium!). The team was incredible - flexible, creative, and fun. Alex and Trevor spoke at the first school assembly - I was so proud of them for stepping up to that challenge! They were great!
Back in 8 Mile, the guys made incredible progress on the building! The walls are now up and the windows are in! The girls did their part in construction by forming an assembly line to move the wood pile, and got a bit muddy in the process! Andrew Wiles managed to unclog the baptism tank (which we found out has be come a bath/pool for the locals), which means we're having our baptism service on Sunday morning to baptize the new believers!!!! SOOOO exciting!
Pastor CJ and Brandon stayed back at Teen Challenge to lead a devotional, preach at the chapel service, and counsel with the TC students. I figured they would be good, but it was confirmed when Brother T called me to rave about Pastor CJ and ask if we could have someone speak in their evening chapel!
We had the most incredible family time tonight! I feel like words can't possibly do it justice. We met on the roof for our typical "hero of the day" and instructions for the next day of ministry, but we started off with a time of worship. That time of worship went from being a 2-song sing-along to a 2 hour prayer time, with the whole team crying out to God from the bottom of their hearts for the town of 8 Mile. Our prayer echoed the words of the song, Hosanna :
I see a generation rising up to take their place
With selfless faith, with selfless faith.
I see a near revival, stirring as we pray and seek
We're on our knees, we're on our knees.
Heal my heart and make me clean.
Open up my eyes to the things unseen.
Show me how to love like you have loved me.
Break my heart for what breaks yours.
Everything I am for your kingdom Lord,
As I walk from earth into eternity.
Our hearts are heavy for this village, but excited for what God is going to do. This village has been blinded by the false teaching of the Rasta religion... It's been turned off by the legalistic teaching of the Jesus-Only church... It's been lured by the power of voodoo. We believe that it will take signs and wonders for people to really come to recognize and know the one true God, and we're believing for it this weekend. In fact, there is a boy in the village who is deaf, and we're praying and believing for his healing. It would mean so much to us if you would join with us in prayer.
That's all for now! We'll report back tomorrow!
*Pastor Courtney
Friday, June 19, 2009
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Wednesday Highlights
Duck-duck-goose gone awry:
Perhaps you noticed the photo of the accident-prone Melissa and Joey :) During an impromptu game of duck-duck-goose, intended as a stall tactic while we waited to rotate stations, Melissa tripped while chasing Joey. Pastor Mel came to the rescue and bandaged up her scrapes. Ironically, Joey tripped minutes later, also while playing duck-duck-goose. He was too manly to rock out the bandaids, and especially to admit his injury came from a kindergarten game (so I'm taking the opportunity to admit it for him ;) Nothing more than minor cuts and scrapes and a good little story - no worries!
Spontaneous street ministry:
This afternoon we were scheduled to minister at a pre-school in the village. While we were singing and dancing with the children outside, adults started gathering to check it out (some danced and sang along!). Juan and Chris got into a conversation with a group of curious on-lookers, and they ended up getting into a conversation about Christianity. Juan patiently and boldly stood his ground and did his best to answer the difficult questions they fired at him. I was amazed at the way he did not give up. Several other students joined Juan and Chris, and Iesha summarized the gospel message for them (they all made me SOOOOOO proud).
When they still weren't convinced, I spoke without thinking, and said, "Would you like to see a drama that will explain what we're trying to say?" Oh dear, what did I just get our team into? We were supposed to be doing a children's program, and I just offered to do a drama that we didn't know very well, which would require half of our team!!!! All for an audience of 4 people!!!!
We spoke with Vickie, who without hesitation made big adjustments to the children's program to free up the rest of the team to minister. We set up the speakers in the street, and got into position (feeling alittle ridiculous, but somehow knowing we were doing the right thing). As we performed the drama to the song Everything (by Lifehouse), our audience continued to grow as curious neighbors gather along the outskirts. At the conclusion of the song, D.Lo Jr. (totally put on the spot), gave a dynamite, anointed explanation of the drama and the gospel message (yet another proud moment!!!). At least half a dozen of the onlookers came to us for prayer and accepted Jesus as their Savior! If that's not powerful enough, it gets better! Several of them said to us, "You need to perform it one more time, right now, because my friend needs to see it, and we don't want to wait for church on Sunday." OH MY GOODNESS! ARE YOU SERIOUS?????!!!!!!
It's only the first day of ministry, and I think God is proving that he has a LOT in store for us! There is so much more to come! Please keep the team in prayer, because the greater the impact you make for God, the more opposition you face from the enemy (though we know that we are MORE than conquerers in Christ).
Love and gratitude,
*Pastor Courtney
P.S. The team had the opportunity to shower in the water falls last night - such an experience and so refreshing! I want one in my backyard ;)
P.S. All of our team members are in great health and are doing well. They are having a blast and making us soooooo proud! I'm sure you're proud of them as well.
Perhaps you noticed the photo of the accident-prone Melissa and Joey :) During an impromptu game of duck-duck-goose, intended as a stall tactic while we waited to rotate stations, Melissa tripped while chasing Joey. Pastor Mel came to the rescue and bandaged up her scrapes. Ironically, Joey tripped minutes later, also while playing duck-duck-goose. He was too manly to rock out the bandaids, and especially to admit his injury came from a kindergarten game (so I'm taking the opportunity to admit it for him ;) Nothing more than minor cuts and scrapes and a good little story - no worries!
Spontaneous street ministry:
This afternoon we were scheduled to minister at a pre-school in the village. While we were singing and dancing with the children outside, adults started gathering to check it out (some danced and sang along!). Juan and Chris got into a conversation with a group of curious on-lookers, and they ended up getting into a conversation about Christianity. Juan patiently and boldly stood his ground and did his best to answer the difficult questions they fired at him. I was amazed at the way he did not give up. Several other students joined Juan and Chris, and Iesha summarized the gospel message for them (they all made me SOOOOOO proud).
When they still weren't convinced, I spoke without thinking, and said, "Would you like to see a drama that will explain what we're trying to say?" Oh dear, what did I just get our team into? We were supposed to be doing a children's program, and I just offered to do a drama that we didn't know very well, which would require half of our team!!!! All for an audience of 4 people!!!!
We spoke with Vickie, who without hesitation made big adjustments to the children's program to free up the rest of the team to minister. We set up the speakers in the street, and got into position (feeling alittle ridiculous, but somehow knowing we were doing the right thing). As we performed the drama to the song Everything (by Lifehouse), our audience continued to grow as curious neighbors gather along the outskirts. At the conclusion of the song, D.Lo Jr. (totally put on the spot), gave a dynamite, anointed explanation of the drama and the gospel message (yet another proud moment!!!). At least half a dozen of the onlookers came to us for prayer and accepted Jesus as their Savior! If that's not powerful enough, it gets better! Several of them said to us, "You need to perform it one more time, right now, because my friend needs to see it, and we don't want to wait for church on Sunday." OH MY GOODNESS! ARE YOU SERIOUS?????!!!!!!
It's only the first day of ministry, and I think God is proving that he has a LOT in store for us! There is so much more to come! Please keep the team in prayer, because the greater the impact you make for God, the more opposition you face from the enemy (though we know that we are MORE than conquerers in Christ).
Love and gratitude,
*Pastor Courtney
P.S. The team had the opportunity to shower in the water falls last night - such an experience and so refreshing! I want one in my backyard ;)
P.S. All of our team members are in great health and are doing well. They are having a blast and making us soooooo proud! I'm sure you're proud of them as well.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
"The Road to Ocho Rios"
We arrived safely in Kingston, eager to get through the ever-nerve-wracking customs and see our dear friends, the Wiles family and Minott! First we had to figure out which of our bags did not make it on the plane - we saw at least one of our team bags held back from the flight... or so we thought! Much to our delight, all of our bags arrived at the airport, and we made it through customs without a single hitch!
We ran into a little bit of trouble when the car rental company, from whom we reserved 3 vans for the week, informed us that they made a mistake and didn't have any vans available! However, the salesperson came up with a solution before we ever had time to panic :)
To kick off the trip with something truly Jamaican, we dined on beef and chicken patties from Tastee's (spicy minced meat and vegetables in a pocket of fried dough). From there we began our journey to Ocho Rios with a caravan of 3 vans following the Wiles vehicle. The roads are narrow and winding, with sharp dropoffs to the right, and drivers who were entirely too comfortable passing each other with a split second to spare. The scenery was lush and tropical - there was something adventurous about the whole thing (we couldn't help seeing who could do the best Tarzan impression and having Lion King sing-alongs :).
At one point in time, we had to pull over because some of the girls were feeling very car sick.... And then we had to pull over again when we blew a tire on the rental van! Thank goodness the spare was a real tire and not a donut :) Peter jumped in and changed the tire while the team lifted the luggage filled vehicle. In no time, it was fixed, and we were back on the road. It seemed as though the jungle went pitch black within minutes after changing the tire, so we were so happy it happened when it did and not any later in the trip! The jungle is pretty creepy in the dark!
We arrived back at the Teen Challenge a few hours later than we expected (close to 8 p.m. instead of 4 p.m.) and spent much of the night unpacking and organizing. Breakfast is served tomorrow at 6:15 a.m., and there is much to do in the village. Already, it's after 2 a.m. here, and I have to be up in 2 1/2 hours! I will check back in tomorrow evening!
Love and gratitude,
*Pastor Courtney and the Jamaica family
P.S. Keep the comments coming! We'll be reading them during family time in the evening! Thank you for all your support and encouragement - it will help to keep us going :)
We ran into a little bit of trouble when the car rental company, from whom we reserved 3 vans for the week, informed us that they made a mistake and didn't have any vans available! However, the salesperson came up with a solution before we ever had time to panic :)
To kick off the trip with something truly Jamaican, we dined on beef and chicken patties from Tastee's (spicy minced meat and vegetables in a pocket of fried dough). From there we began our journey to Ocho Rios with a caravan of 3 vans following the Wiles vehicle. The roads are narrow and winding, with sharp dropoffs to the right, and drivers who were entirely too comfortable passing each other with a split second to spare. The scenery was lush and tropical - there was something adventurous about the whole thing (we couldn't help seeing who could do the best Tarzan impression and having Lion King sing-alongs :).
At one point in time, we had to pull over because some of the girls were feeling very car sick.... And then we had to pull over again when we blew a tire on the rental van! Thank goodness the spare was a real tire and not a donut :) Peter jumped in and changed the tire while the team lifted the luggage filled vehicle. In no time, it was fixed, and we were back on the road. It seemed as though the jungle went pitch black within minutes after changing the tire, so we were so happy it happened when it did and not any later in the trip! The jungle is pretty creepy in the dark!
We arrived back at the Teen Challenge a few hours later than we expected (close to 8 p.m. instead of 4 p.m.) and spent much of the night unpacking and organizing. Breakfast is served tomorrow at 6:15 a.m., and there is much to do in the village. Already, it's after 2 a.m. here, and I have to be up in 2 1/2 hours! I will check back in tomorrow evening!
Love and gratitude,
*Pastor Courtney and the Jamaica family
P.S. Keep the comments coming! We'll be reading them during family time in the evening! Thank you for all your support and encouragement - it will help to keep us going :)
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