Island Hopping

My first work trip took me to Jamaica from 9/11-14 for the fall FORO meeting. Jamaica is a field that is gaining momentum, so the participants were mostly local staff and OIM representatives. I had an eye toward scouting out the potential impact that short-term teams could make on moving the ministry forward, which it turns out is significant. I already have plans to go back and work with a team at the end of March and may spend as many as five additional weeks there in 2019 with subsequent teams. Maybe by then my brain will have figured out that Jamaica's official language is (thickly accented, in some cases) English! The ambiance is that of any Latin American country I've been in, with a keenly felt British influence in the street names and the fact that they drive on the left side of the road! I'll let the pictures do the rest of the talking.

L to R: Rev. Dr. Art Just (OIM); Rev. Peter Kirby (LHM...and a fellow member of my home congregation!); Rev. Charles St-Onge (OIM); Rev. Ted Krey (OIM); Rev. Obot Ite (missionary pastor in Jamaica); Ancella Gregory (LHM); me; Claudius Dell (lay evangelist in Jamaica). 

The headquarters of Lutheran Ministries in Jamaica (LMJ), a union of worshiping communities with a 23-year history. LMJ took possession of this building, a former factory, in October 2017.  

A new worship space for St. Andrew Lutheran Church is one of five planned uses for the building. The others are housing for short-term teams/FORO participants/visiting missionaries; Pastor Ite's office; housing for a future 2nd pastor, and the Lutheran Hour Ministries office. Short-term teams will help renovate the space to suit the needs of each. The current worship space (above), for example, would be transformed into an apartment for a future 2nd pastor. 

Can you picture this room as the new worship space? A raised platform for the altar would be to Claudius and Pastor St-Onge's right. 

If the Lord leads you to serve in Jamaica anytime soon, you might sleep here. 

Or here. 

Standing lunch on Wednesday in the pouring rain. The table we were all seated around was too close to the edge of the gazebo's overhang. Full disclosure: jerk chicken is much spicier than anticipated!

Thursday morning consisted of a critical walk-through of the LMJ building; I took copious notes. We were joined by Blake Widmer, an Apostolic missionary serving at the Caribbean Christian Center for the Deaf (CCCD) and self-taught construction guru. Blake is the staff adviser for Deaf Can Coffee, a CCCD student-run operation. We stopped by campus after lunch for a tour and afternoon pick-me-up. Connections with other ministries operating in our same circles are never a bad thing. 

The campus coffee shop serves as a training center for student baristas. 

Faith Lutheran Church in downtown Kingston. 

The only mission site we didn't see is a preaching station in Bios Content, about 60 km. west of Kingston. 

Last stop before dinner: the Parade Gardens Community Center. A preschool operates out of the building during the day, but the sky's the limit before and after school and during breaks. Pastor Ite leads a monthly men's Bible study, and short-term teams could hold Vacation Bible Schools or other types of evangelistic events. 

Features include a raised stage (above), a kitchenette, and a paved outdoor space. 

We capped off our time in Kingston with Devon House ice cream, 4th best in the world according to National Geographic. Don't worry, St. Louis readers: Ted Drewes ranks 2nd.

Until next time, blessings!