Jamaican Wednesday

Wednesday morning
Bugs. I awoke today to the joy of little bugs. They look like tiny ants, but when you go to squish them, they take off running. They know you are a predator and they start to flit around like water skeeters that know the bass are in the neighborhood.

I also awoke to an interesting phenomenon. One of the emails that I read yesterday was from a member who asked me to call them about a problem. Well I cannot call, but I told them by email that I would be praying for them and that I would call as soon as I got back to the states. Anyway, the interesting phenomenon, and I am sure it has happened to you, is that when I woke up this morning, they were on my mind. I was praying for them in my sleep. Wow. The human body is such a miracle. Our brains work at night and the spirit is at work when my conscious mind is at rest. Amazing.

Today I helped in tooth extraction, cavity filling, and painted a few doors. I also spent a good part of the day visiting with the pastor of the Falmouth Methodist Church. Her name is Verona Irons. She has been a minister for six years. She has four churches on her circuit, with the Falmouth church being the largest. She has a joy on her face as she talks about her congregation and her call to ministry. Some things are the same in every culture. Good pastors love their people. She is very proud of the ministry of their church to the community through the clinic that we are working at this week. Many teams come during the year and people come from all over to receive medical and dental care. In addition to the work of the teams in sharing God’s love, there are always several people there from the church that help to care for and connect with the people that come to the clinic.

One of the things that stood out the most in our visit was the problem that they are having in Jamaica with suicide. The rates among young people and police officers are very high. Almost every week there is a funeral in one of the churches for someone who has taken their life. She attributes this to the bleak economic conditions for the young people and the stress placed on the police. With the economy of the states in decline, many of the hotels here have been laying people off. Some have even closed. People that come here on cruise ships don’t spend very much money either. So there is much economic hardship and much despair. As in all cultures, there is a need to teach people that life is good. That no matter what the circumstances, there is always hope. Life is good, life is worth living.

I am going to take a break from Jamaica for a couple of days to deal with the end of the world.  More on the mission trip next week.
It is a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.