Jamaica trip journal entries !from July 20- August 5th

Blogged on July 30,2012 while serving in Jamaica.. It was a long day , Hence its Monday ;) So into Blossom Gardens to serve the Aunties and Love on these precious children with God's love. It was enlightening to have the lack of energy knowing that all that came out of me would either be my flesh fleeing to lay down on a bench or God showing up in a mighty way and holding me up.So forward on  I went to the baby room for the first 3 hours and just held sang and fed them.One little girl was getting her hair done all pretty and a brand new outfit was picked out for her along with a new pair of sandals. They got her all dressed and she left escorted away as one of the Aunties turned to release tears- there was a handful of children that left BG today with good promise to be adopted out which is so wonderful but at the same time so heart breaking for these Aunties who love these children and do such an amazing job at caring for their needs- these children are definitely loved by these women. After feeding time I was beginning to feel the lack of energy again and needed to eat to regain stamina. I ate and read from my Bible the Proverbs of the day. What really stood out to me was the verse from Prov.30:5 "Every word of God is pure : He is a shield unto them that put their trust in Him. 8: " Remove far from me vanity and lies; give me neither  poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me; lest I be full and deny thee, and say Who is the LORD ? or lest I be poor, and steal and take the name of my God in vain." I have had this burden and fear that leaving Jamaica and returning back to my normal life would soon erase what I have seen and experienced while here and I feared the shame and guilt that I would have to live with- I made this verse my prayer and was just asking God to help me to serve Him and please Him with my response to what I have obtained through this that it wouldn't be vain. I left the break room heavy and began talking with the Financial Advisor of BG and was asking him how he was doing. He responded by telling me that he was heavy spirited and I told him how I was feeling that a couple days ago. I listened to him as he poured out his heart and burden for providing for his family and the trying to understand why he chose to put his faith in God. He serves the Lord, He loves him and has brought up his children in the Lord and while he struggles to provide he sees the evil prosper in their ways and it really dissuades him and leaves him feeling heavy. After just reading this chapter from the Bible I realized that this was very relative to what we were talking about. As we were both sitting very tired after such a long day - God showed up and encouraged us both. He was asking me where we were staying and he lit up and said he knew where we were because he goes to the Verney House once a month for meetings with the Gidions Bible Association. He brings Bibles to Nursing Homes, Hospitals and the Homeless etc. I was telling him how we were kicking ourselves about not bringing Bibles after their being a number of requests for them at the Granville Girls Home (Prison) He was quick to say that he will bring them Bibles - what an awesome encouragement to him to be reminded how he is making a difference and for us because we had been praying that God would provide Bibles for these girls wanting Bibles.Thank You Jesus! Please pray that as the girls receive these Bibles that they will grow and desire after God and His will for them and that His word would not return void- Oh how He loves them <3 nbsp="" p="">


Day 4- July 24th,2012
I am not much of a blogger so much of what I wanted to share with you in this entry is directly from my Journal – I hope that it reaches you in some way as God has through just walking where He would lead me. It was a lovely Wednesday morning seeing Debbie arise and smile with no more migraine – Thank you Jesus!! And thank you Saints for praying! We were presented with a lovely breakfast including scrambled eggs, a collard green like substance and mango slices fresh from the tree outside and a cup of Jamaican Java and shortly after set sail for Café Blue and I got an iced Jamaican coffee brew and some hula hoops at the drug store next store for the kids at the Blossom gardens for 350 Jamaican dollars :O we got stamps, water and all the items to get through the week. Our first stop would be at the Melody House where we finished up making some aprons and t-shirt rugs and had a sweet day of victory with sewing machines working when they all decided not to work the previous day,  I was working with a young girl who really wanted to quit along with me with all of yesterdays frustrations – but we both managed to get through the project with restored sewing machines and had a victory in the completions of two aprons which she made for a friend and even stitched her initials into it- so sweet and thoughtful of her- The Melody House is having a fish fry for a fundraiser on Friday so you can be in prayer for  God to accomplish all that concerns the facility and move people to take action to support financially and prayerfully and however else the Lord would impress their hearts. We ate lunch in the vehicle on our way to the Grandville Girls “Home” around 1.With a lovely 45 minute drive and satisfied bellies I was feeling pretty confident in presenting the girls with a smile as well as Jesus love . As we drove up to the gate there was a security guard that authorized our entry in the court yard where we parked and were then enclosed by a maybe 12 ft. fence lined with bobbed wire. The girls were on the other side of the fence that looked more like a prison to me than any facility I have ever seen- they were ruff housing it and hitting and pushing and laughing, quite a mixed amount of emotion all at once. There were around 60 girls there ranging from the age of 10-17. We were all responsible to bring out what we had brought in . I brought a Uno game and a bag of color crayons for coloring- and before you know it the girls had all the crayons out and we were sitting at the picnic table playing uno and coloring. I was greeting and getting to know names and was sure to keep a smile on my face as to bring cheer and a merry countenance to the girls- I held that smile on my face and was sure to keep it there at all times. Then I began to notice things, such as dark sad eyes and scars over every piece of flesh I saw – I began to recognize in the midst of the clay covered ground marked with rubble was  where the feet of these hurting children would spend the next season of their life however long that would be I have no idea- but it was a dagger to think that these girls had never experienced a sense of love and acceptance. It was really hard to take in and I immediately grew sad with  hidden tears that the little 10 year old girl that called me Momma was around the age of my eldest daughter and  I imagined my Hannah behind these bars. This little girl wanted me to walk with her and play with her. We sat and played a round of jenga and then she just wanted me to watch her and tell her what a great job she was doing- I kept praising her and high fiving her and just watched her as she announced “ this is is fun” This is soo much fun Momma” I know that this is what a lot of the girls must call the Nannies or workers but I couldn’t help but respond in my heart “ I am willing,  I will be your Momma” I loved this little girl and I took her under my wing. I will never forget her and will pray for her as she were my own daughter for safety favor and Jesus to be in her and show her great and marvelous things and show her the plans that He has to prosper her and give her a future and hope. This was so hard especially walking away feeling helpless and at the same time accountable. There is no way that I can just turn away and do nothing . I have this awareness and responsibility for these girls. I know that the burden isn’t for me to carry because I also know that the love that I feel fades away in comparison to the love that the Father has for these girls.  I will just end this with this verse James 2: 14- 17 “ If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; which doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works , is dead, being alone.