Jamaica Mission Day 4

Today we returned to our three ministry sites – Blossom Garden Childcare, Westhaven home for the developmentally disabled, and the Jamaican Christian School for the Deaf. The BG crew did some painting and then interacted with the children. The other team went to Westhaven first where we had an amazing time playing music and dancing, doing crafts, and serving snacks to the residents. You likely cannot comprehend the joy and stimulation this brings them! After our farewells we left and went to JCSD where we continued working around the campus and on the construction of their life skills center.

One incredible highlight to share … There is a wheelchair-bound girl named Kerri Ann at Westhaven who just exudes Jesus! Mission Discovery knows her well from their years of visits. She told us she wanted a Bible, and yesterday Hannah told her she would give her her Bible! Today she delivered it and you should have seen the smile on her face. She has also been asking to be baptized for quite some time. Unfortunately her church would not baptize her because of their insistence that it must be by immersion, which is impossible for this young lady. Jen and Scott approached the director and asked if we might be able to baptize her today, and he agreed! We asked her if she wanted to be baptized today, and she lit up. When we gave her the news that she could, she had no words and simply covered her mouth and cried tears of joy. Nathan from MD drove up, and we all gathered under the shade of a tree where she professed her love for Jesus, and Jen, Nathan, and I had the tremendous joy of pouring a bottle of water over her head to baptize her. It was one of the most sacred things I have ever witnessed or been a part of! I will post the video when we have a stronger internet connection. Another group has arrived at our lodging, and they all have cell phones (Quite interestingly, our students have commented on how much they are missing out on by having their phones!) and it went from turtle to sloth.