Refreshing Relationships

(In memory of my beard and the cool fall temperatures. And because we don't have any from the retreat, here is an old photo of your favorite Buff Bay couple!)

Kirsten and I attended a couples' retreat this weekend. It is normally our first thought to think of couples' retreats as including couple competitions, crafts, and awkward stares in order to keep polite company while discussing intimate matters. However, we were relieved that "couples' Survivor" was not on the agenda for the retreat.

The weekend with five other couples was relaxing and encouraging. There was not much planned in terms of activities, so we were able to hang out, talk, and enjoy good fellowship. We were encouraged because we were able to meet others in the same phase of life and spiritual mindset. Buff Bay and the other circuit churches have few young couples so we were thankful to interact with people who are both passionate for Christ and also passionate about their marriage. Kirsten and I were challenged in areas of our relationship in which we need to grow. As we do we hope that we will be driven deeper into Christ and closer together.

Pray for us as we try to love Christ and each other well. Also, pray that our marriage may be an example to others. Lastly, please pray with us for godly marriages and relationships in Jamaica. As it appears to us, the biblical picture of marriage is lacking in the church in Jamaica (indeed, around the world). We hope that this core group of young believers may be a spark for the Church in Jamaica and its married people.

Post Script:
In other news, today marks the 47th anniversary of C.S. Lewis' death (along with JFK and Aldous Huxley). There are few days that go by that I don't quote Lewis or reflect on his writings. God has used Lewis to shape large portions of my theology. I praise God for his goodness in giving the Church such a mind and man as Lewis.

Actions speak louder

“Collision Records in partnership with The Red Revolution, His Voice Global and Rapzilla is releasing the gripping single, “Actions Speak Louder,” featuring Swoope (Collision Record’s artist), LeCrae, Tedashii (Reach Record’s artists) and Jai. The song calls people to respond to the war-torn country of South Sudan, specifically the orphaned. Ending in 2005, the civil war, which lasted over 20 years, left about 2,000,000 dead and many children without parents. We are calling everyone to Speak Loud on 11/16/10 for these orphans by downloading the single. 100% of the proceeds will be sent to His Voice Global to build their fourth self-sustained orphanage. Our goal is 250,000 downloads, which would raise the funds needed for the orphanage. With over 10,000,000 downloads a day on iTunes, 250,000 is a drop in the bucket. Be a part of the movement, spread the word, get on iTunes 11/16/10 and let your actions speak as loud as your words.”

HT: Ray Ortland

Then there were two

It was quite a treat to work alongside the team from Massachusetts this past week. They had their work cut out for them this past week, but they didn't flinch! The weather was cold (smirk if you want, but for Jamaica it was COLD) and wet. From the day of their arrival to the morning they left, the rains hovered over Buff Bay. This is significant because most people walk to church and will typically not come out, especially for extra church services. However, God in His goodness held off the rain each night from 5:00-11:00, which gave people enough hope to make it out to the nightly meetings hosted in three of the six circuit churches.

The team also had an incredibly ambitious schedule each day. They began at 6:30 AM and went straight through until 10:30-11 PM each day. They hosted Bible studies in two communities, vacation Bible school, which on the last day had over 80 children, and various street meetings in different communities each day. The team flat-out worked! Each team does get a rest day during which they do some of the tourist things around the island, but the weather was so bad that we had to skip going to the beach.

I think this is exactly how the team wanted it, or at least that is how they made it seem. They knew that they had a week to do ministry and wanted to make the most of it, and they certainly did. The Bible studies were a great way to encourage the faithful saints in the churches because they are fed spiritual food with extra emphasis. The children were taught substantial lessons at VBS, which we believe is a seed planted for the Sovereign Gardener to water. The street-side meetings and evangelistic conversations were helpful and encouraging, and many were given tracts and the opportunity to ask questions about the faith. Finally, through the nightly meetings, a handful of people heard the call of God on their lives and made professions of faith in Jesus as their Savior and Lord! Please pray for the group of men and women who professed faith in Christ. Pray that they would be encouraged and continue to desire to grow in their faith. Also pray that the work of the team would yield a great harvest in and around Buff Bay!

As for Kirsten and myself, we had a great time connecting with old friends and making new ones! We shared many refreshing and encouraging conversations with the team members; we also had free dinner for a week at the GLOBE! However, we are now back to our normal schedule and routine. With that, I have a Bible study to study for...talk to you next week!

Side By Side

There are parts of our ministry that are consistent every week. For example, we teach Bible studies, music lessons, tutor, etc. every week. However, a big part of our ministry only happens occasionally throughout the year. This is our partnership ministry. The Buff Bay circuit of churches has many long-standing relationships with American churches that come to do short term trips. Although some of these trips are service oriented (i.e. building projects, medical ministries), most of the teams that come do evangelistic and outreach ministries. The teams host nightly church meetings with music, testimonies, and preaching. They also run a vacation Bible school in one of the 6 churches in addition to going to various schools in the mornings to lead devotions. This is one of those weeks.

This team arrived Saturday evening and is made up of people from 6 states (Mass., Conn., Vermont, NJ, PA, and FL). The core group is from Sovereign Grace Chapel in Southbridge, Mass., which is one of our partner churches. Kirsten and I enjoy when teams come because it is like a little bit of home-cookin' for a week. It is especially great when people come that we already know, like many people on this trip. Many of the people this week have been following the blog, praying for us, and supporting us financially. It is a tremendous blessing for us to work side-by-side with them in Gospel-ministry in a more tangible way.

Two quick stories about God's goodness manifested through the team thus far. On Saturday evening, Kirsten and I were at the GLOBE (the compound where teams stay) welcoming the them. We were talking with a couple who lives in Florida but is originally from NJ. It turns out that they have close friends in Ocean City. These friends of theirs are also friends of ours. In fact, these friends were the people who gave me my first job at Callahan's Cafe (now Arlene's Cafe on Asbury Ave.). Secondly, there is a family that came a mother and her two adult daughters who are all hair dressers. Kirsten has been really wanting a cut but has not gotten one because many of the hair dressers in town don't know what to do with her head of blonde, thin, curly locks! These women actually brought down their scissors and randomly asked Kirsten if she would be blessed by them giving her a trim! "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change," James tells us.

Join us in prayer for the team as they minister throughout the week. Here are some things you can pray for:
1) Strength for the week's busy schedule
2) The gospel of Jesus Christ will go forth unhindered by disruptions and works of Satan
3) Many will attend the gatherings each night (it has been cool and rainy for about a week now, which impacts those who will come out)
4) Members of the Buff Bay circuit will be encouraged by the ministry and also see that they too can minister to others
5) Young people will come to know the Lord (through VBS and nightly meetings)
6) The team will be blessed by serving the Lord and His will in Jamaica.

Tomas Update

Tropical Storm Tomas barely swiped us last night leaving us a little soggy, but with no damage at all. We were very prepared, but did not see the fury of the storm for which we are very thankful. In fact, we did not even lose any power or water!

Continue to pray for our neighbors in Cuba, Haiti, and the Turks and Caicos Islands who are still dealing with Tomas. Thanks for your prayers and we will talk to you soon!

A Holy Dip

Baptism is a major aspect of the Jamaican culture and Christianity. Our first Sunday in Jamaica last December was a baptism Sunday. There were about 7 candidates, and it was a great blessing to be present for that service. What we would learn over the next several months is that many people here have a distorted view of baptism (as I am sure many Americans do as well). Of the differing views, two are most prevalent: 1) baptism is the means of salvation, 2) baptism is the seal to your salvation (without it, you aren't official). Biblical baptism is neither of these, but it is a symbol of our faith. The symbol means that we have died with Christ (go into the water), we have been buried with Christ (in the water), and are now raised with Christ to new life (coming up from the water). Through this symbol one makes a public showing and declaration of his or her intent to be identified with Jesus Christ.

As a result of these misconceptions, Pastor Allen and the circuit churches hold membership/baptism classes for those who have made professions of faith and desire to follow Jesus. The goal is to teach the class the basics of Christianity while dispelling misconceptions and guiding them toward a Biblical perspective. Over the past 10 months, I have had the great pleasure of helping to teach with Pastor Allen this group of eager young believers on Monday nights. The class is a group of active, hungry, and devoted students. Monday night class should end around 9, but we often stay until 10 because the students keep asking questions and simply want more!

This group of 10 was baptized this past Sunday. As each candidate went forward to give his or her testimony before the church, it was clear that God had done a real work in every one of their hearts. As such, it was their intention to be identified with Jesus, their Savior and Lord, in this very public setting. After each was baptized, the church congregation erupted in choruses and celebration. The church was excited WITH the baptism candidates and celebrated with them in a great display of sincere welcome to the fellowship of the saints!

Kirsten and I love watching baptisms. Hearing personal testimonies of lives changed by Jesus, sincere desires to follow Jesus, and passion to be identified with Him (as to say, I am dead to self and sin but made alive to Christ and true life) bring great joy to our hearts because it reminds us of our own conversions! Please pray that these 10 young believers will continue to grow into greater maturity and faith! You can view pictures of the baptism here.

The Dark Side of the Moon

There is a dramatic scene from Ron Howard's Apollo 13 in which the stranded crew is coming out from behind the moon. The crew spent days traveling around the moon carried by the gravitational pull in order to bring them back on track to make their approach to Earth after their engines had been destroyed. Consequently, they had to turn off their instruments in order to preserve battery life. Well, Kirsten and I are approaching the far side of the moon today (or at least we think we are) and will most likely be without high-tech communication for some time.

Tonight we are expected to be hit by the western flank of Tropical Storm/Hurricane Tomas. We have already had a good amount of rain, but we expect much more to come! According to the trajectory plans, it will be a swipe more than a direct hit on us. However, we are expecting to lose power and water for at least a day, depending on the amount of rain and the speed of the winds. We have learned from Nicole, which passed through a couple weeks ago, and have stored lots of water, stocked the shelves, and are gearing up for a "cozy?" few days inside.
Please pray for the people, the leaders, and the land of Jamaica as we brace for the storm. Also be in prayer for Haiti as it is in direct line of disaster! We believe that we serve a sovereign God who works all things for good for those that love Him and are called according to His purposes (Romans 8:28). We may not understand how hurricanes can serve any good, but God does. Indeed, He has a much better perspective than we do.

We will see you on the opposite side of the moon! However, for your viewing and reading pleasure we will be robo-posting tomorrow pictures with a run-down of last Sunday's baptism.

Apparently NOT.

We are sorry to report that our driving did not make the grade. We have to give it a second go in two weeks because we did not demonstrate our skills on the parallel parking course. Kirsten was spot on, but in Jamaica, closeness to the curb is not a positive thing, so she got the FAIL stamp. Me, on the other hand, "killed it" (a good thing) on the first attempt but swung out too wide in the back on the second park in the opposite direction. That "too wide" qualified me for the "you can't have a license" column.

Count it all joy when you face various trials... Oh boy, not easy when you have been driving for a long time and your pride has been damaged! The good news is that we can still drive for a bit longer, which is a tremendous blessing.

Nov. 18th here we come! Thanks for the prayers; we will keep you posted!

We can drive, I promise!

Please pray for Kirsten and myself as we are taking our driving tests today. Our US license has been enough for right now, but soon they will no longer be recognized. Reading the driving book has brought back the old high school fear of not passing the test! Keep us in prayer that the tests will go well and we will be fully legit for the Jamaican roadways. Also pray for the weather for two reasons: 1) if it is raining they will not administer the exam 2) Hurricane Tomas is on a direct path to the northeastern shores of Jamaica..."Hello, Buff Bay!".

We will keep you posted on the tests, weather, and other news soon!