We promised pictures so here are some that are from the first two months in Buff Bay. There will be more to come... Enjoy!
Jon and Kirsten
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
The Mover and Shaker
Truthfully, I am often among the first to question the power of prayer. I pray because in praying we align our hearts with God's, but in all honesty sometimes it is easy to explain away the power of prayer. However, as we continue to do ministry here, Kirsten and I are learning that prayer is of first importance. Prayer is not asking God for stuff like we would ask a genie in a lamp, but it is communion with our God. He welcomes His children to come in confidence to the throne of grace (Heb. 4:16), He bids us to ask (John 16:24), because He desires to give good things to His children (Matt 7:9-11). Most importantly, prayer is coming before God in dependence on His grace and seeking to align our hearts with His because we are the creature while He is the Creator. As we have grown in our understanding of prayer, God has faithfully shown us the power and joy of coming before Him!
Prayer may seem like "hocus pocus" or foolishness to some who may read this blog. But consider recent events... We posted a couple weeks ago news about our work permits (click here for post). We noted that we were denied the fee waiver for our permit. We were to pay the fee by this Thursday in order to receive our working permit/visa officially. We had said that the we had one last ditch effort, which was to appeal to the local MP and see if he could talk to the minister of Labor about a discretionary waiver. Jamaica's economy, like much of the world, is struggling. So they are certainly looking for every available source of income, American visitors seeking visas not excluded. In short, the exemption was a long shot with a small window of time. This being the case, we prayed. We prayed that not our will but God's will would be done. More specifically, we prayed that if the exemption was granted that it would be for His Glory and would serve as a reminder to us of His call on our lives to minister in Jamaica and His promise to equip those whom He sends.
As the month-long waiting period was quickly expiring and no word had been received, we were getting ready to wire $2400 (USD) to the Jamaican government. Monday afternoon, we got the letter that our fees have been waived!!! The MP was able to get the Minister of Labor to provide a discretionary waiver. Skeptics may say this is a nice coincidence, but God is a God who gives good gifts to His children. Kirsten and I have experienced the power of prayer in amazing ways. We have prayed over the last year that God would go before us and prepare the way; He has done nothing short of that and much more!
Soli Deo Gloria!
Prayer may seem like "hocus pocus" or foolishness to some who may read this blog. But consider recent events... We posted a couple weeks ago news about our work permits (click here for post). We noted that we were denied the fee waiver for our permit. We were to pay the fee by this Thursday in order to receive our working permit/visa officially. We had said that the we had one last ditch effort, which was to appeal to the local MP and see if he could talk to the minister of Labor about a discretionary waiver. Jamaica's economy, like much of the world, is struggling. So they are certainly looking for every available source of income, American visitors seeking visas not excluded. In short, the exemption was a long shot with a small window of time. This being the case, we prayed. We prayed that not our will but God's will would be done. More specifically, we prayed that if the exemption was granted that it would be for His Glory and would serve as a reminder to us of His call on our lives to minister in Jamaica and His promise to equip those whom He sends.
As the month-long waiting period was quickly expiring and no word had been received, we were getting ready to wire $2400 (USD) to the Jamaican government. Monday afternoon, we got the letter that our fees have been waived!!! The MP was able to get the Minister of Labor to provide a discretionary waiver. Skeptics may say this is a nice coincidence, but God is a God who gives good gifts to His children. Kirsten and I have experienced the power of prayer in amazing ways. We have prayed over the last year that God would go before us and prepare the way; He has done nothing short of that and much more!
Soli Deo Gloria!
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Some kindling for the fire!
We apologize for the delay in posts. Buff Bay has been very busy for the last couple of weeks. As we reported last post, our friends from North Shore Baptist Church in Queens, NY are here. They have been a tremendous blessing to us and a great source of encouragement. Not only did they bring items from home for us, but it has been great to see friends and to interact without cultural obstacles.
Over the last week and a half, Kirsten and I have been helping the team with VBS, children's choir, outreach, and medical/dental clinics! (We were not only assistants in these clinics, but I was even able to extract someone's tooth! Pictures will be forthcoming!) Not only has the team been keeping us busy, but the circuit churches are also in a very busy season. Last Sunday afternoon, the church celebrated the home-going of a sister in faith. Kirsten was a part of the service playing the piano for much of the music. There is another funeral service scheduled for this Sunday afternoon for a brother of the church. Please pray for the church as they mourn and remember the life of their brother in Christ.
In addition to memorial services, team activities, and our normal duties, we were involved in Buff Bay Independent Baptist Church's (BBIBC) hosting of a conference of the Fellowship of Independent Baptist Churches in Jamaica. This fellowship consists of about 10 churches from a large region of the island. It was a day full of hearing the Word preached, worshiping in song and fellowship, and getting to know others in the faith around the island. We are very thankful for the welcome we have received from our new "home" church and those affiliated with BBIBC.
Please continue to pray for us as we continue to figure out how to minister practically and tangibly to those God has prepared for us. Please pray that we will continue to grow in grace as we realize the enormity of this task. We thank you all your encouragement and prayer. God has been proven Himself faithful through His provisions by which you all have been His vessels to complete the work. Kirsten and I were blown away by a gift from Ocean City Baptist Church - a brand-spankin' new Amazon Kindle!!! Kirsten and I had just received our library cards the day before the team came. We were excited about our library cards, but were wondering how often we would be able to use the library's resources because most of their collection has considerable mold damage, which sends Kirsten's sinuses into a deadly tailspin. So, when we were handed our new Kindle that downloads books to be read digitally we were floored! If you know Kirsten you will know that one of her favorite things is to read, and she can now do so without any sinus complications!!!
(Kirsten in reading bliss!)
Over the last week and a half, Kirsten and I have been helping the team with VBS, children's choir, outreach, and medical/dental clinics! (We were not only assistants in these clinics, but I was even able to extract someone's tooth! Pictures will be forthcoming!) Not only has the team been keeping us busy, but the circuit churches are also in a very busy season. Last Sunday afternoon, the church celebrated the home-going of a sister in faith. Kirsten was a part of the service playing the piano for much of the music. There is another funeral service scheduled for this Sunday afternoon for a brother of the church. Please pray for the church as they mourn and remember the life of their brother in Christ.
In addition to memorial services, team activities, and our normal duties, we were involved in Buff Bay Independent Baptist Church's (BBIBC) hosting of a conference of the Fellowship of Independent Baptist Churches in Jamaica. This fellowship consists of about 10 churches from a large region of the island. It was a day full of hearing the Word preached, worshiping in song and fellowship, and getting to know others in the faith around the island. We are very thankful for the welcome we have received from our new "home" church and those affiliated with BBIBC.
Please continue to pray for us as we continue to figure out how to minister practically and tangibly to those God has prepared for us. Please pray that we will continue to grow in grace as we realize the enormity of this task. We thank you all your encouragement and prayer. God has been proven Himself faithful through His provisions by which you all have been His vessels to complete the work. Kirsten and I were blown away by a gift from Ocean City Baptist Church - a brand-spankin' new Amazon Kindle!!! Kirsten and I had just received our library cards the day before the team came. We were excited about our library cards, but were wondering how often we would be able to use the library's resources because most of their collection has considerable mold damage, which sends Kirsten's sinuses into a deadly tailspin. So, when we were handed our new Kindle that downloads books to be read digitally we were floored! If you know Kirsten you will know that one of her favorite things is to read, and she can now do so without any sinus complications!!!
(Kirsten in reading bliss!)
There is a lot more to tell, which we will post whenever possible. We love you all and thank God for you all!
Grace and peace to you!
Monday, February 8, 2010
When the Saints Go Marching In
As Kirsten and I approach living in Buff Bay for two full months, it is funny the things we miss that remind us of home: 1) the smell of trash trucks instead of the smell of burning plastic in a field across the street, 2) boneless chicken in a pre-packaged container, 3) dark chocolate, and 4) football (American football, that is)!!!
For weeks, we have been trying to think about how we could watch the Superbowl without skipping church. We are used to going to church on Superbowl Sunday to rush out and catch the game on our pastor's Tivo! However, without a TV or Tivo we seemed to be in a bit of a bind. We had actually been praying about how great it would be to watch the Superbowl (silly right...) While at prayer meeting though on Wednesday night there was an announcement that almost made Kirsten and me jump out of our seats: there would be no church Sunday night due to a members meeting. Therefore, because we are not members...we are free to watch the game!!! I had been scrambling online to find out how in the world we can watch the game through the internet and ultimately went through the NFL Network to get a live stream of the game. Our computer screen isn't big, but we didn't care because we were going to finally get to watch some real football!
We found out Friday night that we were going to have company, though. As our good friends and partners in the work from North Shore Baptist Church arrived on Friday afternoon, they too were curious as to how the game was going to be viewed. We were glad to invite them, but qualified - there is a catch. 14 people would have to watch the game on a 12 inch screen! The group being Buff Bay veterans (some coming for over 20 years to serve in Buff Bay), they knew exactly who to ask for help. They enlisted Pastor Allen's son LeMarc to work on getting us a TV to be hooked up to the computer. LeMarc came through. The pictures below are some of the team members watching a great game on a 32 inch high definition flat screen!
It is amazing what a good game, real chocolate, and American advertising can do for a little homesickness! It is also great that God is present not only in church on Sundays but at all times. It is His grace that we celebrate, not the Superbowl, and it is His constant provision we rejoice in, not a Saints' win (although Kirsten was quite happy with their victory). Now we just have to figure out how to get used to the smell of melting plastic...
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Happy Groundhog's Day!
Well the news says that Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow and 6 more weeks of cold for you all back home. I don't think Phil speaks for us down here though... As the days pass by and months change, it is incredible to think that Kirsten and I have been here close to 2 months! Time surely does fly!
The past week was one a quick one because we were on the go, go, go! We were both very busy with various teaching responsibilities. Kirsten has been busy with somewhere around 20 piano students, a high school girls Bible study, a choir, and to round it all off a 5 year old music class! I have been teaching Bible studies and preaching quite a bit, and this week was no exception. I taught 5 different times this past week! So the settling in has come and gone! But we are thankful for all the opportunities that we have to serve in Buff Bay. Please continue to pray for us as we minister and prepare our lessons and studies. Please pray that God's mercy, wisdom, and glory is the fuel for the fire in all areas of our ministry. It is still early in the work, but we see good things beginning to happen. We continue to have people from church stop by our house, which is a great blessing and a great opportunity to get to know people better.
As for the work permit exemption, still no word from the member of Parliament. Hopefully we will hear soon. God's provision has been evident from the first stage of this adventure, so this is just another issue that we are trusting to His providence.
We are taking more pictures now that we are seen not as tourists but as part of the town. So, for those who are dying to see pictures they are coming; we promise!
Grace and peace,
Jon and Kirsten
The past week was one a quick one because we were on the go, go, go! We were both very busy with various teaching responsibilities. Kirsten has been busy with somewhere around 20 piano students, a high school girls Bible study, a choir, and to round it all off a 5 year old music class! I have been teaching Bible studies and preaching quite a bit, and this week was no exception. I taught 5 different times this past week! So the settling in has come and gone! But we are thankful for all the opportunities that we have to serve in Buff Bay. Please continue to pray for us as we minister and prepare our lessons and studies. Please pray that God's mercy, wisdom, and glory is the fuel for the fire in all areas of our ministry. It is still early in the work, but we see good things beginning to happen. We continue to have people from church stop by our house, which is a great blessing and a great opportunity to get to know people better.
As for the work permit exemption, still no word from the member of Parliament. Hopefully we will hear soon. God's provision has been evident from the first stage of this adventure, so this is just another issue that we are trusting to His providence.
We are taking more pictures now that we are seen not as tourists but as part of the town. So, for those who are dying to see pictures they are coming; we promise!
Grace and peace,
Jon and Kirsten
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Work Permit Update
Well we have good news and bad news...and some potential news...
I know most people like the bad news first and then the good, but I will do the good and then the bad for the sake of clarity and sequence of recent events.
The Good: We have officially been accepted to receive work permits! This is great news because this means that we will not have to exit and enter the country every six months to keep from becoming an illegal visitor.
The Bad: We have been denied the fee exemption for the work permit that we were hoping qualify for. The fee is rather significant and we were hoping to get out of paying, but it seems like that door is closing (quickly). We were denied because the churches that we are working with (and sponsoring us) are not listed as a non-profit entity but rather an LLC. Therefore when the government looks at the legal status of the churches they see a private, incorporated entity. All that to say it looks like we are employed by the local church here and not by a non-profit church and your generosity back home.
The Potential: As we have been denied the exemption from the governmental committee, we are hoping that the local member of Parliament (MP) may be able to come through for us. Hopefully the MP can put in a good word for us to the Minister of Labor! The probability of this working is slim, but we are praying that God will work even where there is little light of hope shinning! So please pray with us for this prospect, so that even in this we may rejoice and celebrate His provision and His wonder-working power!
"The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord;
he turns it wherever he will." Proverbs 21:1
I know most people like the bad news first and then the good, but I will do the good and then the bad for the sake of clarity and sequence of recent events.
The Good: We have officially been accepted to receive work permits! This is great news because this means that we will not have to exit and enter the country every six months to keep from becoming an illegal visitor.
The Bad: We have been denied the fee exemption for the work permit that we were hoping qualify for. The fee is rather significant and we were hoping to get out of paying, but it seems like that door is closing (quickly). We were denied because the churches that we are working with (and sponsoring us) are not listed as a non-profit entity but rather an LLC. Therefore when the government looks at the legal status of the churches they see a private, incorporated entity. All that to say it looks like we are employed by the local church here and not by a non-profit church and your generosity back home.
The Potential: As we have been denied the exemption from the governmental committee, we are hoping that the local member of Parliament (MP) may be able to come through for us. Hopefully the MP can put in a good word for us to the Minister of Labor! The probability of this working is slim, but we are praying that God will work even where there is little light of hope shinning! So please pray with us for this prospect, so that even in this we may rejoice and celebrate His provision and His wonder-working power!
"The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord;
he turns it wherever he will." Proverbs 21:1
Monday, January 25, 2010
Crystal Punch and Theology
Since we have been in Jamaica we have not lacked visitors at our door. Kirsten and I have counted this as both a tremendous blessing and an answer to prayer. We had hoped that people would feel comfortable being around us, and it is evident by our visitors that they do. So, as they come we serve them some cool "crystal punch" (also known as water) and get to know our new friends as they get to know us.
The conversations so far have been surface level types of conversations. However, this weekend conversations became heavier, deeper. We were able to talk with high school-aged twins (Jason and Jermaine) about how a good God and going to Hell is not a contradiction. Not only with the twins, but across the board it seems that conversations are becoming more significant, which is really exciting. We feel like our house is a comfortable place where people like to come and share what is going on or voice their opinions freely, or volunteer questions, which is a great blessing.
Continue to pray with us that our house is a place where people feel comfortable and want to open up. Also pray that we will point people to Jesus in our conversations and attitudes. Many Jamaicans have grown up in the church, just as in the States, but still have questions (who doesn't?!). We obviously do not know all the answers, but please pray with us that we are able to guide people wisely, again, while pointing them to Jesus. In Him is the fullness of truth, beauty, and goodness!
The conversations so far have been surface level types of conversations. However, this weekend conversations became heavier, deeper. We were able to talk with high school-aged twins (Jason and Jermaine) about how a good God and going to Hell is not a contradiction. Not only with the twins, but across the board it seems that conversations are becoming more significant, which is really exciting. We feel like our house is a comfortable place where people like to come and share what is going on or voice their opinions freely, or volunteer questions, which is a great blessing.
Continue to pray with us that our house is a place where people feel comfortable and want to open up. Also pray that we will point people to Jesus in our conversations and attitudes. Many Jamaicans have grown up in the church, just as in the States, but still have questions (who doesn't?!). We obviously do not know all the answers, but please pray with us that we are able to guide people wisely, again, while pointing them to Jesus. In Him is the fullness of truth, beauty, and goodness!
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