Back to the Beginning

Our trip started a little over a week ago on June 7th, 2008. We arrived in Kingston, Jamaica and immediately met the first work team as we all piled into a van together for the short drive to the school campus.

After only a few minutes with them, we knew that this team was like no other team we had worked with before. In every way possible they did things differently than we had experienced in the past.

At first we thought we would be spending our week doing construction with the team, but it turned out that our help was needed in the office. Leaving the team to tear down and set up forms and then mix and pour concrete, we spent our days copying a myriad of exams for the teachers using a copier named Max, a stapler named Big Blue, and a tape dispenser named Arnold.

Our time in the office brought on a new acquaintance, Ms. Leanora, the secretary of the Kingston campus' office. We always look forward to our time with her because she keeps us laughing with claims that Betsy sounds like a turkey and that Rachel is a mischievous child and that we both need to learn to speak Jamaican. She has also helped encourage us with this blog, encouraged Betsy in her newly discovered talent for drawing, and taught us to always be happy when we eat so that we will be content with whatever food we have.

Working in the office the first week also brought numerous interactions with the teachers. The mornings always began with cheerful "Good mornings!" from everyone who stepped into the office. On one such morning, when we asked Mrs. Williams how she was, her response was, "I am blessed." And as she left she told us to "have a blessed day." At the door, though, she paused and turned around saying, "The day is already blessed - have it."

Every Wednesday there is evening chapel for the students. We advised the team to have a story or something prepared as a lesson for chapel, so we also decided that we would prepare a new song to sign. We chose "He Reigns" by the Newsboys and were very excited about hot it turned out and especially about how well it was received. The team also prepared a skit about the Good Samaritan (story found in Luke 10) and we were very impressed with how well they captivated and maintained the students' attention and also at how much of the story the students could remember and tell back when it was over.

On Thursday we took the team on an afternoon outing. Our first stop was Sun Island which is a Christian run T-shirt store that does a lot of business with the school and gives the teams and gives the teams a chance to buy some Jamaican souvenirs and know that their money is going to a good cause. The second stop was the Devon House which is a culturally permeated site with a museum, shops, beautiful gardens, and the best ice cream in the world. Well, at least the best ice cream in the Caribbean.

At the end of the week, as a way to say a special "Thank you" to the team, the kids put on a Friday night performance that involves saying Thank You individually, dance numbers, and signed songs. After dinner on Friday the team gave out ice cream and cake to the kids and there was one big party for everyone's last night together (but not for us!!)

The team left on Saturday and because there was no team coming in, we began a quiet weekend with just us and the kids. Sunday was probably the highlight of the week. We piled into a bus with all the kids and went to Havenhill Baptist. When we arrived we were cheerfully greeted by many church members who knew sign language and were led to a section of pews reserved especially for the deaf visitors. Even though we were the only two white people in the church, we felt overwhelmingly welcomed into this church body and never once felt awkward and out of place. And when we raised our voices and hands together with the Jamaicans and sang Days of Elijah it was evident that this was one body of believers singing praises to our God.

Immediately after the church service we were brought to a Sunday School room where the church members provided sandwiches and juice for EVERYONE before beginning a Deaf Sunday School class. After discussing what had been learned from the sermon, we piled back into the bus and were driven home.

we now begin a new week of work in the office while the students take their exams. And thus, as the new blog has officially begun, we will keep you posted on all our adventures to come.

The day is blessed - have it.

~Betsy and Rachel~