In July, Roxanne, along with a team of two volunteers, traveled to Jamaica to serve the children of St. Mary’s community and surrounding areas. Unfortunately, there are no doctors or access to medical care within this community. There are a very limited number of job opportunities (if any at all) in the community and as result; only the very poor families who are unable to fund secondary and/or tertiary level education end up staying. Some of the children we work with walk 2-3 miles each day to attend VBS, where the snack and lunch they receive may be their only meal for that day. As you can imagine, there’s endless opportunities to be the hands and feet of Jesus to this community and surrounding areas!
The VBS ran Monday through Friday from 9am to 1pm, during which time we served approximately 85 children, ages 2 to 19. The children were exposed to the teachings of Christ through participating in worship, bible study, art, music, and games. We shared five characteristics about Jesus Christ through the various activities to create a deeper understanding of the Gospel in a very practical simplified way. This allowed young children to gather basic truths about who Jesus is and who He expects us to be. The material was presented in a way that is thought provoking to stimulate young minds, to engage deeper understanding of the Bible, and also facilitate those who want to continue studying the word of Jesus Christ.
The teachings included:
Day 1 – Facing your giant (1 Samuel 17: 12-50)
Day 2 – Unlocking your true potential (Judges 6: 1-16)
Day 3 – One more act of kindness (1 Kings 17: 7-16)
Day 4 – Expect the unexpected (John 6: 1-14)
Day 5 – What is your destination? (John 1: 43-51)
It was amazing to see how the message of Jesus and His love for each individual child brought the warmest smile to each little face.
Host It and They Will Come. Everyday, as we arrived at the church, a group of children were awaiting our arrival and the start of the day. The children were beyond eager to get checked in each morning and get started with worship. They were thrilled to identify various songs to sing and engage in worship.
True Identity Behind Labels. The children that we serve have been labeled as the ‘problem children’ of the community and surrounding areas. Most of these children serve as surrogate parents for their siblings and cousins. One little girl, no more than 10 years old, carried her sister on her back the entire way to, from, and around the camp, as her sister is unable to walk due to a disability. Others cared for babies. The leaders would often relieve the children of their baby duty, allowing them to participate in games and crafts. These children, who were parenting other children, were such a witness to our team of volunteers. At no time did these children seem overly burdened by their responsibility, but instead were generous and graced with kind and helpful spirits. This was a great reminder that no matter how ‘troubled’ the children may be perceived by others, they are searching and eager to find the hope comes with the Gospel of Jesus.
Until We Meet Again. At the end of the week, we gifted the children with school supplies in an effort to offset back-to-school costs for their families. We ended with a ‘Sunday Dinner’ type of meal on Friday as we reflected on the week and all the enjoyable times. It was so memorable to see the big smiles and gratitude in the eyes of the children as we exchanged hugs and best wishes.