Recently, my wife Esther and I went to Jamaica for ministry. We were graciously hosted and generously taken care of by Jamaica Chinese Christian Church. It was such a great experience and it's hard to fully explain what went on. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so I'll use 13 pictures (really 41 since they're collages) to explain our Jamaican ministry trip. That's about 42,000 words!
1. Palm Sunday Service
It is our second year in a row working with Jamaica Chinese Christian Church to minister to the people here. They have no pastor in their midst but yet their church is standing strong.
Furthermore, their warmth and hospitality continues to blow us away.
Remember this church in your prayers.
2. Uncle Eli
I (Tony) was privileged to serve communion at Mr. Eli Ho's house today. He is the 96 year-old man in the picture. He can no longer hear very well nor pay attention for a long time. Traveling is difficult so he can no longer go to church either. So we brought church to him instead, complete with music (by Esther), the Word, and communion. Oh but he has quite an amazing story.
50 or more years ago, he and some others started a movement that would eventually turn into a 2000 people megachurch in Kingston, Jamaica (Swallowfield Chapel) along with a few other sister churches (including our host church).
For many years, he would meet after church on Sunday with like-minded Christians to pray. Then they would travel 40-50 miles (which would take a few hours) to the rural areas of Jamaica. They had a quartet that would sing, and He would share the Gospel with people in the country side. And they still have to drive a few hours back and get ready for work the next day. They did this faithfully even though they were just normal, business people.
At home, he would also pour into the lives of the young people, training them to be strong Christians. In fact, the people in the picture serve as proof. One of the people in the picture is now an elder of the same megachurch. Another is a leader of the church who hosted us. The other (his daughter) is serving faithfully at church as well. They all have amazing stories.
We feel so privileged to have the honor of serving communion to someone with such a legacy.
Before we left, we held his hand firmly and told him how honored we are to be there with him. He looked at us, smiled at us, mustered up all his strength, and said in a soft voice, "Thank you very much." Then he said in an almost inaudible voice, "It was very kind of you to come." At this, we almost cried.
His family gave us permission to share the photo and his story with the whole world. We hope that more people can hear this story and that more Christians may be infected by his mission-mindedness.
3. Getting to the Camp
Halfway to our destination, this car our friend got 4 months ago got a flat tire. No one got hurt. Last year for the same event, the car we rode in (with a different driver and different car) also got a flat tire and spun to the opposite lane, hitting another car. So this was no big deal in comparison.
That's when we knew we were going to have a great time of ministry with the people there.
4. Easter Egg Hunt
We participated in a little Easter Egg Hunt with the children on Good Friday. They had such a fun time running around this big field trying to find all the goodies.
5. Theme - Freedom in Christ
The theme for the camp was Galatians 5:1, "Freedom in Christ." So for this first session, I (Tony) preached from Galatians 5:1. We as Christians are free, so we should not live in bondage.
To really illustrate what it feels like to be in bondage to something, I got people to tie up this kid with rope.
6. Giving out Candy
We bought some candy from the U.S. and gave them out to the children. It was hugely popular. After we did so, the children got really close to us almost immediately. Food is really a great resource in ministry.
7. Worship
It started out slow at first, but the teenagers and young adults eventually started to worship God more fully as the days progressed.
We told them how important it was to worship God with the body. Tony even started teaching actions that they could follow.
See, in the beginning it felt like many people weren't really engaging with God, if they even sang at all! But God has a way of leading young ones to Himself. This time, God used Esther to achieve that.
8. Rock Climbing and Zip lining
At the camp, there was the place where you could do rock climbing. At the top, you can zipline across. It was fun.
Esther and I climbed up together. Every once in a while, I (Tony) would look to check if she was okay. While we were climbing up one of the teenagers said, "That's my relationship goal."
We were glad to be an example.
9. Birthday and Bonfire
The last night of the camp was precious. We had a birthday celebration for a few people. Since my (Tony's) birthday was close, some kid decided to smudge some icing on my face. I guess I should feel honored?
At the bonfire, we got to bond even more. During this time, someone asked me, "Why is there sin in our body?" I spent a while answering the question. More than that, I later got to hear more about the struggles and life of this one particular teenage girl.
I won't share the details here, but let's just say that my heart broke as I listened to her story. Also, God met her that night in a powerful and personal way.
10. Children Dancing
The children danced to many worship songs. Miss Merlene, Miss Beth, and their team taught them the actions. It was a joy to watch the children have so much fun.
The people on this team (apart from the two leaders) were here on a 3-month short term missions. It was encouraging to see these girls (ages 18-22) willing to serve in Jamaica this way. May God raise up more laborers just like them.
11. Sessions Overview
This was the last session of the camp. In total, we had 9 sessions, 4 of which were sermons while the rest were a mix of Bible studies, small group discussions, and panel Q&A.
Many people said that they got to really dig deeper into the Word. One person said that my (Tony's) sermons made her want to study the Bible more. There are few sweeter words for a preacher to hear!
We were also consciously and actively seeking to train up local leaders to take our place when we are gone (you know who you are). This is discipleship, and it's one of the most important things a missions worker must do.
12. Singing in their Heart Language
It is always better to sing in the heart language of the people you are trying to minister to.
In this case, it was Cantonese and Mandarin. So Esther learnt how to sing "Because He Lives" in these two languages and surprised the congregation.
One lady said, "When you sing, I feel peaceful. It's more than just singing. I feel like you are ministering."
What a great way to minister!
13. Group Picture
These are the people who went to the camp. The majority of the people are members and attendees of Jamaica Chinese Christian Church. But there are actually many who don't go to the church.
Their exposure to God is limited to this one time of year where they come to this camp. Therefore, we were glad that we get to be there to reach out to them.
Nevertheless, what a beautiful group of people and what a beautiful church. We will be praying for them consistently. Will you join us in doing so?
