Thankful to the Lord

This is a note I received from the Anderson's......

Thank you to everyone of you that prayed and gave for a vehicle for us. Last week the Lord provided a VW van for us for the exact amount we had. Praise the Lord. It is a 1998, is in excellent condition, and holds eight people. We wanted to share this news with all of you who have been so faithfully praying for this need. The Lord has used you to be a blessing to our family and the ministry here in Romania.

Thank you,
The Anderson Family

Home again, Home again.....

Thank you so much for all your prayers!! We have made it back home again safely, and we are praising the Lord for his goodness!! 25 Jamaicans trusted Christ as Savior, this group of teens impressed me, challenged me, comforted me, served alongside me....and I am forever thanking the Lord for them as well as the rest of our team. We built kitchen counters, handrails, covered open windows, provided protection/insulation from the heat, gave out shoes, food, basketballs and baby dolls! God is so good!

In His loving kindness towards us, He uses even the tired, the weary, those without training or experience, those without eloquence or intellect, He used us as we are.....willing. Thank you Lord for allowing us to serve You. It was and is our privilege and honor to LOVE, in your name.

You are all invited to our update service NEXT Sunday night (Dec 5th) at 6pm at Gospel Baptist Church. We will be sharing testimonies and praising the Lord together for His goodness.

More Group Comments

This afternoon Beebop sat on a crate outside his house and began to sing praises to the Lord. I was so blessed to watch Tammy (our missionary partner) sit beside Beebop and begin to harmonize with him. She sat there for quite some time enjoying worshipping their Lord together. Matthew 25! -LT

This morning the teenagers and some of the adults went to the beach area in Jamaica. It was a time to relax a bit before returning to Canterbury for the next round of VBS. After the beach, we came back to Miss Dolly’s for a time of shopping. Next, we ate lunch and got ready for Canterbury. In Canterbury we gave out some basketballs, shoes and other donated items. The people appreciated our generosity of sharing with them. Plus, more children got saved today along with one adult! Once we got back, we all enjoyed a delicious supper prepared by the hospitable cooks. Tomorrow, will be spent at the waterfall, and will include lunch at a restaurant, along with more fun! Plus, we will return to the orphanage to give out some dolls at some point on Thursday too. This trip has been a great experience for me, and I look forward to going on a future mission’s trip to Jamaica in the future. God truly has worked in the lives of the Missions Team as a whole. To God be the glory! -Ellen

Tuesday at VBS in Canterbury I led my first person to the Lord! And today I led another child in Canterbury to the Lord. I am sooo happy that God gave me the chance to do that. Makayla

WOW what an awesome God we have and what a blessing it has been to serve Him in Canterbury this week. One of the things that we had the pleasure of doing this week was to build a handrail on a porch for a young man named George. George is one of the guys that the team had established a relationship with in the past, and we praise the Lord we were able to build onto that relationship and hopefully help move George one step closer to an eternal home in heaven. Praise God! Ryan

While we were working on George’s house, a neighbor came up and asked if we could make a repair on his room, which was actually George’s “basement”. He had a window opening that was covered with wood from the inside in such it way that it allowed water to pour directly into his room each time it rained. We had a small piece of plywood we were using to repair George’s house that would easily complete the job. When we asked George if we could use the plywood, he immediately gave it up, even in his poverty, he was willing to give to someone else. Another example of how God is impacting lives, even through the unsaved we are trying to reach. md

Some Group Comments

This has been my first trip to Jamaica, and the people here have truly captured my heart. I have felt a love and desire to serve them and show them the love of Jesus growing within me. The children here have such a hunger for love and attention and I truly feel it is an honor for me to be able to spend time with them. God is so good and he is showing up and showing off every day! Please pray for Tiandra, Omeica, and Sanike (the girls I was working with in VBS today). I would love to see them come to a point of understanding and accept Christ as their savior before we head home.– Hope

I have heard the stories of team members who have been to Jamaica previously and how they have connected with a certain person. I have prayed that would be the case for me as well and God led me to a young boy named Tyreek. Despite the poverty and filth of the community he lives in he is kind, tender and giving. When we arrived today in Cantebury, Tyreek came running to me with the biggest smile you’ve ever seen and sparkling big brown eyes and handed me a piece of candy. A little boy who I’m sure goes to bed hungry a lot of nights wanted to show me love by sacrificing a piece of candy. Probably one of the most humbling experiences I’ve ever had. I am so thankful that I can tell Tyreek about the one who loves him and wants to give him a home in heaven for all eternity. – Lora




What a blessing to see how God has knitted this team’s hearts together! To watch our teens respond in love and eagerly serve the Lord is awesome! Each person has worked hard and served sacrificially. We praise the Lord for 18 professions so far! Six of those were adults. We are thankful for many connections that have been made and for being a part of the new church plant too. Pastor Cletis & Tammy have been so gracious to help us, haul us around and work with us. Too many things to list, but to God be the glory! Karen



What a blessing it has been to see the faces of those we have grown to love in Canterbury again this year! An even greater blessing has been to see Pastor Paul and Karen teach Bible stories to the kids and give them the simple plan of salvation while the adults stood by and listened. Another precious sight has been seeing the teens share Jesus with the children as they made crafts with them. I am praying for and expecting God to do a work in the hearts of these people here in our beloved Canterbury. I really can’t think of a better way to spend this Thanksgiving season. Thank you Lord for allowing me this great privilege! How marvelous are your works! Kellie




Well, I would have to say this has already been the most life changing experience of my life! Seeing all of the faces of the children of Canterbury being loved for probably the first time in their life for many, giving them bracelets and seeing their precious smiles was all a breathtaking event. Another thing was sharing amazing times with the team…we’ve laughed, cried, and shared our hearts with each other. It’s been amazing and I can’t wait to see what God will bring for the rest of the week –A.N.S




Wow it is only Tuesday and so many events have happened already! God works in mysterious ways…We met two young ladies today and they were extremely special, Reshika and Nikki! Reshika we met at the Bible College, and Nikki we met in Canterbury. We got to talk to Nikki about God while will painted her nails and help teach her how to make a bracelet. We immediately had a connection with her and asked Leah if we could take her a Bible tomorrow that we had written a special encouraging message inside. We both had the life-changing experience of leading someone to Christ today as well. We can’t wait to see what else God has in store for us this week.- Hannah2 (:



Really have enjoyed this Missions trip to Jamaica so far! Everyone got to visit a Children’s Home yesterday. All the children there were such a blessing because they were smiling. They are happy since they know that Jesus Christ loves them very much. The VBS days in Canterbury have gone well too. Today, I got to share the message of God’s love to some girls in Canterbury as I tied some cross necklaces they had made around their necks. Neither of these precious little ones has come to know Christ as their personal Savior yet. So, I gave these two girls a book called “The Greatest Story Ever Told.” Please pray for Jay and Tonisha to have their eyes opened to the truth of God’s Word, so they can be saved! This little boy walked up to me as we were leaving Canterbury today and asked me, “when is the cool magic man coming back?” He was talking out our pastor, Paul. He smiled this cute, wide open smile! This was cute that he liked the gospel magic so much. I told him that the “cool magic man” would be back tomorrow. Tomorrow is the last VBS day in Canterbury! Looking forward to giving out shoes to those who need them, sharing Christ with more people there in this rural area of Jamaica, and doing whatever else God has planned. -Ellen

Canturbury on Monday

Then shall the king say unto them on his right hand, come ye blessed of my father inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me meat, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you took me in, naked and you clothed me. I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer and say unto him. “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you or thirsty and give you drink. When did we see you a stranger and take you in, or naked and clothe you or when were you sick or in prison and we came unto you”. And the king shall answer and say unto them verily I say unto you in as much as you have done it unto the least of these my brethren you have done it unto me. Matthew 25:34-40



As we served in Canterbury after lunch today, we were so blessed. I am confident of this, that as the team polished toenails on those dirty little feet that trample through sewage every day, as one teen held a child who had an accident and smelled of urine, as the Gospel was shared in VBS, as some of the men worked diligently to do manual repairs, we served with our whole hearts…unreservedly….for our King. Who also, by the way, is the King of Canterbury.



We sang songs, we shared puppets and Gospel magic, and Gospel was clearly presented….When the invitation was given 9 people (5 adults and 4 children) asked the Lord Jesus to be their Savior! Unto Him be GLORY! Please know that our hearts are increasingly heavy for the people of Canterbury, broken really. Would you join us in earnest prayer? Please pray that the dogs and goats would be still and quiet, that it would not rain, that the adults would not be called away to other tasks and MOST OF ALL….that the Holy Spirit would convict of sin and the need for Jesus Christ as their Savior.

Robin’s Nest Orphanage on Monday…one man’s view

Your Jamaica Mission Team visited the Robin’s Nest orphanage on Monday. It was our first trip to an orphanage. We knew there were many repairs to be made and went with tools in our backpacks…ready to work/serve wherever we were needed. I envisioned a day of service work. You know, helping the missionaries who were in turn helping orphaned children. I should have known that God had other plans by the way He had been working in my heart before we ever arrived in Jamaica.





Before we began our work, we received a tour of the orphanage facilities. God broke my heart before the tour was ever finished. As we were completing our tour of the orphanage facilities, we stopped at an empty room. One could not help but think of the children who would be in the room later that day. The impact that being abandoned must have on these young lives brought tears to my eyes. I was at once thankful for being raised in a Christian home in the United States, yet immensely saddened at the plight of these children. I’m not sure where this burning concern for these children that God has placed in my heart will lead, but I plan to follow His leading regardless.





I’m grateful for this orphanage and the devoted missionaries who have uprooted their families, given up their “normal” way of life in the States and chosen instead to provide both Christian guidance and compassion to these needy Jamaican children. I’m grateful that we were privileged to work together as a team to install flood lights on two buildings and move sand rock for erosion control around another building. I’m grateful for the sweet ladies on our team who helped feed the children, wash/hang out laundry, change diapers and perform various other tasks as servants to our missionary friends. All of these are wonderful memories from the visit today, but I cannot get out of my mind the last haunting words the children cried out as we left: “Are you coming back tomorrow? Are you coming back tomorrow?”

Our God

Our God is greater, our God is stronger, our God is higher than any other……



The highlight of our trip so far, was our time in Canterbury this afternoon. The smell of smoke, the goat eating supper from the concrete dumpster that has overflown with trash, the sounds of the city in the background, the smiles on familiar faces and the moments together were all tender and sweet. One man beamed as he showed us pictures of his growing children, we hugged, we cried, we loved on the people that we pray for daily. Children had grown, but not much else had changed.




“It” was still there….all the pain, all the loneliness and all the searching for answers. Canterbury needs Christ. In the face of such pain and hopelessness, our team has taken solace in the Chris Tomlin’s song, Our God (quoted above) and we are approaching the throne of our Heavenly Father on the behalf of the precious souls in Canterbury. Jonah says 4:2 that our God is a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness. Please help us pray that God would be merciful to Canterbury! Our hearts are heavy for the people we have come to love as family.



As we were preparing our hearts for our time in Canterbury, we prayed that God would show Himself and HIS work….as we were leaving, several ladies said that “Charm” was looking for Kellie. When she found Kellie she was excited to tell her that she still had the gift Kellie had given her (Kellie had given her a Bible last year), and Charm went on to describe that she had read that Bible, given her life to Christ and was going to church regularly! If God is willing and able to save Ninevah……why not Canterbury?

“Wagwon”….What’s Going On

We were part of a sweet worship service this morning (Sunday) with our brothers and sisters at Baylife Baptist Church, a 9 week old church plant. The Lord’s name was honored as we sang “It Is Well With My Soul”. The team helped with junior church (35 children) and even performed a dance to encourage the kids to trust the Lord for their provisions and to thank Him!



We will do service projects in the morning (Monday) at the orphanage and will have Vacation Bible School in Canterbury in the afternoon. Many of the older people (teens and adults) have promised to come to VBS as well as the kids, so please pray that God will use us in a mighty way and that lives would be changed for eternity.

Available

We had a time of sharing last night, and the theme was from Proverbs...TRUST in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct yor paths.

Please continue to pray that the team would continue to listen to the Lord and be sensitive to the Holy Spirit's leading. We want to be available for HIM.

See previous post for yesterday's update.

Irie Mon!

In true Jamaican Creole, eveting irie mon (translation…everything is ok man)! We arrived safely in Montego Bay this afternoon at about 2pm. We had a relatively uneventful trip besides the late departure on our first flight that threw us late for our second flight…making us run though the airport and miss lunch as well as potty breaks. Once we made it onto the plane (thank you Lord!) we settled the potty issues, but the lack of sandwiches on the flight (they ran out of sandwiches on the row before us) made our second problem (no lunch and no breakfast for most) a much more important one. We were able to purchase some nuts, chips and otherwise junk food however, so as Matt so eloquently put it, “we’re dealin wid it”.



We are getting unpacked and set up at Auntie Dalley’s and will have an orientation shortly (with Missionary Pastor Titus and his Jamaican assistant Pastor Andrew Pryce).
Thank you for all your prayers and support. We will be sharing some testimonies in the morning, at Baylife Baptist church, as well as directing their Junior Church. We will post again as time permits.

As it turns out, I am posting this on Sunday morning...Sorry, We're on jamaican time :)

Send Off Service

On November 14th at 6pm, the 2010 Jamaica Short-Term Missions Team will be having a Send Off Service. We would love for you to join us for an evening of prayer as we share who we are as individuals and as a team, who we are ministering to and what God is already doing in our lives.

He is able to do exceedingly, abundantly, or than we can even ask or imagine.....Eph 3:20

Unto Him Be Glory....Eph 3:21

Vessels for the Father.....

The trip to Cantebury, Jamaica is quickly approaching! For months we have labored to raise funds and prepare for this trip and now that it is upon us I am feeling quite anxious and a little apprehensive. I have never been out of the country for one thing, never traveled without my husband and I am entering an environment so far removed from what I know and what is comfortable. The more I think of the lessons that God will teach me as I am serving I can't help but think that my fear in going is the very first lesson itself....Trust. I will lean on, rely on and trust in my Father for every step I take while there. I know that I will experience his faithfulness and presence which is what I pray for daily. I can't wait to see the faces of the children there. I want to share with them the greatest story ever told. I want to bring hope to the people there, just like someone brought it to me when they told me about Jesus. You don't have to live in a poverty stricken place to feel hopeless. The void that I had before I met the Lord when I was 25 was gaping, and very painful. I had no joy, peace or contentment. God's creation is incomplete without a relationship with Him no matter where they live. I hope that we can make this life a little more comfortable for those paths we cross through the service projects and I hope we can bring some fun and happiness to those children through VBS but I am praying most of all for God to use each of us as vessels that he can pour out his love and that we may point them to the King of kings! This adventure will forever be treasured in my heart!

Guest Post By Lora. Check out Lora's blog here.

7 Souls

There have been seven precious souls saved as a result of the work of Baylife Baptist Church in Montego Bay, Jamaica. Our short-term missions team is SO EXCITED to get to be a part of this brand new church. After only a month of services, Baylife is averaging 80 people, lead 3 people to rededicate their lives and 7 Jamaicans have accepted Christ as personal Savior!



Check out the missionaries Cletis and Tammy Titus and their work in Jamaica.

Yahweh Hears and Yahweh Has Heard.....

Azaniah is not your typical choice for Bible names among church families. But Chris and Faith Anderson (and their children-Levi, Chloe and Mihai) have been praying and waiting for this precious child for four years. So a name that means, "Yahweh Hears and Yahweh Has Heard" fits perfectly. Speaking of a perfect fit, check out the pics of little Azaniah on their website. Faith says, in their newsletter, God is good all the time. Read more about how Faith says waiting on God has brought them closer to the Lord by checking out their newsletter here.

Chris and Faith are still praying for a van that will accomodate their growing family as well as the many orphans and gypsy children with whom they minister daily. They only need about $2000 US dollars! Will you join them?

Shout to the Lord

SHOUT TO THE LORD, ALL THE EARTH LET US SING; POWER AND MAJESTY, PRAISE TO THE KING!! These are the words we heard resounding from our congregation of 91 at our launch service for Bay Life Baptist Church of Bogue Village, Montego Bay. Apart from the laughter of my grandchildren, it might possibly be the sweetest sound I have ever heard. After years of planning, months of canvassing, and hours of prayer, our new baby church was born. In our congregation of 91 were 13 children, 62 adults from our community, and 16 Americans from our team in North Carolina. We were both packed out in our little room and simultaneously overwhelmed with God's incredible goodness to us.....

Read the rest of this post, by Tammy Titus, at www.2tiredjamericans.blogspot.com

Praise the Lord

Thank you all for a wonderful golf tournament! We held our "First Annual Earl Miller Senior Memorial Golf Tournament" on Saturday, and we had a great time. Not only was there plenty of food and fun, but there was about $3,000 contributed towards the Jamaica 2010 Missions Trip. Praise the Lord!

We also had a great response to the Bruegger's Bagels (and some amazing food!)Fundraiser. Thank you all for your support.

We still need about $5,000 to have all our financial support.

Fundraisers.....

Thank you all for your interest in our fundraising efforts for the Jamaica 2010 (November 20-26th trip)! We have raised about $13,000 out of the needed $21,000. There are still several opportunities for you to be involved in our mission’s trip fundraisers if you would like to invest. We are trusting the Lord to supply exactly what we need!!

1. On Saturday, October 2nd Gospel Baptist Church will host our first annual Earl Miller Senior Memorial Golf Tournament. There is still time to register and play (it is a captain’s choice so even the non-golfers will have a blast). The $50 registration covers the golfing, a lunch and several door prizes! So, follow this link, and call the Director for a spot!

2. Eat at Bruegger’s Bagels THIS weekend (Oct 1st-3rd)! If you eat at Bruegger’s Bagels (they serve food very similar to Panera…not just bagels and scones) AND take in this sheet, our team will be given 15% as a donation from Bruegger’s Bagels.

3. Our church-wide Chili Cook-off on October 17th will provide yummy chili and some team competition as well. Come cast your vote for the best chili!

4. Donations are welcome! Please send all checks, made out to Gospel Baptist Church, to the church address at 5945 North Church Street, Greensboro, NC 27455.

Thank you for all the encouraging ways you have rallied behind this mission. We have received so many creative donations and useful products. The sweet faces of Jamaica people will tell of their gratitude….Only heaven will reveal the true value of your investment!!

Beauty and the Beast

Jamaica is a land of stark contrasts... The beauty of God's handiwork is everywhere. The beaches are beautiful, the foliage is lush, the colors are magnificent and the smiles of the Jamaican people are heartwarming. On the other hand, the effects of poverty are painful, starvation is almost unavoidable, the powerful grip of sin is evident on those who are enslaved and hopeless.



Our beloved Canterbury would not appeal to many if pictured on a postcard. Few dare to travel the bridge across the ravine which is the only way in or out of the community. Hundreds, if not thousands, of people live there....with little or no hope. Many of the inhabitants are enslaved to sin and have no concept of Christ or His sacrifice and the payment made on their behalf. Most of them live in fear....fear of death, abuse, hunger, violence.



Please pray for our family and friends in Canterbury. God says they are fearfully and wonderfully made. He says they are made in His image, He says they are one of His Children, He says that He is their friend and He loves them so much that He sent His only Son for them....He is not willilng that ANY should perish....even the forgotten ones of Canterbury.

A Little Faith

In 2008…A small team from Gospel Baptist Church stepped out by faith and followed God’s leading to Montego Bay, Jamaica. After God supplied $20,000 in 6 short weeks, He continued to work miracles as we travelled, arrived, ministered and served the sweet people of Jamaica. Eight precious souls received Christ as a result of this trip and vital relationships began. It was clear that this was God’s work and we wanted to continue to be a part of it.



In 2009…A team of 15, from GBC, returned to Montego Bay, Jamaica to serve and love the people of Canterbury. It was amazing to witness the miracles God orchestrated. Not only did the Lord provide much needed contacts, but He continued to weave our hearts together with the people of Canterbury. We had the privilege to lead 182 people to trust Jesus Christ as personal Savior! Our cups overflowed….to God be the Glory!



In November of 2010, a team of 19 will return again to Montego Bay, Jamaica. It is our intent to minister to the familiar faces of Canterbury as well as to the missionaries and pastors who serve the nationals there. Missionaries Cletis and Tammy Titus are our hosts this year, and we pray to be a blessing to them and their ministry as well. In addition to supporting their new church (Baylife Baptist), our team is planning a Vacation Bible School in Canterbury, sports ministries, orphanage ministry and various service projects (plumbing, painting and light construction).



Please pray for our team as we prepare and serve in Jamaica. It is our prayer to give this act of service to the Lord as worship to Him. We need guidance and wisdom as we work with the nationals, and we will need His protection both during travel and during our time of ministry there. We serve a good God. He is powerful, merciful and compassionate. His timing is best, and we are grateful to Him for His providence and provisions. We trust Him and Him alone.....

If you would like to be a part of this mission’s trip, please contact our Missions Director by leaving a comment on this blog.