May 11, 1991 11:55 AM Saturday
I
am now sitting in the Daniel Iverson center for Christian Learning. We are now supposed to be writing our
personal testimony. I really need to
talk to Jim before I try to put together my testimony. On May 8th I drove from St. Louis to Nashville
to have dinner at Grace Presbyterian Church where I have the privilege of
working this summer. On the 9th
Mr. & Mrs. Snider, Ben, Cheri, Andy, Stacey, Travis and myself left
Nashville and headed toward Covenant College on top of Lookout Mountain. Besides us picking up April & Shawna, I
got the joy of seeing William Hudson Brock.
We then drove to PEF headquarters in Atlanta.
Our plane trip to Miami left at 9:00 PM
& included a brief stop in Jacksonville. We arrived in Miami around 11:35 PM & were picked up
& taken to the house where I am presently.
If I were to step out of the front door I would be able to see the
Orange Bowl which is two blocks away. I
am the leader of my friends Ben, Travis, & Andy. We are staying at an apartment that is about
ten minutes away. As we go from here to
the apartment we pass the building which is the headquarters of “Miami Vice.” We ate at Cuban restaurants last night &
this morning. We spent a few hours at Miami Beach yesterday and
are planning on going to Key Biscayne later today. As we prepare for our Jamaican trip, my
desire & prayers to serve God in all that I do are becoming reality instead
of dreams.
May
15, 1991 2:52 PM Wednesday
As
I write today I have a ton of things to get caught up on. On May 11th, the last time I had
an opportunity to write, I did something that has been difficult for me to do
in the past. We went door to door in an
apartment complex in one of the rough neighborhoods of Miami and handed out the “Wonderful Words of
Life.” After my initial hesitation I
found myself enjoying it more & more each second. I was even feeling comfortable as we began to
go to the second door. I met a man from Honduras there
& had a short but interesting conversation.
Later that night we went to Key Biscayne & enjoyed a nice run on the
beach. We ate dinner in Coconut Grove
along with about five thousand other people.
On Sunday May 12th, we went to a park where many homeless
people live. I was chosen to give my
testimony in between singing & Greg’s preaching. God, please bless those people & soften
their hearts. Lord, I also need you to
continue to fill me with joy as I attempt to serve you above everything &
others next. We went to church at one of
Mr. Snider’s former churches. After
lunch we watched “First Fruits” a movie about the beginning of the Moravian
missionary movement. Sunday evening we
had a service at the center. I met
Eddie, who is from Nicaragua,
& was blessed to spend close to an hour chatting with him. I also, finally, had a fun talk with Leonora
who lives at the center & is also from Nicaragua. She had a beautiful girl of five years whose
name was Javiara. I am now more excited
than ever for reaching & serving people FROM or IN Latin America. Bill Iverson returned from Jamaica on
Sunday & I asked him if there would be a chance to chat. He asked me to help him make breakfast on
Monday morning. As he & I made
breakfast, I shared my testimony & the reasons why I do not want to continue
in the normal method of learning. I
expressed to him my desire to learn one on one in a situation where I will be
able to use what I learn on a day to day basis.
My prayers of Sunday night were answered as Bill gave me an invitation
to come to Miami
& study. There are sections of Miami that are literally
mini-versions of countries. In fact, the
apartment we stayed at was in the middle of Little Havana. The plane trip from Miami
to Montego Bay took about an hour & twenty
minutes. Cuba looks very boring from the
air. A bus took as from Montego Bay to Runaway Bay where we stayed the night at
Sunflower Villas. Ken Snider arrived
& took us to Ocho Rios to eat dinner at Shakey’s. Cheri & I had a sharing & fellowship
time Oceanside
with lightning in the distance and the waves crashing against the rocks by our
feet. As I headed towards my villa, I
saw one of the security guards & I was going to go talk with him until I
saw another one. After brushing my
teeth, I went back out to share the Good News.
Out of a conversation between me & Clive, there were soon six other
guys who were hearing what Jesus means to us.
I say us because eventually Andy & Ben joined in. About an hour after the initial contact, I
went to get the girls. Fifteen minutes
later I got Travis. Travis & I woke
up Ken to get some tracts & he looked delighted to see us. All told, I spent around three hours with my
new friends. On Tuesday we went to Dunn River
Falls & had a great
time in the water. Ben & I left the
tour guide & the chain of people & went straight up the most difficult
gorges we could find. Even the guide
said we were crazy to climb up the spots that we chose. Of course we were barefooted. We had fifteen minutes to spend at the market
in Ocho Rios but it took me over thirty minutes to do all that I had to
do. We stuffed all our things into Ken’s
vehicle & began our trip to Bethany Manse.
The countryside is similar to El Salvador but has its own very
unique characteristics. A lot of the
people call us whities. The view from
Bethany Manse is simply awesome. When we
left to go to the houses we are staying at we left Andy or forgot him because
he had ants in his pants. Hasta luego. Yeh
Man. Irie.
May
17th, 1991 8:08 AM Friday
On
Wednesday May 15th, Mr. Hyman drove Andy & me from his house to
Bethany Manse. We worked on crafts in
the morning & finally had some free time to relax & let everything we
have done & experienced soak in.
That night we had a service at Devon Missionary
Church. Andy gave his testimony(which is not really
about him.) I was filled with joy at
hearing praises from the Jamaicans .
Yesterday was filled with plenty of exercise. We walked from the Hyman’s to Bethany
Manse. Made wristbands in the morning
followed by planning Bible studies for next week. We then took a long walk to Devon
school to invite the children to the service at 6:30 PM. Ben & Shawnea tried to play cricket but
instead got a lot of laughs out of the children & myself. We handed out the “Wonderful Words of Life” there
& on the way back to Bethany Manse.
We then ate lunch which included Red Snapper. After lunch, we went to visit Bethany school &
teacher Smith rounded up the children for an assembly. The kids sang some songs, one being the
Jamaican National Anthem. All of us but
Andy sat overlooking the valley & sang songs. We decided to sing “Open Our Eyes Lord” at
the service. Ben, Shawnea & I wrote
two more verses. Many children from Devon school came to the service. Dancy & I walked back to Bethany Manse.
May
20th, 1991 7:47 AM Monday
On
Friday, we went to visit the New Vision Children’s Home. Before we helped them make leather name tags,
I gave my testimony in story form.
During our short stay there, God rekindled my desire to someday be a
house parent. Brother Benson invited me
to come down & spend some time working with him. There are doors being opened to me now like I
have never experienced before. This has
happened because I have finally given up all my wants in order to do whatever
God’s will for me is. The service at Devon on Friday night was very good. The youth choir from Bethany sang five songs & sounded
beautiful. On Saturday, we went to Discovery Bay
with about forty of the youth from Ken’s three churches Bethany, Mile Gully, & Top Hill. It was a wonderful day with scattered clouds,
a cool breeze, refreshing clear water, white sandy beaches & young people
filled with joy & enthusiasm. I swam
for about an hour & played keep away for about three. Sunday’s church service lasted almost four hours. We quickly ate lunch & had a youth
meeting & service that lasted until 9:00 PM. Mr. Benson brought a movie & some of the
children from the home. Everything is
irie. Yeh man.
May
20th, 1991 8:58 PM Monday
The
walk up to Bethany Manse this morning was much cooler than yesterday. We gave a devotion at Bethany school before breakfast & will do
the same tomorrow & Wednesday. It
rained off & on all day long. At
times it rained so hard I thought we might wash away. After breakfast, we bagged up beans, flour,
& rice for the poor people of this area.
We had eight one hundred pound bags that Ken got on a trip to Kingston last week. We returned to the school after lunch to lead
a Bible study & make crafts. It was
quite an experience to keep a few hundred kids calm. The service tonight was very small but quite
effective. Pastor Gary from Assembly of
God in Christiana was the preacher & gave a well needed sermon on giving
all to Jesus & trusting Him even when it does not look like He is
working. I had a chance to talk to a
couple of girls who say they are working at becoming Christians. I asked them to come to tomorrow’s service
& told them to arrive early so we could talk. They want to sit with me. Lord, please give me the right words &
fill me with a spirit like that of Jesus.
May
21st, 1991 8:48 PM Tuesday
Tonight
my joy & happiness has momentarily been turned into sadness because of my
apparent unsuccessful attempt at being able to share with Shawna &
Donna. They arrived late, so the pew I
was sitting in was already full. They
still showed some interest after the service but Shawna’s grandmother had to
leave only three minutes into my conversation with them. I need to focus more on God & His plan
instead of my own. I get so excited when
things happen but fail to keep my spirits high when events move slower than I
would like. God, please grant me peace
& happiness no matter what the circumstances. This morning, Andy & I walked up to the
school during a light rain. We played
cricket for a few minutes before we continued on to the Manse. It has rained for two days straight with
several downpours. Paul, Cheri &
Travis went down to the school to work on crafts. I had time before dinner to work on some
crafts for Ricky & Tena from the New Vision Children’s Home. On Sunday, I had my picture taken with
Tena. I hope & pray that I get a
chance to visit the Home again. May God
bless our last week here in Jamaica.
May
23rd, 1991 8:00 AM Thursday
Praise
God! Yesterday was one of the most exciting
days of the trip. The rain continued
until sunrise. This caused teacher Smith
to cancel school due to low attendance.
Andy, Dancy, Shawnea, Stacy, & I went to Greenville to pass out food & tell about
the good news of Jesus Christ. I talked
to Ricky even though he had told Dancy that he did not want to see anyone. I chatted with him for at least forty-five
minutes. He can not read so I told him I
would try to send him the Bible on cassette.
I enjoyed the walk back as I took pictures of flowers & the kids
playing in the mud. The service last
night was the best yet, as many of my prayers were answered. I had a nice conversation with Elsa before
the service. Then to my surprise, she
told me brother Benson had just arrived.
I hurried outside & have hugs to all my little friends. I was especially happy to see Tena so I could
give her a bracelet I had made for her.
I also showed her the name tag which is almost finished. We sat together & enjoyed watching God’s
Holy Spirit work in many lives. Of the
many people who came forward to pray were Shawna & Donna. May I never again judge how the Spirit will
move. Prayer does change lives. (Jillian, Kevon, Omar, Chris, Ricardo)
May
24th, 1991 7:47 AM Friday
Yesterday
was a glorious day here in Jamaica. Scattered clouds and a cool breeze made being
outside very enjoyable. After breakfast,
Cheri, Shawnea, Travis, & I took food & New Testaments to some children
who are interested in joining the church.
I had the pleasure of meeting with Kerian. On the way back to Bethany Manse, some girls
who go to the Church
of God asked me to take
their picture. I obliged & then told
them about myself & the love God has for them. They told me they would try to make tonight’s
service. In the afternoon, we attended a
funeral which was very uplifting. The
service last night was very powerful.
The Bethany Youth Choir sang some songs & I again gave my testimony. I read some verses from the book of Isaiah
& the two preachers who followed me made mention of the same passages. I seem to be feeling more comfortable with
the people & have told many of them what a glorious day it will be when we
are all together in heaven. Ricky was at
the service & I pray that God will touch his heart. I finally got a picture wit Jillian &
Violet.
May
25th, 1991 8:08 AM Saturday
The
days here in Jamaica
get better & better each & every day.
Katherine, Millie, Shawnea, Stacey, & I went to Christiana,
Mandeville, & Mile Gully. The market
was packed & included the meat section with every part imaginable in plain
view. It was a very long day as we
returned to Bethany Manse at 3:30 PM.
Laverne fixed us our lunch & I ate until I could eat no more. I went over to the church early to spend time
with my many new friends. My ability to
be accepted by so many people is due to the Holy Spirit living & acting in
my body the same way Jesus would. I took
a walk before the service with some of the youth choir. We strolled down the road to the Shoppe
running into Gary
on the way. After returning to the
Manse, I had a long chat with Gary
& I hope & pray that he will hear God’s voice speak to him. I again sat with the choir during the
service. The girls I had met on Thursday
did make it to the service & I had a very emotional conversation with one
of them. I am to visit her & her
family after breakfast. May God continue
to use such an unworthy soul as I to proclaim His Holy Word!
May
26th, 1991 Sunday
It
is now Sunday which means we have only three more days here at Bethany
Manse. Time does fly when you are having
fun. My visit with Narda Palmer &
her family was very interesting. I went
with her to the Church
of God to meet her
father. On the way back, I had an
opportunity to share with Eugent who is an older man with a drinking problem. May the Lord open his heart to the love &
peace that Jesus has to offer. Saturday
afternoon was spent with the Bethany & Top Hill youth. We started the day with a Love Feast. Other events included crafts, Bible study,
& recreation which were led by Andy, Shawnea, & me. I was more of the photographer early than I
was game leader. There were about
eighty-five children who participated.
Life here in Jamaica
seems relatively simple but in fact is very complicated in the family. Out of all the youth here yesterday, Ken told
me that only one family all attend church.
May God work in the lives of the youth to show their families the need
of being in the much larger & more important family of God. As I write, I look out the dining room
window, across the valley I see another church on top of a hill. May God use these churches to spread the
saving grace of Jesus to the people.
May
27th, 1991 9:26 AM Monday
We
have just returned from leading a devotional at Bethany school. Yesterday was a long & productive
day. Stacey, Travis, & I were the
teachers for ages eight thru twelve. At
the morning service, I read the Scripture reading which was 1 Corinthians 13. After the service, many of the members came
forward to rededicate themselves to Jesus Christ. For lunch we went to Elaine Shields’ house in
Mile Gully. There were at least fifty
people with plenty of food to spare.
Tonight we are to eat dinner at
Rocky Shields’ house in Mandeville. We
returned to the Manse around 6:00 PM.
This gave me some time to spend with the children. At the service last night, the movie “A Cry
from the Mountain” was shown. It
stressed the importance of having Jesus Christ in your life in order to have a
successful family. Several people came
forward to admit to God how much they need Him in control. In fact, I had the joy of talking to Ricky’s
wife Beryil. She apologized to me for
not speaking to me the day I met Ricky.
We prayed together & God sent me His peace for my part in
proclaiming His Word. God, please
continue to grant me the peace & joy I receive from You by following Your
will & not my own selfish motives.
May
28th, 1991 10:30 AM Tuesday
Devotions
at Bethany
school were very emotional this morning.
Tears came to my eyes as I said farewell to all the children. Lord, keep those who believe strong &
those who don’t, send Your Spirit to enter into each & every one of
them. Yesterday, we cleared some rocks
off the road which had fallen down the hill.
Andy, Ben, Travis, & I played baseball before lunch with lots of
blood shed on my part. We returned to
the school to finish the leather wrist bands after lunch. It was quite an experience to stain a few
hundred bands. I asked Jello to sing a
duet with me. We practiced for a few
minutes & will sing “Father I Adore You” in both English & Spanish at
tonight’s service. We had dinner at
Rocky Shield’s house. He has one of the
most beautiful homes I have ever seen.
On the way there & back, Shawnea sat on one knee & Cheri on the
other. Sadness & happiness are intertwined
in my whole being. My sadness includes
this being our last day here in the mountains of Jamaica. An even deeper sorrow is for those who still
do not believe that Jesus Christ died for their sins so they might have eternal
life. My joy is from God who has blessed
me with an inner peace that is as calm as this majestic countryside.
May
29th, 1991 7:57 AM Wednesday
Mr.
Hyman just drove Andy & me up to Bethany Manse. Yesterday was our last full day here in the
mountains. After lunch, a few of us
walked to the crossroads to catch a taxi.
We went to visit the Children’s Home & I had the opportunity to play
soccer with the children as well as talk to Brother Benson. Several of the children rode with us back to
the Manse. I am really going to miss all
of my many new friends. The service last
night was filled with many great songs.
Even some of the Jamaicans have caught on to my style of dancing. I wish we would have kept going all night
long. My tears were all shed at school
in the morning which enabled me to be happy on our last night. Shelly, who goes to Bethany school, accepted Christ last
night. May God continue to work in the
lives of those we have had contact with.
I pray that His Spirit will fill those who believe with a desire to tell
others about the “Wonderful Words of Life.”
My lack of sustained sadness might be due to the fact that I will return
very soon to Jamaica. May God prepare me for what lies ahead &
continue to reveal to me His will. I
have deep feelings for the people of this Island
& know that God will use the experiences I have had here to further the
expansion of His glorious Kingdom.
Tuesday
July 16th, 1991 7:17 AM
It
has been quite a long time since I last wrote.
I have been working at Grace Presbyterian church for a month & a
half. Besides going to Peg’s wedding
last weekend, I had an opportunity to spend time with both Peg & Paul a
couple of weeks before their wedding. I
am presently sitting at a picnic table in Henry Horton
State Park. We are here with nine girls & eight
boys. In the past, I have been unhappy
about where I am because of my longing to be a missionary overseas. I have been trying very hard to be joyful
wherever I may be. Instead of feeling
depressed about not being where I would like to be, I have been trying to make
the most of the time that I have for learning more about God & His plan for
my life. I have been spending a large
portion of my money to acquire books that are helping me to become a better
servant of God. I am hopeful that by the
end of August I will have an extensive library with a wide variety of topics
& issues. I have followed up on the
opportunity to work at the New Vision Children’s Home in Jamaica. I really hope to return to Jamaica but I have faith that
whatever is God’s will for me, I will accept it & do my best to glorify His
name.
Wednesday
July 17th, 1991 7:15 AM
Surrendering
all to Jesus is definitely more than a one time thing. It is even more than a once a day thing. It seems like I am in a continuous battle
between the Spirit of Jesus which is inside me & the flesh. Until I release hold of my desires &
anxieties, I will not enjoy the joy & peace of God that is available to all
of us. Lord, I want to love You &
trust You more & more each day. The
words of Daniel J. Iverson should be dwelled on.
“Spirit
of the Living God”
Spirit of the living God;
fall afresh on me.
Spirit of the living God;
fall afresh on me.
Melt me, mold me, fill me,
use me.
Spirit of the living God;
fall afresh on me.
We
are in a constant process of surrendering our wills to that of a higher
calling, the expansion & betterment of God’s glorious Kingdom. Every minute of every day, we have to make a
choice as to who we are gong to serve.
Are we going to serve the world & try to satisfy our sensual
desires? Are we going to serve God &
put Him in front of all else? I choose
to serve God & deny myself of the temporary satisfaction that is readily
available in this country. My life, when
I am living with the Holy Spirit as my guide, is one of excitement, adventure,
& challenges. Praise the Lord!
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