The Jamaica Journal-Day Six-Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Today got off to an early start as we had breakfast at 6:45 a.m. The kids all came dressed and ready for two concerts that were planned for the morning hours. Following our breakfast, we made our way to the nearby Drapers Primary School. I may not have this quite right, but I think that primary schools are for children from seven to about eleven (sixth grade). In Jamaica, there are three sets of schools-infant schools, primary schools, and high schools. Thus, once you leave the primary school you go straight into high school where you graduate after the eleventh grade. The schools also meet in shifts. The first shift begins at 7:00 a.m. and concludes at 12:00 p.m. The second shift begins at 12:00 p.m. and concludes at 5:00 p.m. We are not sure how the teachers are divided, but I do know that one of the principals that I met at church on Sunday stays the entire day. Drapers Primary, like all of the schools, begins their daily sessions with a time of "devotions." It is a thirty minute session that brings a definitive spiritual focus to the day. We would be the "provider" of the daily devotions for the Draper Primary School. The youth sang an abbreviated program and once again did an excellent job. The small classroom was packed with children and teachers. I must say that by the end of the program, it was sweltering in the room, without a lot of air moving. But, our young people were unfazed by the circumstances and sang with strength and vigor. The session concluded with the Jamaican children all standing and reciting their morning prayers and saying their country's pledge. This is a site that I wish all of our people had the opportunity to witness. The children, fully decked out in their school uniforms, with smiling faces, proclaim the prayer and pledge with such intensity and meaning. I have been moved each time I have witnessed this part of the children's day. I heard the pledge to Jamaica for the first time this morning as well. Now please do not get me wrong, I love our Pledge of Allegiance in the United States, but as I listened to the children say their pledge, I was deeply moved. Read the words carefully and imagine seventy five or more Jamaican children with their wonderful accents reciting these words:
Before God and all mankind
I pledge the love of loyalty of my heart
The wisdom and courage of my mind,
The strength and vigour of my body
In the service of my fellow citizens.

I promise to stand up for justice,
Brotherhood and Peace, to work
Diligently and creatively,
To think generously and honestly, so that,
Jamaica may, under God,
Increase in beauty, fellowship
And prosperity; and play her part
In advancing the welfare
Of the whole human race.

The children were then dismissed to class, but in large part, it was a general time of play with our kids before we finally were able to gather our children onto the buses and allow the Drapers School to begin their day. Once again, seeing the interaction of the two cultures has been most exciting, entertaining, and invigorating to me. We returned to the hotel for a brief time of rest before going to the church to enjoy a lunch prepared by Chefs Ron and Elizabeth.

Following lunch, we journeyed to the Port Antonio High School for a noon concert there. We were greeted by our hostess at the school, Sister Thompson, who is an Assistant Principal at the school. The concert was both well done and well received. The room was much larger as was the crowd of Jamaican children. We actually sang between shifts. The first shift of the day had ended and the second was beginning. Again, we were the devotions for the second shift, though many of the first shift kids stayed to hear the concert. Again, it was an abbreviated concert, but it was so well done. I have heard several of the kids talk about "tired voices," but this is not evidenced in their performance. Sister Thompson is such a gracious lady. She implored the kids to do an encore, which they gladly did.

After a time of rest in the afternoon, we journeyed to the Port Antonio Infirmary, which is, in essence, the state funded local nursing home. Even though I had been told by Patti to be prepared, nothing could have prepared us for what we encountered at this site. The conditions that we encountered were devastating to say the least. Yet the people were eager to hear and anxious to feel the love that would be shared by our young people in song and in action. I shall never forget the feeling that I felt when Jordan Paynter began singing "Amazing Grace" and several of the residents joined in with him as he sang (we were basically singing on a covered walk that led from ward to ward with the patients sitting on the side walls or in their wheelchairs or on the ground). I looked around at our adults as we openly wept together. Quite an experience of worship! The people joined with the kids on several songs-it was such a blessing to us and them. We concluded our concert and then shared the toiletry bags that the kids had put together for the residents. They received the gifts with joy and many of them clung to the bags as if they were some priceless possession. Our kids then toured each of the wards meeting and talking with all of the residents. The conditions at the Infirmary are simply indescribable. Mere words cannot convey the pain that our young people felt as they experienced first-hand the pain of these people. Tears flowed freely from all of us. Yet there was a sense in talking with these people that many of them were happy even in the midst of their circumstances. Perhaps happy may not be the best words-should it be "blessed?" I want to share with you the journal of the day from SAM BATTS related to his experience at the Infirmary. It speaks so clearly about the impact of our trip there:

"Although all of the experiences of today were wonderful, I think the Infirmary was the most life changing. I met many people, but there was one special man that I met named Keith. He had almost nothing, but was so thankful for the little bit that he did have. He told me, `Sammy, I do not have much, but I feel blessed to have clothes on my back, a clean room to sleep in, and the good friends that I have met here.' I gave Keith my Bob Marley necklace and told him to hold on to it as a sign of our friendship. He was very thankful for the gift and told me that he was very sorry for not having anything special to give me. He told me that the next time I came to visit that he would take me to the ocean to swim. Although I knew he could barely get out of bed, it was nice for him to even mention doing something nice for me. He clung to my hand as I tried to tell him goodbye and he said, `Brother Sam, this is the best day I can remember. We are brothers of God. Until next time, God bless you, as you have blessed me.' Today was a life changing experience." --- Sam Batts

Many of our young people and adults watched as "Sammy" tied the necklace around Keith's neck and saw the joy on his face. Tears of joy, yet filled with sadness, flowed freely from us all. One of our young people said, "Mr. Cannon, Sam is giving all of his stuff away. He gave away his cap this morning and now he is giving away his necklace." I thought to myself, "No, Sam is giving himself away, and it is a wonderful sight to behold." It is an indeed a life-changing experience. Ethan Fromm summed it up well when he said in his journal,

"These people impress me with their happiness and courage…Jamaica has shown me that even in outstanding pain, they are the most righteous people ever introduced to me."-- Ethan Fromm