It is somewhat of an overwhelming experience to anticipate a trip like the one that our young people and leaders are embarking upon this week. To realize that God has placed us in a strategic position at this time and place in the partnership that exists between First Baptist and the Port Antonio Circuit of Churches evokes a sense of the tremendous privilege that is ours as well as the awesome responsibility that we have as His ambassadors on mission.
Today began early as our group of 32 young people and adults gathered in the parking lot at First Baptist to depart for our journey at 6:15 a.m. Ever the worrier, I wondered what kind of traffic we might run into en route to the Atlanta airport. If we did run into traffic, how might that impact our Atlanta to Miami flight? And, of course, the list went on and played out in a variety of scenarios through my mind. Though we did hit one patch of traffic en route to Atlanta, we arrived in excellent condition to make our journey. Things looked great! While in line to check in, Larry Flanagan looked back at me in line and mouthed the words that our flight was delayed. With the delay, we would cut it close in Miami to make our connection to Kingston. There they came again-the litany of worries. By the time I waited my turn in line we were informed that the plane was indeed on time now and that the connection was sure. We then journeyed on to our gate to await the flight. I delighted in watching our kids interact with one another. I "parked" on a chair next to a wall and once the kids had gotten food at various locations they all came back and sat together to enjoy the food and the fellowship. I watched as some played cards with one another, while some took out their coloring books (yes, these are young people) and colored their pictures, while some listened to their I-pods, and while others just enjoyed being in the company of one another. These pictures of our young people together will be one of the lasting images of my trip, and I am sure I will enjoy many more of those pictures this week.
Being the veteran traveler that I am (NOT!) I boarded the plane with an assurance that all would go well. Thankfully the attending gate agent had seen my size and had given me the opportunity to sit in an exit seat. The legroom was great, but the "girth-room" left a little bit to be desired. The flight was wonderful and we arrived in Miami in good order. Upon disembarking from the plane we soon heard, "Last call for Flight 1735 Miami to Kingston boarding at gate D50." That moved us quickly to the gate some distance from our arrival gate(in the E section of gates) and we boarded the next leg of our flight joining an already filled airplane. Again, I knew that many prayers were being answered when our flight from Miami to Kingston was as smooth as silk. We even landed in Kingston ahead of schedule. Things were going great! Immigration and customs were both handled quickly and we departed the Norman Manley Airport to await our bus ride to Kingston. Again, watching our kids as they helped one another with baggage and made sure that no one was left behind gave me such a good feeling about these young people.
Almost immediately upon leaving the airport, I saw the beaming smile of Brother Thompson who walked toward us with his hand out held. Brother Thompson is one of pillars of the Port Antonio Baptist Church. Both his smile and his spirit are contagious. All of us reacquainted ourselves with Brother Thompson as he told us that our buses were on their way. We loaded the nice European style twenty-two passenger buses quickly and made our way out of the parking lot. It simply did not register with me though for some reason. There I was sitting in the driver's seat, but there was no steering wheel or pedals. I met our driver, Kirk Palmer, who has driven for our groups on several occasions. We were the lead vehicle and I must say that as we departed I did not realize what was in store for the next 3+ hours along the 90 kilometer journey. First, back to me being in the driver's seat, I thought for sure we were going to have an immediate collision of untold proportions because we were on the wrong side of the road (I don't get out much obviously!). Well, I finally realized that we were in a European-based country and drivers drove on the opposite side of the vehicle and the road. I knew that in my mind finally, but that first major intersection still caused me to close my eyes and hope for the best! A harrowing experience for quite a while.
Many of you who have been a part of our mission trip to Port Antonio have told your stories of the drive from Kingston to Port Antonio. I listened, but still said, "Surely they exaggerate!" Well, let me tell you that they DO NOT exaggerate. I have driven on the back dirt roads of South Georgia after rain storms but there is little comparison to the road that we travelled. Pit holes (that's right, that's what I will call them-gargantuan pot holes) were the order of the day. Being in the "cat's bird" seat in the bus, I saw it all coming as well. Our driver was adept at missing as many of these holes as possible (going from one side of the road to the complete opposite side quite often), but to do so required great skill and strategy (and prayer). I soon realized that I had prayed so much for the plane trip and I should have exerted that same prayer energy on the bus ride. The last 55 kilometers are on dirt roads really under construction (which does not negate the first 40 miles of bumps and jostles). Obviously the infrastructure of this area of the island has been lacking. I wondered what someone like Bill Mitchell and his company could do in this place with their skill, technology, and equipment. I wondered how these people lives would be changed if they had adequate highways on which to travel. I also wondered what blowing one's vehicle horn meant in Jamaica as our horn was surely in need of replacement due to overuse by the time we arrived in Port Antonio. I wondered about all of the animals, vendors, and bicycle riders that we barely missed as they got out of their way. I was amazed as I saw drift wood, rocks, and other "debris" lining construction area in the place of warning cones and other barriers that we in the United States have grown accustomed to seeing. I laughed at several roadside signs about driver courtesy and wondered if anyone in Jamaica had ever read any of them. It was a LONG, but interesting road trip.
We arrived at the beautiful Jamaica Palace Hotel, our residence for the next week, at around 7:30 p.m. A full day, a fulfilled day, a great day. After enjoying a wonderful dinner and a time of devotion and prayer, we went to our rooms in need of some rest. Our beds beckoned loudly!
I have gone on too long…Here are my initial observations.
1. I am proud to be a part of this group. Our adults and young people were pushed, pulled, inconvenienced at times, hungry, and rushed many times during the day. There were absolutely no complaints whatsoever.
2. Jamaica has untold beauty-much more than I anticipated. I did not realize the lush mountain beauty that would await this journey. It is truly a beautiful place!
3. The first church that I recognized in Kingston had a sign that said, "A Member of the Jamaican Baptist Union." I am proud of our church's affiliation with the Baptist World Alliance, the Caribbean Fellowship, and the Jamaican Baptist Union. The tent of witness of our affiliations and partnerships opens great doors for God's work.
4. Poverty shows its face in a variety of forms. I was amazed as we traveled to see the depth of poverty in some areas. Seldom, if ever, have I seen such conditions. So many of the "houses" that we passed were little more than huts-pieced together by a variety of materials, from press board plywood to many which were constructed with tin metal roofing. Also, on the ones which had the tin roofing that happened to be on top of the house, the roofs were held down with stone and building blocks. Amazing! Dirt floors, one room houses, outside fires even in the heat. Amazing! Goats, cows, roosters and chickens everywhere. Many tied up like pets. Amazing! Seeing the faces of these people as we passed reminded me once again of the universal need that all people have to hear the message of God's love in the midst of their pain.
5. Yet even in the midst of the poverty, as I saw so many of the kids impacted by their circumstances they were beautifully dressed in their school uniforms-clean, pressed, immaculate-with beautiful smiles. There, once again, I saw the need that is placed before us to assist in enabling these people to find ways of rising above their circumstances. I was reminded what a privilege is ours to live in the land in which we live, with its opportunities. Yet once again, I realize that with great privilege comes responsibility.
6. Again, and I am sure I will say it many times this week, I am proud of these kids and adults and to even have the opportunity to be with them each day. It is a privilege to have my whole family to share in this experience. It is one I will cherish for years to come!
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