Church at the Mission

Today is our Sunday to have church in our dining room. It is a large room, with an amazing view of Montego Bay. Herb started rearranging the furniture after breakfast. There are two long tables and several round tables that get pushed against the wall. We line up chairs in about 7 or 8 rows, about six chairs each. We have a dark-colored cupboard in our house that we move into the dining room, this serves as the pulpit.

A little before 10am, Judy takes the "bus" to go pick up a load of neighbors. Pastor Ramsey and his wife Beverly arrive. They are an older couple, maybe 60-70, but young at heart. Pastor Ramsey is semi-retired, and goes around preaching in three to four churches each month. He has a deep relationship with the Lord and desires to see churches grow and become self-sustaining.

The service began with Herb welcoming everyone. We had a time of singing with Dallas leading. Then two of the nannies had a Bible story for the children using a flannel graph. At one point, I needed to kick at Rocky, our dog that tried to come inside. We sang a few songs for the children, then Dallas, Judy, Patrick and I sang a song. In Jamaica, they like to have a "special item" for the service; special singing, reading a poem, sharing a testimony, etc.

Pastor Ramsey preached on Psalm 113- Praising the Lord. He made the comment that God ordered the seasons in all the lands, so that while we are sleeping people across the world are waking to praise Him. He needs to be praised all the time! We are His servants, here to praise Him... the message touched me. I want to be His servant in all I do; including the many meals I cook here, the dishes that we wash and rewash and rerewash. :)

We are excited to begin having services here twice a month, starting this month. Pastor Ramsey and another pastor are helping us get started. We have interest from our neighbors, especially Shelly Ann, her seven children, and her neighbor lady, Diann with her three grandsons. Please pray for this new outreach. We feel it will open up opportunities here at the mission like never before. We really want to begin a Kid's Club, and Shelley's house is becoming too crowded for the weekly Bible Study. The board of JRM has unanimously approved the building of a church on the property here. When Dallas and Judy leave next week, they plan on going home and raising the funds for it. If this is God's will, the money will come! We have high hopes of beginning to build by early next year.

Please pray with us for God's will to be done on Bogue Hill! This is a place where Satan has ruled, where people take justice into their own hands. A couple of weeks ago a young man killed his brother over a personal dispute, about half-mile down the road. A few months back, some youth were in the process of stoning an old man. Thankfully they were interupted. Shelley's neighbor is a practicing witch. These people need Jesus so badly- to "heal the brokenhearted, proclaim liberty to the captives...comfort all who mourn, give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of priase for the spirit of heaviness." (Isaiah 61:1-3)

-Glenda

Cynthia's Cornmeal Porridge

First, fill your med. sized pot about half full of water. Add three cinnamon leaves. You can get them at the market. Remember to ask for the leaves, otherwise they will give you the powder. But don't go into the market too far, it's not safe. And never take your pocketbook along! People will try to steal it. Also get a nutmeg nut, and grate about 1/3 of it into the water. You can get these by the dozen at the market also. Let this boil a few minutes, then take the leaves out. Some people let the leaves in, but they stick to the bottom and it's not "nice".

Next, mix about one cup of cornmeal powder with one packet of coconut powder. Add water, about a cup, and one scoop (1/2 cup) of brown sugar. Also add salt, "about a quarter teaspoon". (It looks more like a teaspoon to me, measured into her hand or a large spoon.) Add this mixture to the boiling pot. Stir it for a little as it cooks. She tells me I will have to cook the porridge longer because my cornmeal was not the refined kind.

After it has cooked, mix one packet of soy vanilla-flavored milk powder with water. (It looked about like one cup. If you don't have the milk packet, you can add regular milk.) Add this to the porridge, and about a teaspoon of vanilla. Remember to never let it boil after the milk is added. Enjoy! Very good and easy on the stomach. Her diabetic husband enjoys it for breakfast.