Day 6: Montego Bay, Jamaica ---Final Blog

Today was our free day at the shops in Montego Bay and then some R&R at the beach. It was nice to wind down and see all the indigenous crafts that the local residents had for sale.  

 

From the beach we were invited over to the pastor of Redemption Chapel's house for dinner. In front of his house he has a mango tree. How awesome is that!!! 

A feast like no other was prepared for the group. The menu consisted of: BBQ jerk chicken, jerk pork, yellow yams, roasted corn and roasted plantain. We also had an unlimited supply of ginger beer to drink. 

 

After dinner, me along with another lady in the group, share the same birthday (July 17). We were surprised with a birthday cake and were serenaded with a happy birthday song. ❤️

 

The day ended with another young lady from the group giving her life to God and getting baptized. Congratulations, Ashley Buxton!!! This was such a beautiful sight to witness. 

As I end and close out my blog on such an awesome missions trip, I leave you with the following:

*If you don't know God, now is the time to get acquainted with Him and establish a relationship with Him.

*Allow God to work within you. 

*If you don't have a church home, find one and become a servant leader in some capacity. 

 

 

Pictured above is the Adventures In Missions group who were impacted and blessed by all the wonderful children who attended vacation bible school at Redemption Chapel in Canterbury Village. 

 

Live~Laugh~Love

Day 5 - Montego Bay, Jamaica

 

Today was the last day of vacation bible school at Redemption Chapel. I thought that I would get really emotional, but I remained strong partly because I have made a decision to visit Redemption Chapel during July for the next 3 years. The relationships that I've built with children in Canterbury Village, within the past four days, have been life altering. 

 After vacation bible school today, we had the opportunity to go on a tour of Canterbury higher up on the hillside. The paths that the residents have to use are by far no easy feat. I was tired, panting, gasping for air and slipping on rocks. 😳 The picture above shows a little 3 year old boy leading the group that I was in. I call him my "little mountain goat". 😊 He led the group the entire way up and then would look back as he made it to the top and have a look on his face like, "Are y'all coming or what?" Lol! 

 

 

This is the view from the top. ❤️

 

 

This picture shows the view as one ascends back down the rocky hillside. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What an awesome experience!!! I have a changed perspective on so many things! I can't wait to continue making a difference in the lives of children in MN. 

 

Thank you, Coretta for planting the seed of stepping out on faith and doing a mission trip. Thank you, Kendra for asking me to be a part of such an awesome and humbling experience. The intended goal was for kids to have an awareness of God and what he wants from us. Many children professed God as their Lord and Savior. To me...this means that the mission was accomplished. I can't wait to do more mission trips with you ladies as we still have more work to do.

 

 Live~Love~Laugh

Day 4 - Montego Bay, Jamaica

 

Laughter is good for the soul. 

Today I learned that one of the kids that is in my group was shot a few months ago. He is 15 years old and it was determined that he's a walking miracle. The bullet went through the young man's arm and through the top of his back not hitting any major organs. He is the type of kid that doesn't take anything serious, so it's extremely hard to keep him engaged, but he's super respectful. 

Finding this out made me think about how no matter what country an individual may live in, people go through tramatic experiences. These tramatic experiences have a direct connection on how individuals then see and engage in this thing called life. 

 

Once again, the day went well. I was able to teach a praise and worship song that is sung at the church that I am a member of. It was well received and fell in line with the theme: LOVE

I would like to end today's blog by showing you some neat pictures that I was able to capture with my phone today. Within these pictures, I definitely felt God's presence. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Live~Laugh~Love

Day 3 - Montego Bay, Jamaica

 

The theme for vacation bible school is: LOVE

L = Loyalty ~ John 3:16

O = Obedience ~ Luke 22:42

V = Victory ~ I John 5:4 

E = Everlasting ~ John 14:16

This theme is a reminder that no matter how many obstacles or how much hatred that one is faced with, it is important to continue to love your neighbor and one another. 

 

 

 

Canterbury Village is one of the most poverty stricken places in Jamaica. The homes here operate from the bare necessities. There are no air conditioners to keep cool in 90 + degree weather. There are no washers and dryers. Clothes are washed by hand and are hung up on a clothes line. There is an attempt to contain trash, but in most places people just toss it where it's most convenient for them. Then from time to time the trash is burned in a nearby vacant lot. Living quarters are purposely close and tight with narrow walk ways lined with zig zag metal in order to provide safety within the village. 

 

  

 

 

Even though poverty is very high here, all of the older kids that attend vacation bible school have a cell phone and/or a tablet. The kids are on Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter and play Pokemon go. They know the latest pop songs and some are dressed in the most popular name brand clothes. 

As much as I believed that I was coming on this trip to be a blessing to others and to spread the good news of God's grace. It is I, in fact, who have been blessed beyond belief. The people are friendly, the kids are super sweet and often remind me of the children that I work with in St. Paul. The food is superb! What more could I ask for. 😊 I am very much dreading our closely approaching final day (Thursday) 😢. 

 

  

 

If it's the Lord's will, here's to the beginning of many more mission trips in the future. 

Live~Laugh~Love

Day 2 - Montego Bay, Jamaica

I learned today that we will remain in Montego Bay and do our mission work at a church located in an impoverished and desolate community. It is from there that we will be leading vacation bible school with kids ages 6-18 yrs old. 

  

I thank God for providing me with this awesome experience. It was in 90 degree heat that I began to build relationships with kids, and teach them about God's will. It was during this time in which I had a very emotional conversation with a group of children ages 15-18 yrs old (7 of whom were Black males) about what's happening in the States. All of the children were very aware of what is going on. To my dismay when I asked them to reflect on what is going on in the States to how things are in Jamaica, ALL 7 boys stated that on a daily basis they feared for their lives as their community is stricken with violence. 

 

 

 

 The food was absolutely fabulous.  

*For breakfast we were given salt mackeral, bananas, and dumplings. 

*For lunch we were given red beans and rice, curried goat, with a cabbage salad. 

 

*For dinner we were given beef patties. 

 

To top off my day there was a down pour of ran that happened. God definitely showed up as there was a rainbow over the city of Montego Bay. 

 

Stay prayed up my friends. Through the good and the bad, God is moving. 

Live~Laugh~Love

Day 1 - Montego Bay, Jamaica

I made it in one piece. It's super hot here!! It took awhile to get to our first destination though. While waiting I had a beef patty and chicken patty. (Yummy, but spicy!) 

We made it to where we would have a home cooked meal. We were served red beans and rice, baked chicken and a salad. (It was delicious!) 

There are plenty of mango trees here. I noticed also that goats are raised here. 

  

Thank You for your Donations!!!

I want to publicly thank the following people:

Renaisa Anthony ~ Bakari Buckley ~ Letha Buckley ~ Jabrina Buckley ~ Osbourne Buckley ~ Pam Dahlager ~ Chakiera & Will Felder ~ Mary & Wallace Franklin ~ Bessie Griffin ~ Tammie & Darren Harmon ~ Donna Harris ~ Roberta & Leroy Hawkins ~ Stephanie Hooks-Boahen & Isaac Boahen ~ Veryl Logan Hudson ~ Alberta Johnson ~ Beryl Love ~ Debra & Harvey Love ~ Rose McGee ~ Anna Ouattara ~ Sunita Persaud ~ Angela & Rick Raven ~ Carolyn & Willis Roberson ~ Bunny Robinson ~ Trenna Ross ~ Kellee & Andy Schweitzer ~ Andrea Thomas ~ Niceta & Jermaine Thomas ~ Doris Tenner-Lewis & Joe Lewis, Sr. ~ Christina & Ben Trok ~ Monee  & Ronald Williams ~ Snoti Wotorson ~ Rotanda & Greg Yarborough

Thank you sooooo much for donating towards my Jamaica Missions Trip!!! I was able to reach my fundraising goal and could not have done it without you. The money you gave paid for my trip and my airfare. 

Many thanks to you all and God Bless! 

XOXO!!! ~ Shannon Tenner

July 10, 2016 ~ Kingston, Jamaica

The time is nearing in which I will be going on my very first mission trip. I am super excited and so very grateful that I've been blessed with an opportunity to go. It is here that I will post pictures and captions of how my trip went. Please continue to keep me and my family in prayer. <3