It was 19 years ago that the first Jamaica Mission Discovery team worked in a community to rebuild a church after Hurricane Gilbert destroyed it.

Today, again, I’m in Jamaica with another Mission Discovery team of 70 adults.

After completing the work on that church, Mission Discovery began a partnership with Pastor Leroy Blackwood at Victory Christian Fellowship Church.

Leroy had a vision to start a preschool in this needy community. We partnered with the church and now there is a well-built school and church and 55 children in the pre-school.

Victory Christian School is now one of our HOLD the Children schools. HOLD the Children is a division of Mission Discovery that matches a sponsor in the U.S. with a child who could not afford to attend school. Each child gets a school uniform, great education and a hot meal each day. All of the children at Victory Christian School have a sponsor!

About 20 miles from here is Jamaica Christian School for the Deaf (JCSD). There, a staff of 11 teachers work to give hope through Christ and a solid education to children K through 12th grade. Mission Discovery teams have built classrooms, dormitories, and lead Vacation Bible School there for many years. JCSD is also a HOLD the Children sponsor school. 37 deaf children attend school at JCSD.

A deaf child in Jamaica is often abused. Sophia Reid, the Director of JCSD, her staff hear about deaf children as far away as 4 hours and go to that family often begging a family to allow their child to attend their school.

Yesterday we saw Matthew. He came to the school not knowing how to walk, was still in diapers at 2 and ½ yeas old and was in poor health. Matthew is now five, in great health, progressing in school and Sophia has filed papers to make him her son!

To have a job where “great news” is a daily part of my work is energizing! Jesus said to His disciples one day, that doing God’s work was His food. He used the word-picture of a crop ready for harvest. A group of people ready to hear of God’s love for them!

Thanks for helping sow and reap the spiritual crop here in Jamaica this week!