St. Bess - The Return

[Seveen]

Re: St. Bess - The Return

CEW - wonderful report !

makes me want to holla

[Hush Darlin]

Re: St. Bess - The Return

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: CEW</div><div class="ubbcode-body">As I only post pictures from home, I have time during the work-day for some more reflections. The mission trip was the primary reason for being in JA, and it feels right that I share different aspects of that side as well. Again, feel free to skip over them if you're so inclined.

On the 30-minute drive back to the hotel after services, there were times we were lost in our own thoughts. Years ago I dropped out of the rat race and asked God to slow me down so I wouldn't miss the simple things in life, or the things He was doing around me. I relish quiet times, and so for me these moments were priceless as they allowed me lots of opportunities to reflect.

As mentioned before, some of the testimonies we heard were tremendous. In publicly reliving those moments, I'm not making fun of the individuals because I have the utmost respect for them, their passion, and sincerity. I wish we had that same passion in some of our churches. For me it was going back to my roots; being able to share in the experiences and be reminded of what I was accustomed to, and to a large degree, what I was missing. In North America we talk about faith, but here they lived it. Here we get wrapped up in theologies and denominationalism, but there they boasted about their relationship with 'fi dem Jeezas', and the experiences they have had with Him in their journeys. As one lady said, &quot;If mi did kno' seh a suh Jezzas sweet, mi wudn't stay in di wurl suh long!&quot; How does one top that? IMO, that is why despite all the challenges, Jamaica will always remain a &quot;christian country&quot;; belief in God is an integral part of our people's experiences, and one deeply embedded in our collective psyche.

Some of what they shared during the services would lose its dynamism, its color, its flair, if someone tried to repeat it in standard English, because dynamism, color, and flair are all part of the Jamaican worship experience. Things doesn't have to be perfect, and whether a person was leading the service, or taking up the offering, it didn't matter if one could read and write, or had any formal education. I'm reminded of being in a service some years ago and sat behind an elderly lady who was singing 'her heart' out, but when I looked over at her, she had her hymnal turned upsided down. I smiled, but it really didn't matter. I don't think God cared which direction her hymn book was turned, I had to believe He was admiring what was in her heart.

For our non-Jamaican team members, especially one visiting for the first time, the flair and dynamism were quite the challenge because while we howled in laughter at times, they smiled or laughed politely, but someone had to &quot;translate&quot; for them. How do you put &quot;Pastor, God damn good to hell yu nuh&quot; in the Queen's English and retain the emotions of the speaker? It is impossible! But mix and mingle they did, picking up patois words here and there. In a community of believers, there is much we have in common, not the least of which was that despite differences in things like skin color, culture, and language, we were brothers and sisters first and foremost. Christ had joined us together in Him, and as such, those other things didn't really matter

We had come to help/serve them, but from somewhere deep inside I felt they were helping/serving us. There was much we could learn from them. </div></div>
u wudda want dem fe sing da sang yah fe you
<span style="font-style: italic">a fe mi Jeezas breeze mek ie blow
a fe mi Jeezas rain mek ie fall
and mi want yuh fe knoooooooooooooo
a fe yuh Jeezaas tooooooooooo </span>

memories of growing up and going to revival meetings and hear dem likkle sangs dey

[Diplomat]

Re: St. Bess - The Return

<span style="font-weight: bold">Sweets:</span> I've never heard that one before, but every time I hear someone say &quot;a fe mi Jeezas&quot;, it's like He doesn't belong to anybody else

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Stormmey1</div><div class="ubbcode-body">CEW!! your reflections carry quite a whallop

....and that oxtail wid the likkle flat bean is driving me crazy </div></div>
Thanks, and hush

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Laurel</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black'">AMEN!!! </span> </div></div>
Your support inspires me. Thank you

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: evanovitch</div><div class="ubbcode-body">CEW absolutely loving ur journey n u sharing of said....nuff respeck star...nuffff respeck </div></div>
Awww, Vannie...thank you

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Seveen</div><div class="ubbcode-body">CEW - wonderful report !

makes me want to holla

</div></div>
My pleasure; thanks a mil for your company on this journey

[Diplomat]

Re: St. Bess - The Return

Thursday. The week was going way too fast for my liking, but it had been great so far. I forgot to mention that just about every night we got fruits - mangos, melons, canteloupes, and papayas. The ladies at the hotel would do the honors for us and we would have the fruits with our breakfast.

My breakfast. It was good, but I've seen toy cars with wheels bigger than the dumplings in the plate \o/ The yellow yam was to 'die' for


This was all mine


After '07 we raved about YS Falls, and so the newbies among us wanted to go there. As with the Safari experience, the challenge for me was to see the Falls through a different pair of eyes, and I tried. Some sights along the way...

[Diplomat]

Re: St. Bess - The Return

The sun was harsh. Not the best for taking pictures, but this place is beautiful!



Riding in the jitney...




Spiral Ginger


Red Ginger

[Diplomat]

Re: St. Bess - The Return

[Diplomat]

Re: St. Bess - The Return

Really loved this view...


Subtle invitation...










More later...

[Hush Darlin]

Re: St. Bess - The Return

CEW next time you go you should request that song
trust me you wont be disappointed if the sing it for you

[Q3210]

Re: St. Bess - The Return

Thank you CEW. Yours of Jamaica are the best there are now.

[rudemonk]

Re: St. Bess - The Return

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: CEW</div><div class="ubbcode-body">After unloading our luggage, it was first things first; time to , so on Mark's recommendation we settled on what he was said was the best Chinese restaurant in town, about 10 minutes away.
</div></div>

I ADORE Jamaican Chinese food.

[Laurel]

Re: St. Bess - The Return

EVER so Simply Divune ...

indeed - the yellow yam was especially tasteFULL to me as well this past reach!!

Lord Jesus ... look at your fruits plate ~

lovely photoz round YS ... never tire of seeing the views there ~

[Lex]

Re: St. Bess - The Return



Nice but mi neva like how dem cover de glass wid de coaster. Not hygenic at all. Di is why mi always use straw wherever mi go. Mi walk wid dem to.



Mouth watering! Den CEW yu did share wid anyobody? Great photos as always.

[Diplomat]

Re: St. Bess - The Return

Thanks much, Lex Share? Heck, No! Everybody had their own plate of fruits, and as a matter of fact, a number of them didn't eat cantaloupes, so I had enough of those to last me two days

[Diplomat]

Re: St. Bess - The Return

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: SweetSsop</div><div class="ubbcode-body">CEW next time you go you should request that song
trust me you wont be disappointed if the sing it for you</div></div>
I'll definitely ask about it. They sang one that we really loved, done reggae style by The Grace Thrillers:

<span style="font-style: italic">God is good, God is good,
God is good to me how can I let him down.
How can I let him down (x2)
He's so good to me.
Picked me up, turned me around
Plant my feet, on higher ground,
How can I let Him down (x2)
He's so good to me.</span>

I've been playing the CD in the car ever since I got back

[Diplomat]

Re: St. Bess - The Return

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Q3210</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Thank you CEW. Yours of Jamaica are the best there are now. </div></div>
Thanks, Q. Much appreciated.