We were sad to say goodbye, but we are glad to be coming home to our families!  We are all H-A-P-P-Y, whoo! 

The pastor of the church & his wife came to the hotel to see us off.  Natalie remarked that the only thing she would have changed about the trip is that she would have liked to go to the beach.  Several people echoed this wish.  Hearing our remarks, the bus driver was gracious enough to stop beside the road when we came to a quiet stretch of beach and allowed us 5 minutes to set foot on the beach and take some photos.  It made our trip!

We got through security in Jamaica with little mishap.  I wish the same were true for Atlanta.  Several people had purchased souveniers after clearing security in Jamaica.  Despite a warning during our flight, we thought that we would not have any issues in Atlanta because we had already cleared security.  However, we had to go back through security in Atlanta and those who had purchased honey & jelly lost their purchases due to the prohibition on liquids.  Because of the time it took to get through security, we missed our flight back to RDU.  The good news is that over half of our team were upgraded to first class for the last leg of our journey. 

It was about 10:00 PM before we collected all of our luggage.  One bag did not come in, but the airline will deliver it to Ashley tomorrow.  James got a real treat because his entire family came to greet him at the airport and welcome him home.  Jerry picked the rest of us up with the church van.  We stopped at Katt & Ashley's to drop the others off.  I got home about 12:15 AM.  Others had further to travel and many have to work on Tuesday.  Please say a prayer for them.

I would encourage each of  you to consider a missions trip in the future.  It is an awesome experience that I will never regret.  In fact, I am willing to go again, if given the opportunity. 

Our last service with Penrith Road Church was amazing.  God really blessed once more.  The service began with praise and worship.  Between songs, people came up to testify of what the Lord had done for them and how much our visit had meant to them.  It was truly humbling to see how God used us to bless others.  I wish that each of you could have heard their words of appreciation because each of you who supported us financially and through your prayers played a part in this missions trip.  It was not just the ones present, but all of you who will be rewarded by God for this trip. 

Ms. Mitzie came forward and gave a word from God for the people of Jamaica.  Her scripture came from Psalms 118:24, "This is the day that the Lord hath made.  Let us rejoice and be glad in it."  She reminded us that every day is a gift from God and we should rejoice no matter how it turns out because it is a gift from Him meant for our good. 

Ashley preached a wonderful message.  The Spirit flowed through him and he preached with a freedom and fervor that I have not seen before.  He left the people with a word of hope and healing.  He invited the church to the altar and almost everyone responded.  Afterwards, there were many tears shed as we said goodbye to our new friends.

We ate supper with the Clowers after getting back to the hotel that evening.  We did not get back to our rooms until midnight so I am a little late with this posting. 

What a moving experience!  Where we take church for granted, and we refuse to come if we can't dress comfortably, these people view coming to church as a privilege.  Despite temperatures close to 90 degrees and no air conditioning, they "dress" to come to church on Sunday morning.  I did not see a single man without a tie, and most had on 3-piece suits.  The women dressed very nicely, none wore pants, and their children wore suits as well.  There was no casual dress except from our team.  I was amazed.

A family from our church donated a computer to the church.  Our team purchased a flat screen monitor for it to make it easier to travel.  The whole church was thrilled, particularly the pastor.  He has trouble seeing and the flat screen will be a real blessing to him as it will ease the strain on his eyes.

All ages had Sunday School together in the Sanctuary.  Deanna and Chelsea told the children the story of Joseph.  A couple of people gave testimonies, including James.  His testimony confirmed and complimented the speaker's sermon to come later, as if it had been planned.  Truly it had been planned, but not by man; it was from God.  At the end of SS, the children were dismissed to go to the bathroom and freshen up, with a warning to behave when they returned.

The service began with 25 - 30 minutes of praise and worship, followed by the announcements and offering.  The speaker who gave the announcements read part of the scripture from the speaker's sermon, again part of God's divine plan.  The way they took up the offering was cool.  As people arrived in church, they were handed their tithing envelopes with their name hand-printed on the outside.  (The same envelope is used each week.)  As two women held buckets at the front of the church, the usher started at the back and signaled each row to go forward and put their envelope into the bucket.

The sermon was truly annointed.  Peggy preached a powerful message on how God can fill the void in your life and give you a second chance.  People were deeply moved and almost the entire church came forward to the altar to be prayed for following the sermon.  If you have a moment, look up Deuteronomy 29:10-15 & 30:19-20.

After the service, we were blessed with a short time to purchase souveniers and eat more 'fast food'.  Now we have a few minutes to relax before heading back for the evening service.  I stand in awe of God and His plans. 

First, I must ask for your prayers for Katt.  She had a fever & was very sick this morning.  She was able to get some antibiotics, but it has been a long day for her.  Please lift her up in prayer so that God will continue to heal her body.

The Lord has blessed with wonderful services all day.  We began with men's & women's conferences as a continuation on the theme from the movie "Fireproof".  The men met in the upper room while the women used the sanctuary.  The children were entertained in another room so the parents could be free to listen.  In the women's conference, we had three speakers:  Angela, Peggy & Bonnie.  Neither of these women knew what the other would be speaking on, yet their messages fit perfectly into each other.  Isn't God amazing?! 

The women were encouraged to write questions down on pieces of paper, which were collected and the questions were answered between speakers.  With the poverty and the living conditions that these people face, I could not imagine that they would question the same things that I do.  How can I know God's will for my life?  How can I touch Him?  How can I have a better marriage?   According to James, the men are very grounded believers with much the same questions.

After the conferences, the church fed us again.  Today we had swordfish, mackeral, jerk chicken and pork, along with some delicious fried dough and native fruits.

After lunch, we had simultaneous sessions.  The self-defense class was very popular.  A couple of people showed up for the computer class.  We were able to show them how e-mail works.  This may seem so simple to us, yet they did not understand and the class meant a lot to them.  The most popular session by far was a continuation of the dental clinic.   Even though Katt was sick, she put aside her own feelings to minister to the kids.  There was only supposed to be 7 or 8 that were not seen the previous day.  However, when I finished and got down to the clinic 2 hours later, there was probably close to a dozen kids in line.  We finally just had to close down without seeing them all.

Tomorrow, we will attend church for Sunday School, morning worship and evening worship.  Then home on Monday.  It has been a awesome time of service to God.  He has really blessed over the past few days!

Let us rejoice and be glad in it!  What a wonderful day of service!  We arrived at the church and then went down the street to a local school to minister to 60 children ages 3 - 6.  It is humbling to see the area where these children live and the conditions they endure.  The same school in the US would be condemned and we would never allow our children to attend.  And yet there are 60 kids there every day with a limited number of teachers.  The kids were better behaved than some of the kids in public schools in our country.  We checked each child's temperature & blood pressure, taught them to brush their teeth, played & sang with them, cleaned & scaled their teeth, checked for cavities and checked their general health.  There were lots of cavities and bursted eardrums from untreated ear infections.

For lunch, the church cooked us curried goat.  Quite an experience!  A little to spicy for me, but very tasty to others. After treating the kids that go to the school, there was a line of other kids who showed up.  We treated as many as possible but had to ask several to come back tomorrow.  As Katt treated the children, several women kept coming back to me & asking for toothbrushes, toothpaste & dental floss for their 'child'.  It was the same women who kept coming back with a different child each time, a child we had already given supplies to.  When it became apparent that they needed the supplies for themselves, I switched to adult brushes rather than the children's size.  The women laughed at the little beanie babies were giving the kids.  They picked them up & stroked them.  They had not seen these animals before and they asked what type of animals they were - an ostrich, a fawn, a pelican, etc.  The kids did not recognize the cartoon characters on their toothbrushes.  They had never heard of Shrek, but they all knew Mickey Mouse and wanted a Mickey Mouse sticker.

Peggy was able to minister to a woman with several small children who lost her husband about 3 weeks ago.  It is clear that the Lord brought her here for that purpose.  She also built a wall of prayer around our team to ward off the attacks from Satan.  And YES Katt's suitcase did get delivered! 

Tonight, we showed the movie, "Fireproof" to a good number of people.  That the service was attended at all was a miracle because the area is very dangerous at night and few people leave their home after dark.  Those who came were very blessed.  People were saved and we prayed for the marriages of a large number that came forward.  Tomorrow promises to be a wonderful day!

Good night all!

Arrived safe & sound!  The good Lord provided for a smooth flight.  Everyone got thru Customs with no issues.  Only one piece of luggage missing!  I think that is great given the volume of luggage for the group.  We each had one suitcase with our clothes, one packed with supplies and at least one carry-on bag.  That is at least 40 bags! 

Poor Katt!  It was the suitcase with her clothes & toiletries that is missing.  Pray for a speedy return!  We are all chipping in to try and find her some items to get by until her bag is found.

Together Everyone Achieves More!  TEAM Benson is gearing up!  This is our first missions team ever from our church.   Everyone involved has faced huge obstacles in their personal life.  Satan has really been on the warpath.  I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that GOD has wonderful blessings in store!  We are in the short rows now.  Keep praying! 

Only one more day to go!

June 1, 2009 - 10:56 PM 
Countdown to take off:  9 days, 6 hours 4 minutes

It is getting exciting now!  So much left to do!  Can we get it all done?  Supplies to buy, packing to be done.  Have we got all of the loose ends tied down?  There is at least one more passport that must come in.  Everyone should have their vaccinations by now.  We have to start taking the oral vaccine to protect against malaria in 2 days.  Pray with us that God will reward our efforts. 

I completed the application for my passport last night.  I was up past midnight searching for my birth certificate.  The phone line was busy all day so I could not set up the appointment to get my passport.  I didn't know exactly what to expect on the application.  I knew I would have to give my life history, but I didn't know they would ask 'where' my parents were born.  It is surprising what you don't know or don't remember about those closest to you!

Anyway, the questions about my dad made me stop to think about him.  My dad died when I was 17.  It was really hard for this 'Daddy's girl'!  I miss him a lot, even after all these years.  I hope that he would be proud of me.  I know that he would have loved meeting his grandsons - he always wanted a boy, not that he didn't love his daughters & granddaughters!  I don't know what he would say about me going on a missions trip.  I know he believed in God and he wouldn't let me read a particular translation of the Bible that he thought was incorrect.  But he did not go to church and his alcoholic lifestyle make me wonder where he is now.  Maybe I will see him again in eternity.  I always loved going fishing with my dad.  Maybe he will smile on this new type of 'fishing trip' I am taking. 

The fundraisers only tell part of the story regarding the cost of a missions trip.  Fundraisers cover the cost of transportation, general supplies, medical supplies and gifts.  You are asking "Medical supplies? Gifts?"  In order for the countries to allow you to come in, you must have a non-religious purpose.  Thus, many trips are organized around free medical care or free dental care, where we share Christ while ministering to the bodies of the people.  To assist church leaders and long-term missionaries where we visit, we take gifts to further their ministry.

But there is an untold cost that you may not be aware of.  There are sacrifices to be made by each team member.  The cost of obtaining a passport ($$$), vaccinations to protect against disease ($$$), appropriate clothing for the area & the climate ($$?) - not to mention time devoted to weekend fundraisers, time off work to get passports or vaccinations, and time off for the trip itself.  You also have childcare while you are on the trip and/or time away from your family during all of these events.

Yet the cost is nothing compared to the value of one soul!  Leading just one person to Christ would make the cost worthwhile, yet we have the opportunity to touch so many more! 

 "Oh that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory..."  1 Chronicles 4:10 

Thank you God for enlarging our territory and allowing us to teach others about you!

Lord,
You know me better thanI know myself!  I felt Your leading and asked You for confirmation before I made a commitment.  You wanted me to step out in faith.  I made my commitment on Sunday and You rewarded me tonight with a confirmation.  We are to step out of our comfort zone and trust Your guidance.   You will never fail!  I never doubted You, but sometimes I need reassurance.

Thank you again and again!

Dear Lord,

WHAT HAVE I DONE?!?!?!  I told Katt today that I would go on this missions trip with her group.  Am I crazy?  What makes me think that I can make a difference?  Why am I doing this?  I have too much on my plate as it is.  I am going to be a grandma soon - My baby & his wife are having babies!  My oldest will be coming home from Iraq soon.  My daughter will be moving away.  And what about all that I do in church?  Isn't that enough, Lord?  I am very thankful that you put a desire in other people's hearts to go to foreign countries to serve you as a missionary, but I have NEVER had such a desire.  Why me, Lord?  Why now?

Still, I want to be obedient to your call.  Dear Lord - Just give me the strength & energy to get thru this.  I am willing to serve.  I am willing to follow Your Will instead of my own.  I am not getting any younger and this may be the only time that I get to serve You on a missions trip.  Help me to know that I am doing the right thing.