Our move into MoBay.......

For some it is difficult to picture what it is like to live in Jamaica. We have been here now six months and have already undergone some major changes. Our most recent change was moving into the city of MoBay after living up in a very rural mountain area for four months. So what is it like for us now?

I've posted three pics above to give you a better idea. We moved into the first floor of this three story house back in November. When we first came to look at it, it was filthy dirty and in need of some major work...therefore we got it at a fairly cheap monthly rent. We scrubbed grime out of grout, washed and scrubbed all cabinets and countertops and added light fixtures over bare lightbulbs. We are located in the Coral Gardens area, an upper middle class neighborhood to the east of the airport in Montego Bay. Above us on the second story is Dave and Mary Davison, missionaries with the Assemblies of God who have been here for over 20 years. Our Landlord, Brian, lives on the third story. Brian is Jamaican and drives a taxi. He also loves his liquor. Pictured above is his stash of beer bottles that he throws out at the wall when he comes in from driving his taxi all day. (that is fairly normal and accepted here unfortunately). He also has a fond affection for the security system on his taxi van so we get to hear it go off usually very early in the morning and very late at night. We will never need an alarm clock!

Our flat consists of two bedrooms and two bathrooms. We have "titusized" it to the best of our ability to make it feel like home. We have already been privileged to have guests here from the USA to occupy the spare bedroom and we have students here with us almost every weekend. In our housing subdivision (Jamaicans call them housing "schemes") lives at least four other missionary couples that we know of. It is always delightful to get together with them as often as possible.

We have asked God to help us use our home to be a ministry tool. We are looking forward to having some home Bible studies here, as well as hosting more friends and family from home. We feel our home is a valuable tool in our ministry and thank God for His provision.

So, though some think we are "suffering for Jesus", we prefer to think of it as "toiling for Jesus". Remember to pray for us down here doing God's work in Jamaica. These are just the ramblings of one tired Jamerican....SELAH!