Jamaica Mission Trip Pictures/Blog

2-18-08 Monday in Jamaica:

Today all 4 groups set out.  The construction crew went and started building the wall for the multi-purpose room at Maxi’s church.  They were able to get a lot of work done.  The desk builders had a little more of a challenge when they discovered they would have to weld the steel for the desk from scratch!  But they did it!  The medical team was able to see 66 patients today and most of them had sinus problems, some with high blood pressure and kids with worms!  We are getting the suitcase with our medications and a church in Montego Bay is giving us even more medication.  God is so good!  The infirmary team got the entire infirmary done.  We started in the worse area of the infirmary and worked our way forward. We swept, mopped and cleaned up all the areas. We were amazed we finished the whole place.  The sheets arrived today so we will go weds morning and replace all the sheets.

Jerry’s message from the infirmary:

“When Jesus visits the infirmary”

Feces…Urine…bed bugs….everywhere.  The rotting of human flesh and dreams.  Loneliness..Silence..People without names or purposes.

Jesus comes to clean.

He mops floors and wipes down window sills.  He speaks with kindness.  He ask the residents their names because it maters, they matter.  He smiles.  As he cleans around their beds, he handles pieces of seemingly useless papers, soiled clothing, urine filled bed pans, empty soda bottles and plastic cups as if they were the national treasure.  He respects what little they have.. it is all they’ve got.  When Jesus is done…more than cleaning has taken place.  Lonely and broken people “the least of these” have been heard, seen, spoken to, listen to, touched…valued…and loved.  That is what Jesus does when he visits the infirmary.