These past two weeks in Trinidad have been the adventure of a lifetime! I met the other 12 members of our college-age'ish missions team in the airport right before the trip, and I'd say we bonded pretty well during the 6 hour flight.
Upon arrival we stayed our first day with the TTUM missionary's in St. Helena for orientation and planning. Then we drove the two-hour-long-crazy-roller-coaster-make you sick jungle roads ride at night to Toco.
Toco is a beautiful small fishing village on the edge of the Island. We stayed there with a little elderly lady named Auntie Patsy who hosts surfers and missions teams at her home. Auntie Patsy makes green protein shakes out of sea moss which she sells to Nestle in the U.S. =) I think you can even buy them in Stanwood!
She is also an amazingly wise and fiery woman of God. During every delicious exotic Trini/carribean meal she fed us, she preached against the evils of sex and house insurance. no joke. We only spent a couple of days in Toco but it was a great time of ministry. Our team put together dramas and Bible presentations which we led at local schools, orphan homes, and drug rehab centers...
One of my favorite things was doing home visits in the village. Our team split up into pairs and visited different people, talking with them about Trini culture. Once we all became comfortable with eachother we began to ask them about spiritual things, which led to sharing the gospel. I think that is my favorite type of ministry, because I love to meet new people and share with them personally - it was a huge stretch for me to lead messages and gospel presentations in front of hundreds of people at the schools- but the home visits were lovely.
Aside from official ministry time we had countless daily adventures in Toco: some little local boys taught me how to night fish on the beach Trini style. Our team hangout place became the top of a huge lighthouse where you can see some of the other carribean islands acrossed the sea at night - We sometimes do our devotions there at night under the stars. Worshipping and singing so loud up there with the stars and beauty all around us, the wind whipping us around - I'm sure that's what heavens going to be like.
The beaches here are beautiful, and the surf was pretty decent. Much to my chagrin I did not bring a board but I am determined to borrow one from someone while I'm here. I have also gained all new respect for anyone who can husk and chop up a fresh coconut, and some locals let me climb up their mango tree to gather lot's of mangoes for our team (I am in heaven with the hundreds of variety's of tropical fruit). We saw beautiful sunrises on the beach, and hiked out into the jungle one day to a beautiful waterfall.... (sigh)
I could go on forever about this beautiful island and the beautiful people and a million other things I love and am learning but I need to go now because my team is leaving the internet cafe...soooooI'll save my Alligator hunting story for next time =)
Thank you so much for your prayers and encouraging e-mails! The ministry has been amazing so far - God is at work and some people have been saved already, and we are all learning and growing and stretching and having a glorious time doing it!
O.k. so take care my friend and be filled with God's great joy today!
Much love to you,
Jen
Zacheriah 4:6
p.s. Here are pictures: 1 of my group and 1 of me with some sweet little girls from Bible Club
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