Drumming for the Nations

Homes of Hope

In the last 7 weeks, we have built five homes for Jamaicans in need. Teams from Canada, and the USA have raised the funding, and YWAM has facilitated the opportunity to make a lasting impact in our communities.
Its good to get a little rest just before the Easter holiday, as the driving, and hosting of the teams can be quite exhausting ! My job is making sure the materials are cleared through the tax office, so we pay no tax on materials, and making sure the wood, paint, nails, ect. all reach the work site on time. I also do the driving of the teams, as I share bout Jamaica with first time visitors. I usually play taxi driver to the “likkle” youth going to school, as most of them travel great distances on poor roads, most with little more than taxi fare for the day. Some of these kids are so cute, and we see the need to reach them when they are young, as the fatherlessness is so great a problem in this Nation. The work is hard, but really shows the love of God in a real tangible way.

Haiti Speaks through a friend

The Vision is alive !!

Several years ago in my tiny apartment in Jamaica, God gave me a vision on how to use my drumming to reach people. My first Mission Outreach leaders in 1999, Cliff Scamara had said to me, as I sat on the ground beating drums with kids all around me, and told me that I had a ministry, but I shrugged in off as a passing comment, thinking to myself, this, a ministry ?

On my trip to The Gambia, I saw the gift of drumming build relationships as we were in Dakar without direction, until one young man was captured by my drum outside the airport. When we reached the village, again I was invited to their celebrations to play my drum ?

As a Missionary with YWAM, we are called to serve, and even as I have taught the drum here in Jamaica, had begun to put the dream on hold, opting for more training in fields that God really wasn’t asking to do. He started asking me questions, such as, what is your passion, and what have I given you as a dream ?

Even after I was excepted for a computer class in Hawaii, I was starting to doubt the path I was heading, and not because it wasn’t good, but of course the Lord had a better plan. I look back now, and see myself planning my course, and directing my pathway.

Its good to have a plan, but there is wisdom in Gods word that will make it the right one. our base here has a covenant with God to reach a certain people group in Africa, and we had planned our annual trip, and an outreach at the Olympics to follow, all which seemed to be right up my drumming alley.

As I met with our leaders at YWAM, the leaders here suggested that I go before the group to teach, and to learn, how the drummers in The Gambia think, how the Church is open to new methods of ministry, and how my drumming would help build relationships, and open doors for the gospel. To be honest, I wasn’t sure how this would ever happen … but God. Yes, the Lord is not slow in keeping His promises, but we can be impatient to see the results.

After all these years of wonder, I know have a path the Lord has blazed before me, and there will be no distraction, no Olympic games, but 7 weeks of learning, sharing, and following God through The Gambia. I am thrilled beyond belief that God is allowing me to move in this direction. There is a verse in Proverbs that says something like this ” In the heart, a man plans his course, but God directs his footsteps “.

Please join with me in this adventure with gifts to travel, and with prayers that go before me, and behind. Truthfully, I know not were my feet will trod, or the results of this work, but when God is for you, who can stand against you ?

Haiti comes to Jamaica

It was last year,after our 50th Celebration with YWAM that myself and 6 staff members made our way to St Marc Haiti.Our mission was to build a house in the Temonette project.This was one of 60 houses built with each house able to hold two families.This is where I met a young Haitian girl named Berline.She was nursed back to health after the earthquake had nearly crushed her foot,and explained to me how her mother and cousin had died.By her smile,you would never know that such tragedy had struck her life.As we talked,she expressed a burning desire to do the DTS in Port-a-Prince,and we both knew that a miracle would be needed for her to attend.Let me say that she did receive her miracle,and actually spent two weeks here on outreach with her international team !! I just saw her facebook page with her diploma,and I will be excited to see where God takes her next.What a great God we have.

More fun with Jamaican children !

This is a school in Hopewell,just 4 miles up the coast from YWAM.Our DTS and staff shared at the school,and later did street evangelism (sharing Gods love,and His desires)It is times like this that remind me why I am here )

Of course this statement ” Give a man a fish and he eats for a day,teach a man to fish,and he eats for a lifetime” is true. Some of our staff faithfully teaches children to read,and in a very personal way.When we teach people to read and think for themselves,we can open the whole world to them.I drive the teachers every wednesday,and I am happy to be able to assist our base in this way!

Yashen and Ingrid,the students,and me

Oh Canada ?

Matthew and Caleb