(Tuesday, April 29, 2008) — The sweat was dripping off David Bilodeau’s nose and running down the side of his face.
In fact, all of the dozen or so Miles Ahead crew members at Farm Primary and Junior High School in Montego Bay, Jamaica, were wet with perspiration, and splattered with paint, flecks of scraped-off plaster, and schoolyard dirt. Preparing Farm School’s girls and boys’ lavatories for renovation in 100-plus heat and humidity is like doing pushups in a sauna — for hours.
“The conditions when we got here [on Monday] were horrendous,” said Bilodeau, the Miles Ahead project manager for the site. “The smell and sanitary conditions were unbelievable.”
Bilodeau, a compact and solid dark-haired man, was so depleted the frst day of operation that the Miles Ahead medical team hooked him up to an IV of fluids last night (and ordered him to drink more water). Why were Bilodeau and his volunteer plumbers, electricians, painters and carpenters working so hard?
The answer is this: So that the 900 or so children of Farm School could have dignified facilities restrooms — with newly installed lights; with freshly painted cream-colored walls and no graffiti; with 14 new toilets that actually flush and have seats, in stalls with latching doors.
Absolutely basic stuff to American sensibilities, but for Farm School, absolutely unattainable.
Farm School is nestled in a poor section of the rolling highlands above downtown Montego Bay. Not only had its restrooms fallen into disrepair; its campus has never been secure. So while Bilodeau and his colleagues were spending three challenging days renovating the bathrooms, Miles Ahead was arranging for a 400-foot-long, 10-foot-high cement wall with razer wire on top to encircle the compound.
The public primary and junior high institution sits next to a ravine-like flood channel overgrown with folliage. There are lots of places for bad guys to lurk before sneaking past the school perimeter, and unfortunately they have. They have intruded into the school to steal lunch money from the younger children and threaten the school girls. A gang of teenagers bent on revenge burst into a classroom this month and dragged out a 14-year-old boy, attacking him wtih a machete. (The last news was that he was doing well in hospital with a large gash on his shoulder.)
“The wall was so needed,” said Ida Rhoden, the morning vice principal. (The principle, Samuel Reid, and the afternoon vice principal, Mrs. C. Eastmoore, weren’t on campus when we were visiting.) “Now the children can have more of a sense of security.”
A group of children, in crisp emerald green uniforms, clustered around the MilesAhead.tv crew visiting the construction sites on campus. Their shy wide smiles lit up their faces.
“There’s a sense of pride with these children,” said Bilodeau. “They’re amazing and curious. It’s truly been a blessing for all of us. They’re giving us as much as we’re giving them.”
well, where do i start? i know i asked for all this but when it rely begins to happen somtimes u wish that maybe u never prayed for it to happen. my prayer was for god to take ahold of my life, strech pull and push me. break me and mold me into what he wants me to be. and now i see it happening right before me. i mean i’ve done missions before. i’ve been to mexico. i got this or so i thought. i am seeing a whole new side of god, and a side of satan that i prehaps never wanted to see. god works in mysterouis ways. im part of the school assemblies team here in jamaca. i wasnt quite ready for what i’ve seen here. i mean i know that there was poverty but when u see it up close and personal it stirs u. these kid literaly have nothing, yet they are so happy. its truly amazing to see this. we went up in the jungle to this little remote (i geuss ud call it an) orphaniage. this place was awsome! we did our thing up there and then we had some time to talk and just hang out with the kids, i met this one little boy named devon. i asked what he wanted to be when he grew up and he pretty much name every thing there is to name. it was a blessing, these kids didnt even have shoes they all had sandals, and even there sandals where jacked up and broken. and still these guys had the biggest smile on there faces just to see us and talk with us.
that was just one of many experiences that me and me team have had here. and not all of them good. i wont go into much detail but there is a definat need for christ here. and the fellow brother and sisters down here in jamaca have been praying for this for such a long time. im shure that they are just as amazed as i am in seeing all of it finaly coming together.
While many hours were put into play in preparing for the children’s ministry portion of this trip, only God could really call the shots on where we’d be and what we were going to do. One of the reoccurring lessons the children’s team faced was the fact that we needed to be flexible. We needed to be prepared. We needed to have complete faith in the purpose of God’s mighty call.
Daily schedules were given out weeks in advance, however upon arrival and even up until the moment we stepped onto the bus for the day’s lineup, anything could change. Wednesday was a great example of exactly that. The team of 27 was still split in two and scheduled to regroup at one final stop in the late afternoon. We were always eager to find out just a hint of how many children to expect. Of course, that information was never accurately released - can you wonder why God made it that way?
One group of ladies (and a gentleman) eagerly headed out to a school, told to expect approximately 120-some children. Were they in for something that was going to blow their mind. As they got to the school, the reality of 120 kids quickly faded and revealed 800-some kids! With no PA system for a setting in the great Jamaican outdoors, the team lead the children in worship, a short message and prayer. One member of this group continues to say, “You just have to be flexible.” Nothing had gone according to plan for them this entire week for the team, but they reached out to the children with such fire.
Our other group had a full lineup, too. Ready to visit 3 different schools throughout day, that agenda was altered as well. Word traveled quickly about the children’s team from school to school as local outreach ministry guides enthusiastically arranged for more visits each day. An extra school was added and what a joy it was to be with those children. It was definitely less affluent than the earlier campuses by the looks of its schoolroom and playground. Though it was small, it was evident that there was much pride in their humble beginning. We quickly started our program by singing at the top of our lungs. Every school has had its unique flavor, but the surprised smiles on the faces of these children at this tiny school will never be forgotten.
Another added stop of the day was a visit to the nearby straw market. “Pass out rave cards and tell them about the crusade!” was the objective. We didn’t sign up for the street evangelism team, but it didn’t matter. Spreading the news and maybe even having an opportunity to pray over someone couldn’t be passed up. For an hour and a half, the team mingled with the vendors, passed out fliers and absorbed a little more of the culture. A few of the ladies even had a moment to lead one man to Christ and encourage that new commitment with a prayer.
Looking back on the week thus far, God showered us with so many divine appointments. From onlooking kids who wanted to experience the programming but couldn’t because their parents weren’t well off enough, yet heard a story anyway, to children praying for us, how could we have said, “No,” when another stop was requested? The truth is, if we are obedient to a call, in responding to that call we will be blessed many times over.
The point to all of this? Don’t question God when He calls- just get ready and GO.
