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Sunday, 8 September 2013

Movements

For the past seven years since I answered God's call to full time Christian service, I have been serving mainly in Trinidad - my Jerusalem.



The majority of my time has been dedicated to serving the youth in my community of Dow Village, South Oropouche through the Confident Kids Club which consists of a Homework Center and Bible Club. From Monday to Thursday during the school term, we would assist children with homework assignments, research projects, remedial reading, and also give extra guidance for students preparing for the Secondary Entrance Assessment examination (which determines their placement for Secondary School). On Fridays we have a Bible Club, where children are taught songs, scripture verses and principles from the Bible which we trust the Holy Spirit would use to bring about positive change in their lives. I have seen this Club expand in numbers over the years (at present we have an average of 10 children at the Homework Center, and 40 who attend Bible Club). I have also seen the transformation in the lives of the children who attend regularly and have allowed the Word of God to impact their lives.



I have also spent considerable time chairing the Camps Committee of Inter School Christian Fellowship (ISCF). ISCF camp aims to bring together students from schools throughout Trinidad and Tobago for a time of fellowship and fun, but also to challenge them in terms of their spiritual walk with Christ. Every year many students testify about the positive impact that camp has had on their lives. The responsibilities as Chairperson included overseeing the planning of summer camps, from the sourcing and training of the staff and speakers, to the development of the program, to the actual execution of camp in the July/August. Support has also been provided to other camps hosted by IS/IVCF Trinidad during the school year.



Camping has been in my blood from an early age, so it is not strange that I began serving as a counsellor with Christian Assemblies Camps - the camping ministry of the Christian Brethren Ministries. Camps offer a unique opportunity to minister to youth outside of the distractions of the home environments. Many can testify that camp has been a turning point in their Christian lives. It has been my great joy to serve in this capacity, and I have enjoyed many times of sweet fellowship with my fellow campworkers,



One more camping ministry that I am involved with is Ekklesia Word Ministries. A two-day camp is held every year on Carnival Monday and Tuesday to reach out to the community of Point Fortin with the gospel message. I attended these camps while in Primary School, and at Secondary School, started teaching classes. Regardless of the theme chosen, the message is the same - man's need for a Saviour. Within the past few years I have become more involved with the planning of these camps.



Another area of service has been with Is There Not A Cause (ITNAC), a local missionary organisation which seeks to make a difference, one life at a time. I have served as a team leader to short term mission trips to countries such as Guyana, Haiti and Kenya. I have also been a part of outreach efforts in Jamaica, St. Lucia and various parts of Trinidad where we have sought to share the Good News through meeting the immediate needs in different communities. From building homes in Palo Seco, South Trinidad to medical clinics in Haiti, my experiences with ITNAC have been exciting and fulfilling.



In the more recent years, I began working with Street Pastors Trinidad and Tobago. This is an organisation which encourages the Church to impact the community by meeting people on the streets in an effort to care, listen and help. Subsequent to a visit to the UK to see firsthand the operations of Street Pastors there, I joined the local planning committee which established our pilot project in Tunapuna. It has been very fulfilling ministering to the needs of people  who we meet while on patrol, some of whom may never enter a church building.



For the past two years I have been serving as a tutor with the Adult Literacy Tutors Association (ALTA). This organisation was established to improve the rates of adult literacy by training tutors to teach adults to read and write. I have been teaching a class in Point Fortin for the past two years, and it has been very encouraging to see the improvement in the lives of the students who participate.



Now, however, I am preparing to leave the shores of Trinidad and Tobago to embark on the next phase of my journey - to Grenada, my Samaria. Look out for more details about this new assignment in my next post!

4 comments:

  1. Best of luck, Debbie. You are always in our hearts and prayers. So inspirational.

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  2. Excellent ... keep following Him...

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  3. I remember when you started, and I had so many questions rolling through my mind. (I didn't know much about missions then). It is wonderful to see all the Lord has been doing through you and I'll keep following and praying. - Aleeca

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