Miracle on Churchill Roosevelt Highway

Last week Friday I was heading to Tobago for a wedding on Saturday with Steve and Dyann's children. We had a 6:30am sailing, so we had to wake up pretty early to reach to Port-of-Spain from Dow Village for check in at 4:30am:

2:45am - Rise and shine, make sandwiches for breakfast and start getting ready

3:45am - Leave Dow Village, 15 minutes later than planned, but still with enough time to get up the highway, even with the inclement weather

4:15am - Start hearing a high pitched sound, as though the engine is straining. Never noticed it before, so made a mental note to let the mechanic check it out when I get back

4:25am - Realise that the van is slowing down, even though I am trying to accelerate. Switch over from using CNG to gasoline and start praying

4:30am - Despite the switch over, the van keeps losing power. At this point, I start wondering if we would make it to the port. Call Dyann for prayer support.

4:38am - After decelerating to 20km/h, decide to stop under the Aranguez flyover because (1) I had no desire to be stranded on the Beetham with the only male in our party being 2 years old and (2) At least if the rain started to fall we could shelter under the flyover

4:40am - Call my church parents Lorraine & Lawrence to take my passengers to the port so they would not miss the sailing. Stevann was a bridesmaid in the wedding, so she needed to get there before Saturday

4:50am - Call my cousin Anand who lives in El Socorro. He is an electrician, but felt he could help troubleshoot, as well as keep me company since it was still dark

5:01am - Lawrence arrives and takes my passengers to the port so they were able to check in. Although they took their luggage, I still had all our food supplies, as well as some of the wedding videographers' equipment in the van. Started thinking about where is the nearest mechanic

5:10am - After confirming that there is water in the radiator and there is no visible sign of engine trouble, Anand decides to try starting the van

5:15am - The van starts normally, and is able to reverse and drive forward on the shoulder with no resistance

5:17am - Anand suggests that the van will drive if I try it, but I wasn't sure if I would make it to the port in time, especially since by this time the traffic is already starting to build up heading into Port of Spain

5:22am - Steve assures me that I would be able to make it in time for the sailing, so I start driving, with Anand following behind just in case of any further difficulties

5:30am - Arrive at the port, pick up my passengers and drive on to the boat

9:15am - Drive off the boat in Tobago

NO VAN ISSUES FOR THE REST OF THE WEEKEND!!!!!!

Throughout this entire experience, I was calm. I didn't know how it was all going to work out, but I knew that God was in control, and that I would make it to the wedding somehow. Mummy asked me afterwards what we had done to make the van work again and I said nothing. All we did was pray - God did the rest ;) It was indeed a miracle on the Churchill Roosevelt Highway! I thank God for the friends and family who were there to support, and for His help in ensuring that we got to Tobago and back safely.

Oh and did I mention that after a couple days of rain, we had perfect weather for the beach wedding?

I tell you, I truly serve an AWESOME God!

Ministry trip to Dominica

Since hearing about the devastation that Dominica suffered from hurricane Erika, there was a desire in my heart to visit the island and offer whatever assistance was needed. I finally got the opportunity to do so last week with Is There Not A Cause (ITNAC), the local missions group that I have been a part of the past ten years. ITNAC has been working diligently since August to send relief supplies to those who were affected in Dominica, but this was our first trip to the "Nature Island"

The majestic mountains found throughout the entire country

 We had the pleasure of traveling with Liat, which meant that we had no idea what time we would actually be arriving in Dominica after making the requisite stops in Grenada and Barbados. We were delayed for just over an hour, so we landed at 5pm and got through Customs with minimal issues. Our driver then informed us, that if our flight had been delayed for half an hour longer, we may not have been able to land, since the runway lights have yet to be repaired so they cannot cater for night landings at this time. We thank God for ensuring that we arrived safely at our destination.

Temporary road built to access the airport

Unlike other countries we have visited in the aftermath of natural disasters, we didn't find any persons living in shelters in Dominica. All residents who were displaced by Erika are now staying with friends or relatives, or have been placed in guest houses by the government. Although for the most part, their physical needs for food and clothing are being met, their psychological and emotional needs are huge.

Climbing a hill to meet with survivors of Erika

Imagine seeing a river totally change it's course and sweep away houses in its path.
Imagine having to leave the community where you grew up and lived all your life, no longer having daily contact with your old neighbours and relatives because everyone is living somewhere else.
Imagine having to leave behind your house and all your possessions, which were not destroyed in the floods, because the government has condemned your entire community.
Imagine losing fourteen members of your family in the space of hours.
Imagine sleeping in late one morning, and hearing that your workplace was destroyed by an explosion which killed seven of your coworkers, including your dad.
These are just some of the experiences shared by persons who we visited. We listened to their stories, prayed with them, and offered them words of encouragement.

Uncle is missing his normal routine of life

There are also some communities which have been without pipe-born water since Erika, because their local dams were destroyed by the floods. They have been able to survive on rain water and truck-borne water supplies, but have the added expense of purchasing drinking water. In addition to this, due to the numerous rivers in Dominica, there are many bridges which link one village to the next. Almost all these bridges were destroyed, so temporary bridges were installed. It would cost millions of dollars to replaced all the bridges which were damaged by rivers bursting their banks.

One of the many bridges destroyed by Erika

Due to some mix up in communication, the last shipment of goods sent up from Trinidad to Dominica were still on the port, awaiting clearance. We spent some time sorting out these details to ensure that the items would be cleared. In the meantime, team members pooled their resources to purchase some basic groceries which were made into hampers, and given out to needy families in the community where we were staying. One recipient expressed her sincere gratitude, as just that morning, she was looking at her dwindling supplies and wondering where her next meal would be coming from. Some of the families we helped had lost crops in the floods, so their income was severely restricted.

Groceries for distribution.

Another casualty of hurricane Erika were the beaches. Residents lamented the loss of some beautiful beaches after the coastline was damaged by the heavy rains and floods. Despite this, we were still able to get in a little sea bath, although there were more rocks than sand!

Throughout our entire trip, we experienced God's favor in providing transport for us. The village where we were based does not have much transportation available outside of rush hour, but time and time again we saw God sending vehicles to take us where we needed to go. From a bus which was willing to go off his usual route to take us home, to an air traffic controller who gave us a ride straight to the grocery, to the panel van with no seats in the back who was going in the opposite direction, but consented to drop us home, and gave us two bags of cassava in the process - all these were sent by God in direct answer to our prayers for a ride!

One of our many delicious meal provided by our gracious hosts!

So although it was not what we expected, we thank God for the opportunities He provided to be a blessing to the people of Dominica that we encountered, and for His favor and provision throughout.

Giving thanks and getting real!

When I embarked on the journey to restart the work of ISCF in Grenada, I did not do it alone. God was with me every step of the way. He also laid it on the hearts of many of my family and friends to support me - either through their presence, their prayers, words of encouragement or finances. As a result, I felt it fitting to have a Thanksgiving Service upon my return to Trinidad, to give God glory for what He had done, and to show my appreciation for those who supported me during my time in Grenada.

Part of the gifted worship team

After spending the first half of the program worshiping God and giving Him thanks in song, Helen Lewis spoke on behalf of IS/IVCF Trinidad about the events which led to me serving in Grenada. It was fitting that she did this, since it was her fault I went in the first place ;)

For the rest of the evening, I shared highlights of the repioneering of the work of ISCF Grenada. There were many stories of God showing off in amazing ways, working where there seemed to be no way. There was also a video of testimonies from my Grenadian friends and supporters which were shared during my farewell functions in Grenada. Afterwards there was a time of food and fellowship and people trying to buy my Grenadian gifts :)

Display of gifts from my Grenadian friends

This past weekend I was commissioned to serve as a worker at Christian Assemblies Singles Camp 2015. Initially I had other plans for that weekend but I'm so grateful that my arm was twisted and I had the privilege of serving there.

The theme for this year's camp

The challenge at this camp was for participants to get real with their understanding of love, standards set for purity, and their relationship with God. It was a great opportunity for sharing openly and honestly, and asking questions without fear of judgment. 

One of the icebreakers - how high can this tower go before it collapses?

By the end of the weekend, campers were motivated to align their definition of love with the scriptural definition in 1 Corinthians 13; they were inspired by the example of a young couple who kept themselves pure until marriage by setting boundaries; they were engaged in a discussion outlining the pros and cons of singleness vs. marriage and they were challenged to be real about the quality of their relationship with God.

Praying for one another during devotions

We thank God for the opportunities He provided to serve in this area of the vineyard, and we pray that commitments made over this weekend will be followed through, and that these young adults will live real lives of purity in God's sight.

How I am settling back in

Lots of people have been wondering what I have been up to since my return to Trinidad, and how I feel about being back. To answer the second part, I have mixed emotions. As you can tell from my last post, I got really close to a lot of people in Grenada - people that, up until two years ago, I didn't even know they existed! But now I am no longer a daily part of their lives, and, as happy as I am to reconnect with my friends and family here, I still miss my Grenadian peeps. And let's not talk about the lack of traffic and fear of crime and the beautiful beaches...

Last dip in Grand Anse, the breeding ground for starfish :)

I attended two funerals in my first four days back home. I am glad that I made it back to support my family in their time of need. The funerals also served as a good place for reunions :)

Liming with cousins after my uncle's funeral

At home, I have been busy with housework duties since Mummy is out of the country for a few months. This has been quite an adjustment, especially since our house here is at least three times bigger than my apartment in Grenada. And let's just say that thousands of ants, and not a few spiders, are wishing that I stayed in Grenada...

Bedroom cupboard ready for packing

Sweet potato casserole, stewed chicken and red beans

Kitchen cupboard freshly organised

I have also been able to spend some time getting reacquainted with the children who I left behind. The children who attend the Homework Center and Bible Club in my community were very happy to have me back. Some had graduated and are now going to 'big school'; there were also some new faces and names that I had to learn. Please pray for more volunteers so we could more effectively support these children in their academic and spiritual development.

Full house at Bible Club on my first Friday back

Helping Primary School children with their homework

And then there were those who were just babies when I left, or who had not even been born...

They were just a couple months old when I left...

Meeting  Baby Shalom 

I have also been able to reconnect with my friends from church, and also to play tour guide for friends from Grenada who were visiting here :)

Surprise lime for a friend from church

Nadia got the tour of South

Apart from these activities, I am also volunteering with ISCF Trinidad, Is There Not A Cause (preparing for a relief trip to Dominica in November) and Ekklesia Ministries (preparing for Carnival camp in February), so I don't have much time to be bored :) I'm not as involved as I was two years ago, because I'm not sure how long I will be here for, and I don't want to over commit myself. I'm still seeking God's clear direction about the next step He would have for me to take, so you can join me in prayer in that regard.

To all who I haven't seen as yet and would like to see me, you know where I live (or you can call to get directions ;)

                                      

A September to remember

I must say that during my last two weeks in Grenada, I was totally BLOWN AWAY by the expressions of love and appreciation that I received from those who have become my Grenadian family! I can't remember any other time in my life when I was showered with so many gifts, and had so many people crying over me... it was like a combination of a wedding and a funeral LOL

It first started with a farewell organised just for the ISCF students. The Board knew that I may not be able to visit all the schools "one last time" before I left, so they organised an event to bring together the students from all the different schools, so the students could have an opportunity to share their tributes.

It was a lovely event, with 27 students from 5 schools coming out to share words of appreciation for my contributions to restarting the work of ISCF Grenada. They spoke about how I believed in their worth, even when they doubted themselves, always encouraging them. Some of the sponsors and volunteers also spoke of how they appreciated my faithfulness in serving the movement, and motivating the students and living a consistent lifestyle.

What was most touching were the gifts given by the students. They gave what they had, and I know it was from their heart. Those who had the means bought beautiful gifts; those who didn’t gave generously of what they had – their talents (dancing) and abilities (writing and painting) and whatever tokens they could find to express their gratitude. I really felt the love!

The next day I hosted a Children's Lime at my home, for all my friends who had children. At one point or the other, they would have come by me, either for a meeting or for a social event, and they really enjoyed playing on the swings and slide in the yard, so I decided to get them all together for their final play date :)

After having fun on the slides, we went inside where they put on a mini concert for me. There were poems, songs and dances. We played some more games and had some snacks - it was a wonderful afternoon of fun and laughter.

Later that week, I hosted a sleepover for some of my friends who welcomed me with open arms when they first met me and included me in their activities, and some of them ended up being a great support to the ministry as well. Whenever we get together, there is a loud of scandalous laughter, so we warned our upstairs neighbours :) We made pizza and talked and laughed and prayed and worshiped - it was a lovely and enjoyable evening with my FamZ.

In planning my official farewell ceremony from ISCF Grenada, the Board members deliberated for a while about the format it should take until one person who knows me well said, what about a beach lime? The idea was warmly embraced and as such, many of the supporters of ISCF Grenada joined together on Saturday 26th August for my official send off.

Many persons worked tirelessly to ensure that the event was a success. Calls were made to invite persons, food was lovingly prepared, a sound system with DJ was set up - they really made a commendable effort to facilitate a wonderful time of food, friends and fellowship.



After filling our bellies, it was time for the tributes. It was humbling to hear the tributes of the impact I had in Grenada after two years of service. Apart from my involvement in ISCF Grenada, some friends shared of how they were enriched by our friendship. I give God all the glory for the using me to bless so many lives, and I am grateful that I was able to hear these testimonials while I was still around to appreciate them!






I was overwhelmed with all the tokens that were given as expressions of thanks, not just during the event, but even afterwards: souvenirs from Grenada, store bought and hand made gifts - each one acting as a reminder of friendships formed. Thank God for my two Trini family members who had come up that weekend with just a carry on, and so were able to help me take all my gifts back home!

The next day was supposed to be another beach lime with two friends. To my surprise, it turned out to be a big lime with another crew that I have been rolling with since I came to Grenada! They planned all this without my having a clue what was going on - a major feat in itself :)

There was a table laden with all manner of Sunday food, and another full with desserts and drinks. We shared another wonderful time of feasting, followed by more tributes and a beautiful gift which captured memories of our times together. There was enough time for a final beach bath as we treasured our last moments (for now) in Grenada together.

Apart from these big limes, there were a few friends who made a special effort to share one last (for now) meal or memory with me: a Sunday lunch, an evening dinner, an afternoon beach bath until sunset, and one final sleep over at my apartment. I appreciate all these expressions of love, and will miss you all very much.

During my last few days I was also able to visit some of the schools which I had been working with for the past two years. Many of the students asked if I really had to go. At one school, they held a special meeting in my honor, with songs and poems and tributes. At another school, I was presented with a lovely array of Grenadian souvenirs. I truly felt the love.
When I agreed to move to Grenada, I did not expect that I would fall in love with the people and the country as much as I did. It certainly has a very special place in my heart, and I thank God for giving me the opportunity to serve there, and for the beautiful people He brought into my life. Some of them made the early morning trek to the airport to bid me farewell (no tears this time though - it was too early in the morning for that :)

Will I miss Grenada? Of course I will! But that is not a good enough reason to stay. As I shared with someone who asked why I didn't stay, there is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens... a time to weep and a time to laugh... a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing... a time to keep and a time to throw away.

I will always treasure my memories of the experiences over the past two years, and I must say a heartfelt THANK YOU to all who made this ministry possible, and who made my stay in Grenada such a wonderful experience. 

Hope's World Assembly testimony

My trip to Mexico is one I know I’ll never forget ever in my life. It was a trip filled with excitement, joy and learning. A journey to remember.

I have to say first of all World Assembly was completely different from what I thought. It is a gathering of the I.S.C.F. groups around the world. It only takes place every four years and next time it will be held in South Africa.

Praying in small groups at Student Gathering

During the first couple of days a Student Gathering was held where we got to talk about our different I.S.C.F. groups. Can you believe that most people don’t even know where Grenada is located, or what a nutmeg even is?

Sharing about Grenada at Meet the Regions

At first a thought occurred to me that everyone here seemed somewhat older than me. This suspicion was soon confirmed when I realised that I was indeed the youngest person at World Assembly. There were over 1,500 people here at Mexico and I was the only one in secondary school. You could just imagine how I felt: overwhelmed and scared. I even felt like I wanted to return back home, because I was certain that I would not make friends with anyone.

But that changed when I met the other delegates from my region. My lasting impression will be the friendliness of the different Caribbean people. The way they greeted and accepted everybody. The way they made me feel like part of their family like a long lost cousin or something.

Meal time with Caribbean friends

Every day we had a schedule of different activities we were to attend. There was worship every morning and it was really good. It felt like God was right next to you.

Time of worship at Student Gathering

We had small groups, scripture readings, and since the meeting was held at a hotel, we of course had time to go swimming in the pools! :)

Chilling in the pool during free time

I met so many people from places I didn’t even know existed like Germany, Singapore, Brazil, Venezuela, Japan, Suriname, Martinique, Antigua and Barbuda… almost 150 countries were represented.

Some of my new friends

Some of the things I learnt were:

• We are blessed as a country to be able to pray and read the Word of God without fear of persecution and rejection from family and friends. Some of the countries represented at World Assembly weren’t so fortunate. Some of the representatives actually snuck away to be able to attend.
•  I learnt about different cultures and backgrounds
•  I learnt about standing up for God, no matter how small or weak I may seem
• I learnt that through challenges and bad times, God is there too. He promises to be there even though He may not always deliver us.

Helping set up the prayer room

How I have been changed:

•  I now have more confidence in myself and what I have to say because, although I am young, my opinions and views do matter
•  I am more thankful to God and appreciative of what our country and people have

Playing a flute solo during worship

In conclusion, I’d like to say a very heart felt thank you to everyone who donated in one way or another. Without your help this trip would not have been possible. Thank you so much and may God bless each one of you :)