Dominican Wedding Adventure

On my first day back to Dominica in November, our team leader Brent sat me down along with Dalton and his fiance Jasmine and said, OK we have a wedding to plan. They had initially planned to get married on December 23rd, but after Maria happened they were considering postponing the wedding, or just having a civil ceremony. After all the support Dalton has given us since we started relief work in Dominica, we could not allow that to happen. So when I returned to Trinidad one week later, my carry on piece was a wedding dress that needed to be dry cleaned, since there is no where in Dominica that does dry cleaning. I was chatting with a colleague on the flight out of Dominica, and she said I was the first relief worker she met who traveled with a wedding dress!

It was one of those dresses that drag on the ground so it really
needed a good cleaning before being used

We had already planned to send up toys for the children in Dominica, especially those who lost their homes due to hurricane Maria. We decided to accept the offer of a pilot to use his single engine plane to transport the toys, along with the photographer for the wedding. It was a tight fit, but we were able to get 200lbs worth of toys on board, along with the centerpieces for the wedding which were specially made in Trinidad (thanks again Aunty Carol!)

Plane was packed to the ceiling

Our pilot, Kerry, was very candid about the challenges of making this flight. God had orchestrated for him to fly the Grenadian Ambassador to Dominica 3 days before our flight, so he experienced the difficulty of landing at Canefield airport for the first time. Due to its geographic position between the sea and a mountain range, the cross winds and short landing strip caused two planes to abort their attempts to land on that day and divert to the larger Melville Hall airport on the other coast of the island. We were trusting God that we would be able to land in Canefield, because Melville Hall was a 1 hour drive through mountains, and we would be landing the day before the wedding. To make matters worse, our generator stopped working the day before the wedding, so Brent (who was picking us up) was working feverishly to get it fixed in time for the wedding, since both the ceremony and the reception were to be held at the parish hall where we stayed.

View of the landing strip from the air

Because of the weight, the plane took a while to climb when leaving Piarco. It was only as we built up speed we were able to get enough lift to clear the mountains of the Northern Range. When we stopped to refuel in Grenada, the winds were strong, making the plane dance as we landed. We continued praying that the winds would be calm as we made the approach to Dominica. Kerry checked with the local MET office at Canefield and they assured us that winds were calm. However as as lined up for the landing, the plane started dancing again, as it did in Grenada. We said that if those were calm winds, we didn't want to experience strong winds. Kerry decided to make one attempt to land, but if he felt it was too risky due to the weight of the plane, the strength of the winds and the shortness of the runway, he would abort and head to Melville Hall. I prayed all the way down and we were able to land and stop just before we ran out of runway! Kerry said this was his most technically difficult landing in all his 21 years of flying experience, but with the help of God we made it safely.

Uncle Anton and Kerry parking the plane after a successful landing

We thanked God for a safe landing and then proceeded to Customs to retrieve our luggage. Previous conversations with the Canefield airport manager had assured us that we would not have to pay any fees, since our flight was classified as "relief". However the Customs guy was not in agreement. He said no one told him that we were coming, so we would have to pay landing fees and parking fees and other fees that amounted to over $500EC. Kerry made a call to the Ambassador, who was now his friend after his flight earlier that week, and the Ambassador let the Customs guy know who was really in charge, so we didn't pay a cent. Talk about the favor of the Lord!

Team members Crystal and Allison sorting the toys we brought up

When we arrived at the parish hall, cleaning for the wedding was still in progress. The boat which was supposed to bring up the majority of the toys for our distribution had to return to Trinidad due to technical difficulties, so the only toys we had to give out were the ones we were able to bring up with us on the flight. Crystal and Allison got to work sorting the toys according to gender and age group while we gathered children from the neighbourhood around the parish hall for our first distribution. When they came, we shared with them about the importance of Christ's coming to earth in the form of man, so He could pay the penalty for our sins by His death. We sang a few Christmas songs but didn't have time for any games as it was getting dark. Imara helped to give out the gifts that were put together, and it was such a joy to see the excitement on their faces as they examined the presents they had received.

Imara making sure everyone got the right gift

Showing off their presents

After the distribution, we started helping the crew from Dalton's church who came to decorate the parish hall. It was a challenge, because we only had solar lamps to provide light. In addition to this, the main person who was to co-ordinate the decor did not show up, so the ladies who were there had to come up with ideas on their own. I think they did an excellent job in spite of the challenges, but it took us a while so they didn't leave there until after midnight. Thank God for the faithful souls who laboured on the generator until they got it working at 2am on the day of the wedding, so we were able to have music, lights and AC on the wedding day.

Imara helping to assemble the center pieces

The day of the wedding was bright and sunny. We knew the wedding would not be on time due to the late hour the couple would have gotten home after dropping home the decorators so we took our time. There were some issues with the cake that needed to be resolved, but a quick call to my cake decorating Mother in Trinidad helped to remedy that situation so it was rescued. Jasmine looked stunning in her wedding dress which made it back to Dominica in time thank you Jesus! Dalton was so grateful for the blessing the team was in ensuring he had a memorable wedding day. The food was excellent, and everyone enjoyed being able to share Dalton and Jasmine's special day with them.

Kudos to these non-professional decorators
who did a very professional job!

So glad we were able to make
their special day so exceptional!

Kerry said that we would have to leave at 6am the day after the wedding because of bad weather that was approaching so although we were tired from all the festivities, we dragged ourselves out of bed at 4:43am to ensure we were ready for our flight out. When we got to the airport, it was still closed and the rain was drizzling. Normally the airport is closed on Sundays, but Kerry's ambassador friend ensured that Customs and Immigration came out, at no cost to us, so we would be able to leave. By the time they arrived, the rain had eased up so we quickly loaded the plane. We waited until the skies were clear and then we took a hasty departure. As soon as we took off, we saw another set of rain coming over the mountains and towards Canefield, so we left just in time.

First Officer Imara with all our important documents ready to board

We landed in Martinique for what was supposed to be a quick refueling before continuing to Trinidad. However, when we got to the terminal for small aircrafts, there were no personnel there to stamp our documents, without which we would not be allowed to land in Trinidad. The security officer did not speak a word of English, and my French from 20 years ago wasn't sufficient. Thankfully there was a lady in the terminal who lives in the States so she was able to serve as a translator for us. When she realised we had to go across to the main terminal, which was a little over a 5 minute drive away, she offered to take us. We got the stamp from Immigration, but Customs told us that they couldn't stamp our documents unless they inspected the plane, which they were not able to do since it was at the other terminal. Thankfully they were able to propose a solution - the put us on to the police who were willing to give us the required stamps, and also a ride back to our terminal!

which is how I ended up getting my first ride in the back
of a police vehicle!

While we were waiting for our ride, we decided to get something to eat for breakfast, and also get some shopping done. Just before the police driver came, Uncle Anton realised his camera was missing. It wasn't the big fancy one he used to take pictures at the wedding, but it was still rather expensive, so he went to work retracing his steps while we prayed. It wasn't in Immigration. It wasn't in Customs. When he went back to the cafe where we bought breakfast, the cashier waved him over and handed him his camera. We thank God there are still honest people in Martinique!

Enjoying an authentic French quiche :)

During our flight to Trinidad, we had to fly almost 20 minutes off course in order to avoid clouds. Apparently flying through clouds can disorient the pilot, as it is difficult to determine which way is up, and it obscures your visibility. As we got closer to Trinidad, there was an opening in the clouds above the Diego Martin valley so we were able to get over the northern range safely instead of having to divert to Tobago and fly over from the East, which would have been more time consuming. As a result, Kerry was able to make it back to work in time. I really want to salute our pilot Kerry for his skills in taking us safely to and from Dominica. The decisions he had to make while flying, and the skills required for a safe landing were very difficult, and he handled them with grace.

He even took me on a test flight prior to the actual flight so
I could get a feel for flying in a small plane

When we landed in Piarco, he said that it was clear that God was with us from the beginning of this journey, straight until the end. I told him if that was not the case, I would not have gone. Thanks to all who prayed for us, and who gave so generously to make this trip a possibility.

If God hadn't been there for me, I never would have made it. Psalm 94:17

The wedding must go on!

For those who have been following this blog since I started it in 2013, you would be familiar with my Grenadian sister Coleen. For those who are not, you can get a glimpse into our friendship here

When she got engaged in August this year, it was not a question of whether I would be coming to the wedding, but of what role I would play. She decided to entrust me with the task of wedding co-ordinator to ensure that everything ran smoothly on her special day. I planned to come in a couple days before the wedding to help with any last minute running around that needed to be done. Although she had almost the entire wedding planned by September, there were still various little things that needed to be done on the days leading up to the wedding

Assembling wedding programs

 Although I had planned a couple extra days after the wedding to catch up with friends, I could not let perfectly good beach days go to waste, so on the Tuesday before the wedding when most of the final details had been done, I decided to visit the beach with my friend Ann and her children. Javon brought along a skimming board, which allows you to ride the waves along the shoreline. After watching him do it a couple times, and seeing how effortless and fun it looked, I decided to give it a try. Apparently, that was a bad idea...

Last selfie before the fall

As I jumped onto the board, my foot slipped off and I fell hard, with my left foot taking the full weight of the fall. I knew immediately that I could not stand up, so I sat on the sand and Ann brought some ice but even then the swelling had started and I knew I was in trouble. With the help of her sons I was able to make it back to the car and drive home. The groom-to-be was not happy. He had tried to suggest that I leave having fun until after the wedding. But I assured him that my twisted foot would not hinder the smooth running of their wedding in any way.

Rest, Ice, Compress and Elevate!

In spite of my injury, there was much to give God thanks for:

- It could have been my right foot that got damaged, which would have made it impossible for me to drive

- Thanks to Coleen's great wedding planning abilities, she had time the next morning to take me to the doctor and to get an xray done

- The doctor was the same one from my old church in Grenada who had attended to me while I lived there free of charge and he continued to extend this courtesy

- The xray showed no broken bones and the doctor did not think I needed a cast so I could easily go to the beach once my foot got better :)

- None of the things that needed to get done on Wednesday required me to leave the house so I was able to rest my foot that entire day

- One of the wedding guests who came in Wednesday night was a doctor and she gave me Ibuprofen to help reduce the swelling so by Thursday morning I was able to move my foot without any pain

Greeting wedding guests at the airport with
a basket of spices courtesy the bride and groom

By the wedding day, I was able to move around without the help of the crutches (thanks Tony!). It was a beautiful sunny day in the midst of the rainy season. The bride was radiant and her groom looked sharp. The bridal party was assembled and the church ready for when the guests started to arrive. Songs were played at the right time throughout the brief but beautiful ceremony. By 12.15pm lunch was being served. I give glory to God for ensuring that all the details fell in place to give my friends the brilliant wedding day that they so looked forward to.

Celebrating after saying "I do"

Everything in place at the reception venue

Pictures with the lovely couple

I am thankful that I was able to help Coleen and De Vaughn enjoy their special day in spite of my injury. She had been such a great source of support to me during my time in Grenada, so I was grateful for an opportunity to return the favor. I pray God's divine purposes for the marriage will be accomplished, that any obstacles in their path would be hurdles that they would overcome, and that their union would be a testimony of the unity between Christ and the Church.

God's perfect timing

Since ISCF Camp Grenada was restarted in 2014, it has been a struggle to determine an ideal time for it to be scheduled. Most churches have programs and activities scheduled for the Easter weekend. July is normally full of Vacation Bible School, and August is Carnival and church camps and then preparations for back to school. We finally decided to use the first weekend after school closed in July. For one reason or another, the children who signed up for the camp scheduled for July 2017 started dropping out one by one until less than 10 remained, so a decision was made to postpone camp until when school closed in December. I was already planning to be in Grenada for a December wedding, so I decided to come in a few days earlier so I could be a part of ISCF Camp Grenada too :)

Campers getting ready to serve breakfast

I only told one person that I was coming (she was my ride there) and she did an excellent job in keeping my secret. It was so much fun seeing the reaction on my friends' faces when I showed up the first morning of camp! The Administration decided to not assign me to any dorm or team so I could just fit in wherever and that was quite fine by me. I was very encouraged to see some of the same students who were a part of ISCF when I first relaunched it in 2013 at the camp (they were in form 1 at the time). Some of them proudly informed me that they were serving on the Executive committees in their schools. To me, they represented the fruit that remained.

Sophie has been a part of ISCF Grenada
since we started the group in her school

The other set of students who brought me great joy were the students from the schools that didn't even have ISCF groups when I left Grenada two years ago. Schools like SAASS and St. John's Christian Academy that we had visited and shared the vision of ISCF, but up to 2015 had not yet been able to identify a teacher who would be willing to take up the mantle of leadership for the ISCF groups. Through the persistent efforts of the local staffworkers, groups were started in these schools, and in the case of the latter, the sponsor even accompanied the students to camp! And then there were the schools which never sent students to camp before, and the schools with students I had never seen before. To me, they represented the new fruit.

Students from Wesley College receiving prayer at chapel

One of the things I love about camp is how it gets campers out of their comfort zones, and encourages them to use talents and abilities that they never knew they had. From participating in team sports to writing songs for talent night to create costumes for banquet night, camp really brought out the best in these campers. As we waited for one of the sessions to start, I asked a student who I had been observing in the previous worship session if she leads worship in her church and she said yes. I asked her if she would be willing to lead some songs and she readily agreed and pulled together some other students to back her up. After that session was over, many other students came up asking when they would be able to lead worship next.

Worship team consisting of students from 3 different schools

 Another element that made this camp ultra special was the presence of a team from the Logos Hope. God's perfect timing allowed the ship to be in Grenada during the exact time of ISCF camp, and connections were made through the advance team for them to send a contingent to serve as counselors on camp. They worked alongside local counselors to lead devotions and exercise, co-ordinate games and provide one on one counsel to students who needed prayer and encouragement. They shared powerful testimonies of how God helped them to overcome struggles in their lives, and gave a clear presentation of the gospel, showing that although the struggle is real, we can overcome through the cross. When one of them realized that many of the students did not have bibles, we were able to organize with one of my friends from the Bookfair who I had met when I was volunteering in Trinidad to get free bibles for each camper, as well as devotionals at a highly discounted price! We are so grateful to God for this wonderful partnership.

Celebrating Grace's birthday on camp with a marshmellow cake
complete with tea lights!

The theme for camp this year was "The struggle is real". Camp speaker Wendiann Ruffin challenged the students to not view struggle as something negative that they needed to get out of, but rather as an opportunity to build spiritual muscle as they persevered in spite of the challenges they would be facing. Board chairman Thandiwe Lyle conducted a session on the struggle with sin, using the life David as an example of how we should deal with sin in our life. One of the students was amazed when they realized that, after all David had done, God was still willing to forgive him when he came in repentance before God for his sin. During Sunday's chapel session, the Holy Spirit led Wendiann to address the same issue we had dealt with in devotions that morning - relationship between children and parents. As she prayed for the students afterwards, there was real breakthrough as campers recognized there was a need for healing in that area of their lives.

Campers being prayed for by counselors

Camp is not camp without some element of crazy fun. The Logos team ensured we had some fresh ideas for games which included campers running around in the yard at midnight with lighted candles, or fishing in a bucket of water for a bar of soap. For banquet night, campers were encouraged to dress as they interpreted the theme. The prize for the most creative boy went to a well dressed young man who said his struggle was with his finances - that even though he looked good on the outside no one knew he was actually bankrupt. For the girls, there was a young lady who had her clothing on backwards and her hair half combed - her struggle was with laziness. The campers had great fun creating their looks for the evening, and the cooks did an excellent job preparing the meal. The camp administration's struggle was how to decorate using the limited materials they had, so I was happy to help them out with my toilet paper flower making expertise :)

Even the counselors joined in the fun :)

The message of camp was definitely received by the campers, as could be seen in the winning song at Talent night:

The struggle is real

But God is greater still

My father don’t want to look after me

I have no friends in school or family

My mother beating me like crazy

I dancing like congoree

No money to pay the school fee

Now I am failing in my CXC

But I want to go to university

Oh God, please help me

We are more than conquerors

We shall not be overcome

We know the devil try to keep us down

But in Christ we have the victory

Morning devotions

I was so grateful for the opportunity to be a part of what God did at ISCF Camp Grenada 2017. Each conversation I was able to have with the campers, each piece of advice given to the camp administration, each toilet paper rose that I was able to make, each devotional that I was able to give to the campers allowed me to share in the ministry to students and I felt so privileged to be able to see the fruit of the seeds which were planted four years ago.

Sunrise over Morne Longue campsite

Some Special people in Dominica

A lot of people have been commending ITNAC for the great work that is being done in Dominica in bringing relief to the persons affected by Hurricane Maria, but it is important to note that we could not do this on our own. I would like to dedicate this blog to some special people who have played an integral role in enabling us to serve effectively in Dominica:

Father Charles Martin

When members of the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force approached Father Charles about providing accommodation for ITNAC team members, he willingly agreed although he had never heard about our organization before. He made the parish hall available to us for as long as we wanted to stay, and graciously allowed us to use his stove to heat up water when we didn't have electricity to boil our own. He has been a wonderful host to the ITNAC team, and we are truly grateful for him providing a base we can call home in Dominica.

Firemen ensuring our water tank at Goodwill Parish Hall is full

Dalton Paul

Dalton was on his way home when the pastor of his church asked him to drop our medical team to a nearby church to do a medical clinic. His conscience did not allow him to leave them there without a ride home, so he also ensured that they got home safely. He has been driving our team around ever since, not expecting anything in return. His pastor was so generous to allow us the use of his church bus, so we could easily get to all the villages we need to throughout Dominica. Dalton is not only our driver - he is an excellent resource person who seems to know everyone in Dominica. He is also not hesitant to get involved, especially when manpower is needed. He is the kind of person who will walk up 5 flights of stairs with you to make sure that you find the right room when you are not familiar with the venue for a meeting, and will take money from his own pocket to put diesel in the vehicle and only tell you when you ask him how he got fuel. 

Dalton helping to offload supplies

Adwina Magloire

Granny, as we affectionately call her, met one of the team members who had come on the first trip to Dominica to do medical relief. Upon hearing about what our group was doing for her people, and realizing that our team was surviving on tinned food and crix, Granny started providing a hot meal daily for us, refusing to take anything in return. She said it was the least she could do for us, for all that we were doing to help the people of Dominica. When resumption of her church commitments no longer enabled her to cook for us, she provided us with a table top stove so we could prepare our own meals. She also keeps us supplied with fresh bread from the bakery every morning.

Granny all dressed up for Creole Day

The Trinidad and Tobago Regiment 

Our army was deployed the day after hurricane Maria hit Dominica. They were tasked with the responsibility of rescuing Trinidadians living there who were in distress, helping to restore order, and also assisting in recovery efforts. Because our storage was located on the same facility as their base, they soon found themselves serving in another role - as ITNAC volunteers. Since the majority of our team members are female, the soldiers stepped in when they saw that we needed help in loading or unloading boxes, erecting tarpaulin to shade us from working in the blistering sun, ensuring that our generator was functioning properly, moving pallets to make more room for storage, and making strategic alliances to ensure we continued to receive favor from the "powers that be" after they left. One of our most regular helpers sent this message when he was being redeployed back to Trinidad:
"May God continue to richly bless and keep you and family. Keep doing the great job you all are doing. I really admired the sacrifice you all make and it was an honor working alongside you guys" The army also made regular patrols to ensure that we felt safe, especially during the early weeks following the hurricane, and ensured we were fed when we worked late at the base. We are truly grateful for their partnership.

Measuring dimensions of a house we identified as needing a
new roof - we sourced the material and they provided the labour

Elena

When her cousin came with ITNAC to serve as a doctor and chose to stay with the team at parish hall instead of at her house, Elena brought food for the entire team on more than one occasion. After seeing what ITNAC was doing, she not only volunteered her time serving, but also got her students from the community college to volunteer as well, building our team of local volunteers! She was also instrumental in introducing us to Benton, who assisted us by pumping diesel for our generator weekly so we could have electricity at Parish hall. Despite working long hours, he would make the extra effort to perform this task, even if it meant coming after midnight.

All hands on deck!

Judy

Judy is another faithful volunteer who has willingly given of her time to help with the sorting and packing that is necessary everytime we get new supplies, or when relief needs to be sent out to different communities. Judy worked as a supervisor in a grocery before hurricane Maria, but lost her job after the grocery closed down due to the looting. Instead of being idle, Judy has bravely joined the ITNAC team of volunteers to help bring relief to her fellow Dominicans. On more than one occasion she has fed us, and her dedication to the task at hand serves as an encouragement to us all.

Judy taking a break with Trinidadian ITNAC volunteers

Ana

I don't know the story of how Ana got connected to ITNAC, but I do know that she has been another invaluable asset to our team in Dominica. She lives in Portsmouth, which is more than an hour's drive away from Roseau, yet she makes the effort to come down and help us whenever she is able. She even used her skills as an aesthetician to give facials and massages to team members during one of our down days. She has been integral in securing storage and volunteers to help with managing relief that is shipped into the port at Portsmouth.

Ana being a link in the toilet paper chain :)

Suzette

Suzette is Trinidadian by birth and Dominican by marriage. She reached out to ITNAC for help for the persons in her community of Trafalgar who were in need of relief supplies. Their community had been cut off by mudslides after Maria, so aid was now starting to trickle in. After dropping literally a ton of relief supplies (we filled a one ton truck!) she was so grateful that she invited us to a river lime the following weekend. She prepared a sumptuous meal for us, which included soup, barbecue and sweetbread! We also got to bathe in the river, and in the sulphur baths free of charge thanks to her husband's connections.

She enjoyed feeding us :)

Delroy

Delroy is another valuable ministry partner who uses his contacts to help us accomplish our objectives. Whether it is a truck to transport supplies, or persons to pick up garbage, he has a great network that he was not afraid to share with us. He brought Antoine onto the team, who spent an entire day (from 9am until after 7pm) loading, transporting and unloading bricks using his truck, without even pausing for lunch. Delroy also provides manpower when we need it to move heavy boxes, and he also helps with the packing.

Antoine securing the load of blocks

Customs and port officials

There are persons with high offices who made decisions which complicated the process of us getting our goods from the boats to our storage area. However, after seeing the work that ITNAC does in distributing relief to the persons who need it the most, we received the full co-operation of customs and port officials to enable us to retrieve our items with as little stress as possible. They worked tirelessly with us, sometimes staying late after their official work hours were over, to ensure that all goods consigned to us were delivered.

With one of our faithful forklift drivers

The Abraham family
Desrie attended my church in St. Augustine while she was a student in Trinidad, and we reconnected on this mission to Dominica. She refused to let me spend all my time in Dominica doing relief work, so she and her family treated us to a day out to the beach at Scott's Head - the further point south of the island. Then on another occasion she took us to Trafalgar waterfall. She ensured that we were well fed on both occasions. Even though I am no longer there, she continues to take team members to experience the beauty of the nature island. Such a gracious and loving family!

After our day trip to Scott's Head 

There are probably other names that I neglected to mention, but it is not because their contribution was not significant. Every single meal that was provided, every kindness that was shown, every ride and internet connection that was freely given was deeply appreciated, and made it a joy for us to continue to serve in Dominica.