Because God knew I would need it...

I didn't plan to travel abroad this year. Usually my trips overseas are ministry-initiated (going on a missions trip or to a missions conference) or baby-initiated (I visited both my sisters a couple months after they had their first babies). Neither of these conditions were prevalent in 2021. However in October the President of the USA announced that he would be removing the travel restriction between the UK and the USA so my older sister decided that she would take the opportunity to visit my younger sister in Baltimore. I did not want to be left out of the Sister's lime so I invited myself to come along. Only God knew how very timely that trip would prove to be...

I got to get my first beach therapy in seven months!

Two weeks before I was due to travel, my neighbour-friend-sister passed away. Our families have been very closely connected from the time I was born, so I was very glad that I was in Trinidad to give the support needed when her children came down for the funeral, and on the day of the funeral itself. I flew out the day after her funeral and spent a few days by her sister in Florida, who is also one of my closest friends, before continuing on to Baltimore to reunite with my sisters after 2 long years apart.

Can you guess which of us lives in the Tropics? 

I experienced God's favour even before I left Trinidad. Although I did my best to only take the absolutely essential items I needed, by the time my suitcase was packed up with homemade pepper sauce, seasoning, black cake, pastelles, callaloo, local sweets and a tawa for my brother-in-law's roti-making endeavours, my suitcase was 10 pounds overweight. When the guy who weighed it saw how heavy it was, he said, "Miss lady... you flying first class?!" I was a bit concerned, but when I got to the counter the counter lady allowed me to redistribute my items so I didn't have to leave anything behind!

When the brother-in-law asks for a tawa, dabla
and curry how could I say no?

One of the hardest things for me when the pandemic hit was not knowing when I would get to see my sisters and nephews again... Our country's borders were closed so they could not come in; I could have left, but would have had to apply for an exemption to be able to return. At the time Daddy's health was declining so I could not take that risk. After he passed there was a bit more flexibility, but I was still hesitant to travel. However my church mother told me, "Debbie, go see your sisters" and I am so glad I did. It was soooooooooooo good to just be together physically. While I am grateful for the technology that kept us in touch, there really is no substitute for being in the same room, sitting around the same table sharing a meal, and enjoying simple experiences together like playing games or taking a walk along the river.

The cousins were so happy to reunite as well!

My big sister and her son were only there for 8 days, but my little sister ensured that the time was well spent. We shopped at a German Christmas market, rode on a merry-go-round, saw a wide array of fishes and birds at the Aquarium, read books at the library, went ice-skating, walked along the river, rode bikes and scooters while the children rolled down the hill in the park and decorated gingerbread houses. My brother-in-law cooked a sumptuous Thanksgiving dinner for us while the cousins played with trains and built lego. I know that the fond memories of that week together will stay with us for a long time.

Bellies full after Thanksgiving dinner

I am very involved in the lives of my niece and nephew who live in Trinidad. One of the fears I had with my nephews living abroad was that I would not be able to make a meaningful influence in their lives, due to us living in different countries and me not being able to interact with them as much. However, God provided an opportunity for me to impact each of them in the time I was there. Joshua (at 2 years old) was not used to being apart from his mother, since he grew up as a 'pandemic' baby. Over the week he was there, as he got adjusted to the time difference, he became more readily willing to hang out with me when he woke up at the wee hours of the morning and his mother needed to sleep.

Me and my Chunkalunks

The last time I saw Enoch in person he had just turned two years old. Yet when I took him to daycare the day after I arrived, all his teachers came outside to see who was this Aunty Debbie he had been talking excitedly about all week! Enoch is now four years old but his mind is way beyond that age. He had me cracking up with his responses and comments. One time when he didn't sleep during his nap time I asked him why and he patiently explained, "I was too awake to sleep". My sister told me that he was not interested in coloring, however, one afternoon we sat together and coloured two pages in his workbook. He was so proud of the outcome that he asked me to cut out the pictures and stick them on the wall. One week after I left, my sister sent me a video of him doing his "homework" - sitting at his little desk coloring by himself. I was so impressed with the progress he had made - he did an excellent job of keeping within the lines!

The sun was in his eye for this pic, but he 
thoroughly enjoyed his first time iceskating

Isaiah is now 6 years old but has the reading level of an 11 year old. It was such a delight seeing the love and care he showed to his younger cousin during the time he was there. One of my treasured memories was hearing him pray after I read their devotionals while putting them to bed. His prayers demonstrated his understanding of the passages read, and also reflected his desire to improve on his shortcomings during the day. The day before I left, He drew up a table with the list of all the members of his family, and mine was at the top, so I know that he felt the connection too.

Getting ready to go to the Aquarium

One time when we had not left the house for the entire day, my sister suggested that we go for a walk in the park. Initially my nephews protested that they didn't want to go, because they were too busy playing inside but she insisted (it brought back memories of when we were small and our parents 'forced' us to go to the pool or the beach instead of staying inside all day). As soon as we left the house they started running and enjoying the fresh air. When we got to the park we found a tree which had lots of fallen leaves and they had a ball playing in the leaves, and covering themselves up with it. I thought about the times when God is guiding us to do something which is to our benefit, but we are hesitant to move because we are too comfortable where we are. When we submit ourselves to the leading of our Heavenly Father who knows the blessing that lies ahead, we are able to reap the reward of our obedience.

They would have missed out on so much joy
if they had refused to leave the house

Ten days into my trip, we got the news that one of our cousins passed away suddenly. My sisters were there to comfort me when I got the news. One week later, I found out that one of my good friends from ITNAC died unexpectedly, and a few days later, someone from church who was good friends with Daddy. By this time I was back by my sister-friend in Miami. She and her husband had already decided that they would take me to a beach, and when they saw the emotional state I was in they went a step further to make it a mini-vacation. Let me tell you it was JUST WHAT MY SOUL NEEDED!!!!

Can you tell I am in my happy place?

For me going to the beach is not just a lime. It is where I feel connected to God, because I get the opportunity to literally be IN His creation. When I swim I talk to Him. When I feast my eyes on the colors of the sky and sea, and inhale the salty air, and feel the sea breeze and the sand between my toes, my soul is at peace. The timing of this trip to the beach could not have been more perfect. It was just what I needed to refocus my attention on my Source from whom I could have drawn strength.

The water was freezing but I didn't care - I still spent
2 hours in it while my friends waited for me on the sand

We saw the favour of the Lord so clearly during this short trip. There were only 3 public access points to this particular beach in Bonita Springs, Florida. The first one was extremely packed and overcrowded. The second one would have only given us access to a narrow strip of beach, and we didn't feel too welcomed there; the sand was also very course and rocky. The third one was perfect - we had enough room where we didn't feel like anyone was encroaching on our personal space, it was quiet and peaceful, and the sand was soft. However, there was no space to park. After circling the car park once, we saw a lady walking out from the beach. We were hesitant to ask if she was leaving, but she approached our car, asked if we were looking for a park and told us we could get her spot when she left. And it was free!!! Talk about the favour of the Lord!

So blessed to be loved into a family like this :)

We went to the hotel to check in and then got ready to head back to the beach to take in the beach sunset. We were chasing down the sun, as it was setting at quite a fast rate, and we were not sure that we would be able to make it back to the beach in time to enjoy it. However, God who knows the desires of my heart ensured that He kept it in the sky just long enough for us to get to the beach where we could have seen it just before it dipped below the horizon. When we got there (we stopped at the crowded beach because it was the closest), we were shocked to see how everyone on the beach had stopped what they were doing and were giving the sunset their full attention. Everyone was quiet - it was like a sacred moment where we were all basking in the beauty of God's masterpiece. After the sun went down, there was a round of applause for a spectacular display of artistry.

The heavens were declaring the glory of God

The day was perfect so far, but it wasn't over yet. We were treated to a sumptuous dinner, and this was followed by a night of family games that had me laughing all my sorrows away. We tried to go to the hotel pool that night but found that it was closed. I woke up early the next morning with the intention to take a dip after breakfast. My friend warned me that it would be cold, especially since there was mist in the air, but I figured if I could have survived the freezing sea water it couldn't be so bad. When we went outside after a lovely breakfast, we were pleasantly surprised to discover that it was a heated pool! We made the most of it until it was time for us to leave.

A cheerful heart is good medicine

God ensured that we had perfect beach weather for our mini-getaway - the next day was very rainy. Later that afternoon I suffered an acute muscle strain in my back. Thankfully I was in my friend’s office, and she is a physiotherapist, so she was able to hook me up to a machine to send electrical stimulation to the affected area immediately, as well as ice it and tape it. In spite of that treatment, I could not lie flat on my back because of the pain, and I could not lift my leg to get into the car without pain either. I was given anti-inflammatory medication, and then iced it again when I got home.

Receiving therapy

We prayed for a speedy recovery, because I was due to fly back to Trinidad from Miami on the Thursday. While I could pay someone to handle my checked luggage, the airline's new covid protocols for carry ons was that no one but the owner is allowed to touch your carry on, so it would have been a challenge to get it into the overhead compartment. When I woke up the next day, there was no pain. I still took it easy and rested for most of the day. By Wednesday, I was totally recovered, to the point where my friend was able to massage it and I felt nothing. I was able to put my carryon into the overhead compartment on Thursday, and stand in lines in Piarco airport for 3 hours with no adverse effects.

There is no way I could have done this stretch
two days before

I am beyond grateful to God for the way He provided for this trip. From the persons who sponsored my tickets to the ones who sponsored my spending money to the ones who sacrificed their work and study schedules to allow me to have the beach therapy I needed, I definitely felt the love and grace of God that I needed to carry me through this season.

If "The blessing of the LORD makes rich,
 and he adds no sorrow with it" was a picture :)

Death is not the end

 At church on Sunday our elder made this statement: We start dying from the day we are born.

It is not a pleasant thought, but it is the reality of our human existence. 

But it was not always this way. When God created humanity, His plan was that we would live forever. One of the trees planted in the Garden of Eden was the Tree of Life, which Adam and Eve had full access to before they sinned. It was only after they disobeyed God that they were prevented from eating the fruit from the Tree of Life (Genesis 3:22)

This is why death is so painful - it was not part of God's original design, but was a consequence of sin entering the world. There is no escaping it; we may be successful in delaying it by the life choices we make, but it is inevitable. In the words of Elder Joe Caterson, "We inherited a decaying inadequate body from Adam."

But the good news is that death is not the end. 

In John 11:25 Jesus said to Martha after her brother died, "I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live." For those who have put their confidence in Christ for salvation, we have a sure hope that we will live again after we have departed this life. 

That new life that we will attain is far superior to the one we have now. In Revelation 21:4 it is described as follows: "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away."

God wants everyone to be a part of this new life, but the decision to believe on Jesus must be made before we depart this life. The criminal on the cross who was being crucified next to Jesus made that decision just in the nick of time (Luke 23:42) Jesus promised that he would join Him in paradise on that same day.

We do not know when we will die. People have been dying at an increasingly rapid rate over the last two years, so we cannot take it for granted that we will have time to put our trust in Christ at a later date.

For those of us who have put our confidence in Christ, death is not the end; it is the beginning of eternity with God in heaven. The following steps are outlined in the Bible:

1. Recognize that you are a sinner (Romans 3:23)

2. Understand that this condition of sin prevents you from being in God's presence (Isaiah 59:2)

3. Believe that when Jesus died on the cross, His death paid the price for your sin (1 Peter 2:24)

4. Surrender the control of your life over to God (Romans 10:9)

5. Commit to living your life to please Him (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Man messed up God's plan for eternal life with Him through sinning, but God fixed it by sending His Son Jesus to earth in the form of man, to take on Himself the sins of the world (John 3:16)

Once we believe on Him, death is not the end; it is just the beginning.

New ministry opportunities

When camp and VBS finished in August and I shifted focus to the start of the academic year in September, I thought I would just be going back to my regularly scheduled ministry activities - English classes for the Venezuelan migrant children, Homework Club for 2022 SEA students, Bible Club for the children in the community, serving on the Digital strategy team at my home church and volunteering with ITNAC whenever my schedule would allow. I had no idea that God would be opening new avenues in which He would have me serve.

The first opportunity came directly out of camp. There was a young lady who surrendered her life to Christ at ISCF camp, and also attended Christian Brethren Camp the following week. She was in need of teaching about the fundamentals of the Christian faith, but I could not find any church that was running classes for new believers at that point, so I offered to teach her myself. I got some material online that I modified and started having sessions with her and one other person on Monday evenings. A couple other girls from camp who were interested in growing their relationship with God also attended when we just started, but when school resumed in September and their work schedule began to get intense they stopped coming. I have been meeting with the initial two persons for the past eleven weeks, and they have not missed a session. I give God all the glory for the growth that has been seen based on their responses to questions I ask, and continue to trust Him to bring the increase as I water the seeds which have been planted.

Excerpt from one of our sessions

After completing my training in teaching English to speakers of other languages in 2019, I was approached by someone from my church who wanted to start a ministry locally reaching out to the Venezuelan migrant community. Refugio was established to support Spanish-speaking migrants initially by offering free English classes. I assisted in planning how the curriculum would be delivered, and we were about to start training volunteers to deliver the classes when the pandemic hit in 2020 so we could no longer have physical classes. We had to modify the program to be delivered virtually, and in 2021 were ready to have our first online classes. 

I was asked to incorporate the children into my existing English classes for children. However after the first week of class, I recognized that there was a huge disparity between the children I had been teaching online since October 2020 and those who just started in September 2021. My solution was to have two sets of classes - one for the Beginner students, and one for Intermediate students. The result is that I now teach four English classes every week - two at a slower pace, and the other two at a faster pace. My students from last year who were struggling are able to benefit from being in the Beginners class, while the more advanced students have moved on to the Intermediate level. I am so pleased with their progress - we can have almost a whole conversation in English now!

Some of my Spanish children at class

God also opened avenues for me to speak truth into the lives of five ladies over the past three months. I did not go out of my way to seek out these mentorship relationships - God brought them along my path, they started opening up to me and I simply use God's Word to guide my responses to them. Some were people I have known for years, but we never had this level of conversation before; others were more recently formed relationships. I am grateful to God for the opportunity to pour into the lives of these ladies, as I myself have tremendously benefited from those who have done the same for me.

She decided on her own to get baptized in September!

One of the things that sets Is There Not A Cause apart from other organizations that do charity is that for us, the motive is not just helping the person with their physical needs: oftentimes this just allows us an opportunity to build relationships with the persons, and out of that relationship we are able to encourage them to know Christ better. In September we were blessed with 300 food hampers which we allocated to families who were negatively affected by restrictions imposed by the covid-19 pandemic. Two families live in my community, and when I shared about our Bible Club, the mothers were very happy to have their children included, so I now have two additional stops to make on a Friday afternoon. 

These children are more diligent about learning the Memory verses than my regular Bible Club children. It warmed my heart one afternoon when I asked one of them to open in prayer, and she prayed using the memory verse from the previous week, Acts 3:19 - "Lord help us to repent and turn to you so that our sins can be forgiven". One of families has a student who is writing SEA in 2022, and his mother was very grateful to send him to Homework Club as well so he could get the additional help he needs in Maths.

They are always so excited to see me on a Friday afternoon

One day in September I went to the ISCF office to drop off something and when I walked through the door one of the staffworkers said, "I was supposed to call you to ask you to be on a panel for a session about Singleness our church is having". I graciously accepted the invitation, not knowing that it was the first in a series of four sessions that I would facilitate over the next two months for four different groups of teenagers and young adults, sharing strategies about living a successful single life, whether or not singleness is a calling from God, how to deal with the desire for marriage if God has called you to a life of singleness, and many more questions. The responses to these sessions were phenomenal - the participants were engaged, shared openly about their experiences, asked their questions without reservations, and expressed appreciation afterwards for the truths which were shared. I am grateful for the privilege of sharing from my years of experience of being single to teach and encourage others.

I make a conscious effort to use scripture to back
up the principles I share

At the beginning of this year I made a commitment to read through the entire Bible - a mission I had started and aborted on more than four occasions. What has made this attempt successful (we are in Jeremiah now, so more than halfway there) is that I am not doing it alone: two friends from church have joined me on this journey through the Bible, so they have provided the accountability and motivation that was necessary to keep me going. We are reading the Bible chronologically, and this approach has brought a level of enlightenment and understanding while reading the Old Testament scripture that never existed before. I am benefiting tremendously by reading books that I had never read before (like Obadiah) and reading verses in context that I had only ever read in isolation. We are learning so much about God's character through how He interacted with the children of Israel. I highly recommend that every believer in Christ have "Read through the entire Bible" very high on their bucket list.

My Bible reading buddies :)

I am grateful to God for the new opportunities to serve that He has opened for me, and I'm excited to see what next He has in store for me!

The camp that almost wasn't...

The lead up

 In a normal year, I would be involved with training new Adult Literacy tutors in April/May, then have all of June to prepare for VBS and ISCF camp in July/August. But this year was no ordinary year. After dealing with Daddy's declining health in May and passing in June, I spent most of July preparing for and training ALTA tutors who would be teaching for the first time virtually. It was a lot of work, but it was rewarding to get comments like these at the end:

"Thanks Debbie for all your help and patience during the training. Your wonderful personality and your knowledge and expertise made the training so easy for us to understand. I now feel more confident and able to do the virtual [teaching]

Thanks for facilitating our training Debbie and especially for your patience and the professional manner in which you made me feel comfortable even when I made mistakes. I appreciated that very much because it helped me to keep calm even while coping with all the stress I was experiencing."

Other members of the Camps Committee were going through personal challenges as well, so we didn't meet for the whole month of June. A meeting was planned for July 1st but at this point, I was having doubts about whether we could pull off a camp this year. The first camp was scheduled to begin on July 28th but to date all we had completed was the camp form and flyer, and there were only 2 students registered for camp. In addition, I wasn't convinced that children would be interested in an online camp this year after having been in online school for the past academic year. I wisely kept my doubts to myself and it's a good thing I did, because on July 1st when the flyer was shared to IS/IVCF's facebook page, twenty new campers registered that same day!

 

This year's theme was "Get Ready!"

Get ready - camp is happening!

After that, things started to come into place very swiftly. Directors were sourced from Tobago and the USA (after all, since our camp was virtual, we didn't need to limit our staff to Trinidad and Tobago!) Two training sessions and one fellowship session was held with the counselors. Daily themes and devotions were developed and sent out to counselors and camp speakers. One week after the camp flyers were posted, we had 81 campers registered; one week later, the number grew to 133! It was clear that we needed to source more counselors, with only two weeks to go before the start of camp... 

We started making phone calls to persons who had served as counselors in the past, and also to persons who never counselled camp before but had been a part of IS/IVCF for many years. We even reached out to ISCCF in St. Lucia and were able to get their staffworker to join our counselling team! We had counselors living in Australia, Canada and the USA joining in as well as those in Trinidad and Tobago. In the space of two weeks, we went from having 20 to 32 counselors - glory to God! 

Of the four persons who usually help with camp administration, three were unavailable this year, and the fourth was only able to serve for one week. Thank God for my network of friends who I was able to call on at the 99th hour to assist when we realized how huge the numbers were going to be. We ended up having over 100 campers in Primary camp, and 148 in Junior/Senior camp - the biggest ever in the history of ISCF camping!

Enjoying a time of fellowship before camp began

The first day of Primary camp started with a bang, with 87 campers joining in for this year's camp, "Get Ready!" Our camp directors did an excellent job in managing the schedule, and our camp speaker was very creative and engaging as he presented the message to the campers, encouraging them to get ready to be a part of the kingdom of God. We had some technical issues as soon as it was time for the campers to go into their dorms, and the camp speaker's laptop stopped working just as it was his time to present, so we knew that we needed to get the prayer chain activated for camp. We had intercessors praying every hour for the entire duration of camp. Each day they were given updates so they knew exactly what to pray for, and what to give God thanks for. 

The kind of characters you
can encounter at an ISCF camp

At primary camp, the campers were very receptive to the messages being presented, and very open in the dorms. Some of them asked for prayer to change behaviours which they knew were not pleasing to God. They eagerly learnt their memory verses and many participated in the Memory Verse challenge where they had to do visual representations of the memory verses. For our memory verse video challenge, we received over 20 submissions from these children under the age of 10 - some as young as 4 years old! One camper told his counselor, "I want to learn plenty memory verses because if I hide it in my heart, I will not sin against God". In honor of the 65th anniversary of IS/IVCF in Trinidad and Tobago, we showed the campers videos from past counselors who shared about their camping experiences from the 1960s straight up until the 2000s - it was very enlightening for the campers so see how ISCF camping has evolved over the years.. Apart from the spiritual lessons learnt, campers also enjoyed interactive games, a quiz, painting, and a cooking session where they learnt to make pancakes.

One of our youngest chefs

On the second to last day of camp, one parent asked if there were any "classes teaching kids the word of God" after camp was finished that their children could be a part of. We were grateful to see that the parents appreciated the importance of their children learning the Word of God. By the end of camp, 6 children committed to serve Jesus with their lives for the first time! We pray that the Word which was planted in their lives this week would produce much fruit, for God's presence in the midst of those living in challenging situations, for God's help for those experiencing challenges with online school, and for parents to be encouraged to keep teaching their children the Word of God.

Creative entry for our Masquerade Challenge

When asked what they learnt from ISCF camp, this is what some of them had to say:

* Obey God's Word and make God first

* Do the right thing and also tell all my friends about Jesus

* Jesus is coming soon so we have to get ready 

* How I can talk to God when ever I want

* I learnt that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life

* The change I will make in my life after camp is to change my bad habits like having to much screen time

* I will try harder not to sin

* I want to change the fact that I do not always ready the bible often

Entry to our Memory Verse Challenge

For the first time in I-have-no-clue-how-many years, we were actually able to have 2 (and in some cases 3!) male counselors in a dorm at a Junior/Senior camp. This in itself was a miracle, especially since the majority of them responded to the call at the 99th hour. This year's camp speaker was powerful and direct with his messages, challenging campers to get ready for the realities of life and inevitable death, provoking them to godly living in the midst of life's addictions and temptations, and encouraging them to be ready to represent Christ to others in their lifestyle and conversations. 

At the beginning of camp, many of the campers were very reserved in the breakout rooms but by the end of the week, they started opening up about the challenges they were facing and the issues they were struggling with. At least four campers surrendered their lives to Christ for the first time, and many others renewed their commitment to live for Him. Many campers demonstrated a desire to apply the principles they learnt in camp that week to their daily lives, so we trust that the Holy Spirit would direct and guide as they commit to walk in obedience.

Digital submission for Memory Verse Challenge

For me one of the highlights of Junior/Senior camp was the impromptu testimony session that we had on the last day of camp. It was not a part of the program, but in the post mortem after the second to last day of camp, one of the male counselors was sharing about an issue that a camper in his dorm was facing. One of the female counselors then shared that one of her campers had spoken about facing that same issue, and testified about how she overcame it. Right then, we suggested having a time where campers could share their testimonies on the last day, and encourage one another. Our minds were blown and our hearts were encouraged by what the campers shared. Some spoke about how they applied principles which were shared with them at camp and how they were amazed when it worked. Others shared about challenging situations they faced, and how they were able to overcome. We will definitely be including this segment in future camps!

Senior camper giving her testimony

When we asked what they learnt on camp this week, this is what some of what was shared:

* I learned that I should spread the Word of The Lord in all that I say and do

* That the reality of life will hit me sooner than I think

* Learned that you have to be ready when God comes and it will have problems [along] the way you have to get through

* God is our father, friend and everything. As ambassadors for Him we need to go all out and [not] be held back by fear

* I learnt that I need to try harder to represent God

* I learned that another way to share God's word is to have people ask questions other than telling them

* That even when you feel like God wont forgive give you for something that you feel so badly about he will always forgive

* Don't study what people think about you when you tell them about God. Just plant the seed and if the choose not to listen, that's them, they can't say someone didn't warn them. Or someone may come in the future and water the seed.

* That God creates a way of escape in any situation that we need to overcome

* I learned that tomorrow isn't promised therefore I need to be prepared

One of the more elaborate designs
for the Masquerade challenge

The campers also shared changes that they purposed to make after camp:

* I will change my ways so that whatever I do, it will show the godliness in my life

* My attitude on how I approach things

* I'll try sharing the word of God more with people rather than keeping it to myself

* Better decisions and the application of God into everyday activities

* To be closer to God, pray more and read my bible

* I will try to see myself the way God sees me and never underestimate myself and the potential he has blessed me with

* I will try to not be tempted by the things I enjoyed doing before that I now know are wrong and displeasing to God

* Stop stressing about a lot of unnecessary stuff and turn my worries to God so I can let go of them and be more free

* I will try harder to fight my battles, knowing that they are other people going through the same as I am

Every year these campers blow our minds with 
their creative designs

We give God all the glory for bringing together all the resources needed to execute another successful online camp. From those who conducted the training sessions for the counselors, to those who were on board from the beginning to those who just messaged to find out how I was going and by the end of the conversation found themselves committing to counsel at camp. Thanks to those who came up with the concept for camp, planned the devotions, developed the flyers and logos, served on the Admin team, counselling team, judging team or served as camp speakers. Thanks to those who prayed. Above all else, thanks to God who used the speakers and counselors to minister truth to these campers, and who made the camp that almost wasn't the grand success that it was!

How I was able to have a Happy Birthday even though my father died 3 days before

I usually have an idea of what I would like to do for my birthday a couple months in advance. For some strange reason, I had no idea what I wanted to do for this year. Every time I tried thinking of something to do, it just didn’t feel right. When the restrictions started tightening in April I understood why: nobody would be able to do anything by June 14th, as everything would have been shut down. 

Thanks to my neighbour I 
was able to get homemade
starch mango ice cream though!

Due to all but non-essential businesses being closed locally, many persons now found themselves without a source of income. In early June a fire destroyed a house in Carenage, resulting in two families losing everything and having no place to stay. Many families in St. Vincent and the Democratic Republic of Congo were displaced due to volcanoes in their respective countries. I decided that to celebrate my birthday this year, I would provide an opportunity for my supporters to give towards alleviating the suffering of some of these people.

Big thanks to Karissa for agreeing to design 
this flyer at the 99th hour for me ;)

For the day of my birthday itself, I had the idea of preparing hot meals for 50 persons and distributing to persons in need. What I did not anticipate, however, was my father being diagnosed with covid-19 ten days before, so I would be in isolation at home on my birthday. Thankfully, my friends from ITNAC had a similar idea about cooking lunches for persons in need, so I asked them to take charge of the cooking, packing and distributing on my birthday and they did an exceptional job!

It tasted as good as it looked!

Three days before my birthday, my father passed away. Even though my spirit and soul were at peace at his passing (check out my previous blog to see why) it seems like my body had not gotten the memo. I was able to function quite fine during the day, but when I went into my bed I just could not fall asleep no matter what I tried. In the wee hours of the morning on my birthday when I couldn't sleep, I messaged my friends in different time zones and two of them responded. It was so good to talk to my friends from Kenya and Norway and to have them pray for me, so when I actually went back to bed at 5.30am I was able to take a good, long sleep. When I woke up it was close to lunchtime so after spending my time with the Lord I skipped breakfast and headed straight for the lasagna Mummy made especially for me :)

Lasagna made with love

My afternoon was filled with phone calls, video calls and messages of love from my friends and family that brought such joy and kept my spirits lifted. My friend did a cover of my favourite worship song in this season, and another friend's 5 year old son performed a drum solo for me while his father sang. I did some self-care as I dyed my hair and treated myself to a clay face mask and body scrub in a freshly scrubbed bathroom. Later on in the evening in the middle of a meeting I had with a committee from my church, my phone rang and the person simply said, "Come outside". When I went to my front gate, I was greeted by my friends who had cooked my birthday lunch, along with some other ITNAC members bearing a lovely bouquet of flowers, bake and shark, and 2 containers of food. It was a delightful surprise, especially knowing that they had been up early cooking, and then been on the road all day delivering food - it really warmed my heart.

These flowers brightened our dining 
room table for two weeks!

I think this year's birthday broke the record for the most amount of desserts I received for a single birthday ever! It started the Saturday before my birthday with my sister friend bringing chocolate and vanilla cupcakes. Then on my birthday I got starch mango ice cream and pineapple cheesecake. That weekend my sister-in-law baked me a chocolate cake topped with M&Ms and Kitkats on top of chocolate icing. The following week my aunts and a cousin came to lunch bearing an almond sponge cake, mini cheesecakes and coconut sapodilla ice cream. A few weeks later my niece had a birthday party for me (complete with balloons and face painting) and we had carrot cake cupcakes and apple cinnamon ice cream. Let's just say it's a good thing we are now allowed to resume outdoor exercises!

All these cakes contributed to it being one
of the sweetest birthdays ever

Apart from covering the cost of the meals distributed on my birthday, some of the funds donated for my birthday project have been used to:

* Purchase grocery hampers

* Assist with the funeral expenses of someone who died from covid-19

* Support another distribution of cooked meals

* Purchase cazacs, towels and baby bags for expectant mothers

* Support one of the families who was rendered homeless after the fire

* Bless a father undergoing cancer treatment whose household's income was reduced due to covid restrictions

* Purchase food for families displaced by the volcano in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Ten babies would benefit from the items purchased

It was certainly a birthday with a difference. I thank God for the community I am surrounded with who He used to ensure that, in the midst of our sorrow, I was still able to be celebrated and enjoy my special day. Thanks so much to all who made it outstanding, not just on my actual birthday, but also on the days following. Thanks also to those who contributed financially towards my birthday project 2021. It would not have been a success without you!

Enjoying my birthday ice cream with my
brother and his wife

My father tested positive for covid-19 but that's not why he died

 On Friday 4th June 2021 we got a phone call from the lab that did a covid-19 test on Daddy saying that the results were positive. One week later we got a phone call from the hospital saying that he had passed away. But he did not die from covid-19. He died because he had accomplished the purpose that God had ordained for him, before he was even born.

Before Daddy got his first major stroke approximately 10 years ago, he was actively involved in ministry: serving as an elder in his local church, functioning as a Board member of Christian Assemblies Camps, recruiting volunteers and donors to partner with IS/IVCF, teaching children at the community-based Bible Club where he lived, mentoring the women he taught landscaping to at the Women in Harmony program, and counseling any young person who came across his path. Following subsequent health challenges which included multiple mini-strokes and heart attacks, many of these activities were curtailed, but he insisted that God still had work for him to do. 

Even when he had to do emergency surgery for diverticulitis and the doctors told us that he had a 30% chance of survival, he was not worried, because he was confident that he would live until he had accomplished all God's purposes for his life. When he was no longer 'independently mobile' as he put it (we stopped him from driving since it was a risk to his life and the lives of others on the road) he would spend a lot of time on the phone checking in with persons, sharing ideas he had, offering advice from his wealth of experience. He would also strike up conversations with strangers he met when he took public transport to various activities, finding out about their spiritual life and sharing Christ with them.

Teaching the older boys at Bible Club

In 2018, he had an incident where he fell backwards to the ground, sustaining a hairline fracture on his wrist in the process. Subsequent to this, his mobility began to decrease steadily. He continued taking his medication and visiting with the doctors, who advised us that his heart was failing and there was nothing they could do to intervene. He called a family meeting and gave us instructions for his funeral. We knew that he was not going to die immediately so we humored him, although he scared a lot of people with his phone calls to tell them his "final farewell". 

Looking back at it now, I recognize that God was giving him an opportunity to say goodbye when he had the ability to do so. We continued caring for him the best we could at home, putting in additional measures to prevent dangerous falls, as he had to be hospitalized 4 times in 2019 due to injuries sustained by falls at home. That year was my 40th birthday, and I had a desire in my heart to have a birthday party for all my nieces and nephews, so my sisters had to bring them to Trinidad in June to be a part of that. We are forever thankful to God for that occasion, because no one knew it was the last time they would be able to see him in person.

Family Photoshoot 2019

When the covid-19 virus hit our shores in 2020, we were on a mission to keep him 'safe' as far as we could, because he was considered to be highly vulnerable due to his medical history. As such, the only times he left the house were take a walk outside, to go to church or to the doctor. When churches closed after the surge of cases in August, he never went back out to church. He was still able to communicate with persons via the phone and video chats, although he started struggling to recognize long-time family friends. At the beginning of 2021 I embarked on a Mission: Project 2021, which was to prevent Daddy from having to go to the hospital for any reason, to avoid the possibility of him contracting the virus.

Taking a walk with his beloved 
granddaughter Jael

In April we recognized that Daddy was sleeping much more than usual during the day, talking a lot less, and needed considerably more support than usual while walking. Around the first week in May, he developed a cough which was not unusual for him since he sometimes has a build up of fluid in his lungs due to his heart not pumping optimally. We treated him with cough medicine but after two weeks there was still no improvement. Towards the end of May he started getting fever in the night, but it didn't last for long. We consulted with various doctors who advised us to take him to the hospital. 

At first, I was adamant that he remain as far away from the hospital as possible, especially since at that time the new covid-19 variant was running rampant and the country had been put under a state of emergency to limit people's movements. However after a few days, I felt like God convicted me. I felt like He was saying that I had no power to protect Daddy from any virus, or to keep him alive: that was God's job. And the same God who had been keeping him alive outside of the hospital could very well keep him alive inside. So one week later when the covid-19 test results came back positive, I did not hesitate to call the ambulance, even though we knew there was a possibility that we would not see him again after he left. That night me and Mummy prayed and committed Daddy into God's hands, fully convinced that He knew best.

Thankful for the technology that
allowed him to speak with his other
children who could not be there physically

We saw God's hand at work during the entire process. The ambulance arrived in just under an hour, which was a miracle given the massive demands on the ambulance service at that time. Just 2 weeks prior, the new hospital in Point Fortin was converted to a facility for covid patients, so instead of having to be sent to Couva or Caura or one of the tent hospitals, he was taken straight to Accident and Emergency in Point, which is just half an hour away from where we live. During the week that Daddy was at the hospital, we had no way of getting in touch with him. The doctors called every two days to give an update on his progress, but we could not speak to him. 

A friend who I talk to every day asked me how I was spending my days. After I gave her the run down of what I had done that day, she said, "That's not what I meant... I am hearing a peace in your voice that I have never heard before." That had to be the peace of God that passes all understanding that was guarding my heart and my mind in Christ Jesus. I honestly was not worried: we had placed Daddy in God's hands, and we were praying daily, and that was the best we could do. I sent out updates to our family and friends who were supporting us in prayer, and we really felt the impact of their sustaining prayers. That week, I was reading through some Psalms with two friends from church, and it was amazing to me how many verses of comfort and encouragement jumped out at me as I read. It was as though God was giving me the foundation of the Word to stand on as preparation for what was to come.

I posted this verse on the day he went into the hospital

On the morning of Friday 11th June, the leader of one of the groups of people who were praying for Daddy indicated that we needed to intensify our prayers for him. By 7am a prayer chain was set up with people rostered to pray every hour. All week we had been trying to find someone we knew who worked at the hospital so we could talk to him, and that Friday afternoon an old family friend who we found out works there was able to call us, and put the phone on speaker so we could talk to him and pray with him. We found out later that he died shortly after.

Were we sad at the news of his passing? Yes.

Did we feel defeated or in despair, as though God had not answered our prayers? No.

As I was reminded by my 93 year old landlord from Grenada, "We doh come to stay, we come to go." God has numbered our days, before one of them came to being, so He knew how long Daddy would have been with us for. Listening to all the tributes and reading the testimonials which were shared over the past two weeks have confirmed in our minds that Daddy lived out God's purposes through the countless lives that he enriched by his teaching, guiding, serving and loving. He has run his race well, and is currently receiving his eternal reward. This assurance has enabled us to face his passing with peace in our minds, and the assurance in our hearts that we will see him again. 

Absent from the body, present with the Lord

Do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.

2 Corinthians 4:13b-14

When a volcano erupts in the midst of a global pandemic

As a relief and development organization, ITNAC has been responding to local, regional and international disasters since Hurricane Ivan hit Grenada in 2004. In 2014, we travelled to St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) to bring relief following the Christmas Eve flooding, and it was there we met Pastor Kelron Harry and his wife Roie Ann Harry. They became regular ministry partners, and we were able to continue to work with them when there were subsequent flooding or other major needs. 

Thankfully, the Caribbean region was spared any major disasters in 2020 when the Covid-19 pandemic hit the western hemisphere. However, in December 2020 Pastor Harry informed us that scientists in SVG were monitoring increasing seismic activity associated with the La Soufriere volcano. There was a dome building on one side of the volcano, emitting magna, rock and sulphur. Locals who experienced the eruptions in 1979 started to leave the orange and red zones, which were the areas closest to the volcano. The country's major concern was the contamination of their water supply in the event of an explosive eruption, as the ash would cover the entire island and settle in their rivers and springs. 

La Soufriere volcano following the eruption

On March 23rd 2021, scientists started recording volcano-tectonic earthquakes, which indicated that an explosive eruption was imminent. The National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) sent out advisories to persons residing in the orange and red zones to prepare themselves in the event that it became necessary for them to evacuate at short notice. Experts predicted that a series of tsunamis could possibly follow an eruption, which would disrupt port operations. 

Pastor Harry and his team secured a 40 foot container and started to place supplies in it, in preparation for the families who would be in need after having fled their homes. One week later, ITNAC started mobilizing to collect and pack supplies of food and water to be shipped to SVG. We figured that it would be best to get as many items as possible into SVG before the volcano erupted, since no one could know how difficult it may be to get aid into the country following the eruption. The first shipment of relief supplies left Trinidad on March 31st and our ministry partners in SVG were able to collect on April 6th. The volcano-tectonic earthquakes were getting stronger and being felt by more communities close to the volcano.

Items from relief shipment sent prior to the eruption

We continued pushing locally for donations of relief supplies, making appeals on facebook and circulating flyers to spread the word. We were on a race against time, as we knew the volcano was going to erupt soon, but we just didn't know when. Since we were restricted by public health protocols to mitigate the spread of covid-19, we could not host a massive event to collect items like we have done in past disaster responses. Instead, we set up collection points in various parts of Trinidad and Tobago where we have ministry partners, to facilitate members of the public who wanted to donate but could not make it to our home base at Bombay Street in St. James. 

By April 7th, in addition to food stuff, water and toiletries, we were able to purchase and ship four 1000 gallon water tanks, which we knew would be critical to ensuring persons had an adequate supply of safe drinking water following the eruption. We were seeing the favour of the Lord, as we received discounts on the cost of the tanks, as well as transportation to the port in Trinidad, and the cost of shipping the items to SVG.

One of our long-standing members, Aunty
Vanessa, helping offload a truckload of donations

On April 8th, notice was given by authorities to evacuate the areas close to the volcano, and the violent eruption which had been forecast occurred on the morning of April 9th. The entire island, even the 'safe' zones, was covered with volcanic ash. The ash caused people's eyes to burn and skin to itch, and a few days later when the rain fell, the ash became hard like cement, clogging drains and making clean up operations even harder. The water supply was shut down for safety reasons, and there was one reported death. The ash was so thick on some peoples' homes that it caused their roofs to cave in, and huge boulders catapulted from the volcano caused structural damage to several homes when they landed.

 This served to stimulate the response by Trinbagonians to our relief drive, as it was impossible to ignore the plight now being faced by the people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. More collection points were added as the donations started to pour in. Thanks to a partnership with a local pharmacist, we were also able to send up medication for persons suffering with asthma and allergies. Our ministry partners in the USA and the UK also started mobilizing to collect and ship items directly to our contact in SVG.

Structural damage caused by the weight of volcanic ash

The first few days following the eruption were the worst. The supplies which we had sent up prior to the eruption quickly vanished, as there were many who were housing additional persons in their homes. The demand for water and food to cater for these additional mouths soon exceeded the supply, and there were a few days that many families went without even a bottle of water to drink. As the days went by more boats became available for us to ship supplies up. By April 14th, less than one week after the eruption, our Vincy partners cleared our third shipment of much needed supplies of food, water, toiletries, safety equipment and baby supplies. Later on we were able to send cleaning supplies, mattresses and cots. That same evening in Trinidad, our team was hard at work loading two 40- foot containers of supplies. Later that week, the water treatment plant in SVG was able to resume a limited pipe-borne supply, so some residents started getting a measure of relief. 

We sent literally thousands of cases of water
to St. Vincent those few weeks after the eruption

By April 16th we were able to ship a further 30 pallets of water and 17 water tanks to SVG. It was amazing the level of generosity of our local donors, because these items were being given in the middle of a month, in the middle of a pandemic. We give all glory to God for moving on the hearts of persons to give abundantly. We received donations from individuals, churches, corporate organizations and schools. We were also blessed with many persons, of every creed and race, who came to volunteer and were able to help with the tasks of loading and packing. The majority of the ITNAC members are female, so we were beyond grateful for all the additional hands that came to volunteer which served to make the load lighter.

100 facemasks handmade by someone who received 
a hamper from us last year

When the government of Trinidad and Tobago got involved in sending aid to our Caribbean neighbours, we were able to get space on the vessels that they were using to send items which were donated through our organization, thereby saving thousands of dollars worth of shipping fees. Because we were getting a 'free ride', we needed to ensure that our goods were palletized and ready to be loaded, either on to containers or trucks to be taken to the ports, when we were granted space. Our ITNAC team members and volunteers worked tireless in those first few weeks, until the early hours of the morning on some occasions, to ensure that we maximized the opportunities we were granted to ship our items for free. Donations had to be packed into boxes, catalogued and labelled, before being placed on pallets for shipping.

Loading a pallet of goods to be shipped

The eruptions continued over the next two weeks. There would be some days which were quiet, but these would be followed by another eruption. Persons still made efforts to clean up, however, in order to not have the ash build up too thick. There were also reports of pyroclastic flows, where fragments of hot ashes and rocks were rolling downwards from the mountain at high speeds on their way to the sea, causing severe damage to structures which were in their way. Much assistance will be needed in the rebuilding phase, as many persons were already struggling financially due to loss of income resulting from the pandemic.

These residents will have to do a massive clean
up before they can return to their homes.

In addition to items which were being donated to the general population in SVG, we were approached by many persons locally who wanted to send items directly to their family or friends in SVG who were in need. Those who were able to were asked to pay a small fee to help cover local transportation costs, and the items were sent up alongside our general donations. 

People in Trinidad really appreciated the service being offered, since it saved them the hassle of going down to the port and dealing with all the associated bureaucracy. They found it unbelievable that their loved ones could actually receive the items that they sent through us safely during a time of disaster. We received so many heartwarming notes of thanks when the family members received the boxes which were sent, as for many of them it was the first time they received any aid since the eruption. One family in Trinidad dropped off 3 barrels of supplies for their family in SVG, and they received it two days later. One mother shared her joy at receiving a bag of soap powder that would enable her to wash her children's clothes; such a small item that we would take for granted.

Goods landed in St. Vincent, awaiting unpacking and distribution

Here are some notes that we received from persons in SVG who were blessed by the items we were able to send:

"If it wasn't for you... I don't know what would have become of us, because to be honest, no one else has reach out more than... you and we thank you all very much from the bottom of our heart, and I'm so happy when I saw the 3 cases of water because we are out, we doh even have any to bathe at this moment, [except for] some in the kitchen to do some washing up and cooking.. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you."

"We will like to extend our heartfelt appreciated to the work you have done in extending your hands towards [us] during these uncertain times. We will forever be grateful and thankful for the help that has been rendered to us from your team ITNAC. We pray that God will continue to bless and provide bountifully for yourselves and your families. Again we say thank you!! :) :) :)"

Loading toiletries donated by my alma mater

Throughout this entire season, we have seen the favour of the Lord in numerous ways. One company that was shipping goods to St. Vincent agreed to give us space on their boat, but only for food stuff. On the day it was scheduled to depart, we were told that we could have sent any category of supplies we needed to! 

When the Galleons Passage was used to ship items, the Trinidadian Defense Force Officer that accompanied the shipment took a special interest in our goods, ensuring that they were dispatched to our contact in St. Vincent, instead of being lumped with the general donations that were sent. He even jumped onto a forklift to assist with loading the pallets onto a truck when the port workers in St. Vincent left for the day while our supplies were still being off-loaded. A Vincentian businessman provided the use of his warehouse for storing goods prior to their distribution. We also received free local transport, and many volunteers who helped with loading, offloading and distributing supplies. 

Loading supplies on the port late into the night

The ODPM gave ITNAC space on container headed to St. Vincent, but it was consigned to the Chamber of Commerce. When Pastor Harry tried to retrieve the items which we sent to him on this container, he was told that he did not have jurisdiction to get them, because the container was sent to the Chamber. We were able to get on to the Director of the Chamber of Commerce, and on hearing our story, he consigned the container to Pastor Harry, as well as all future shipments coming in their name. This partnership gives us the assurance that items sent through ITNAC will not end up in a stockpile somewhere, or be confiscated at the port. 

Another way that we saw God's hand of favor in a mighty way is that we were able to sign a contract with IOM (International Organization for Migration) - a UN Agency that provides support for persons displaced from their homes by natural disasters. This partnership will increase ITNAC's access to resources, while giving us greater visibility and accreditation. Thanks to their donors, we were able to supply 1200 hygiene kits to persons who were displaced from their homes by the eruption.

Hardworking ITNAC members putting together hygiene kits

Thankfully the La Soufriere eruptions stopped by the end of April, and those who were living in the 'orange' zone were able to return to their homes. However, there will be a lot of work needed before those living in the 'red' zone can be relocated, so we continue to collect and send items up to help these families in need. As the covid cases in Trinidad and Tobago began to rise in May, we had to close down some of our collection points, but we are still gathering and shipping supplies to the Vincentians. When manpower became limited due to the State of Emergency, the Community Relations department of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service sent manpower to help load containers and provide security.

Members of the TTPS Community Relations helping
to load supplies on our latest container

We stand in amazement at all God enabled us to do to walk alongside our Vincentian brothers and sisters in their time of need, in the midst of the restrictions imposed by the pandemic. To date, we have been able to mobilize ten shipments, in addition to four 40-foot containers of supplies. Even though we would have loved to jump on a plane or a boat to be there in person to render aid, we thank God that we have trusted partners who are able to mobilize the resources needed to get relief supplies to those most in need. We are beyond grateful to those who have given generously, some even out of their place of need, whether of their time, expertise, finances or other resources, which have enabled us to be God's hands and feet at this crucial time.

Pastor Kelron Harry and his wife Roie-Ann, our main
ministry partners on the ground in St. Vincent