Water, water, everywhere....

Imagine waking up one morning, thinking it would be a regular day. You get your children ready for school, send them to school, and then you go to work, expecting that you will pick up your children from school and head home, make them dinner, and then spend some family time together because it is Friday and you don't have to get up early to go to work the next day. You have no idea that by the end of the day, you would be fighting to keep your head above flood waters while you watch everything that you worked so hard to obtain get washed away. This was the sad reality for hundreds if not thousands of persons in Trinidad and Tobago on October 19th 2018.

Aerial view of one of the many communities inundated by
flood waters

Since Wednesday 17th October Trinidad had been experiencing consistent, heavy rainfall. The appropriate agencies sent out warnings about possible flooding in areas so prone. The rains continued throughout Thursday and into Friday, but no one expected what happened next. The rivers could no longer contain the volume water that was flowing into so they overflowed their banks, causing rapid, devastating flooding in the surrounding communities. My friend Naomi was at her cousin Karina's house in St. Helena and sent out a plea for help at 8:45pm on Friday night. They spent the entire night there until they were rescued at 1:47pm the following day. This was her account of what transpired:

The flooding begins

"My cousin's home is about 3 feet higher than ground level so when water started gushing in from every available and created space (entry doors, foundation and through the garage doors) we were coloured stupidly shocked. Everything happened so fast after that. It's like we were living in slow motion, in fast forward. Before we understood what was happening, we were mid-thigh deep in a mixture of water, oil, and sewage.

Karina's leg covered with oil from the flood waters

"Our only thought was to preserve life. It is a blessed relief that my cousin in law went against my cousin's wishes and built a little (8*4) balcony about 8 feet off the ground because 8 of us scrambled up there and huddled wet, cold, tired, and denying what was happening for the next 16 hours. One by one our phones discharged as we called every single team or office who could possibly assist the 8 of us. (1 senior, 4 adults, 4 year old twins, our nine year old trooper, suicidal dog and three cats) We were helpless and could do nothing but wait for rescue and trust that God still had our present and future safe and secure.

This tractor came to rescue their neighbours

"As the water rose to our necks, our emotions retired and we just looked on as this tragedy unfolded. The army eventually rescued us with a boat because the trucks in the yard were now underwater obstacles. I'm writing this after having scrubbed away the grime in a hot bath and after having dinner a poop and a nap. We are snuggled safely in bed by our Aunty/Mommy while many people are still stranded on the roof or are bedding down at a relief centre somewhere, hoping to wake up from this nightmare. 

Family in another part of Trinidad who spent their night on the roof

"Thank you thank you thank you to all of you who tried so hard to get us help, for praying, for watching and waiting, for your support. [My cousin and her family] have lost every material thing. Cars are under water. All the tools and equipment for their individual businesses are gone, every single thing in the house gone. The floor boards were also swimming away with my cousin's favourite pair of pants. We are overwhelmed with thankfulness that we are alive but the loss is also overwhelming. If you would like to help with clean up efforts by donating cleaning supplies or manpower please let me know and I'll keep you updated as we chart a way forward through this.

Naomi and her cousin's family finally being taken to safety

There are so many families who have similar stories. In the case of this family, Reaaz is a mechanic while his wife Karina is a cake decorator. They have lost all the tools necessary for them to earn an income. They along with their three children - Kate-lee, Kimberly and Rebeeca - are left with only the clothes on their backs. They would need as much support as possible to get back on their feet. If anyone would like to assist them in any way, please let me know.

We thank God for the reduction in rainfall, which is forecast to continue until next week Tuesday. Please continue to pray for those still stranded in their homes, that the flood waters would subside to allow for rescue and clean up operations to continue, and for relief supplies to reach to those most in need.

Galatians 6:10 - Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.

If the Lord had not been on my side

This is my version of Psalm 124:

If the Lord had not been my our side

when my car was giving trouble

I would have been stuck somewhere on the side of the road

or gotten into an accident because my brakes had failed

Praise be to the Lord

who made sure that I had help

who provided me with food to eat and a place to sleep

and a mechanic who was able to rectify the problem

My help is in the name of the Lord

The maker of heaven and earth

So here is the story behind my psalm...

One month ago, I got into my car to drive to church, but when I turned the key in the ignition it refused to start. Thankfully I was by my brother's house and his wife was able to give me a jump start (thanks Sarah!) The next morning it refused to start again, and my church family who I spent the night by went up and down the street until they found a neighbour who had jumper cables (thanks Lawrence!) I drove straight to the place I usually get my car batteries from. By this time, the battery was fully charged, and they could not find anything wrong with it. However it was over 2 years old so they agreed to replace it.

For the rest of that week, my car started fine until Friday afternoon. I took it to the small electrician nearby and he said I had a current leak but he didn't have time to run the diagnostics to ascertain what was causing  it. Thankfully my brother had bought this emergency car starter kit for Mummy so I kept it in my car for the times when the battery died again until I was able to take it by the big time electrician.

Every car owner should have
one of these for emergencies

The following week I took it to the big time electrician in Gasparillo, but after some initial testing he was unable to determine the source of the current leak. In order for him to diagnose the problem, he said he needed to replicate the problem, which would mean him having my car when the battery died. I took it in the following Sunday evening and got a drop back home (thanks Lisa!) He predicted that he should be finished with the car by midday the next day. But what he didn't know is that the car would have started just fine on Monday. He still did some digging but could not find anything wrong with it, so he asked me to leave it on Monday night as well. Well guess what happened on Tuesday morning? That's right - it started again!

At this point, he said it made no sense for him to keep the car, because he could not fix a problem that did not exist, so I took a taxi and went to collect it. As soon as I drove the car out of his yard, however, I heard a loud 'Clunk!' and the car stopped. I was puzzled, and attempted to drive it and it drove for a while before I heard the 'clunk' again. I still wasn't sure what was going on because after that it drove fine but when I heard the third 'clunk' I pulled over. A man who was in his front yard over the road from where I stopped said, "That sounds serious. You should get a mechanic to check it out. There is one right over the road." Talk about divine provision! He went with me to the mechanic's house. He wasn't at home, but his father, who was a retired mechanic, was at home and he agreed to check it out. After a few minutes he diagnosed the problem - my brake pads had become unstuck.

My regular mechanic had checked them
at the beginning of September and figured
I had 40% life left in them. Guess he was wrong

He didn't have the parts I needed and when he called the parts places they were closed. It would have been too risky to try to drive home so I asked him if I could leave the car overnight and I would get the parts in the morning and bring it for him. He offered to get the parts for me early in the morning and replace it so my car would be ready by 9am and I gladly accepted his offer. I called Uncle Terry and he came to my rescue - thanks Uncle Terry!

Dinner courtesy Aunty Carol

I spent the night in Marabella and by the time I called the mechanic at 9:15am the car was ready. He had forgotten to tell me that he was supposed to drop someone to the airport at 9am and didn't have my number to call me, so he had gotten to the parts place at 7am and done the repairs early to ensure it was fixed before he left. Thankfully the person he was supposed to drop was running late so he was able to wait until I collected the car before he had to leave home. Talk about the Lord being on my side!!!

For the rest of that week my car started with no problem, but then on Monday this week it refused to start again. I took it back to the electrician and he still was at a loss as to what was causing the problem. He disconnected something to see if that was the culprit, and so far so good. Hopefully that would be the end of this issue, but even if it isn't, I am not worried because the Lord is clearly on my side!

The difference one week can make

Many churches seek to impact their community over the July/August holiday by hosting a week of Vacation Bible School. It is free of charge for those who attend, and takes many hours of planning the lessons, preparing the materials, recruiting the teachers, inviting the children, preparing the craft, providing the refreshments - it is a lot of work. But is it worth it? The answer is a resounding YES!!!

Over 80 children attended VBS at our church this year

Our church's VBS was scheduled for the week immediately following ISCF camp. When I attended a meeting for VBS teachers in July and I shared with them what my schedule would be like due to camp, someone asked if I would have time to prepare for VBS and I answered as honestly as I could - no. One of the challenges was that we were not using a conventional theme where there was a bible story for each day. We were taking the children on a journey to Philippi - spending one week studying the book of Philippians. As if this was not challenging enough, I volunteered to teach the babies - those 4 years old and under! The advantage was that I would only have to teach one basic truth everyday, but it would still take time to decide how to present this truth in a way that they could grasp, and what to do with them for the remainder of the 2 hours I had them for!

Jael on a life-size map tracing Paul's journey to Philippi

Although the truths to be taught were simple, I still had to spend a lot of time studying the book of Philippians to get the full picture and also figure out what was the main idea for each of the chapters. I really relied heavily on the Holy Spirit's leading as to which bible stories could be used to communicate the truths for each lesson, and for ideas on activities that would be able to reinforce those truths. In our class we had video clips, drama, games, singing, dancing and coloring pages. I was literally preparing each lesson "today for tomorrow" and it is only by God's grace that I was able to complete them in time.

Sabali illustrating Paul in chains

Many of the children who attended VBS came from the community right around the church. There are some who come every year, and we don't see them again until the following year's VBS. We therefore use every opportunity we get to present the gospel message to them and invite a response, because we don't know when next we would see them. One of the young men who, at the beginning of the week, was not being very co-operative, has started attending our Sunday morning services and Friday evening youth group meetings and for this we give God all the glory. We were also encouraged by the huge turnout of parents and relatives to the Closing Program on the Sunday evening to see what their children had learnt.

6 and under class practising their song for Closing Program

Two weeks after our church's VBS, we had a VBS for the children from Dow Village who attend our Bible Club. Once again, we went out into the community to invite children. God provided sufficient manpower so that each class was able to have 2 teachers and 1 assistant; they came from as far east as Toco to as far south as Cap-de-ville. In addition to preparing for their class lessons, they also had to prepare dramatic presentations which representated real life applications of the spiritual truths that were being taught at each lesson, and this was one highlight that the students looked forward to every day.

Paying close attention to the dramatic presentation

Many of the teachers and assistants were meeting each other for the first time, as there were 6 different churches represented by the teachers and assistants. However as the week progressed, so did the bonds between those who served. We prayed for those who had to deal with family crises during the week, we shared meals together, watched movies and even had a beach lime. This was a classic example of the unity of believers where persons who were previously strangers can become so connected because of the bond we have in Christ.

Sunset stroll along the beach

The theme for this week's VBS was "The countdown is on". The children were challenged to give their lives to Christ while they still had time on earth. We give God praise for the 2 children who did this on the first day of VBS, especially since one of them lived outside of Dow Village and had to return home the next day. We also challenged them about what they placed the confidence in, since the material possessions that the world runs after does not last forever. This lesson was very applicable as it was presented on Tuesday, the day of the big earthquake. We were able to draw applications to the children the next day, in light of all the property which had been damaged. The lesson for the last day focused on the value of not procrastinating - a lesson which some of us had to apply to our own lives first before we presented it to the children.

The teens class was the biggest, with numbers as high as
16 on one of the days

It was very encouraging to see how the numbers of students increased during the course of the week. Every day we had new students, even on the last day, and by the end of the week, we had to cater for 90 persons for the Closing Program. Some of the children came early to help set up the chairs outside, and they also helped to pack them up afterwards. Children who were not willing to take instructions at the beginning of the week and being disruptive were much more compliant by the end of the week. Those who refused to participate in the Closing Program item were very much involved when the time actually came.

One teenager wasn't interested in making a basket with rolled
newspapers so she used her creativity to make this instead

Over the course of the week, students opened up to their teachers and shared with them the struggles they were experiencing in living the Christian life, and about their commitment to Christ. One student spent 15 minutes learning a particularly long memory verse and was so excited when he finally got it right. Teenagers who have not attended Bible Club in years came out to VBS. These are just some of the reasons why we continue to invest the time and energy needed to pull off VBS every year. We may not be able to see all the effects immediately, but we are convinced that God who began the good work in these children during this week will be faithful to complete it.

Showing off their prizes that they
bought with their Bible Bucks

Cross Culture

A few weeks before ISCF camp started, a frustrated mother walked into an institution and indicated that she needed an intervention for her teenage daughter whom she said was out of control. The person whom she spoke with was well aware of the reputation of ISCF camp, and suggested that her daughter would benefit from attending. Sponsorship was provided, and the young lady came to camp. By the end of the week, the young lady wrote "For a long time I never liked any camp, but this one was the best!" Although she did not make a decision to follow Christ as yet, after hearing the Word of God at camp she is reconsidering where she had initially planned to place her confidence and faith in.

Counselors spending time in prayer before the start of camp

ISCF Camp brings together students from different schools across the nation. While it is targeted primarily at those who attend ISCF or RI, it is open to anyone who is interested in attending. As a result, we sometimes get students from diverse backgrounds, who have not all been exposed to the culture of the kingdom of God. This provided the perfect environment for this year's theme, which is also the theme for IS/IVCF in this academic year - Cross Culture. The campers learnt about what a culture is, the value of crossing over from the culture of darkness into the culture of light, the need to cross out the culture of the world and adopt the culture of the cross, and the importance of being willing to cross over into the culture of others.

Senior camp speaker "Burnt Offering" sharing at sunrise service

The Camps Committee had been working hard for months preparing for camp, recruiting workers, hosting training sessions and executing all the logistics that come with  hosting two weeks of camp. But when camp actually started, it felt as though things were falling apart, as some of the persons who we thought were confirmed for certain roles for one reason or the other were no longer available. Looking back at it afterwards, I felt like God allowed that to happen to show who was really in charge of camp. As always, He provided the persons we needed to fill the gaps, showing us once again that He is the all-knowing, ever present, faithful Provider! After the first day of camp, I felt compelled to send out praise and prayer updates to those who had committed to covering camp in prayer. It was such an encouragement to see items which were listed under prayer points one day, move to praise points on subsequent days because of how God answered prayer!

Praying for campers who wanted to be free from sins which
kept them in bondage

One of the privileges of being on camp is seeing campers transform literally before your eyes. There was a male camper who, at 13 years old, was spending the night away from his family for the first time in his life. At first he was very shy as he did not have any friends. As the week progressed and he participated in all aspects of camp life, he really came out of his shell and started forming friendships with many of the campers. One young lady came to camp very burdened, and this was evident in her body language and even her style of dress. After much prayer, she started opening up to various counselors and by the end of the week there was a smile on her face and a twinkle in her eyes that were not there when she first came.

Our newspaper-inspired fashion show helped some campers to
break out of their comfort zones

Apart from the devotions and chapel times, the camp program also included other sessions which helped make the camp theme relevant to the day to day life of the campers. There was a discussion based on case studies which showed them how to deal with their emotions, a session looking at God's view on sexuality, and one that examined what the Bible taught about various aspects of our culture. The content delivered in these sessions was excellent, and equipped the campers to engage with the culture of the world around them with a biblical mindset. There was also a session where the campers were taught how to share the gospel with someone else, and for many of them this was the first time they had an opportunity to do that.

Campers engaged in "Is ah Trini ting" session

ISCF Camp is a wonderful opportunity for campers to explore their creative side. From designing their outfits for Banquet night to composing a song for Talent night to coming up with a presentation for March Past, campers are encouraged to think outside of the box as they express the theme of camp in various ways. I am always amazed at the diversity of talents that emerge at camp, as we endeavor to help campers discover their various gifting and abilities. It is also a good opportunity for them to demonstrate what they have learnt from the various sessions at camp, as evidenced by this verse from one of the original compositions at Talent night:

I was lost but now I'm found

Jesus saved me, Jesus loved me

Trapped in darkness, full of sadness

Now I've crossed to the culture of love

A new culture to follow after

Renewed my mind, renewed my heart

My life crossed over, different purpose

Now I'm transformed by His love

Flag from the Cross Fire team

Our camps require a lot from our campworkers, who are all volunteers, many of whom take their vacation to come and serve at ISCF camp. Apart from attending the training sessions leading up to camp, and having the responsibilities of running the camp program on camp, they also have to lead morning devotions, be available when campers are in need of counsel, guide their teams in team activities, ensure that their dorms are managed well and that their campers are all accounted for. This year our team of campworkers was small compared to previous years, but they were so dedicated to the task and all were willing to go that extra mile to facilitate the smooth running of camp. We could not have done it all without them! There was one campworker who came all the way from ISCF Grenada to serve with us, and it was much a blessing for us to have him as it was for him to learn from us.

Counselors helping campers learn their memory verses

Apart from the campworkers who were resident at camp, there were others who came up to help as their schedules allowed. God truly showed us how He was able to provide what we needed before we even knew we needed it, as time and time again the right people showed up just at the right time. There was an incident among the male campers that needed intervention, and God ordained that one of the visiting campworkers had come up that same time so he was able to lend support to the counseling staff in dealing with that situation. Others made themselves available to help out during Sports Day and Banquet Night, where additional hands are always welcomed and very much appreciated.

Senior campers' dramatic march past display

Junior campers in their cultural wear for banquet night

Primary campers getting assistance
with their craft

The success of camp was not measured by the numbers who attended, but by the decisions the campers made to change their mindsets, to live according to the culture of the kingdom of God while existing in the culture of the world. On her evaluation form, one camper wrote "I learnt that when you are changing culture from darkness to light, you have to leave all the bad behaviours and focus more on God". There are so many persons who contributed to the success of camp this year - from those who prayed faithfully in the lead up to, and throughout the duration of camp, to those who spent months planning and preparing for camp, to those who sacrificed their time and resources to be at camp, to those who contributed financially to help defray the cost of camp, or to sponsor a camper who could not afford the fee - to these we pray that God will bless you abundantly for your labour of love. We pray that the seeds of God's Word which were planted during the two weeks at camp would find good soil to flourish in, and that the cares of this world would not stifle the great work that God has begun in the lives of these campers.

Hopefully she will keep helping with
the chores when she goes home!

We invented a new sport - Pool Basketball!

Water slide!

Primary/Junior Director "Sugar Mama"
with 2 primary campers on Sports Day

And is pace!

When I accepted an invitation to minister at my friend Lenetta's church in Tobago 4 months ago, I thought I would have lots of time to prepare. But before I blinked twice we were in July and I hadn't started serious preparations for it as yet. It took me about 4 days to hear from God exactly how the message would flow, and I started putting together the lesson aids as I was preparing to share on the topic of missions with children ranging in age from 5 years to teenagers. Thankfully my Grenbagonian sister was visiting for a wedding so she stayed up late with me to help put all the lesson aids together, even though she had just come off of a camp and was very tired and we had to get up early the next morning for the wedding.

We still managed to look cute after
all that late night cutting and stapling

But before I got to the wedding I made an appearance at our last training session for ISCF campworkers where I presented a session on the importance of follow up with our campers to ensure that the seeds of God's Word which were deposited during camp get maximum opportunity to take root and grow so they bear good fruit. I am very grateful for the other members of the Camps Committee who were there to oversee the proceedings of the day so I was able to leave after my session to celebrate with my friends who got married.

The next morning bright and early I was on my way to Tobago to share at Canaan Nazarene Church. I had met Lenetta 20 years ago during my time on Trinity Hall while I was at UWI. I had not seen her since then, but thanks to facebook she had kept abreast of my adventures so when she needed a speaker to address the children in her church on missions she felt I had the right blend of expertise for that preaching assignment.

Reunited after close to 20 years!

I shared with the church (although primarily the children) about the need for persons who have the gospel message to leave where they live so they can share it with people who have never heard it before. I used the wordless book to explain to them the important elements of the gospel message, and challenged them to be missionaries in their homes, communities and schools instead of waiting to go to another country.

The message was very interactive and enjoyed
by both adults and children alike

At the end I invited all the children who were willing to be missionaries for God to stand for prayer and they all responded. After the pastor prayed for them, he made an altar call for those who had never accepted Christ before, and 4 boys responded. I pray that the seeds of the Word which were planted in the lives of all those in attendance would be watered and cared for so they can result in transformed lives.

Pastor and his wife praying for the
children who responded to the altar call

I had all intentions of relaxing and enjoying the sun, sea and sand after my ministry responsibilities. While I did get in some of this, I also had to spend some time preparing for my messages for ISCF camp. Earlier that week when I had planned to do start the preparations, I found out about a seminar that was being held which would address teaching methods for children with learning disabilities, and would also teach how to recognize signs of depression and suicide in children and give strategies for supporting these children. I felt this was critical information to have given the ministries I am currently involved in, so I was willing to sacrifice the time to attend. I don't think I got more than 5 hours of sleep anytime that week.

Needless to say by the time I got to Tobago I was well and thoroughly exhausted. I took a nap after church that Sunday and it lasted for 4 hours! Thankfully I was able to get some time during that week to start planning my lessons for camp, and also enjoy some good times of fellowship with my friends there.

Exploring the mangrove

Beach is ah must!

Since my return to Trinidad, the pace has continued, finalising details for ISCF camps which start this Tuesday, finishing up preparations on my messages for Junior camp, and starting to think about VBS in church which starts the week after camp finishes. One of the things on my list of things to do was to organize the jerseys for camp. Registrations were really really slow in coming in this year, so it was difficult to decide when to place the jersey orders to ensure that we didn't over or under order. When I contacted the printing company two weeks ago, they were not certain that they would be able to get it done in time for camp but they were willing to try. They confirmed on Wednesday that they would be able to get the jerseys from the supplier. On Friday we got a phone call from them - the jerseys were ready! We thank God for such wonderful partners who are willing to go the extra mile so we could get our order in time, despite the last minute order :)

Yes we will be selling them but
only after the campers get theirs ;)

Please keep us in prayer for all these outreach activities that are coming up. Many of the young people who attend are not regularly exposed to Bible teaching, so this is a great opportunity to sow the seeds of God's Word into their hearts and minds. Pray for the endurance for the workers because the harvest is plentiful but the labourers are few. However we are confident that, since this is God's work, He will provide. We take comfort in knowing that His grace is sufficient for us, as His power is made perfect even in our weakness.

God brought me through

A couple weeks ago Mummy went to visit my sister and her family in Baltimore, leaving me with the full responsibility to care for Daddy. Three months ago, this would have been a big problem, but I thank God that over the past two months there has been a miraculous transformation. He has calmed down significantly and been very good about taking his medication, so it was not half as challenging as it could have been. I thank God for this answer to prayer, especially for this season when Mummy was not around.

Getting ready to go to ITNAC's
fundraiser on my birthday

God in His foreknowledge also brought into our family the mother of one of our children from Bible Club, Lisa. She and her husband had come to our home one day to pick sour cherries and upon observing Daddy's behaviour she expressed shock at how aggressive he was, and shared about her challenges in caring for her elderly father. When we realized the level of support Daddy would need after his last hospitalization, we contacted her and she was most willing to come on the days neither me nor Mummy could stay with him. She has truly been a blessing.

She cuts his hair and shaves him too!

On the Tuesday before Mummy was due to return home, I found myself with a sore throat. I knew I could not afford to get the cold, because if I was down there would be no one to take care of me LOL On top of that we had the retreat for ISCF campworkers that weekend, plus preparations for Bible Club Closing Program the following week, so I had no time to be sick in bed. I prayed and took my immune system boosters and was able to shield off the worst of the symptoms, gracias a Dios. I also thank God that for that week, we got food from three different sources so I did not have to cook for the rest of that week! Isn't God good?

Mummy was due to return on Friday night, so I asked some close friends to spend the night with Daddy while I headed up north for campworkers retreat. It was while I was in Maracas, St. Joseph that I got the call that Mummy's flight was cancelled and she had no idea when she would be returning. We were already short-staffed for the retreat, so going back home was not an option for me. Very early the next morning I called Lisa and she agreed to stay with him for that entire day until I could have gotten home later in the evening. 

Shalom and his daddy took good care of Daddy Friday night
into Saturday morning

The retreat was very effective. New campworkers were able to spend time bonding and learning to work together as a team with those who had served before. Camp speakers were able to challenge workers about areas in their lives that they needed to yield fully to the control of the Holy Spirit in preparation for camp. Campworkers were introduced to the devotional material, and also exposed to various scenarios they may encounter on camp, and discussed strategies for dealing with these. There was also time for fun and relaxation so it was a great success.

Ready to take on ISCF Camp 2018!

Mummy was able to get on a flight to return home by Sunday night, which was a blessing because I had a graduation I wanted to attend on Monday.The youths from the Teens class offered to come early on Friday to help clean and organize the place for the Closing Program. At the time it was scheduled to start, two out of the three classes who were due to perform items seemed like they were not going to be able to because of how the children were acting up. However with the perseverance of their teachers and some divine intervention, all the classes were able to do a presentation based on the Beatitudes, which was the focus of Bible Club this term. 

Six and under class acting out the
story of the Good Samaritan

Middlers trying to unscramble the Beatitudes

Uncle Garryn using object lessons to preach a powerful
Word about the importance of being salt and light

The greatest joy for me was seeing Antonio in the finals of the Memory verse competition, where he placed second. Antonio has been one of our more active students for over 8 years, and while he has calmed down a bit, his name is still one that I have to call on a regular basis. The fact that he made an effort to sit down this week and learn enough verses that he was a challenge in the competition was a huge encouragement to me that our labour is not in vain in the Lord.

Teens class doing their skit. The biggest teens class in the
history of Bible Club

I really have to give God a high note of praise for taking me through this past month. There were times when I felt overwhelmed, but there were persons I was able to call and the support they rendered, even at the 99th hour, was truly a God send. Once again, He has proven his great faithfulness.

Pray Always

Last week I attended the funeral of my friend's father. He was a mechanic, so during the eulogy his daughter shared how, once one of them was planning to drive up the highway, he would tell them to check their water and oil. I don't make this a habit, since I am fairly confident in my car's health as I carry it for an oil change every 5000km and a check up at 3 month intervals. However for the past few days I have been driving Mummy's car, and I had no idea of when last it was serviced.

On Friday, I started hearing a strange sound in the engine while I was driving. My friend enquired what it was, but I told her it better not be anything serious because I had to head up north early Saturday morning and I didn't have time to check it out before then. My plan was to leave home at 5:30am on Saturday, and in the rush of getting things organized to leave, the thought from the funeral about my friend's father telling them to check their water and oil came to my mind very strongly so I decided to check mine.

This is what you see when you pop the bonnet

Now for anyone who has had experience with a Serena, you would know that the engine is very compact and there is not much room to move around. Mummy's own is a bit tighter, as it also caterers for the parts for the CNG system. I removed the cover for the radiator. There was nothing. The reservoir was also empty. I started thanking God one time that I had followed the prompting of the Holy Spirit to check it before I left because by the time I reached halfway up the highway and the engine started to overheat that would have been another story. I was unable to locate the dipstick to check the oil, because it was hiding under some hose, so I couldn't check the oil levels.

After filling up the radiator and reservoir, we hit the road. The vehicle was definitely driving like something was still wrong. I prayed all the way from Dow Village to Maracas, St. Joseph, and then down to St. Augustine where I had a session at church. Along the way, my oil light came on briefly twice, but went back off. When we had a break I called my mechanic and described what I was experiencing. He said if the oil light came on that I needed to check it immediately. He guided me to where I could locate the dipstick.

It took some digging but I finally
found it

So you know how there's an "L" at the bottom of the dipstick and then there's the bend just before the final tip? Well when we checked the oil level it was barely covering the tiny tip! If I had been able to check the oil before I left home, there was no way I would have driven up the highway, and I would have been very late for the session at church by the time I had sorted out the oil. One of my friends from church who helped me replace the oil, when he heard my story, said that he had a new level of faith because of how God came through for me that morning.

This is the message for anyone who sees Mummy's car. It is a reminder of the importance and power of prayer. On a daily basis we take so much for granted as we go through the day. We have no idea how much God is working in the background to keep up safe. Even if bad things happen, we don't know if it could have been worse had God not been on our side. I am so grateful to God for keeping the engine from being destroyed and for taking us up the road and back down safely, and also for my church brothers who helped me refill the oil and ensure there were no leaks.

Lindsey and Keon to the rescue!

Psalm 124:8 - Our help is in the name of the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.