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Jamaica Journals 2001
Sunday, July 15
Dr. Jim Carney, Jennifer McDonald, Dr. Bill Griffin |
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I arrived in Kingston yesterday, and was met at the airport by a woman named Jennifer MacDonald, who had been working in Jamaica for about 30 years as a nurse. She didn't make much money because she chose to work with the poor and elderly. | | Therefore, in order to make ends meet, she would periodically travel to the U.S. to work, and save as much as she could, so she could then return to minister to the Jamaican poor. |
| Our drive from the airport to the village of Mavis Bank was about 1 ½ hours. The first half hour was through the eastern section of Kingston. There were some familiar restaurants - Wendy's, KFC, etc.- but poverty was prevalent in most areas. The last hour or so was an ascent into the Blue Mountains, famous for what some claim to be the most delicious coffee in the world.
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Jamaica's famous "Blue Mountains" |
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The village of Mavis Bank |
| The narrow, convoluted road with its hairpin turns reminded me of the roads in the mountains of West Virginia, except for the huge potholes and disintegrating asphalt. Many sections of the road were so narrow that whenever a vehicle came from the other direction, someone had to pull over in order to allow for passage. |
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As we traveled up the mountain, we encountered tiny villages every few miles or so. We would periodically pass small shacks no bigger than a toolshed, which Jennifer referred to as "restaurants," though the sight of them did little to increase my appetite.
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A roadside "restaurant" near Mavis Bank |
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A Mavis Bank home |
| It was customary among this friendly people for drivers to honk at other drivers or at pedestrians, just to say hello. This custom was not limited to familiar people, as I found out later on while walking along the road, receiving honks and waves from virtually every driver that passed by. |
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Our dental team is staying in a rather comfortable (by Jamaican mountain standards) bed and breakfast. This morning I dined on ackee (a fruit that was growing on the tree above my breakfast table, which resembles scrambled eggs), saltfish, Papaya, plum juice with ginger and lime, and Blue Mountain coffee.
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Mavis Bank Bed and Breakfast |
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Gorgeous Vegetation |
| The ackee is a fruit that is poisonous if it is eaten before it's fully ripe. Our cook is pretty sure that what she fed me was ripe... |
| I attended a church service this morning at Mount Fletcher United Methodist Church. The building was constructed in 1953, but the church has existed since August 1, 1842. There were perhaps 35 people present, and they welcomed me warmly as the only non-Jamaican in attendance.
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Gorgeous Vegetation |
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Gorgeous Vegetation |
| There was a children's sermon based upon Jesus' parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-37). The preacher exhorted the young people to help those less fortunate than themselves. I found it ironic, in that these young people would have been quite poor by American standards, yet the wonder of the Gospel was calling them to minister to those even less fortunate than themselves. |
| The main sermon was based primarily upon the account of the Rich Young Ruler, who asked Jesus what good work he needed to do in order to be saved (Matthew 19: 16-26). Jesus made it clear to him that he was incapable of meeting God's standards through his own efforts. The preacher made it clear, in like manner, that none of us could ever earn God's favor, and that faith in Jesus Christ is the key that unlocks the door to God's acceptance. |
Mount Flecher Church |
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Church Attendees |
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This afternoon Dr. Jim Carney and the 14 dental students from the University of Iowa joined me. Jim was the only one I knew. He had become something of a legend among the people of Jamaica, having made 25 or so trips there over the past few years. | | The students seem to be an amiable, fun-loving bunch who get along well with each other. Only one of them, Ivan, had been to this area before (two years prior). I looked forward to getting to know them in the week to come.
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Next day, July 16
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