We began our Easter early, waking at 5:30am so we could celebrate the resurrection while watching the sun rise. Josh led us in worship and Jeremy read the account of Jesus's death and resurrection from the end of Luke.
The students then had an hour or so to journal or sleep as they chose before breakfast at 8:30. We ate eggs, cereal, and PB&guavaJ.
Soon after breakfast, we left for church in the Jamaica Deaf Village, just north of Mandeville and about a twenty-five minute drive from Knockpatrick. The service was conducted primarily in sign language; Erin Davis, the missionary with whom we're working this week, translated for our benefit.
To experience worship in sign language is essentially to watch a ballet of hands; each sign flows so seamlessly into the next. We did our best to worship in sign, approaching songs we've known for so long with fresh understanding.
We were one of three American teams present this morning. The other two hailed from Greensboro, NC and Grand Rapids, MI.
After church, we trekked a short distance up the mountain to get a view of the valley below.
Upon our return, we changed clothes and gathered for lunch. If I can assure you of nothing else, let me assure you we're eating well.
Each day of the week, a group of students has the responsibility of washing dishes. Today, the first group took their turn.
Following lunch, we met in the courtyard for orientation. Erin outlined the tentative schedule for each day (work projects at CCCD in the morning and afternoons at New Hope, a children's home in Mandeville), rules by which to abide, and valuable background information on CCCD and New Hope and the people who work at each place.
Team-building activities filled the late afternoon and early evening, with dinner sandwiched in between. (We ate sandwiches of tuna, cheese, or PBJ, along with fruit salad and cornbread.) Twenty-two is a large group, but these activities called for interactive participation, teamwork, and a good sense of humor.
The first activity was a timed exercise. The students were given a rope and challenged to get every member of the team - staff included - through it as quickly as possible, without letting the rope touch the ground. The first attempt took just under a minute to execute. By the third, we'd shaved a little over twenty seconds.
The second exercise called for great creativity. Each team member took a turn creating a story from three photos; once the first photo was shown, they had five seconds to start weaving a tale together, during which the next two were shown, at fifteen-second intervals.
The last team-building activity was a hilarious endeavor. Each student took a turn sitting in a chair at the front, during which one other student at a time would try to make them laugh. It was the goal of the student in the chair not to laugh at his peers' antics.
We finished the day with worship, devotions, and some last minutes of leisure time before heading to bed.
Tomorrow is our first day of work. Please pray we would be earnest and hard workers, but also, as Erin asked, that we would prioritize building relationships with the people who join us in service when those opportunities arise. Please also pray for our health, that we would keep hydrated and well-covered with sunscreen. We have also sustained a few minor injuries, so please pray those would heal quickly and thoroughly.
We're unspeakably grateful for your unending support and prayers. Happy Easter!
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