Schools testify to the power of prayer
Published:Thursday | May 31, 2018 | 12:00 AM
Recently, corporate Jamaica extended a helping hand to organisations as they laboured for love on Labour Day.
Traditionally, projects are recommended or selected by a stroke of luck, but for principal of the School near Santa Cruz, St Elizabeth, Carlene Williams-Heath, it was through prayer that First Global Bank chose her institution as their Labour Day project.
"I am fervent in prayer and fasting. All that I am and have received, I owe it to God. I cover this school and the children in every single prayer, and I know that First Global Bank came to us through prayer," Williams-Heath affirmed.
Her colleague, Richard Williams, principal at the Gregory Park Primary School in Portmore, St Catherine, echoed similar sentiments.
"My prayers have been answered. God allowed First Global to grant our request in selecting our school from their myriad of choices," Williams told Family & Religion.
President and CEO at FGB Mariam McIntosh-Robinson was thrilled with the principals' reaction.
INTERVENTION
McIntosh-Robinson, who was brought up in a Christian family with a strong spiritual leaning, agrees that it was through God's intervention and direction that her planning committee was led to choose those institutions.
"I am on a spiritual journey. I have often questioned whether one can be an effective company CEO and simultaneously be a very strong spiritual person," McIntosh-Robinson reasoned.
She explained this is only because while she's on this journey, it gets increasingly challenging, and often so. She admits that when any task is approached from a religious or spiritual perspective, they achieve the best results.
McIntosh-Robinson attends the Transformed Life Church in Swallowfield, Kingston.
"What I like is that they have a lot of community church engagements, but it is the message that is delivered on Sundays that makes your soul feel fully blessed for the week. Whenever I attend church, my weeks are usually started off differently and it is the opposite when I don't," she said.
Meanwhile, manager at FGB Mandeville branch Kerrene Grant, who is a member of the Spalding New Testament Church of God in Clarendon, said Williams-Heath's expressive religious sentiments are simply amazing.
"At FGB, we continue to strive to be inclusive in our communities by touching peoples' lives, particularly our children. We are looking forward to greatness and continued relationship with the teacher-student population at Park Mountain Primary," Grant noted.
Williams recalled that when confirmation came, his school had been selected, he ran across the school to share the tidings with the other teachers.
STUDENTS PUZZLED
He said that students found it strange to see their principal running and rushed to their teachers, saying, "Miss, something is wrong with Sir."
"I knew it had to be divine intervention that FGB chose our school. All of 75 staff came to labour for us. We will now be able to construct a permanent covering for the stage for outdoor events instead of renting tents. We could not have asked for more. We are more than thankful," stated Williams.
A devoted Christian for over 30-years, Williams-Heath is a member of the Middle Quarters Church of God, where her husband, Ruel, is a deacon.
Williams-Heath continued: "Since First Global Bank came into our lives, it has been a ray of hope, particularly bringing us into their music - Perfect Pitch for a Sound Education programme last October."