Christians on Mission of Love despite doomsday prediction

Twelve youths on a mission trip from Canada fed, bathed, clothed and visited hundreds of individuals between St Ann and St James as part of the Brown's Town Seventh-day Adventist Church one-week of revival and outreach initiative, which climaxed this past Saturday with a grand march through the streets of Brown's Town, St Ann, despite the prophetic claims of a doomsday prediction.

"Dem nuh know sey Jesus not coming," was the passing remark of an observer, who stood watching the queue of Christians who began their afternoon march at 4:15.

Despite the criticisms, approximately 500 individuals, including the Philadelphia Seventh-day Adventist youths fromToronto, Canada, along with uniformed masterguides, pathfinders, adventurers and members of the Brown's Town Seventh-day Adventist Church, all stepped to the beat of the marching band from the North East Jamaica Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, as they distributed Christian literature from Top Road, Main Street, Brown's Town, leading to Musgrave Square, bearing placards on their backs with messages such as 'Jesus Loves You,' 'Say No to Drugs and to Violence' and 'Stand Up for Jesus'.

help needy while waiting

Pastor Fitzroy Bailey, youth director of North Jamaica Conference and pastor of the Brown's Town District of Seventh-day Adventist Churches, said: "As Adventists, we are looking forward to the Second Coming of Jesus, but we do not know the day of His coming as stated in scripture. While we wait, we believe that our first mission is to help those who are in need in our communities as depicted by Jesus in Acts 10:38, where He went about doing good and then He bade them to follow Him. That's what we are about."

Michelle Walker-Leanard, the youth ministries leader of the Philadelphia Seventh-day Adventist Church in Toronto, said: "We came here on a mission to help those who are in need, particularly the homeless, kids in the schools, the infirmary and hospital, and I believe we have accomplished our task."

The youth mission group came into the island on May 12 and brought a shipment of 14 barrels containing food, clothes and literature that were distributed to needy families and homeless individuals.

Outlining their mission stops, Walker-Leanard further explained: "We started off on Monday at the Windsor Girl's Home in St Ann's Bay. We helped them with computer classes, did some cooking with the students, and then we moved on to the St Ann's Bay Infirmary, where we combed the residents' hair. On Tuesday, we returned to Windsor Girl's Home and painted the dining room in yellow and red. Later that evening, we bathed and fed the residents at the infirmary."

helping mentally challenged

Other activities engaged in by the group included feeding of more than 200 street people and homeless individuals in the 'city' of Brown's Town. They also visited the Blossom Garden's Children's Home in Montego Bay and the St Ann's Bay Hospital Mental Health Division.

"My understanding was that this youth group would come to observe. But instead, they did more than that," said nurse Olive Thorney, mental-health officer for the St Ann's Bay Health Department. "They went out with us and gathered those who were mentally challenged. They assisted in bathing, grooming and handing out meals. They also gave us a gift package of toiletries. We highly appreciated the gesture and welcomed their act of kindness towards the mentally challenged."

On Friday, students at the Tolbolski Basic School in Brown's Town benefited from a cooked meal.

"The children enjoyed the breakfast that was prepared. We normally have an attendance of more than 50 students, but because of the upcoming Labour Day holiday weekend, they fed about 23 students who were present that day. We enjoyed their company and the children enjoyed the various activities," said Lois Bartley, the principal.

At the St Ann's Bay High and Preparatory School, a one-year scholarship was offered to a student meeting specific criteria.

"The students were asked to write an essay to say why they should be awarded this scholarship," said Althea Trusty, vice-principal of the school. "They also stipulated that the student should be a 10th-grader and the winning essay writer will be awarded in the upcoming week."

Members of the Philadelphia Youth group left the island yesterday after the conclusion of their 'Mission of Love'.