Day 6 - 4/14/12

What a great day! Ken and Bob were privileged to baptize a student at the Teen Challenge Center during the morning with most of our team, while three team members completed the work on the house. Before a sandwich to send us on our way, the Teen Challenge choir blessed us with a song. At 11:30 a.m. we departed for Montego Bay (about a 2 hour ride) for our flight into BWI. Our trip was flawless with one exception, someone lost a key to their car that was parked at the airport.

Thanks for your prayers for our trip. It was an amazing building project, but not just the house we constructed, but also in the lives of those who went to build. Please plan to take a trip to serve others soon!

Day 6 Pics

Day 5 - 4/13/12

Friday was a critical day for our team as we attempted to complete the building of our house. We departed for the job site at 7:00 a.m. and worked until about dark (6:30 p.m.). We worked on the roof and siding. Windows were installed. Cleanup took place. However, we fell just short of our goal of finishing the home. After returning late from the job site for some authentic jerk chicken prepared by Chef Mello, we were able to evaluate our day and plan for our final day, which was to primarily be a travel day. Our plan was for most of the team to take in a couple of hours in the Caribbean (8-10 a.m.) since we were not able to have a partial day off during the week. Three team members were to work the first part of the morning (6-9:30 a.m.) to finish the project. 

Day 5 Pics

Day 4 - 4/12/12

We had another great start to our day. Bob led us in a 45 minute Bible study to kick things off. Then we headed to our job site. At the work site, one team filled the front porch with coral rock (they went up into the woods with a pry bar and sledge hammer to dig out the rock) while another team finished the rafters and roof prep. Today more rain came at 2:30 p.m. After waiting for 30 minutes there was a little let up in it's intensity. With only one day left to work we worked the last 2 hours in the rain. During that time our team was able to experience a Jamaican's concrete mixer (you grab buckets to get sand and gravel then add concrete and water...the mixing happens as you take shovels and mix these 4 ingredients together on the ground until ready to put the mixture in buckets and create a line to swing the buckets to their destination). After a delicious meal of rice, cabbage and carrots, and curried mutton, Bob taught during the worship time with the students. Before lights were out at 10:00 p.m. Mello and Richard (2 previous students in the program and now staff members) shared their stories. In the morning we are going to get a jump on the day and depart for our job site at 6:30 a.m.

Please pray we have a safe and dry day!

Day 4 Pics

Day 3 - 4/11/12

Today we were able to start at our planned time (5:30 a.m. wake up call and 7:00 a.m. departure for job site) since there was no rain this morning. Bob led us in a 40 minute devotion to get our day started. Our day was outstanding! Most of the siding is up and most of the trusses are too. We would have finished the trusses if a huge thunderstorm did not arrive at 3:00 p.m. Since rain washed out the last couple of hours of work we cleaned up and headed to downtown Ocho Rios for an hour of shopping. The teens on our trip was amazed and mostly turned off by the high pressure sales tactics of the merchants there. We were later treated to a delicious meal of brown stew pork chops and rice...YUMMY!!!! Tomorrow's goal is to  finish the rafters and start putting on the tin roof. Everyone is healthy and the team is working together very well.

Thanks for your continued prayers!

Day 3 Pics

Day 2 - 4/10/12
Construction begins

Today was our first day on the job site. The team was eager to see what awaited them. The morning started slowly as there was heavy rain at the Teen Challenge center all night in Ocho Rios. However, it was not raining at our work site, which is about 30 minutes away. As a result we started about an hour behind our anticipated schedule. Tomorrow we have a 5:30 a.m. wake up call and depart for the job site at 7:00 a.m. You can see from the pics below the team knocked it out of the park!! Thanking God for His work in and through us. The team is worn out. They were told after worship from 8-9:00 p.m. that lights were out at 10:00. They promptly asked, "Do we have to wait!!!"

Keep on praying!

Day 2 pics

Day 1 - 4/9/12

Thanks for your prayers! Our team safely arrived in Jamaica today. We departed from the church office at 4:30 a.m. and arrived at the Teen Challenge Center at 4:00 p.m. We are ready to see what God has in store for us this week. 

Enjoy the pics!

Day 1 Pics

Please be in prayer for our team as we prepare for an EARLY morning departure for Ocho Rios, Jamaica on Monday, April 9. We are partnering with Teen Challenge Jamaica to build a house on their property in the mountains. Here are our team members:
1. Ken Hinkle
2. Harrison Hallet
3. Bob Stockner
4. Daniel Stockner
5. Caleb Stockner
6. Kenny Franklin
7. Ian Franklin
8. Scott Norcross
9. Daniel Norcross
10. Darryl Mosley

Here is a picture of the foundation that is being built for the house we will build. You can see a similar building in the background to what we will build.