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Mennonites to Minister in Jamaica
By Courtnie Walton
As printed in The News Journal
Amelia & Powhatan, VA
January 2, 2001
They came from Amelia and Powhatan, from dairy farms and
their own businesses. Young and older adults alike learned of the trip and
felt like God was leading them to go.
United by their faith and their desire to serve others,
nine members of Powhatan Mennonite Church will be heading to Jamaica January
13 to work with the Maranatha School for the Deaf.
The group includes Don Benson; Carl Duncan; Ben Powell; Ed,
Doris and Brian Ranck; Bill and Bertha Schaefer; and Andy Vaughn.
Unlike some mission trips, this one allow group members to
minister by working with their hands, rather than teaching Bible School or
participating in door-to-door evangelism. According to Bertha Schaefer, 40
students attend the school, 15 of whom reside in dorms.
The men will build a workshop for the students and teach
the local residents building techniques. The two women will make quilts for
the students who stay in the dorms while teaching them sewing skills. The
group will bring the tools necessary for the workshop, as well as the sewing
tools, and will leave them in Jamaica when it returns home January 21.
Duncan, a civil engineer, said he had been looking for a
trip like this for four or five years. "The Lord
was leading me this way," Duncan explained. "I am more into doing
things like building [than teaching]." The hands-on nature of the
trip also appealed to Benson, a dairy farmer. "It sounded like something
I could do," Benson said. "Plus it wouldn’t be a bad place to be
stranded." Duncan and Benson said that the school is located in the
mountains, or high country, of Jamaica. "We’ve heard that there may be
cold nights," Benson joked.
According to Schaefer, the two married couples will stay
with host families, while the rest of the group will sleep in the dorms.
"We’ve been warned that there are no hot showers, "
Powell said.Benson added that they will probably sleep on the floor.
"I’m looking forward to getting to know students and
staff, and seeing others who aren’t as well of as Americans," Benson
said. "We’ll appreciate what we have."
Each member of the group cited a slightly different reason
why he or she initially decided to go on the trip.
"I thought it would be fun," Powell said. "I
wanted to broaden my horizons."
Powell said that he has been interested in new cultures and
experiences since he spent a year in Holland.
For Schaefer, the service aspect was important.
"A group I grew up with went to Peru for
sightseeing," Schaefer said. "I decided to do a service trip
instead, and right away, we [she and her husband, Bill] knew that the Jamaica
trip was what we wanted."
Helping others also appealed to Duncan. "I
always felt led to do something like this," Duncan said. "[It’s
the] desire to give and the knowledge that you’re helping people."
Benson, too, had been waiting for an opportunity to do
something like this. "I felt like it was my
turn," Benson said. "It ‘s been neat to see this group come
together."
Ed Ranck, who has been to Haiti twice, said that he wanted
his son Brian to have a cross-cultural experience. "It’s
good to see a country that doesn’t have what we do," Ranck said.
"It’s good to take a vacation that isn’t strictly selfish."
Ranck said that the group will learn about the different food,
culture and manners prevalent in Jamaica at the orientation January 6.
"The biggest thing is that we don’t go down there acting like superior
Americans," Ranck said.
Added Schaefer, "I’m sure they’ll bless us far
more than we’ll bless them."
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— Team Schedule —
Saturday, January 13:
3 AM: Leave Powhatan for Reagan-National Airport, Washington
8:10 AM: Flight leaves for Jamaica
Sunday, January 21
8:02 PM: Arrives Dulles Airport, Washington |
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