Lindsey, Tamera and Cori sort through some of the nearly 1000lbs on donated material!

This morning at 4:30, we all met up at the church. Hope was good enough to make us all coffee. After we loaded all of our luggage into the cars, we said goodbye to our parents and spouses. After that we were on our way to Logan Airport. Many thanks goes to our volunteer drivers: Al Berg, Mark Gould, John Giltz and Eric Aldrich. From there we flew to Atlanta. We arrived safely in Atlanta and then traveled to Montego Bay (henceforth to be referred to as MoBay). We had a delightful dinner of jerk chicken and a great team meeting. We finished the night by organizing the donations. Tomorrow (Wed. February 10) we hope to travel to Sandy Bay and build 2 chicken coops.

Our team has a strong sense of unity and comraderie and is very excited about what God has in store for us in the coming week. JMT 2010 signing out for now, so God bless and take it easy Mon!

Members of JMT 2010 (and helpers!) met on Monday night to pack the boxes and bags and barrels of donations – toiletries, school supplies, clothing, toys, books, candy, and tools. Thank you for your generosity – JMT 2010 thanks you and the people of Jamaica thank you also!

Please continue to pray for:

• Grace and Peace from the Lord as the team goes forward with the mission trip.
• Preparation of hearts for our EFC Missionary Team.
• Financial Support.
• Flights on Tuesday.
• Arrival in Jamaica.
• Continued prayer throughout the week while the team serves and interacts with the people of Jamaica.

The team will update this blog and post pictures as often as they are able. Please check back and leave comments – they would love to hear from you!

Standing (Left to Right): EC Helme, Ed Pichette, Erin Montoya, Pastor Paul Hoffman, Bill Montoya, Sully Pichette, Cori Baker. Sitting on the Bench: Bonnie Billington and Tamera Toogood Middleton. In the Front: Sophia Camaya, Ari Alves, Lindsey McQuilkin.

Julie and Eric Cronk

Ari Alves
Hails from Rhode Island
8th Grader
Interests: Wrestling, crafting, singing, dancing
Favorite Song: Your Arms Feel Like Home – 3 Doors Down
Favorite Movie: Facing the Giants
Favorite Food/Drink/Restaurant: Watermelon, Sparkling Water, Applebee’s
World Traveler? I would love to go to England and Africa
Why I am going to Jamaica: I am going because I think that it will really change my point of view on things in life.
Life Verse/Favorite Scripture: Romans 5:8

Corinne (Cori) Baker
Hails from Reno, Nevada
Married to Jay (10 years), daughters Jaycie (6 years old), Caysie (4 years old)
Favorite Song: City on our Knees – Toby Mac
Favorite Food/Drink/Restaurant: Olive Garden (met Jay there!)
World Traveler? Traveling with the military and I like it very much!
Why I am going to Jamaica: To do something bigger than myself; God placed it on my heart to serve there and I am really excited about this mission.

Bonnie Miner Billington
Born in Bayshore, NY and grew up in Scottsdale AZ. Joined TWA and moved to New York, Boston and then Los Angeles. Got married and moved around a lot (CT, MD, RI, Bahrain, MD again) and we’re settled in Rhode Island.
Married to Al (25 years) with son Matt (20) and golden retriever Scout (5).
Interests: Photography, travel, working out, power boating, biking, football (Go Patriots!), working as an extra in films
Favorite Song: I Dreamed a Dream – Susan Boyle
Favorite Movie: The Sound of Music
Favorite Food/Drink/Restaurant: Steak and Mexican food/The Chuck Box (Hamburger joint in Tempe, AZ)
World Traveler? Flight attendant for TWA for 22 years – most definitely a world traveler!
Why I am going to Jamaica: I have always wanted to be a part of a mission team…helping others and spreading God’s Word.
Life verse: Romans 8:28

Sophia Camaya
Born in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and spending my childhood traveling around the USA wherever the Navy sends my Dad!
Freshman in high school with a beagle mix dog, MudLynn
Interests: Horseback riding, making beaded jewelry
Favorite Movie: Flicka
Favorite Song: Hello – Evanescence
Favorite Food/Drink/Restaurant: Ice Cream, Sprite and Applebee’s
World Traveler: USA, England and Scotland – would love to see Paris one day
Why I am going to Jamaica: When I heard about last year’s trip and when I saw the video of the children with big smiles on their faces, I felt called to go on this trip.
Life verse: Romans 5:8

Eric and Julie Cronk
Hail from Virginia but are currently living in Ohio
One daughter, Abigail
Interests: Art, history, reading, music, exercising
Favorite Song: Anything by The Fray, Coldplay, Paramore and Jeremy Camp
Favorite Food/Drink/Restaurant: Bang Bang Shrimp from Bonefish Grill, Pepsi, Sardella’s and P.F. Chang’s
World travelers? USA, Hawaii and Japan (Julie) and England (Eric) and we both members of JMT 2009.
Why we are going to Jamaica: We are returning this year not only by a gracious invite but also due to the connection and impact we feel that we made last year. At the end of the day, it is our purpose to spread God’s love and Word, to take time away from one’s self and to apply it to something more beneficial. We hope to see God’s hand move once again in Jamaica as well as in the circle of brothers and sisters we will travel with.
Life verse: Philippians 4:4-7

E. C. Helme
Hails from Newport, Rhode Island
Married to Hope, one daughter Hanna
Interests: Sailing
Favorite Song: Jimmy Dreams – Jimmy Buffet
Favorite Food/Drink/Restaurant: Fish Tacos at Rubio’s
World Traveler: Yes! Traveled with the Navy and member of JMT 2009.
Why I am going to Jamaica: To give back to others.
Life verse: Ephesians 4:3

Pastor Paul Hoffman
Hails from Portland, Maine
Married to Autumn, sons Landon (4) and Kelan (6 months)
Interests: Racquetball, basketball, reading
Favorite Song: Stronger – Hillsong
Favorite Movie: Gladiator
World Traveler: Yes, 18 countries including JMT 2009.
Why I am going to Jamaica: God’s love compels me.
Life verse: Romans 1:16

Lindsey McQuilkin
Hails from Portsmouth, Rhode Island
Single, taking a break from college
Interest: Being outdoors in general – running, swimming, hiking – reading, drawing, drinking/collecting tea
Favorite Movie: The Lord of the Rings movies
Favorite Song: Joyful, Joyful
Favorite Food/Drink/Restaurant: Sweet potatoes, homemade hot chocolate and Anthony’s Seafood
World Traveler? China and the Bahamas
Why I am going to Jamaica: I felt called to serve and experience God in a new way during my break from school. Additionally, I love immersing myself in the unfamiliar and getting my hands dirty helping out.
Life verses: Deuteronomy 31:6, Philippians 4:6-7 and the books of Job and Ecclesiastes

Tamera Toogood Middleton
Hails from Augusta, Georgia
Newly married to Steve with rescue kitty (Josephine Elizabeth) and redear slider turtle (Lucy)
Interests: Anything adventurous – hiking, horseback riding, rock climbing, exploration travel and animal rescue
Favorite Movie: Facing the Giants
Favorite Food/Drink/Restaurant: New York style pizza and anything Italian
World Traveler: Yes, and would love to make it around the world at least once
Why I am going to Jamaica: I feel so incredibly blessed and really want to show God’s love through this missionary work.
Life verse: Jeremiah 29:11

Erin Montoya
Hails from Portsmouth, Virginia
High school junior with two cats
Interests: Singing, writing, reading, folklore/scary stories, theater, dance
Favorite Song: Skyway Avenue – We The Kings
Favorite Movie: Facing the Giants
Favorite Food/Drink/Restaurant: Sushi, melon soda and Portabella’s
World Traveler? Yes
Why I am going to Jamaica: Felt compelled to go when watching last year’s slide show.
Life verse: You must believe in the improbable to do the impossible.

William (Bill) Montoya
Hails from Glendora, California
Married to Christianne, daughters Erin (17) and Jourdain (6) and son Mathias (9) and two cats
Interest: Music, sports, biking
Favorite Song: What About Now? – The Kry
Favorite Movie: Happy Gilmore
Favorite Food/Drink/Restaurant: Anything Mexican
World Traveler? Yes
Why I am going to Jamaica: To spread the love of God
Life verse: Philippians 4:13

Ed and Sully Pichette
Hails from Pawtucket, Rhode Island (Ed) and Puerto Rico (Sully)
Daughter Bella and son Elijah and one cat
Interests: Outdoor activities – football and mountain biking
Favorite Movie: Couples Retreat
World traveler? Mission trips – Sully was a member of JMT 2009
Why we are going to Jamaica? To promote Christ’s message, spread His love and influence change.
Life verse: 1 Corinthians 9:22-27

Please click on each page to enlarge.

Please help us to bless the children of Jamaica with much-needed school supplies:

Notebook paper, note pads
Construction paper
Coloring books
Glue sticks
Crayola markers, crayons and colored pencils
1 dozen small pocket calculators (solar please, no batteries required)
Drawing pads, sketch pads
Scotch tape (20 packs)
Pens (20 dozen)
Children’s story books
School paint sets (usually 12 to 20 colors with snap-on lid and brush included)
Award stickers
Pencil cases
Play Doh
Balloons (25 packs)
Arts and crafts stencils

Please bring your donations to EFC Newport and place them in the large blue barrels located in the Fellowship Hall.

The Jamaica Mission Team, and the children of Jamaica, thank you!

Tamera and Bonnie at Sunday’s Chickens Gone Jamaican Fundraiser

• Grace and peace from the Lord as the team goes forward with the mission trip.
• Preparation of hearts, for our EFC Missionary Team.
• Financial support.

The Jamaica Mission Team welcomes your support through donations of the following items:

• New or gently used clothing (spring/summer) for men, women and children
• Bibles and Christian reading material
• Packets of children’s underwear (new)
• Stuffed animals to take to the orphanage
• Children’s books, coloring books, crayons and Sunday School materials
• Hard candy (candy canes are great)
• Toothbrushes, toothpaste and bars of soap (travel sizes are perfect)

Other ways you can help the JMT with donations are…

• to pass along your personal contacts with local retailers who may be interested in donating clothing or hygiene items
• ask your dentist to donate toothbrushes and sample toothpastes
• ask your social or civic clubs to get involved to help gather donations as a club project

Together, with God’s grace, we can make an incredible impact in Zion, Jamaica.

We’ve updated the blog name to EFC Jamaica Mission Team so that we can continue on with our blogging, no matter what year we’re there!

2010 Jamaica Mission Team

(Left to right) Tamera Toogood Middleton, Erin Montoya, Ari Alves, Sophia Camaya, Ed Pichette (holding Elijah – not a member of the team!), Jane Howlett, Bonnie Billington, EC Helme and Sully Pichette (Not pictured – Pastor Paul Hoffman, Bill Montoya, Corinne Baker, Eric Cronk, and Julie Cronk)

The team would appreciate your prayers for:

• Grace and Peace from the Lord as the team goes forward with the mission trip.
• Preparation of hearts, for our EFC Missionary Team.
• Financial support.

For our last work day we returned to EFC Zion and finished up our projects at the Church. 

We had many different projects going simultaneously. One group was putting a finishing second coat on the sunday school room in the back. Others were constructing new benches for the church, and another group was hanging and painting a side door.

 

Warren and EC testing our their bench.

Julia and Julie painting the bench

 

Eric Painting the side door

Here is the final group picture out in front of the church!

Sorry to keep you waiting on our trip update! But we experienced technological difficulties and decided to wait upon our return to the United States to update the blog.

 

On Monday our group was split up. One group was sent to refurbish a chicken coop in Lilliput. Here Warren, Sully, Eric, and Sharon put up chicken wire, built a place for the chicks to stay off the ground, and built a door for the chicken coop.

 

Here we are starting to work on the chicken coop

Here is the chicken coop finished with a new door and chicken wire

While one group was finishing up the chicken coop, the rest of the team members were at EFC Zion starting to paint classrooms, lay out rock, and deliver feed and chickens to the Jamaicans.

 

Julia and Julie painting a Sunday School Room

Here are the chicks waiting to be placed in their new home!

As the feed arrived at the church, we set the delivery into piles so we could hand out the feed to the families present.

 

 

Here we are stacking the feed for the chickens

 

 

We did encounter some spiritual warfare during the delivery of the feed. Certain members of the community felt as though they deserved a larger share of the feed than others, but we were able to donate what we could for the community with the resources that we had.

 

Here is Cynthia collecting her box of chicks.