| Journal Writings |
Day 1 - Thursday 2/22: Jim Travis, team leader leaves a day early.
Arrived at Richmond, VA airport at 6:30am. Short prop flight to Washington D.C. After 4 hour delay in D.C. (weather), continued on flight from D.C. to Port of Spain (capital), Trinidad on BWIA airlines (5 hours). Trinidad is 1 hour ahead in time zone. This was the week of 'Carnival' in the Caribbean and the main city of activity is in Port of Spain. Airport was a madhouse. Took over an hour to get luggage and get through customs. Met Hal outside airport and traveled to his house, after making a stop at one of his churches in the suburbs of Port of Spain. Got to bed around 11:30pm.
Day 2 - Friday 2/23: Team Alpha scheduled to arrive.
Team left Richmond on time, but was delayed 3 hours out of D.C. as well. Went to Trinidad airport around 3:30 and met Jeremiah and Pamela. Pamela had not done any shopping as she had planned to go with the ladies after they arrived and on the way to Toco. As the flight was not going to arrive until 6:30, she decided to go while waiting for the plane. Pamela and Jim took a taxi from the airport to a small town, then changed taxis to the next town to shop. They bought about $75 of minimum foods and packed it in 2 boxes and 4 bags and 2 gallons of water. They took the groceries to the curbside and hailed a taxi, piled all the groceries in, went 5 miles, unloaded everything and hailed another taxi, piled everything back in to get back to the airport. The plane arrived at 7pm and everyone got loaded up and started for Toco around 7:45. Quick stop at KFC along the way and then the 1 1/2 hour drive (30 miles) fast through the windings roads along the coast to Toco.
The teams are staying in 2 rented houses across the street from each other. 5 ladies in the nicer house and 7 guys in the run down house. Beds consisted of normal bunks, mattresses on plywood, air mattresses and other self-made arrangements. The houses are functional with electricity, cold water and a toilet. The kitchen is minimal but does have a sink, refrigerator and stove. After everyone was settled, they had a short meeting and turned in around 11pm.
Day 3 - Saturday 2/24: First day of work.
Got up at 6:30 and Pamela came at 7am to make breakfast. Coffee and cheese toast and some jam. Set off for job site around 7:30. Took all of 2 minutes to get to the site, which is 1/2 block away. Jeremiah has plenty of materials on site (sand, gravel, cement, blocks, etc…) but was not familiar with the drawings for the church. There is noone locally who can instruct us how the church is to be built. Jim, Bruce and Bubba will do their best to work the plans as they see fit. Today, there was plenty of clean-up and preparing work to keep everyone busy. There will be a lot of masonry work to come. Due to the heat, the team wrapped up around 3pm and brought the tools back to the houses. About 4pm, one of the local teenagers showed us where to swim. It was about a 30 minute walk through the town of Toco. The beach was ok, the water cool and refreshing. Very welcomed after the long day of hot work. Later that night, the local construction guy, who poured the concrete slab for the church, gave us some direction on the church construction techniques. We'll just say it was eye-opening. Lots to do tomorrow. The team is having great fellowship together already.
Day 4 - Sunday 2/25: Jeremiah's church..
Slept in a little and everyone fixed their own breakfast - cereal, eggs, bacon, toast. Around 9:30, we got dressed and walked about 4 blocks to Jeremiah's church which began at 10am. The church building is 'on loan' (free to use) until the new one is complete. There were about a dozen adults and another dozen teenagers and small children. Jeremiah played an electric piano for the hymns. It was "woman's" Sunday and four girls sang a number of hymns (out of the Baptist hymnal with a Trinidad-African beat). A number of woman came up and spoke and/or sang. Jeremiah's wife, Pamela led the service. Jeremiah spoke, then sang "Bless be the tie that binds" in honor of our team. An elderly blind ex-pastor came and delivered the sermon then sang a beautiful hymn in true bass form. This man blessed us all deeply. The entire service lasted 2 hours. At the end, the team introduced themselves and Jim shared about our church and the various ministries. It was a great time in church!
We came back and fixed lunch (sandwiches). Around 2pm, one of the church members came by and showed us the way to the Lighthouse beach at the northwest point of the island. About a 5 mile walk. She shuttled some, then came back for the rest. The Lighthouse was very picturesque. High cliffs, and scenic overlooks. You can go up in the lighthouse and see for miles. Looking down from the lighthouse to the right was the Atlantic and to the left was the Caribbean. There is a small atoll a few hundred yards out and a small area of water between it and the shore which marks the point where the two oceans meet. Pretty cool.
We came back around 6pm and fixed hamburgers and hotdogs for dinner. Then a team meeting, fellowship, walks and to bed around 9pm. Sleep…
Day 5 - Monday 2/26: Back to work.
Up at 6:30, breakfast at 7, on the job at 7:30. Most people began mixing mortar and laying block. Started at the front and left side. The 'block' is actually red block-shaped tile. It is not square and very hard to trowel mortar to due to it’s surface. Taking much longer to lay than normal cinderblock. We also tried drilling into the columns to tie re-bars into the block wall, but after 8-10 holes the drill bit is worthless and the drill is about gone. Bruce and Bubba built a form to pour a lintel for the front door. It is 88' ling, 4" wide and 8" high with 2 re-bar in the middle. They got it poured and it will set overnight. All morning was laying block and mixing mortar.
We stopped at 11:30 and Pamela fixed lunch of seasoned rice and spiced chicken and cole slaw. Everyone enjoyed it. Back to work around 12:30. Rain came around 2:30 and we started wrapping things up. By 4pm, it was coming down fairly hard, so the day was done. But we did lay 4 full courses across the top and 2 full courses down the side wall and poured the lintel. All in all, a very good start on the building. For dinner, we had leftovers and hotdogs around 6:30. Tom Holland gave the devotional. Bedtime around 9pm.
Day 6 - Tuesday 2/27: Good work day.
Up at 6:30, breakfast of toast and juice, off to worksite at 7:30. Very productive day. Tom took a taxi to the nearest town and bought new drill bits. We added quite a few rows of blocks to the front and both sides and finished the front left column. The sun was very hot and draining today, so we took a long lunch from 11:30 to 2:00, then back to work until 4:15. Pamela fixes the meal in the afternoon and we forage at night. Pretty good arrangement. There is always plenty of fruit, and local island fruit at that. Bev did the devotional and talked about Dale Earnhardt and Jack Price's (long time church member many of us were close to) deaths. She touched us all. We then retired to bed around 9:30.
Day 7 - Wednesday 2/28: Heat.
We decided the heat of the day is too draining, so we would start early, work until 11:30, take a long lunch and go back around 3:30, working until 6:00. Some of us spent the long lunch cooling off in the ocean. Today was spent laying more block (surprise!) and doing a lot of detail work building forms and pouring columns, beams, etc… It was a productive day. For dinner, we had a spaghetti type dish with salad. Relaxed and chatted. Lou O'Boyle gave the devotion tonight and talked about geometric shapes - all parts of one body. Very good. Went to bed around 10pm.
Day 8 - Thursday 3/1: Ditto.
Today's work schedule was pretty much the same. Jeremiah stopped by on his mail run and we asked him to get some more lumber and re-bar. We also got an email from Team Omega saying their flight would be late tomorrow (surprise!). The jobsite was very hot today. No rain or clouds. For dinner, we walked about an hour to a 'guest house' overlooking the ocean. You could look out over the ocean and see Tobago. Bubba gave a good devotion and everyone expressed how much they enjoyed the work week.
[Glenn] Tonight I drove up from Cary, NC to Richmond, VA to be able to meet the team at the church early tomorrow.
Day 9 - Friday 3/2: Team Alpha leaves, Team Omega arrives.
[in Richmond] Up at 4:30am. Met at church (Bon Air Baptist) at 5:30am for drive to Richmond airport. Met team. Everyone seems excited to get to Trinidad. Left on time to Dulles. Left D.C. at 9:30am for 6 hour flight to Trinidad. Stopped in Barbados for 15 minutes (fuel and passengers), then continued on to Port of Spain, Trinidad, arriving at 4:30pm.
Met at airport by Jim Travis (Dad!).
[in Trinidad] Up early to get Team Alpha ready to leave. They said their goodbyes and left at 8:30. Team Idiot stayed on the job with instructions for a light work day. Turns out they put in their hardest work day yet. Jim took Team Alpha back to Port of Spain and did a little souvenir shopping downtown before going to airport. The team left at 2:30pm after a long hard week. Team Omega arrived around 4:45pm.
We packed up and drove the 2 hours to Toco (after getting the obligatory KFC buckets when in town). Arrived in Toco at 7pm. Met rest of team. Ate chicken, fruit, bread and cake for supper. We walked down the job site to see what had been done. A lot! Much block had been laid and several columns were up. Our goal is to finish the walls and window cut outs and the rest of the support columns before we leave. They will finish the roof after we leave. It was ambitious.
Bon Air Baptist Church has committed $4000 US to help in construction of the church. 1 US dollar = 6 Trinidad dollars. Jeremiah knew about the money but he assumed it was in Trinidad dollars. He was ecstatic when he learned it was in US$. He knew he could get the roof now.
Everyone settled in and unpacked. We had a brief meeting and hit the beds early after a long travel day.
Day 10 - Saturday 3/3: Fresh workers!
Rained overnight. Everybody up early and excited about getting started. After a brief orientation with the new crew, off to the job site. It took about an hour for the new guys to get a feel for the various tasks, but by 10:00, everyone was well into it and working hard. Alert: About 11am, we discovered a major flaw in the drawings. The actual slab was 18" shorter than the drawings and the column we laid in the center of the pulpit wall was in the wrong place. It was obvious we had to make some major changes to make the project work. Thank goodness Jeremiah was on site and we were able to discuss and select a new course of action.
Today's work consisted of building more forms for columns and laying more block for walls and windows. We also discovered that the plans measurements are off. The back wall length does not equal the front wall length. Hmm. Had to make adjustments to the doorways and columns placements. The center pulpit column had to come out (that was fun…). Despite that, we are really making good progress and I am learning a lot. Both about construction and the team I have the pleasure of working with.
Lunch at 11:30. Rice and beans and more chicken. Very hungry after morning's work. Still very hot. Worked from 1:30 to 5:00 putting up more block and put up lentil for doorway in front. Very tired and sore. Dinner around 6pm of hotdogs, hamburgers, rice, pound cake and watermelon. After dinner, Mike gave a devotion. Bed around 9pm.
Day 11 - Sunday 3/4: Church.
Note: There is a Seventh Day Adventist Church next door, which is between the work site and our house (where we sleep). It has been interesting because they are building some too. Yesterday, they were in church all day singing and preaching, while we were working. Today we'll be in church and they are working… There is also another Baptist Church behind us down the road. It has some voodoo in it as well, so we're not sure what the faith actually is. Around the corner is a Evangelical Church, whose pastor (Winston) has come to the job site to help us on several days. He is very nice. Of course, everyone knows everyone in this town.
Up at 7am. Leisurely breakfast. Dressed for church at 10am. The service was great! Lots of singing and praising God. Very open format as different people would go up and speak and sing and give testimonies. Jeremiah gave a great message and we had communion. Left around 1:15pm. Had lunch, then went back the lighthouse. Walked down to the cliffs and saw a fisherman baiting eel on a large hook to fish for shark. Shark is one of their many fishes to eat here. Went to beach by lighthouse which seems to be a local favorite spot. The water was very salty and floating was easy… Spent the rest of the day walking around the small town and talking to people and taking some pictures. Dinner was at 7:30. Devotion was led by Mike Newton on Psalm 23. Bed at 10pm.
Day 12 - Monday 3/5: Sleepless night .
There are chickens and roosters all over town. And dogs. They kind of roam freely and keep to themselves during the day. But at night … - it's a crowing and barking contest. The roosters start around 2am cock-a-doodle-dooing until dawn, then stop. The dogs like to stretch their lungs as well. Weird. and hard to sleep.
Breakfast at 7am. Early start at jobsite. Billy and I worked on the front wall of the church, finishing the courses before lunch. What a great feeling of accomplishment. Lunch at 12noon. Had rice with sauce, beans and guess what? … shark!. It was very good actually. After lunch, we walked across town to another beach down by the fishing station. We passed a school and the kids (in uniforms) were outside in recess. I asked to take their picture and they went nuts. They were so happy that we wanted to photo them. They followed us all the way to the edge of the school, screaming 'take mine. take mine' and climbing in trees and making faces. They were so happy.
Back to work at 3pm and continued laying block until 6pm. Dinner of corned beef hash, bread and salad. Tim gave devotion on (spiritual) clothing to wear. Bed around 9:30.
Day 13 - Tuesday 3/6: Up goes the walls.
Lots of noise last night and not much sleep. Breakfast at 7am. Already very hot. Worked at jobsite mixing mortar and concrete and laying tile until lunch. Lunch was pati, bread, curry chicken, potatoes sauce and pumpkin. Back to job at 2pm. Started new wall in rear of church. Will put kitchen behind wall. Bathrooms and shower were going here as well, but due to the plans being changed, they will be moved underneath the church in back. Dinner at 6pm of tuna sandwiches and salad and fruit.
After dinner, we took a drive to Grand Riviere. "In May, endangered leatherback sea turtles haul themselves from the cold Atlantic waters, in a ritual as old as the island itself, to lay their eggs in the white sandy beaches. Other than locals, few people ever witness this living spectacle. With no hotels, a poor road and nothing to buy except for mangoes from a nearby fruit stand, tourists have yet to discover Grande Riviére." Once, they've seen as many as 150 turtles on the beach. Alas, we were too late arriving that night, as a couple had already come and gone and the tide was headed back out. We stopped at Sister Richardson's (member of Jeremiah's church) for food and fellowship on the way. Got back to Toco and bed around midnight.
Day 14 - Wednesday 3/7: Tired?
Up at 6:30. Breakfast then to jobsite at 7:30. Worked hard on middle wall until 11:30. Very hot today. and very tired from the late night last night. Lunch consisted of turtle (no, not the endangered ones from last night), fried green-banana, white yam, plantains, bread, salad and mango. Wow! There are so many delicious fruits on Trinidad. Back to work at 1:30. Worked until dark as we are trying to get all the forms (columns) filled by the time we leave on Friday. This was the hardest day yet. Very hot and a lot of work. Dinner around 7:30 of spaghetti, king mackerel, peas and cucumber, bread, wonton, turtle, mango and banana. A member of the church also brought home made ice cream and another member brought cake! Chip and Linda led the devotion on building a foundation for God. Bed at 9:30.
As hard as the work is, it is more and more rewarding as we build this church. I cannot describe the sense of accomplishment and peace felt by our team as this project nears completion. The love we have gotten from the church and the dedication of their pastor humbles us all and really has motivated us to complete the work ahead. Praise be to God!
Day 15 - Thursday 3/8: Last day of work.
Up early as we want to finish all the walls and columns before we leave tomorrow. Got to worksite by 6:30am. Started mixing mortar immediately and finished side wall and began setting block for the top of the doorway. Starting to get very hot by mid-morning. Took a quick break at 11:30 for lunch. Pizza, fish, slaw and watermelon. Everyone back to site by 12:30. What dedication by the team to attempt to finish all the block. COMPLETED all the walls by 2pm! COMPLETED all the columns by 3pm! Cleaned up the worksite. All walls are now up!!! What a great feeling and great job by both teams. Everyone is ecstatic that we made it!
Back to the houses for cold showers and clean up. Went back to the 'guest house' on the ocean for farewell dinner. Dinner at 7pm of noodles, thai chicken, slaw and rice. Custard for dessert. We were joined by several church members and met several officers of SADT (Stakeholders Against Destruction of Toco), of which Jeremiah supports. This is a group of community leaders attempting to work with the government to develop planned growth for Toco and prevent the construction of a new port on Toco's shore (which would cause irreparable damage to their ecosystem as well as displace most of the town's residents). Follow this link for more information --> http://www.jca.apc.org/g21/contributions1.htm.
Great news! The Ferry Port Project has been scuttled for now. See this link --> Ferry Port Project.
Day 16 - Friday 3/9: With sad hearts, we leave.
As with the first team , we said our sad goodbyes and thanked Jeremiah and Pamela and the church and the locals we had met for introducing us to their wonderful island country. They had taught us much and will always be in our hearts.
We had no travel problems returning to Richmond, via Antigua, via Dulles. We arrived at the Richmond airport late at night and were greeted by numerous loving (and lonely) spouses, girlfriends and friends.
Parting Thoughts:
Words cannot express the feelings one has when preparing
for a Mission Trip. First, you are hesitant about volunteering. Where will I go?
What will I do? Can I be useful? How can I afford it? I've never been there before.
All these questions and more come from our own doubts and weaknesses.
Obstacles will be thrown in your way and you may not think it is the right thing to do.
But, after prayer and family discussion, you realize it is not about 'you', but
about helping others and doing the Lord's work.
Once you commit to going on a mission trip, you're eyes are opened to the faith you
have in Christ. Everything miracuously falls in place and excitement sets in. As the date
of departure draws nearer, you get both anxious and nervous, but all the while excited
about what He has in store for you on that foreign place.
Participating on a Mission Trip is a life-changing experience. Ask anyone who's been on one.
Your faith is magnified ten-fold and your eyes are opened to a larger world. The sense of
accomplishment is great and the sacrifice humbling. But more than anything is the people
who will touch your heart. It's always the local community which affects me most. Their
customs, their homes, their families, their way of life. All these may be different, but
their love for Christ is the same.
The Trinidad Mission Trip was a construction project to build a church. It was probably the hardest
week I have worked physically. But it was also humbling. And life-changing. And loving.
And it built us up as strong as the bricks we layed. Listen to what the Lord has in store for you.
He may call you to join Him on the Mission Field. Whether close to home or far away.
What will your
answer be when He calls you?