THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, June 17, 1994 TAG: 9406150185
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 08 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JUDY PARKER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: 940617 LENGTH: Long
Prim, proper and poised in the face of difficult circumstance, leading a crop of new church converts in a song like ``Standing In The Need of Prayer'' might be the quintessential image.
{REST} Somebody like Katharine Hepburn's character in ``The African Queen'' maybe?
Well, that image is way off the mark in describing a group of teenagers and young adults from Hodges Manor's West Park Church of Christ who'll spend two weeks this summer, beginning this month, performing missionary service in Mandeville, Jamaica.
And it's a sure bet there'll be plenty of blisters, sore muscles and tattered clothing when the group returns to Portsmouth. This trip will mix cement with Bible studies, and hanging drywall with evangelism.
The group - 10 teens and three adult leaders - will leave June 22 for 14 days.
This is just a great way to experience a different culture and see how other people worship God,'' said 17-year-old Angie Albertson.
The rising senior at Western Branch High School and others from the group have been preparing for their venture since September. Meeting at least once a week over the past nine months, they've become skilled in leading Bible study classes and grown at ease with evangelizing on city streets.
They're not half-bad at wielding hammers or undertaking basic construction chores, either.
While in Jamaica, the group will help complete construction on a multi-purpose building for a local non-denominational church.
In order to hone one essential skill they'll use in Jamaica, the group recently underwent a kind of baptism by wet cement. Each member of the missionary team has learned to mix, pour and spread cement the old-fashioned way.
With a few grunts and moans, a phew or two from pursed lips trying to expunge cement dust flying in the air around their wheelbarrow, the crew sweated through a recent Saturday morning in West Park's parking lot patching a small piece of broken asphalt.
``OK, guys, I need you all over here,'' said Jim Bowman, the group's cement instructor.
``You gotta pay attention, because if you pour too much or too little water you'll have problems . . . And you need to keep moving and mixing the cement while it's in the wheelbarrow.''
The group is going to Jamaica under the sponsorship of Adventures in Missions, a program based in Bloomfield, Ind., that sends groups of teens and young adults on missionary assignments primarily to Third World countries. Assignments last anywhere from two- to six-week periods involving manual labor and evangelization.
``One of the purposes of AIM is for young people to be part of the solutions and not part of the problems in the world today. We hope the training and experience the young people receive will be used in service and leadership back in their home communities.''
Their two weeks in Jamaica isn't coming cheap for the young missionaries. Since September, when the mission idea was first proposed by West Park's youth minister, Jonathan Poyner, the group has held yard sales, mowed lawns, and washed more cars than they care to remember to raise the approximate $1,000 per person needed for the trip.
``The congregation here also made a very generous donation, and we've gotten support from other churches in the area as well,'' said Jean Albertson, whose daughter Angie is part of the mission team.
``The kids deserve a lot of credit, though, because they raised most of the money themselves.''
In a packet of instructional material provided by AIM, the group was convinced that their adventure definitely would not be a vacation.
Each person is limited to bringing 35 pounds of gear that makes everyday living comfortable and possible, including: clothing, personal hygiene items, towels and washcloths, a set of dishes and silverware, a washpan, a flashlight, workboots and gloves, bug spray, and of course, a Bible. Even sleeping bags must be compacted into the one-per-person duffel bag.
``They were even told not to bring chewing gum,'' Jean Albertson said. ``Apparently, Christians in many countries do not look favorably on what they consider `cud-chewing Americans.' ''
Their daily schedule won't leave much time for sightseeing the Caribbean island. Up at 7 for breakfast and morning devotions, the group will work from 9 a.m. until noon, break for lunch and Bible study, back to work from 2 until supper at 6 p.m. Then they'll have some free time until evening devotions at 10 with lights out at 11.
``I expect it to be a lot of hard work,'' said 18-year-old Melissa Gilbert, who graduated from Wilson High School this week. ``But this will be an opportunity to witness to people who haven't heard of Jesus Christ. That'll make it all worthwhile.''
Others in the group include: Lisa Cross, a 17-year-old rising senior at Wilson; Sarah Linn Lewis, 17-year-old rising senior at Wilson, and Jerry DeVault, 18, who received his diploma from Wilson on Wednesday; Amber Motes, a 16-year-old graduate of Churchland High; Lee Walker, 17-year-old Nansemond River High graduate; 18-year-old Noel Thomason, who just graduated from Menchville High; Alan Motes and Phillip Murdoch, rising sophomores at Roanoke Bible College; Chrissy Poyner, an interpreter for deaf students at Deep Creek High; and, Pat Lewis, wife of West Park's pastor, Keith Lewis.
by CNB