A letter from Vicki Smith in Jamaica
May 19, 2008
Greetings from beautiful Jamaica,
March and April have been busy months here. As I said in my last letter, it is festival month, with competition across the island for music, dance, and speech. On April 19 I took my ten-girl choir to Port Maria to compete. They did well and made it to the next round. They competed and earned a silver medal. It was an exciting event.
Iona benefited greatly from the generosity of my home church, Webster Presbyterian in Webster, Texas, in March. On the 15th, over 1,000 pounds of toys, books, art supplies, a kitchen, puzzles, and more arrived at school as the result of a “Send your love to Jamaica” campaign. It was wonderful. Students and faculty alike laughed and cried as they viewed all of the “goodies” sent by their friends in Texas. Not only did this shipment help the school a great deal, it demonstrated love and caring from fellow Christians to the people here. It is a blessing to see these items being used and enjoyed by students and staff alike.
On Sunday, April 13, I went to Old Harbor (about an hour-and-a-half drive) to the United Church Convocation. It is held on the off year for Synod. It was quite an event, with about 3,000 in attendance. In the morning was a worship service, and in the afternoon a business meeting and concert were held.
I relate a very personal event here in order to once again communicate the love and compassion of the Jamaicans I work with. On Sunday, April 20, I received word my only sibling had been found deceased in his home in Alaska. My co workers and friends here were compassionate and supportive and truly helped me as much as those in the States when I returned to attend my brother's funeral and scatter his ashes. I will always treasure the outpouring of love and concern my Jamaican family showed to me in such a sorrowful time.
We are about to enter our last seven weeks of school, and I hope my next newsletter will be more informative and reflect much of the events and emotions as I end the 2007-2008 school year at Iona.
In the belief that with God all things are possible,
Vicki Smith
The 2008 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 266
