July 2008 Jamaica Trip Report - Roger Lipe

This is a brief report on my 2008 vacation trip to Jamaica to train sport chaplains and sport mentors. Thanks for your prayers and invaluable partnership in this endeavor. It was a great success.

Saturday July 5 –
I was up early this morning and took the hotel shuttle to the airport, arriving at 4:30 am. I checked in and my plane took off at 6:05 am. I changed planes in Miami. We arrived in Kingston, Jamaica just before noon and began the immigration process. I had to pay $35.00 in import duty for the 120 books which we’ll use here in our training sessions. My friend and colleague, Andre Virtue of Whole Life Sports, picked me up at the airport and took me directly to a radio station where an interview was already underway with Percival Palmer. Percy is the director of Caribbean Sports Reach, a sports ministry across the Caribbean islands. I joined in the interview at 1:15 and it concluded at 2:00.
Percival took me to my lodging at the trade school where his wife serves as a nurse. I moved into the rather Spartan accommodations (no hot water, no windows, but I did have a fan and 3 channels on television!) and watched football (soccer), cricket and athletics (track and field) on television as I tried to get my sinuses to calm down.
At 8:00 in the evening I joined Percy for dinner at Wendy’s in downtown Kingston and then we picked up some grocery items so I could make breakfast in my room.

Sunday July 6 –
I was awake by 6:00 this morning, made breakfast and did my devotional reading. At 8:00 we left for church. It started at 9:00 and we finished at 1:45. 1:45!! Our friend, Al Miller, preached the service. Al is now the chaplain for the Jamaican national football team and has a great deal of influence with the sport community. After church I rested in the room and watched the West Indies vs. Australia cricket match on television.
At 4:00 dinner (fried chicken, rice and beans) was brought to my room and I relaxed for the remainder of the evening and made final preparations for my presentations which begin on Monday.

Monday July 7 –
I was up early for breakfast and devotions and then Percival picked me up for the first of our training sessions in Kingston at Family Life Ministries. We had a small, but well represented group. One was a prominent soccer referee, one a representative from the Jamaican Education Ministry and another was a pastor. After wrapping things up we went to Percy’s office and visited his friend, Raphael’s gym. We did some more grocery shopping and went home. I rested a while and then took a cold shower. I turned in early as I’m still trying to get my health back to 100%.

Tuesday July 8 –
I was up at 3:30 am this morning to prepare for our long, winding, perilous, pot hole dominated drive all the way across the island to Montego Bay for today’s training session. We left at 4:30 and arrived in Mo Bay at 8:30. We again had a small group for training, but it included a businesswoman, an Anglican priest and an influential coach from the area. After we finished, we visited a Boy’s and Girl’s Club and I got to take a few swings playing cricket with the kids. I was not very good.
We visited with one of Percy’s friends at her store and had a Coke, and then we made the drive back to Kingston. We had some jerk chicken at the Island Grille upon our arrival. I was back in my room at 8:00 and shortly fell asleep.

Wednesday July 9 –
I was up and making breakfast at 5:00, then I did my devotional reading for the day. At 6:30 we left for Mandeville in the central mountains of the island. We arrived at 8:45 and a slightly larger group of people arrived for training. The group included a teacher, a pastor, a netball team captain and her husband who is the captain of his soccer team. One coach was also there. It was again very warmly received and while I was there, I received a call from Southeastern Illinois College for a reference on Scott Gilpin’s candidacy for the Head Softball Coaching job.
After the session, we drove to Percival’s in-laws’ home and then bought some fresh pineapple and roasted yams at roadside stands. We ate the yam with butter and roasted, salted cod fish in the car while it was hot. We continued down the road and stopped by a practice facility for the Reggae Boyz – the Jamaican National Soccer Teams. We watched a practice for the under 17 and under 20 teams, speaking with a number of the coaches and players. After practice was completed we drove back home and went to bed shortly thereafter.

Thursday July 10 –
I arose at 5:45 this morning for breakfast and devotions. At 8:00 Percy took me to his children’s (ages 11, 8 and 22 months) school to pick up their report cards. While we were there I ate a Jamaican apple (like a pear in consistency and taste) and I drank the water from a fresh coconut.
We did our final chaplain training event today with the strongest results and largest group. We had 16 attendees and they were a very sport oriented group including some involved in sports ministry and one who is already serving a team as a chaplain. This was our best and most productive day.
After the session was over we drove to Fellowship Tabernacle and did a ½ hour interview for Love Television. Percy and I took his three kids to Pizza Hut for pizza and bread sticks. We then went to the home of Grace Jones, a 1988 Olympic Silver Medal winner in the 200 meters, for a visit and to talk ministry in sport. She lives and works on the campus of the College of the West Indies in Kingston.
We then went to Power 106 Radio for an 8:00 pm live interview to discuss our week of training sessions and ministry in sport. I was back in my room at 9:15 and soon in bed.

Friday July 11 -
I was up and ready for breakfast and devotions at 5:30. At 7:15 I did a radio interview by phone from the room on FM 102.9. I rested and read for a good while this morning and then at 11:45 we gathered up the kids and made the drive to Ocho Rios and Dunn’s River Falls for a day of fun.
Ocho Rios is on the northern coast of Jamaica and Dunn’s River Falls is a 600 foot waterfall which cascades down like a stairway from the mountains right into the Caribbean Sea. We were able to enjoy the beach and the warm, salty water as well as to climb the falls in the cool, fresh water of the river. It is a unique, beautiful place.
Upon arrival, we had another telephone interview with a prominent sport talk radio show at 2:45 in the afternoon. After our fun in the sun, we took the kids to dinner at KFC in Ocho Rios. At 5:45 we left for home, arriving at 7:45 and just in time for a cold shower and bed time.

Saturday July 12 –
I was up for breakfast and devotions at 5:30 this morning. I completed my packing and rested. Percival stopped by and left the training session comments with me as well as an honorarium and a very kind letter. He had to lead a training session for a local university and had arranged for a friend to take me to the airport.
I was picked up at 10:30 and we stopped at the Craft Cupboard for some souvenir shopping. I was at the airport at 11:00, checked in, went through security and got some lunch. Our plane was a little delayed in leaving and then late in arriving due to some storms in Miami. After immigration, baggage claim, customs, rechecking a bag, going through security again and walking to my next gage, I relaxed for a while.
The flight from Miami to St. Louis was delayed 25 minutes, but we were soon on the ground and I picked up my bag, took the shuttle to the hotel, claimed my car and sat in a huge, downtown St. Louis traffic jam. I arrived home at 1:00 am Sunday. It was great to be home with my wife.

Summary –
This was a very productive trip because I was able to enhance my friends’ ministries and to help catalyze some new avenues of ministry for them. They kept the left over books and will use them to further train more sport chaplains and sport mentors around the Caribbean. I will look forward to return trips to this beautiful, but greatly challenged country.