To God be the Glory

It is hard to believe that I am writing our last blog entry for Antigua 2013. It literally seems like yesterday that we were embarking on this adventure and then we blinked and here we are at the end. I cannot tell you how proud I am of each of the team members and their heart during this trip. Each morning, the team was excited and ready to face whatever challenge lay ahead. As we awoke this morning, we were torn that this would be our last full day in Antigua before flying out tomorrow (don't worry concerned parents, I will update you with our flight information at the end). For breakfast this morning, we were able to get a "to-go" breakfast from a church fundraiser that was raising money to build a new building. This also would give the team their first real taste of Antigua food. We had a dish of saltfish and chop chop (a mixture of spinach, okra, zucchini and other spices all blended and boiled together), a small salad and a deviled egg. The meal went over great for some, and others would have preferred something more eggs and bacon-type. 

We traveled to the radio station for one last full day of work. The team went right at it and were able to finish a lot of the projects that they were assigned and we spent a good part of the morning wrapping up all the projects and getting to a good stopping point on some of the others. We took some final pictures and headed back to the house for lunch. This afternoon, we gave the team some time to relax and start packing their things to head out tomorrow. After a wonderful dinner of Chicken Alfredo (yes we feed our team members well), we headed out to Fryes Beach (one of the more beautiful beaches on the island) to watch the sunset and sit around a bonfire. We had a time of singing and testimonies and we praise the Lord that all the missionaries were able to be there tonight. It was neat to see most of the team members testify of what they had learned on the trip and the things God had done through their time on this beautiful island. The stars were absolutely beautiful and truly the heavens were "declaring God's glory" as we sang His praise.

Let me give you a quick rundown of our itinerary tomorrow. We would appreciate your prayers as we pack up and fly out tomorrow at 3:00 p.m. We should arrive in Miami around 6:00 p.m. and then are set to fly to Atlanta around 10:00 p.m. Once landing in Atlanta around midnight, we will be driving back to Greenville and should arrive around 3:00 a.m. I assume once we are back "state-side" that each team member will get in contact with their family and friends.

It is hard to think that tomorrow we will be flying out. Kathryn and I have so enjoyed leading this team and our team really has become like a family over these past few weeks (the team members have even resorted to calling us "Mom" and "Dad"). I know they haven't had the opportunity to read this blog and I know they probably will be catching up when they get home. As we close this trip I wanted to thank each one of our team members personally for what they contributed to the team. We love each of you very much and we're excited to see what God will continue to do through your lives as you serve Him.

Abby: Thank you for your sweet spirit and for being Julia's "big sister." You always knew just when to come and offer to take care of Julia and we so appreciate your heart for her and the kids you worked with on the trip. Your humor certainly kept the group lively and your compassion for all those people around you truly emulated Christ's love. BTW, sorry we buried you in the sand =)

Lana: As the "outsider" of this team, Kathryn and I were concerned with how you would fit in. I was so proud of the way you jumped right into ministry down here even though you didn't have any prior experience in working in a Communication field. From learning Adobe, to playing with the kids during VBS, we appreciated the way you contributed to the team in doing whatever was asked of you.

Kaitlyn: UNRUH!!!! As mentioned with Abby, thank you for your contribution in helping with Julia. I know at times you were her slobber and chew toy and we appreciate you allowing her to "snuggle" you even when you were already dressed for the day and prepared. Thank you for your willingness to be involved in so many facets of our team. From working in the ditches with the boys, to chopping down sugar cane like a crazy woman, we just so appreciate your work on the team. You took the "game time" of VBS and really made it your own and the kids loved it. We know it was a tough job to do and we couldn't be more proud of the way you lead games.

Andrea: My fellow-coffee enthusiast, thank you most of all for the work you did on the puppet show. Your creativity was so amazing in creating characters and developing stories that we could relay to the students in whatever capacity we presented. Even though we had to educate you on who Bob Marley was, we loved having you on the team. Your sweet spirit was very evident in the way you interacted with each of the team members. You have a natural likability, and that allows you to be so effective in whatever ministry you decide. It was truly a joy to have you on the team!

Katie Mac: First of all, we love you and we continue to pray for you everyday. I know these last two weeks were very hard on you especially being so far away from your family and friends. Kathryn and I were amazed at the way you faced these trials and still put 100% into whatever we asked you to do. You showed up, put a smile on your face even though inside we knew you were hurting deeply. Thank you for your spunk and wit on the team and for being there to help in whatever we were doing. You truly epitomized God's grace these past two weeks.

Sarah: As our European corespondent, I wanted to thank you for being the one who was the most willing to do what the rest of us were hesitant to: working with the 5 and under children. You embraced that role in VBS and you really showed God's love to those kids each time you taught them. We loved being able to see your interaction with the team members and the kids, and I think you definitely receive the award for getting the best tan of all of us on the trip.

Joshua: First of all, let me apologize for conistently introducing you as "Josh" even when you asked me to call you Joshua. =) You really were a bright spot on the team man. You worked so hard alongside Nathan and I know he appreciated your diligence to help with a variety of projects he wanted to get done. Even though you were tired and sore from working, you still put 100% into helping out in VBS and being involved in the lives of these kids. From singing, to playing soccer in the street, you always worked hard and never complained. Thank you for being a part of the team this year!

Victoria: Chicky Vicky, or Vicky Chicky whichever. Thank you for being on the team this year! Especially in the music, we knew the audience would always receive a blessing when you sang. You really cared for a lot of the team members on this trip, and we appreciate you being the "listening ear" for so many girls in your dorm. It truly was a blessing having you on the team, and your contribution was clearly seen every time we went out.

Lee: You did good. That is all. I am just kidding. To my fellow guitar master: Even though we didn't play any specials together (because the world wasn't ready for it), I wanted to thank you for the leadership you showed on the team. You worked tirelessly in whatever Nathan asked you to do and everything you did was done well. It was so neat to see God using your specific talents in so many ways throughout this trip, and we so appreciate your "LOOOOOOVE (say it with your accent)" for God and His people. Even when you were tired, you went out everyday and played soccer with those teens in the street and in speaking their "language" of football, you were able to impact them in a way that no other team member was able to. Thank you for being on the team!  

Angel: As one of our resident photographers, we wanted to thank you for always having your camera. Now our trip will be able to live on for years and years in the great pictures you took. You also were tremendous in helping with the music and helping in VBS. Thank you for being part of the team, and for bringing such a wonderful addition to our ministry at the radio station and in VBS.

Emily Lew (Helpful Puppy): As our only veteran team member, we were thrilled to have you on the team again. We wanted to say thank you for the leadership you showed on this team. We often leaned on you to help be the encouragement and leader for the girls and you were always a great example of service for our team. From washing dishes, to playing with Julia, to helping out immensely with puppet shows and scripts (by the way your Helpful Puppy voice is amazing!!). We look forward to seeing God continue to work in your life and we're happy to have you around for the next few years! We love you Lew Lew!

Emilee Nelson: My fellow "mile high-city" sister: Thank you so much for all the little things. Despite being so tired, you always made sure the kitchen was spic and span in making sure every dish was spotless. God also richly blessed us in sending us such a wonderful pianist to our team. Your service in the churches and in VBS was tremendous, and your ability to play whatever song in the world on the piano was such an asset to our team. You really were such a blessing to us Emilee in everything you did. You really put others needs in front of your own every single day and it was evident every day you ministered. We look forward to seeing God work through you in the coming years.

Kyle: You just were everything on this trip man. You jumped at whatever opportunity arose and showed great leadership throughout the trip. From working in the ditches, to serving in the chapels and at the deaf school, your desire to show Christ was very evident to us the whole trip. Even when kids at VBS tested your patience, you always responded in a very Christ-like way. Thank you for your ministry both to us as a team and to those people you came into contact with! I know you were a blessing to the missionaries we worked with, and to those kids you loved in serving them so faithfully.

We love each of you dearly and we thank God for the wonderful privilege of leading this team. To God be all the glory great things He has done!

For God's Glory,

Jonny Gamet

      

Last Sunday in Antigua

We had a great Sunday here. But as usual, it was very hot! :) We were able to serve at Maranatha where the Bakers and the Kirklands attend. I had the opportunity to speak in the Ladies Sunday School. I was honored that Nancy asked me to talk to the ladies, but I felt completely inadequate for the task. I was able to share some verses that have meant a lot to me and have changed my view of my relationship with my God. The team was able to share some special music numbers in both the morning and evening services. There were two different groups who worked in Sunday School and Children's church. It was great connecting with believers and seeing how our God is the same God that they serve. Sarah Shirey was able to speak with a lady who lived in Switzerland. They were able to converse back and forth in Swiss-German. I have to say though that I am not sure when or if anyone is going to bed tonight. The entire team slept away the whole afternoon.... 3-4 hours! They were all exhausted.

Tomorrow is our last day of working at the station. We have some projects to finish up before we leave. It is hard to believe that our time is quickly coming to an end. Tomorrow is a holiday here on the island: Whit Monday. It is 50 days after Easter and is in celebration of Pentecost. We will finish up the day with a bonfire on the beach to roast some smores and fellowship with the missionaries before we leave.

Again, we are so thankful for your continued prayers. We would appreciate your prayers for Katie MacDonald. She got news from home today that her grandfather passed away. She was very close with him.

For God's Glory,
Kathryn Gamet

Nathan and Renee down at the beach

A beautiful Antiguan sunset

Emilee with Ken and Nancy Kirkland

Saturday Fun

Today was a day we all have been look forward to. We made plans with a local company to do one of their adventure packages. We started this morning with kayaking through the mangroves. This was a fun experience for the whole team. We broke up into groups of two and started naming our kayak teams. I was relieved that Jonny chose me as his partner.... we had a kayaking experience a couple of years ago and I didn't think he would want to do that again! Once we got to the beach, we got out of our kayaks and boarded a boat that would take us out to a reef for snorkeling. Jonny and I remembered our day on the water from two years ago and we made the team apply and reapply sunscreen throughout the whole day. I have to admit that some of us still look a little "sun-kissed" but no one got badly burned. We had a great time snorkeling. It is always amazing to see God's creation and think about how He has a plan for everything. We swam with jellyfish, stingrays, and even a couple giant turtles. We then went back to the beach for an island lunch. We had fun looking at all of the conch shells on the shore while we waited for our lunch. Whoever says that they are an endangered species has never been to this beach. They were everywhere! We then enjoyed our lunch: barbecue chicken, rice, veggies, salad, and fruit punch. After our lunch we headed back to our kayaks. We went back through the mangroves. The team members were a little more confident on the way back and I noticed much more splashing and bumping into each other on the way back.

We came back to the house and got cleaned up and decided we needed some more ice cream. We took Nathan and Renee downtown for some more Australian Ice Cream. I can't even begin to describe how good this ice cream is. We really need some in Greenville!

We have enjoyed the day to relax and enjoy the island. We are ready to serve at Maranatha tomorrow. We will be doing the children's sunday school and children's church. We will also be having several special music numbers in the service. I am excited about the opportunity to speak in the ladies' Sunday School tomorrow morning.

Our trip is coming to a close and we have enjoyed every minute of it. Please continue to pray that we will finish strong and not lose sight of our task.

For God's Glory,

Kathryn Gamet

Mixed Emotions

Although we were thankful that today was Friday, we knew the day was going to be tough. We knew today was the funeral service for Todd Lurtey and we desperately wanted to be in Greenville to be part of the service. We also knew it was going to be tough because today was our last day of Bible school for the week. We'll get to that soon.

We started the day by working all morning at the radio station. We were relieved to be able to put in some solid time working on editing and producing all kinds of elements that would help the Radio Lighthouse. This afternoon, our team took a quick break to the beach and little Julia loved being in the water and finding some seashells. 

This afternoon, we had our last day of VBS. After much discussion with the Kirkland's and the team, we decided that in today's VBS we would focus more on the message and not on some of the other elements we had done in the days previous. We broke the group into three different sections. Sarah, Kathryn and  Renee went inside to work with children ages 6 and under. The teenagers came into the backyard with Joshua, Victoria, Abby and myself. The rest of the children packed into the carport. Each section spent some time singing songs and then spent a good deal of time discussing salvation and the gospel message. We praise the Lord that 83 kids came to the last day of VBS.

At the invitation we had 6 children come back and three made the decision to trust Christ. We were absolutely thrilled that we were able to see God work in such a tangible way! Our group said some emotional goodbyes as we knew we may not see some of these kids ever again. Although several of the children and teenagers didn't make decisions, we knew God was working throughout the entire VBS. We could see the Gospel seeds taking root and we are confident that God will continue to draw these dear kids to himself. 

Tomorrow we are looking forward to a fun day of kayaking on the water and doing a bit more sight seeing. After such a long week of work, I know the team is looking forward to some rest and refreshment. 

Thank you so much for your prayers! Continue to pray for the Lurtey family. We received word that the memorial service was such a blessing to the over 1,000 people who were in attendance. Also pray for the kids we ministered to this week. Pray that the Holy Spirit would continue to work in drawing them to Himself. 

We can't believe in a matter of days we will be making the trip back. It has gone so fast and we have seen God do incredible things through this team! 

For now, we close from the land of sea and sun. See you again tomorrow in the blogosphere. 

For God's Glory, 

Jonny Gamet

Pushing On

Typically this is the time of the trip where our team members begin to get very tired. After long days of work and then evenings of ministering in Bible clubs, the team often gets exhausted. As I write this, most of our team members have already decided to go to bed. I am so proud of them though. They have had such a wonderful attitude with whatever task they have been assigned and they have done it to the best of their ability. I am confident that God is doing great things through them because of the hard work and dedication they have shown to ministering to the people of Antigua.

Today, we had several opportunities that the team took advantage of. Earlier this week, we learned of a deaf school here in town and found out that our own Kyle Cline was very fluent in sign language. Kyle was able to minister to the students and spend some time talking with them and answering their questions. How neat to see God use specific talents for His own glory.

Several of the girls traveled to Bolans Primary School again this morning to spend some time with the students. The ladies taught some of the lessons, tutored the students and interacted with the kids in their classrooms. The children always love it when our girls spend time with them.

Josh and Lee (our residential fix-it guys) spent most of the day helping Nathan Owens on a special project. The boys are helping to rebuild the lighthouse outside of the station (something that hasn't been replaced in a long time). Again, it is neat to see how God can use specific talents for his own glory. Lee has former experience in working with wood and he and Josh have really taken on this project to help with the station. The rest of the team continued work at the station today in editing programs and planting some flowers around the station.

This afternoon, we had another very full day at vacation Bible school as we had 84 kids show up for today. We were a bit overwhelmed in having so many, but we were thankful to God for bringing so many kids for us to be with. Our team put on a puppet show and played games with the kids. Several of the team members and I were able to have a time with the teens and we studied Ephesians 5. We also played a rousing game of capture the flag. Needless to say, at the end of the day we were very tired. It is so wonderful to see God working in the lives of our team members. The kids are really getting attached to our team members and I am so proud to see our team members consistently showing the love of Christ in their interactions with each person they meet.

At this time, we will close for now. Would appreciate your prayers tomorrow as we close out our week of vacation Bible school at the Kirkland's house. Tomorrow we are going to put a special emphasis on salvation and we are excited to see what God will do through the message.

Goodnight from the land of sea and sun!


P.S. We tried to upload some pictures tonight but our internet connection hasn't allowed us to attach some pictures. Sorry =(

For His Glory,
- Jonny Gamet

Only 5 days left...

As we were working today, we realized that we only have 5 more days left in Antigua. The time has gone by so fast and we are so thrilled to see the ways God continues to work both in the lives of our team members and the people they come in contact with.

Our morning began rather early today as our team gathered in three different groups to begin our day. Group one consisted of Katie, Andrea, Kyle, Angel, Emily Lew and Sarah. This group traveled to Grace Christian Academy to help in a chapel program. The team sang several songs and put on a puppet show for the kids. I then preached about Gideon and we had a wonderful time with the kids. 

Group two consisted of the radio station team: Victoria, Lana and Lee and Joshua continued working at the station doing editing and other projects. 

Group three helped at Bolans Primary school in the reading classes (Emily Nelson and Abby). They were able to spend some time tutoring students and getting some one on one interaction. 

This afternoon, the team prepared for our third day of Bible school at the Kirland's house. Today we had over 60 kids show up and several of them were new. We took some of the teenagers inside and spent some time singing and teaching them some American choruses. They taught us as well. The team put on a puppet show for the kids, who are growing quite fond of characters like "Helpful puppy" and "Friendly Tarantula."

After playing football (soccer) with the kids during game time, we dismissed and headed home for the evening. The team is pretty tired after a long day. The kids at VBS certainly have a lot of energy, and our team has been great at matching that enthusiasm and showing the love of Christ in their interactions with them. 

We are looking forward to another jam-packed day tomorrow and would appreciate your prayers as we continue to serve the Lord here in Antigua. 

For God's Glory, 

Jonny Gamet 

Halfway

This morning we woke up early and were ready to go to the chapel service at Gospel Light Christian School. The breeze this morning made it feel almost cool.... almost. We had a great service at the school. The students always seem to enjoy the puppet show. The students continue to amaze me with all of the different "hats" they are wearing on this trip. We got to go shopping at the vendors in town after chapel. We were all ready to do a little bartering. I have to admit that this is not my skill. I have a hard time showing disinterest in something when I really want it, and I have a hard time asking for a lower price after they give me the first one. I am thankful Jonny was there to help me. I could have learned some lessons from other team members too. :) Although, some were just as bad as me! After shopping, we stopped for a little treat for the team. We ate at an Australian ice cream shop the last time we were here and I still think about it. We were able to take Nathan and Renee and the team members for some delicious ice cream. I  am trying to figure out how I can get some more before we head home, but it is very out of the way!

The team had the second night of VBS tonight and came home exhausted. We were so excited with the 42 children last night, but tonight there were over 60. They had to restructure a little bit to accommodate that many. I believe that there are some more plans for tomorrow night to make things flow a little better as well. There have been a good group of teens there each night, so Jonny and several others are going to try to do things specifically for that age range. We have babies all the way through teenagers, so it makes things a little bit difficult, but everyone is doing a great job being flexible.

Tomorrow we have another chapel in town and work at the radio station. We are trying to finish up some projects for them before we have to head home. We will have another night of VBS after a short break in the afternoon.

We really do appreciate all of your prayers! We are having a wonderful time. The sunburns are minimal and the bug bites are just starting to appear. The girls were all able to shower, so they were very happy today!

Kathryn Gamet

A Busy Monday

Today we had a very full and exciting day on the island. We started the morning with a chapel at one of the local public schools. The students were very excited to see us... especially baby Julia. She was very popular. They all wanted to touch her and see her "big blue eyes." The loved the "little white baby." She loved all of the attention until they started trying to take her pacifier out of her mouth.

The team did some musical numbers, presented their puppet show, and Jonny gave a brief challenge. This chapel was about 40 minutes long. The students stood outside in the heat the whole time without even a complaint. I was amazed at the discipline and structure at the school. I was thinking that if my college students had to stand out in the heat for a class period, I would hear so much complaining. The team had a wonderful time interacting with all of the children.

We then went to the station to work on some more of our projects. We finished up our day there around lunch time. We came home ate some lunch and a majority of the team went to cool off at the beach. We then left for the Kirkland's mid-afternoon to get set up and ready for our first day of VBS. We started the week with 42 children. It was a great first night. We had music, puppets, specials, a lesson, crafts, and a game. Each team member is using their talents in specific ways. Andrea and Emilee worked on music time. Katie taught the verse and Sarah taught the lesson.Many of the team members were involved in the puppet show. Angel was in charge of crafts - with many helpers. Victoria and Emily were in charge of registration and greeting all of the children. Katilyn and Lana were in charge of organized games.Abby really made a point to interact on a personal level with many of the children. The boys were great about playing soccer with the children and reaching out to the older kids. We are excited to see how the rest of the week goes.I understand that the number of children will grow and grow each night. I thought we were almost at capacity tonight!

The team is getting ready for an early bed time. We have the opportunity to do another chapel service early in the morning in St. Johns. It is about a 30 minute drive and chapel is at 8:00 am. Getting a group of 15 and a baby out the door on time has been a bit of a challenge.

The girls would appreciate your prayers - their house is pretty much out of water. They may not get a shower in the morning. I told them it wouldn't kill them. I can easily say that since we still have water over here and my shower is not in jeopardy.

The team is doing really well and getting along famously. I have been very pleased with the unity and spirit on the trip. I pray that it continues throughout the rest of the trip.

For God's Glory,

Kathryn Gamet

Mother's Day in Antigua

Today was a very hot day here in Antigua. We remembered saying last time that we were here that Sundays were the hottest days, and today that was very evident again. We have had a very full day.

This morning we were able to minister at Grace in St. Johns. We had many special music numbers in the morning and in the evening services. I was watching the team sing today and I thought about all of the many talents that God has given this group. We came here primarily to help with the Radio Lighthouse, but each team member has many gifts to be used in many different settings. Joshua, Sarah, Angel, and Andrea led a children's church during the main service time. They did an excellent job! There were games, songs, puppets, a lesson, and a craft time. I enjoyed getting to watch them.

We hurried home for a quick lunch and rest this afternoon. The heat really wiped us out today. Then this afternoon we met at the Kirkland's house for some final planning for our Bible School. We then broke up into groups and walked through the village handing out flyers and inviting children to Bible School this week. We are excited about what the Lord has in store for us through this opportunity.

This week we have a lot planned and are ready to get to work. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday mornings we have chapel services in three different schools. We will be doing puppets, songs, and Jonny will be giving a challenge. Each afternoon this week, we will be having Bible School at the Kirkland's home. Please pray that for each of these events that God will be seen and we will be used of Him.When we aren't in schools or Bible school, we will be continuing to work at the station on the different projects.

For God's Glory,

- Kathryn Gamet

P.S. The team all wanted to write their moms a note for Mother's Day since the couldn't be there with them. We wanted to include them in our post for today!

Kyle Cline: “Happy Mother’s Day, mom! I love you so much, and thank you for all that you’ve done. Like I told you before, I’ll take you out when I get home, and we can hang out some! See you in about a week and a half!! Love you.”

Mom,

Thank you for being my best friend. You’re an amazing mother and I’m very proud and thankful for you. I love you!

Your daughter,

Katie Leigh MacDonald

Victoria Sparkman: Happy Mother’s Day Mommy!! I hope that everyone else is spoiling you today cause I can’t. Thank you so much for all that you have done. You’re the best mother that anyone could ask for and my respect for you grows daily. Love you so much!! – Tori

Lee Campbell: Happy Mother’s Day, mom I hope you had a great day, thanks for everything you’ve done for me. Thank you for all you’ve sacrificed for me and we will have to do something special while I’m home for a bit. Love Lee.

Lana Bowker: Salut Mama!! Bon Jour de Mere!!! Hey Mom, Happy Mother’s Day!!! Hope you have had an awesome day. Thank you for all your support and for putting up with me for the last 21 years. Thank you so much for all you’ve done for me. Love ya- Lana

Joshua Tittiris: Mom, I hope you had a great Mother’s Day! I wish I could have been there with you to celebrate. When I come Home we will celebrate. I Love you!

Emily Lewandowski: Mom, thank you for always being there for me! I love you! See you soon.

Jonny Gamet: (R&R) I love you so much! God truly blessed me with the most wonderful mother a child could ask for. Your consistent godly testimony is such an encouragement to me. I know that no matter what I may face in this life, that I always have a prayer warrior in my corner. I love you so much and I can’t wait to talk to you soon Mom! We love you and Juju misses you! 

Angel Gillespie: Mom, I am sorry that I have not been home for the past two Mother’s days and birthdays. I love you so much and I can’t wait to see you in a little over a week!

Emilee Nelson: I love you lots Mom! Thanks for all you do for me. You are the best EVER!! Love you mostestestester and forever and ever See you soon. Baby Doll

Kaitlyn Unruh: I love you Mom. I am still alive. I will see you soon…. KK

Abby Edwards: Dear Mommy,

I am so thankful that God gave me the best mom (and parents) in the world. I am glad I got to see you even for a few days before I left and I look forward to lots of good “mommy-daughter” time this summer. Next time, you and I need to go on a traveling adventure together. Happy Mother’s Day, Mom! Thanks for being my best friend!

Ab

Sarah Shirey: Dear Mom,

Surprise, I know I said I wouldn’t get to say happy mother’s day on mother’s day…but I lied :P Happy Mother’s day!!! Have a spectacular day, love you lots! And I’ll see you soon J

Love,

Sarah J

Kathryn Gamet: Mom, I love you so much! Sorry I won’t get a chance get a chance to call today. Every day I grow more and more thankful for all you have done for me. I hope that I can be as good a mom to Julia as you were to me. I am so thankful for you example to me.

Andrea Sanford: Dear Mom, There's nothing more I'd like than to pick up the phone right now and call you while we drink our coffee together. I also wish I had thought to send you a card. Life is so cruel. Basically, if I had called you I would have told you that you are the only thing between me and going crazy.  I love you and Happy Mother's Day! Love, Andrea :) -- ALSO Andrew hola and I miss you babe.....<3

God is Good

We began the day with some sad news from home as we learned that our dear friend Todd Lurtey had passed away last night after a long battle with cancer. We have been praying for Todd (who is 16) and the Lurtey family for quite some time, and our hearts were all very heavy in being away while hearing this news. Many tears were shed, and we spent some time in prayer for this dear family. We love you Mr. and Mrs. Lurtey, and we will continue to pray for God's grace and presence for you in this time.

Today was our first day to do some sightseeing on the beautiful island of Antigua. We packed our lunches and set off for a day of fun in the sun. We visited English harbor which is one of the more historic venues on the island. While there, we sampled a "beef patty" and a "pineapple turnover." Both were delicious! The team had a great time walking around the Nelson's dockyard and looking through some of the museums and artifacts.

We then headed up to Shirley heights which is an absolutely breathtaking view of English harbor. It was wonderful to see the beauty of God's creation with the harbor beautifully painted on the landscape of the vast Atlantic ocean beyond Antigua. God is so good and as we looked upon His creation, we really saw the "heavens declaring God's glory" in the beauty of what we were seeing. The team then saw an information video about Antigua and some of the history in how the country was founded. The country is relatively young as they gained their independance from England in 1981 and formed their own nation.

After visitng a few more lookouts we headed back to the house and changed for some time at the beach. We truly had a wonderful day in weather as the sun was shining and a light breeze kept the temperature relatively cool. Tonight, we wanted to treat our team and our missionaries to a special treat. We had dinner at OJ's restaurant which is located on the beach. We watched a beautiful sunset while we waited for our food. As I was walking on the beach letting the water wash over my san-filled feet, my thoughts again went to the Lurtey family. The words to the old song, "just think of stepping on shore, and finding it heaven, of touching a hand and finding it God's, of waking in glory and finding it home" began to fill my mind. As tears filled my eyes I began to pray again that the "God of all Comfort" would be especially gracious to the Lurtey family. Please continue to pray for them.

As we ate our food, some of the team members were a little daring in their food selections. The award of the night went to Kaitlyn Unruh in getting a Red Snapper fish (and it came out completely whole!!! Head and all!!). The food was delicious and we had a wonderful time hangin out together and fellowshiping with the missionaries. As we got back to our rooms, we had team devotions where Angel shared her testimony of how she came to Christ and how God is in control of our everyday situations. How fitting, considering our day.

Tomorrow we are looking forward to attending church at Grace Baptist church where we will be doing some singing and leading children's church. Our team members are very excited about the opportunity to get some interaction with some of the kids and be able to worship with other believers. It certainly was a long day but ultimately a wonderful break for the team to be able to rest and recoup for another week. God is so good!

For God's Glory,

Jonny Gamet

Team Flexibility

We awoke this morning ready to get back at it. We were excited to be able to be getting our first experiences with the nationals as a whole team today, but some of our plans had to change because of the rain that was off and on all day. Antigua is unique in the sense that the rain quickly can come up all at once. You can be working outside and literally five seconds later be engulfed in a torrential downpour. Our team members showed a wonderful spirit despite the rain.

Unfortunately, due to the storm, the chapel program we were going to be presenting in the public school had to be postponed. Thankfully we were able to talk with the principal to get it rescheduled for early next week. For lunch, we introduce the team members to a local staple down here called "Bun, Butter, and cheese." Essentially this is a deli-type sandwich but is made with a wonderful sweet bread that combines the flavors in a marriage that is certain to keep you wanting more. We will be sure to visit the local vendor again for this special treat.

Tonight, our team traveled to Grace Baptist Church where we hosted a youth rally for five different churches around the island. We had over 60 kids in attendance. The team did a wonderful job with playing human knot (an absolutely awesome game) and entertaining the kids with a hilarious skit. I think our own Kyle Cline may have missed his calling and should have been an actor. Not to be outdone in the skit, Emily Lewandowski may have played the best pregnant woman I have ever seen. She will be giving her Emmy Award speech shortly. The group sang two specials for the teens as well. Our ladies did a wonderful job singing Complete in Thee and our team choir sang Wonderful, Merciful Savior. I had several teens and leaders come up to me afterwards and commend our group on the blessing they were through song. Praise God!

After the specials, we sang some familiar hymns with the nationals. It truly was a wonderful experience for us to sing with our brothers and sisters in Christ. Although we had never met most of these people, the common bond of Jesus Christ gave us an immediate family connection. I think that may have been the best rendition of "Amazing Grace" I have ever been part of. I then preached from Hebrews 11 and challenged the teens to be men and women of faith and to pursue Christ in their everyday walk. After the conclusion of the message, we spent a good amount of time talking with the teens and pastors, playing soccer (or as they demanded it be called football) and having a great time of fellowship with those who were there. It was neat to see our team interact with the locals and to share God's love with them.

After another crazy drive through the streets of Antigua, we finally arrived back at the house for some much-needed rest. We are looking forward to having our first touring day tomorrow and seeing some of God's beautiful creation on this wonderful island. As I type, I hear snoring around me ha ha. Our team has worked so hard on this trip and it is so neat to see God using each of their unique gifts for His glory! Everyday, we see several team members step up and really help carry the load. The team unity has been outstanding!

Continue to pray for us. Our team members are feeling the fatigue after long days of work, but they have truly been a great blessing to those they have ministered to here.

Goodnight from the land of sea and sun,

For God's Glory,

Jonny Gamet

Rain Won't Stop Us...

As the title would suggest, today we got a far amount of rain. That didn't damper the spirit of our team members as they were up early to start another day of work. Today, our group did a lot of work at the station editing programs. Several of the team members began to work on a recording for a puppet show that the team is going to be doing for a local school tomorrow. Many of us channeled our inner "cartoon character" voices to play our part in the script. Our play was written by Andrea Sanford and Emily Lewandowski who did a fabulous job portraying several animal character and the importance of being obedient to those in authority. Pixar has got nothing on these two girls.

The boys continued their work outside in doing a variety of projects throughout the day. We spent most of the morning painting, cutting down sugar cane which allowed us to play with machetes (always a boys dream to swing a sword and cut down things). During the day, we had to stop several times because of the rain. Kyle Cline was our lucky guy today who climbed with Nathan Owens to the top of the radio tower outside of the station to do some maintenance at the top of the tower (don't worry Mrs. Cline, he was strapped in a harness and secured in his climb). In the afternoon, the team was able to get more done at the station despite the rain.

Tonight we continued our trip ritual by heading to the beach. Although the rain had cooled the water off a little, the beach was still a wonderful refreshment after a long day. Katie MacDonald shared her salvation testimony with the team tonight during team devotions and it was a wonderful encouragement to hear how Katie came to Christ by the influence of her parents. She also shared how she was able to lead her cousin to the Lord later on in her life and the importance of praying for those we know who are not saved. It was truly a blessing.

The rest of the evening was spent planning our day for tomorrow. We have quite the plateful tomorrow as we will be in a local elementary school singing and interacting with kids. Tomorrow evening, we will be having a youth rally at Grace Baptist Church and many of the local youth groups will be invited to attend. We are looking forward to interacting with the kids and teens and being able to show them the love of Christ.

I would personally appreciate your prayers for us as we serve in those capacities tomorrow. Pray that we would be able to be effective in our witness and that we would be able to be the hands and feet of Christ to these kids.

Have a wonderful evening! We'll chat again tomorrow! We also have included several pictures of the team for your enjoyment. We miss you and love you all!

For God's Glory,

Jonny Gamet
Antigua 2013

The First Day

After being wiped out from a day of travel, the team went to bed very early last night. We awoke from a very restful night of sleep and were excited to begin our first day of work in Antigua. Our day began with a tour of the AM tower site and the radio station. The students were excited to see a lot of the same equipment and software they used in school in the radio station. After the tours ended, our team split up into several groups:

Group one consisted of Renee Owens, Emily Nelson and Abby Edwards. These ladies traveled to Bolans Primary School to spend some time reading to the students and spending time with them. The students all wanted to play with Abby and Emily's long hair. These students don't get a lot of interaction with people from the United States, and so they often want to touch the different color skin. Some even pinch it to see if it will turn darker. Abby and Emily both wanted to go back tomorrow to spend time with the students. They had a wonderful time with them, and in being able to teach them about God.

Group two consisted of the rest of the ladies on the team who helped with a variety of different tasks around the station. Most of the girls spent their time editing children's programs and helping do voice over work. In conjunction, the girls also were able to spend some time with the nationals who work on the Caribbean Radio Lighthouse staff.

Group three consisted of the men of the group as Nathan Owens directed us outside for some "man work" or as the average lay person would say "manual labor." The men helped at the AM site with some weed control, repairing and preparing the fence and Joshua and Lee helped to test several of the cables and equipment at the job site in preparation for hurricane season, which will come in about a month. The men also headed up to Mt. Obama (named after the 2009 election), but we still like to call it Boggy Peak (the original name). This mountain is the highest point in Antigua and also the site of the FM tower for the radio station. While there, the men were able to clear out a lot of brush and trees to help prevent damage to the tower in the event of a storm.

Once again, after a long day of work, a time at the beach was needed and appreciated. We spent the evening playing games together and recounting some of the highlights of the day. We had a brief time of prayer and devotions as I challenged the team to think about the lives they possibly could impact with their day-to-day responsibilities. Especially for our students, something like clearing brush or editing a children's program can seem dull and monotonous, but who knows how God can use that for His glory? Maybe three years from now a child will hear that edited radio program and come to Christ as a result. I can't wait to get to heaven and be able to see how God used my life to impact others, and I know God is using our team in mighty ways already, and will continue to do so throughout this trip.

Each of the team members are having a wonderful time and are being a great help to the ministry here. We did take some pictures of the days activities, but our internet connection here is not allowing a lot of speed to be able to upload pictures. We're hoping to be able to add more in the coming days for you to be able to see our work.

Continue to pray for us! We are excited to see God working already in the lives of our team members. We are so thankful for the team unity we have experienced so far and for the wonderful young people we have on this team. They truly are great to be with!

We love and miss you all, and I pass along hello's and "I love you's" from each of the team members.

For now, we say goodnight and we'll talk again soon from "the land of sea and sun."

For God's glory,

Jonny Gamet  

We made it!!!

For all the concerned parents who have been anxiously awaiting news, we made it safely to Antigua around 2:00 p.m. this afternoon. Though tired and worn out from a long day of traveling, we are here and praise God for his protection in getting us here.

Our day began bright and early at 2:00 a.m. as we loaded up our luggage at Bob Jones University, said our goodbyes and hit the road. We praise the Lord for the safety He gave us on the road. Especially with the early nature of our quest from Greenville to Atlanta.

We then flew from Atlanta to Miami with no complications at all. We did have to shift around some weight in one of our food suitcases (I guess my stash of Reese's candy bars were discovered to be too heavy). After arriving safely in the Miami airport around 9:00 a.m., the team spread out around the airport to try to find a decent breakfast meal near our gate. The consensus finally came to be Wendy's although they didn't serve any breakfast items. So it was Chicken sandwiches and Baconators as the "breakfast of champions" for our team.

Most spent their remaining minutes in the U.S. surfing Facebook and sending last-minute messages to family and friends. At 11:00 a.m. we embarked on the final leg of the journey in a 3-hour flight from Miami to Antigua. The trip was absolutely breathtaking as we looked over the vast space of the ocean in all its beauty. After arriving in Antigua, we were greeted by Nathan and Renee' Owens and Ken Kirkland at the airport. They helped us secure two rental vans (with air conditioning) and we packed up our luggage and headed out to our home away from home for the next two weeks. Kathryn certainly had a culture shock in experiencing her first driving experience in Antigua.

The best way to describe driving in Antigua would be to combine the atmosphere of a demolition derby, with  streets the size of most American alley ways. Thankfully, the Lord kept us all safe and we managed to get all the vehicles to the missionaries house in a timely manner.

After taking a few minutes to unpack, we all donned our swimsuits for a quick dip in the beautiful beach across from the missionaries house. Little Julia wasn't much of a fan of the ocean for her first experience (that could be because of an enormous wave that she encountered upon entering the water, but I digress). We then came up for a meal with all of the missionaries and the team had a great time getting to know the missionaries.

It is now 7:15, and one by one, team members are beginning to fall to the tireless grasps of exhaustion. We are looking forward to a great day tomorrow as we will hit the ground running in helping at the Caribbean Radio Lighthouse and in local schools. On a side note, we wanted to say thank you so much to those who prayed for little Julia in the trip today. She did a wonderful job and was very happy and content all day, and then slept the entire 3-hour flight from Miami to Antigua. It may be a small thing, but her cooperation in a very stressful day was a great blessing. We know many of you prayed specifically for that and we thank you!

Also, on another personal note, Abby Edwards has been tirelessly chasing me around and told me to say "hi" to her family and friends.

We all miss home and our loved ones very much, but we are thrilled with the opportunity to serve our Great God on the beautiful island of Antigua.

Until we meet again via the Antigua blog, we bid you goodnight for now.

- Jonny Gamet

Twas the Night Before Antigua...

Part of me wanted to take the time to come up with a riveting poem detailing the exciting events the before the dawn of our trip to Antigua. But alas, the hour is coming when the alarm will ring and I know it will be much sooner than what we all hoped for. The team came over tonight for some pizza and final preparations. We had a great time of interaction and spending time with one another. No doubt a forerunner to the great times we will have together as a team in the coming weeks.

Many of you are wondering our itinerary for tomorrow and so we thought we would let you know the times we are going to be traveling. We will be leaving Greenville, SC at 2:00 a.m. and driving down to Atlanta. Our first flight leaves at 6:30 a.m. and we will be traveling from Atlanta to Miami. We should arrive in Miami around 9:00 a.m.

We then have a two-hour layover in Miami which should be enough time for us to grab our second or third cup of coffee and maybe grab our last taste of American food for the next two weeks. At 11 we will fly from Miami to Antigua and should be arriving around 2:10 p.m.

The nice thing about Antigua is that we are still in the same time zone so we shouldn't have much jet-lag as we start our trip. After going through customs (sometimes a lengthy proposition), we will load up in our rental vans and head to the missionaries house for a time of introduction and refreshment.

Prayer Requests for Tomorrow: 

- Pray that everything would go smoothly with our flights. With 16 people going on this trip there is a lot of room for error in bags missing and other complications that could arise. Pray that God would give us a smooth trip down to Atlanta and that we would get everyone and everything there in one piece.

- Pray for safety on the flight and for myself and another driver as we transport the team at o'dark thirty.

- Pray for God to begin to prepare our team members to be used for His service on this trip. We have been praying much about this already.

We will keep you updated as soon as we can, and plan on posting another blog entry when we arrive tomorrow evening.

God Bless! Have a great night! Now off to bed for all of us, well I think some are going to try to pull an all-nighter but I am too old for that.

- Jonny Gamet

This is the first post for the 2013 Antigua Mission Team. We will be in Antigua from May 7-21. We are so excited to join the work of the Caribbean Radio Lighthouse.

We will keep our family and friends updated on our trip through this blog. We greatly appreciate your prayers as we make our final preparations.