A Thank You Note . . .

The following song was composed by the Bible Camp Students at the Rock Hall Session. It is set to the popular church song, Thank you for giving me the morning...

Thanks for everything

Thanks for everything you taught us
Thanks for everything we learnt
Thanks for all the fun we had
Thanks for everything . . . oh, oh, oh

Thanks for bring us closer to God
Thanks for teaching us about St Francis
Thanks for all the help you've given
Thanks for everything . . . oh, oh, oh

Thanks for everything you taught us
Thanks for everything we learnt
This is the best bible camp
Thanks for everything . . . oh, oh, oh Thank you!

by: Janeen Hyatt and Nyoka Gilbert

Bible Camp - Week III - Rock Hall

This past week St Mary's and Missions sponsored the third week of Bible Camp at Our Lady of Lourdes in Rock Hall. This third and final week is made available for 'campers' from both the Rock Hall Community and Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary in Pinto. Due to it's overwhelming success the camp has grown from three days to five days: Monday through Friday!

A special thanks to the Bible Camp Team this past week: Sr Marcia, Sr Regina, 10-A-C, Oshane and Vernon from St Mary's; as well as our faithful helpers from Rock Hall: Mrs Campbell, Mrs Nickelson, Miss Joyce, Mrs Rodney and Miss Daphney.

This week saw approximately 24 campers per day, engaged in dunking for apples, story time, arts and crafts and snack time. Below are a few pictures that capture the week.

August 16, 2005 - August 16, 2009

August 16th marks the arrival date of the Franciscan Friars to St Mary's, Above Rocks, and Missions . . . this year we spent the day at Our Lady of the Assumption, Morant Bay, St Thomas Civil Parish for the Annual Assumption Pilgrimage. While we have been in Jamaica now for four (4) years this is only the second pilgrimage that we have attended.

Local legend has it, that if the pilgrimage is not had, we will have a bad year for hurricanes. We were able to make it in 2006. In 2007 there was DEAN and that washed out any pilgrimage for that year. In 2008, the weekend before GUSTAV (a tropical depression) sat over Jamaica for five days and the road to Morant Bay was washed out at Yallahs. Yesterday we had a beautifully clear day . . . and now today ANA, BILL and CLAUDETTE are making their way through the Atlantic . . . as the prayer goes: save us Lord from strong winds, hurricanes and other natural disaters. . . in the prayers of the faithful from June 1 through November.

As I post this piece - I'm taken that a reflection on hurricanes is linked with our anniversary. God has a strange sense of humor.

Continue to remember us in prayer as we continue to minister at St Mary's and Missions, and join us in praying that the islands of the Antilles Conference be spared from from strong winds, hurricanes and other natural disasters. . . AMEN!

Bible Camp cotinues at St Mary's

I don't know if St Francis' ideas on creation would match up Camp St Mary's but: below you will find our kid's renditions of animal masks as the activity for the day, and dirt pudding for the snack. Each day we had some music and dance and an activity on the play field. next week Rock Hall!

BIBLE CAMP - Week II at St Mary's

Today we started the second of three weeks of Bible Camp for the Mission - Week II is here at St Mary's. This BLOG entry will serve a two-fold purpose: give you a few shots of today's events, and introduce you to Sr Regina, FSE. Sr Regina has come down specifically to help with Bible Camp - I'm told (by the sisters in Meridan) that she's a Camp Wizard. Here you will see her directing the stations of the cross, posing with the group on stage and overseeing the art project.

If you haven't noticed we've taken a Franciscan Theme for this year:

Day 1 - The Story of the San Damiano Cross

Day 2 - Francis and the Leper

Day 3 - Greccio (Francis and Christmas)
Day 4 - Francis and Creation

Day 5 - Lady Clare and Community

Each Bible Camper took home a personalized San Damiano Cross to hang.