Sunday, April 17, 2011

MY PIKE ALL-AGE SCHOOL EXPERIENCE



I have been acquainted with Pike All-age school for 14 years and it is a door of utterance the Lord had opened unto me when I first began my preaching on the island. Much of the learning institutions here are founded through a church under the Ministry of Education.

So it was a surprise to me when I was asked to come and lead the morning devotional. That is all but gone in our school system.

A Pike teacher heard me preach in revival and asked me if I could come to preach for the students in their morning devotional. I learned from Brother Dwen this was his former school and several of the teachers taught him in class.

The morning I went with Brother Dwen, "Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven was at hand," bore on my heart; but I thought “Oh Lord wouldn't the golden rule be more suitable for a school.” As I arrived the children first stood outside in line with their appropriate classroom. “Good Morning students” said Principal Brown and in unison they replied adding "How are you." Then with an English twang they sang their national anthem titled "Eternal Father Bless Our Land."

As we gathered inside for the morning devotional it was a sight to see and I must confess the experience humbled me. I was so nervous but just before the service was to start Principal Brown introduced herself and said “Brother Jones, feel free to preach; you have full liberty here at Pike.”  Her encouragement that morning at Pike school reassured me to preach on “repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:2) and not teach on the golden rule.

It was some six years later in Silent Hill revival a young student now a young adult ended up in the altar and related back to that first I came to preach at Pike and of his being there. I have learned in mission work you can search to your heart’s content results may be sent to you at a later date. Several brethren have had the opportunity to come and preach to the kids at Pike churches & others have brought shoes, sports items and school supplies to the children and for their kindness I’m grateful for their desire to aid the poor in Jamaica.



Today, I have a mentor class at the school in Pike and in Craighead. I call it the bully class I think I’m babysitting more than anything. But the Lord has blessed me in this new effort in my mission work on the island. Several of the students have jumped on the bus to go to church with us. Pike & Craig schools as I have already said have been a blessing and for the record I did teach later at Pike on the Golden rule.     

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