BOULEVARD BAPTIST CHURCH | OCTOBER 2014 EDITION | ISSUE NO. 25

M A G A Z I N E

Why God created mosquitoes

Testimony - Jennifer Henry

Youth Inspiration

Coping with a Loss

Mission Statement:

To develop our spiritual lives, evangelize the

wider community and influence the world

through Christ by organized preaching, public

and private worship, Christian education and

fellowship, while co-operating with other

Christian bodies.

Boulevard Baptist Church

Boulevard Baptist Church2 Washington Boulevard, Kingston 20Telephone: 905-2422Email: boulevard.baptist@yahoo.com | Website: www.boulevardbaptist.org.jmPastor: Rev. Dr. Devon Dick

Opportunities For WorshipSundays at 9:00 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.Sunday School: 8:00 a.m. – 8:50 a.m.Prayer & Bible Study: Wednesdays at 9:30 a.m. • 1st and 3rd Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m.Prayer and Fasting: 1st Saturdays, 7:00 a.m.

Editor-in-Chief: Sophia WilliamsEditors: Hyacinth Brown and Francine DallasOther Team Members: Claudette Reid, Emma McCalla, Verna Edwards, Simone Hull-Lloyd, Duvaughn Dick, Carla Wilson-Redden and Ricardo Holness.

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Sharian HansonYouth Inspiration

Sharian Hanson has been an Attorney-at-Law for almost four years. She is currently pursuing a Master of Laws (LLM) degree with concentration in Public and Regulatory Law at the Emory University, Atlanta, USA. She is extremely excited about studying at Emory. Prior to her current studies she worked as an attorney-at-law at the Office of the Children’s Advocate. Sharian who is a member of Boulevard Baptist shares with the BBC e-voice about her career over the years and what the future holds for her as she pursues further studies.

BBC e-voice: How would you describe yourself? Sharian: I would say that I have a great sense of humour and extremely family oriented. I try not to take myself too seriously, but I do take things seriously. A bit of a worry wart I would say.

BBC e-voice: What motivated you to pursue a career in law? Sharian: Loving to read. Unfortunately I don’t so much anymore. My approach to life has always been, that if it’s not challenging enough it’s not worth it. During my undergraduate years at UWI, I took a few law courses which I enjoyed thoroughly. So at that point I decided I would pursue law.

BBC e-voice: As you undertake further studies in law what are the prospects in your specialized area of study? Sharian: I did my masters solely for personal aspirations, more so than for reasons of career advancement. However, it may be useful for a career in academia as well as legislative and policy reform.

BBC e-voice: How would you describe your time spent at the Children’s Advocate and will you be returning to that job? Sharian: It was a great learning experience. It was a multi-disciplinary area. Half of my work there was legal. The other half was social work, counselling, parenting, public relations and teaching to name a few. No, I won’t be returning after my studies.

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BBC e-voice: Based on your association and experience with an institution advocating for children, how would you rate us as a people in relation to our love and interest toward our children? Sharian: I think as a people, we love children. However, there are persons within our society who clearly don’t. Nonetheless, I would say there is a lack of appreciation for the vulnerabilities of the child, which may have a negative impact on how we treat children. To some people children are a “soft issue” and have no voting power and therefore, resources and services that should be provided are considered unwarranted. I have experienced lawyers questioning my motivation to practise in the area, because it is not viewed with much esteem. We still have a long way to go, but I believe we have sufficient passion to make great improvements.

BBC e-voice: If you were to make one request or plea on behalf of our children what would it be? Sharian: Instinctively I would say treat each child as your own. However that might not always be positive, based on how abusive some people are towards their own children. I would therefore request that we treat children the way we would have wanted to be treated as a child.

BBC e-voice: Would you like to share any important or outstanding achievement? Sharian: I consider myself to be a work in progress. I would think that getting a scholarship to study at Emory University is both a blessing and an achievement.

BBC e-voice: How do you view Jamaica in relation to young graduates aspiring for career growth and development and typically other aspirations? Sharian: Jamaica has its challenges like everywhere else. My experience at Emory has shown me that from students are in their first year of law school, they begin networking in a bid to get jobs for summer and after law school. Networking in the States is a big thing. It’s just as important as preparing for finals. In Jamaica you are encouraged to get the highest grades and then we send out cold applications hoping that our transcripts will impress the employers. While maintaining a good GPA is important in the States, putting yourself out there is equally important. You may have to do things that you never considered. When I left law school I automatically thought about getting a job in a private law firm. However, I would later learn that law is very wide, but if you limit yourself to one area you will feel like the opportunities are limited.

BBC e-voice: What is your outlook for Jamaica? Sharian: Surprisingly bright!

BBC e-voice: What is your area of involvement in the Church and are you satisfied that the church is sufficiently contributing and/or being proactive in relation to human rights and justice? Sharian: Unfortunately with the job that I had, I did not spend much time involved in church activities, which I deeply regret. I think that the church does a lot and especially in Jamaica, it fills a huge social services gap. Each member of the church has to be committed to the cause and recognize that we each have a social and moral responsibility to uphold human rights and justice.

BBC e-voice: Ultimately, what would you like to be your greatest accomplishment? Sharian: Getting married and having children LOL. That really is just a joke. On a serious note, though, I think it would be living a life that I am not ashamed to go to God in prayer about. I have been a beneficiary time and time again of the kindness of others. I want to be able to extend this same kindness to others. That to me is a great accomplishment.

(Sharian is the daughter of the Usher Board President, Sis. Ingrid Hanson.)

Make every effort to add to your faith goodness, and to goodness, knowledge, and to knowledge, self-control, and to self-control, Endurance... – 2 Peter 1:1-7. Rev. Devon Dick had been presenting a series of sermons, based on 2 Peter 1:1-7, starting with faith and stepping up to goodness, knowledge and self-control. On Sunday, October 19, 2014, the focus was on Endurance. Pastor delivered three important thoughts in relation to endurance:

EMBRACE SUFFERINGHe posited that suffering was about hardship, hurt, trials, tribulation, persecution, agony and anguish of the soul. It is taking up the cross and persevering through suffering. Referring to John 10:10, it tells us that the devil comes to steal, kill and destroy... Pastor explained that all manner of evil comes from Satan and for some of our suffering it is the Lord who allows it. He asserted that you cannot be a Christian and be on ‘easy street’. We have to take up the Cross!

EMBRACE SACRIFICE“Sacrifice is giving up some good things for a better cause,” he expressed. Pastor cited a few examples, such as the public sector workers giving up a wage increase for the interest of the nation, and giving up family time and career ambitions for ministry. It is persevering to see some things accomplish for the will of God, he asserted. In emphasizing this point, Pastor referred to George William Gordon and Paul Bogle who possessed wealth yet sacrificed all of this, started churches and sought justice for the people. They sacrificed... ultimately offering their lives.

EMBRACE SATISFACTIONSatisfaction is, as we are persevering we are patient, feel contented and being fulfilled in the Lord. It is service above self. Pastor emphasized this point as he made reference to Paul in Phillipians 4:11 “... I have learned to be contented whatever the circumstances.” This he remarked, baffles the world! There is no cheap Christianity, Pastor added. Jesus Christ pointed the way and so we must follow in his footsteps. It is a challenge from Peter to ourselves... Focus on endurance.

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My neighbour had invited me to a crusade at his church. When the service was over and I was leaving the Pastor called me. He asked if I had accepted the Lord and I told him no. He said, “Say after me this prayer,” and I did. While on my way home with my neighbor, he said to me, “You have accepted the Lord and would have to attend church to prepare for baptism.” I told him I did not surrender my heart to the Lord willingly.

I got married at the Boulevard Baptist church in 1979. I attended church on and off for years. But what really helped me to make the decision to accept Christ, were two dreams that I got one after the other. One was that a dove flew down on my shoulder; I ignored the dream. I dreamt again that it came down on my head; this time I got up and said to myself, “It seems the Lord is calling me to serve him.”

On one particular Sunday when the altar call was made, my heart beat so fast it was as if it would come out of its place. The struggle was going on… go up, don’t go, and the latter won.

On my way home after the service, I started to talk to the Lord. I said, “Father you see today I wanted to accept you and I followed the mind that said no. Anything could happen to me and I die out of you, I am sorry. Lord if you spare my life to see next Sunday and the pastor makes another altar call, I will be the first one to go up.

At church on the next Sunday, this hymn written by Charles Wesley titled, “And can it be that I should gain” was sung, and I was the first one to go to the altar. I then decided that I would attend church every Sunday. I also attended the Enquires’ Class and got baptized. God has been good to me in most aspects of my life.

Friends this is the best decision any individual can make to let go of the world and let Jesus come into your heart.

T E S T I M O N Y :

JenniferHenry

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A man went to a barbershop to have his hair cut and his beard trimmed. As the barber began to work, they began to have a good conversation. They talked about so many things and various subjects. When they eventually touched on the subject of God, the barber said: “I don’t believe that God exists.”

“Why do you say that?” asked the customer. “Well, you just have to go out in the street to realize that God doesn’t exist. Tell me, if God exists, would there be so many sick people? Would there be abandoned children? If God existed, there would be neither suffering nor pain. I can’t imagine a loving God who would allow all of these things.”

The customer thought for a moment, but didn’t respond because he didn’t want to start an argument. The barber finished his job and the customer left the shop. Just after he left the barbershop, he saw a man in the street with long, stringy, dirty hair and an untrimmed beard. He looked dirty and un-kept.

The customer turned back and entered the barber shop again and he said to the barber: “You know what? Barbers do not exist.” “How can you say that?” asked the surprised barber. “I am here, and I am a barber. And I just worked on you!” “No!” the customer exclaimed. “Barbers don’t exist because if they did, there would be no people with dirty long hair and untrimmed beards, like that man outside.”

“Ah, but barbers DO exist! What happens is, people do not come to me.”

“Exactly!”- affirmed the customer. “That’s the point! God, too, DOES exist! What happens, is, people don’t go to Him and do not look for Him. That’s why there’s so much pain and suffering in the world.”

~ Boardofwisdom.com

Understandingsome of our painand suffering.

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For thirty-two (32) years the Boulevard Baptist skills training programme has been providing training for individuals, setting them on a meaningful career path and at the same time making their contribution to a skilled workforce. Since 1992, a partnership was forged with the HEART Trust NTA, for training, assessment and certification in Commercial Food Preparation. Over time the Boulevard Baptist Skills Centre has developed to become a designated centre of the HEART Trust NTA for assessment and certification.

One objective of the programme, to establish an evening programme has been realized. This started in November 2013, and an additional twenty five (25) trainees were enrolled in the Commercial Food Preparation course. It is offered Monday to Friday from 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm.

In October, 2013 eighty (80) trainees-( 31 males and 49 females) enrolled in the Commercial

Food Preparation course for the day programme, with classes conducted between the hours of 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. For the last school year a total of ninety three (93) trainees completed the course for both the day and evening programmes.

The training programme affords the students participation in various competitions, namely, the .Jamaica Culinary Arts competition where they won several medal, and the Cook-off competitions where they won cash prizes, stoves and groceries. The programme seeks to certify a workforce to international standards thus contributing to improved productivity, prosperity of individuals, enterprises and the nation.

BBC Skills Training ProgrammeProv id ing more oppor tun i t ies fo r t ra in ing

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All of us at some point of our lives will experience a loss, which may lead to pain, hurt, anger and grief. Loss takes many forms, and the degree to which we experience these emotions may depend on the nature of the loss, life experience, faith, personality, coping style and the kind of relationship that previously existed with the individual.Grief is a natural response to loss. It is the emotional suffering that a person feels when something or someone he/she loves is taken away. The more significant the loss, the more intense the grief will be. Examples of loss include: Death, divorce, relationship, health, job, retirement, miscarriage, friendship, a loved one’s serious illness, selling a family house, etc. Subtle losses can result in grief, for instant change in job or moving away from home.

Healing takes place gradually; it cannot be forced or hurried and there is no “normal” timetable for grieving. Some individuals start

to feel better in weeks or months; for others the process can take years. Persons will go through five stages of grief, which are: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance.

Denial is a defence mechanism and is perfectly natural. Anger is manifested in different ways – anger with self and others. Bargaining may involve attempting to bargain with whatever God the person believes in, or seeking to negotiate a compromise. Example, “Can we still be friends.” Depression – It is natural to feel sadness, regret and fear, it shows that the person has at least begun to accept the reality. Acceptance – People dying can enter this stage a long time before the people they leave behind, who must necessarily pass through their own individual stages of dealing with the grief.

It is possible for grief to become complicated, where the pain or loss is so severe that it prevents the grieving individual from resuming his or her normal life. These individuals would require counselling therapy sessions to cope and overcome the loss.

Coping with a Loss

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There is a call for more focus to be placed on the Chikungunya virus rather than the Ebola virus. According to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), as of August 2014, over 500,000 persons have contracted the Chikv, compared to 700 persons being affected by the Ebola within the same time frame.

In West Africa the threat to humans from bats comes en route to the dinner plate. Bushmeat from bats, antelopes, squirrels, porcupines and monkeys has long held pride of place on menus in West and Central Africa. The danger of contracting Ebola lies in exposure to infected blood in the killing and preparation of animals – Malta Times.

It can be difficult to distinguish the Ebola virus disease from other infectious diseases such as malaria, typhoid fever and

meningitis. One important thing to note is that men who have recovered from the disease can still transmit the virus through their semen for up to 7 weeks after recovery from illness. A range of potential treatments include blood products, immune therapies and drug therapies are currently being evaluated for treatment of Ebola – WHO.

Chikungunya is not fatal, but causes excruciating pain in joints as well as a high fever. The arthritic pain can last for weeks, months, or even years. Short and mild exercises may be helpful in relieving joint pains. These include mild stretching, swimming, and cycling on a stationary bike. Others involve sitting on a chair and extending one leg parallel to the floor and hold for 10 seconds, then lower the leg with the sole flat on the floor. Do the same with the other leg. Repeat several times a day. Also, try standing on your toes with both feet close together and repeating up and down, up and down. Accupressure is also effective in treating the joint pains – Wikihow.com.

Chikungunya, while not fatal, can cause economic damage in the form of lost work days. The strain on medical facilities is also significant, with many hospitalizations in the acute phase.

Know more about Chikungunya and Ebola

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Mosquitoes are part of vast food webs. The females need blood to feed their eggs. Humans make easy prey for mosquitoes because we smell so good to them. Mosquito eggs are food to crayfish, dragonflies and frogs. Flying mosquitoes are food for frogs, bats and birds, especially purple martins.

Mosquitoes are part of a network - they eat plants, deposit eggs and become food. Mosquitoes themselves feed on decaying leaves, organic debris, and microbes. They serve as pollinators as well. That is the cycle of life.

In the bigger scheme of things, mosquitoes help keep ecosystems balanced by transmitting diseases. Diseased animals are easier for carnivores to capture and disease keeps the numbers of certain animals from getting too large for the food supply. That seems kind of cold, but that is the way it is.

Of course, if you are getting bitten, get malaria or your flock of animals is dying from disease, mosquitoes are a real pest. According to some ecologists, the loss of mosquitoes would harm most ecosystems. Others believe that other

organisms would step in and assume mosquitoes role as food sources, detritivores and pollinators. Yet even if mosquitoes can be eliminated without consequence, it does not exclude them from God’s good design.

Most scientists agree that compared to other organisms, mosquitoes are unusually efficient at sucking blood from one individual in the population and then transferring the blood to another individual. This makes mosquitoes adept at spreading pathogenic microbes. As a consequence, if the mosquito were eliminated, the spread of certain diseases would halt – but there is a downside to such an outcome. While the population might become healthier, its number would swell and over-population would eventually become a concern. Over-population then leads to the loss of health because of limited resources and, thus, leads back to suffering.

Sources: Argonne National Laboratories Scientists – US Department of Energy, http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/gen06/gen06569.htm and Why would God create mosquitoes? – Dr. Fazale http://www.reasons.org/articles/why-would-god-create-mosquitoes

Our Environment

Why did God create mosquitoes?

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If left unchecked, climate change will increase the likelihood of severe, pervasive and irreversible impacts for people and ecosystems. This is the warning from a United Nations report issued recently, citing “clear and growing” human influence on the climate system. According to UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, if the world maintains its “business as usual” attitude about climate change, the opportunity to keep temperature rise below the internationally target of 2 degrees Celsius, “will slip away within the next decade.”

Time is not on our side…leaders must act,” declared the UN chief, in Copenhagen, Denmark. Their assessment finds that the atmosphere and oceans have warmed, the amount of snow and ice has diminished, sea level has risen and the concentration of carbon dioxide has increased to a level unprecedented in at least the last 800,000 years.

The world is largely very ill-prepared for the risks of a changing climate, especially the poor and most vulnerable who have contributed least to this problem, the report stated. In a recent interview with the BBC e-voice, Professor Michael Taylor of the University of the West Indies, stated that the awareness of and efforts to address the problem grow everyday in the Caribbean region… He added that the individual countries are crafting climate change policies and beginning to tackle the issues according to their set priorities.

The United Nations are calling for quick and decisive action. The solution they explained lies in the mobilization of governments, businesses, finance and civil society to transform the world’s energy systems. Renewable energy sources are increasingly economically competitive. Energy efficiency has long proven its value. It was a myth that climate action would be costly, in fact, inaction “will cost much, much more. Decisive action must be taken to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 40 per cent from by 2030, the report said.

It is not just a matter for environmentalists and/or scientists. It is a major development challenge that can also lead to serious security threats”, Mr. Ban said. “The United Nations is bringing the world together on energy because energy is central to our future well-being as a human family,” he said.

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ClimateChange Warning – Leaders Must Act!

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Teacher: Who said these words? “Shoot me but leave these defenceless, hungry people alone.”Answer: Sir Alexander Bustamante.

Teacher: How many national heroes were executed by hanging and who were they?Answer: Three. Paul Bogle, George William Gordon and Samuel Sharpe.

Teacher: Which national hero/heroine was not born in Jamaica and where was he/she born?Answer: Nanny of the Maroons. She was born in Africa

Teacher: Which hero married twice and both wives had the same Christian name? Give the name.Answer: Marcus Garvey. The Christian name was Amy.

Teacher: Which national hero married his cousin?Answer: Norman Manley

Teacher: Which three national heroes were Baptists and who were Baptist deacons?Answer: George William Gordon, Sam Sharpe and Paul Bogle.The last two were deacons.

Teacher: Who was the only national hero to be conferred with the Order of National Hero while he was alive?Answer: Sir Alexander Bustamante

Teacher: Who were the brothers of Nanny of the Maroons?Answer: Cudjoe and Accompong

Teacher: Which national hero was a lawyer, soldier and an athlete?Answer: Norman Manley

Teacher: Which two national heroes were cousins?Answer: Norman Manley and Sir Alexander Bustamante.

SOME LESS KNOWN THINGSABOUT OUR NATIONAL HEROES

ssshh…class in session

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“I take you…. to be my wedded husband/wife. To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, ‘till death do us part. And hereto I pledge you my faithfulness. A vow is described as a solemn pledge or commitment, but as you are about to discover for some individuals it is treated quite flippantly; no serious thought, it appears.

Has it ever crossed your thoughts that someone could marry 28 times, or even 53 times? Possibly every year to every two years. If you say that is a joke, then brace yourself. Scotty Wolfe, a former Baptist minister, California, married 28 times. First in 1927, and separated from his last wife in 1998. Now for the big one. Kamarudin Mohammad of Malaysia (died 2007) held the record for the most times married; all of 53 times. A competition for the record? It could also be that they had a goal to achieve. One can envisage many reasons.

How about this episode. The record for the shortest marriage as reported by the BBC World News is held by a Saudi Arabia man who repudiated (they were able to divorce by simple repudiation) his bride after the wedding ceremony because the bride’s brother took a photograph of the couple. That’s a strange behaviour; and why such a drastic action? Some might say he changed his mind about the marriage and found the perfect excuse to end it. Don’t be surprised, we are living in a broken world… Adam’s fallen race!

Ending on a positive record from the Guinness Book of Record, Herbert Fisher (USA, born 10 June 1905) and Zelmyra Fisher (USA, born 10 December 1907) were married on May 13, 1924 in North Carolina, USA. They had been married 86 years, 9 months, and 16 days as of 27 February 2011. Herbert Fisher sadly died on Sunday 27th February 2011. The couple had 5 children. They did it. After all, one example among many that lived true to the vow: “until death do us part.”

Marriage: Breaking The Records