SEPT 2010

Trust: Total.Reliance.Upon.Spoken.Truth. VOLUME 1 ISSUE 5

In Matthew 4:4 Jesus tells us, “It is written, Man shall not live by
bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth
of God.” In John 1:1 we learn that “In the beginning was the
Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
Later, in verse 14, it says “And the Word was made flesh, and
dwelt among us, full of grace and truth.
What is the meaning of TRUST? To rely not on earthly things such
as ourselves or material blessings (bread), but to depend on
what God has spoken to us through the Word, that Jesus came,
full of truth, to be our propitiation.
This is a newsletter updating you on the happenings of my life in
I was super excited to see my studly but still oh-so-cute Jamaica, as I learn more about what it means to trust.
“son” Daphawn Samuels. He missed the first two weeks
but then arrived….he loves the camera! Returning to Life on the Island
To sponsor Daphawn or any other student, please visit
www.cccdjamaica.com or www.acworldrelief.org After spending August in the States, it was a smooth transition back to life
in Jamaica, except for my bags once again not making the connection to
SNAPSHOT OF THE LAST MONTH Kingston. However, they showed up the next day.

Aug 31 – Travel to Jamaica I spent the first week getting settled and helping prepare campus for the
Sept 1 – Arrive home in Kingston start of a new school year. I was also able to play taxi ‘n tour guide for a
first time island visitor, Stephanie Gates. She came down for a funeral to
3-5 – Mandeville (MV) for the weekend
support our mutual friend, Tashi Bent, whose father passed away at the end
6-10 – School opens, students begin returning!
of August. Please be prayerful for the Bent family as they continue to heal
13-17 – Week 2 of classes, most of the students and find grace and comfort despite the pain of a lost loved one.
return and getting back to the grind
21 – Travel to JFK airport and meet up with friend The students began trickling in on the 7th. It always seems to go slow at first
and former co-worker and then all of a sudden the kids are everywhere. A new requirement for a
22 – Tour NYC doctor check-up has kept some of our kids from returning, but nearly all
22-24 – Travel to and tour Boston have arrived by now.
25 – In Albany, NY for the wedding of good friend
and former co-worker, Becky Graves
26-27 – Travel to Alabama
28-Oct 4 – Deaf Youth Ministries National
Convention (details to come in October!)

Dayne, Melissa, Kimberly and Daphawn ham it up for the camera…such joy!

BLAKE WIDMER
4 Cassia Park Road
Kingston 10, Jamaica, W.I.
876.587.3833 cell • blake.widmer skype
www.blakewidmer.blogspot.com
www.blakesjamaicapics.shutterfly.com
 SEPT 2010
Total.Reliance.Upon.Spoken.Truth. VOLUME 1 ISSUE 5

The Final Wedding of 2010!

As some of you can likely relate, when you start a new job and especially your
first “real” job out of college, the first few weeks are typically a blur. I don’t John 16: 7-8
remember much, except the impression I got from “this girl from Cornel,”
Becky (Graves) Neyhard, who had started just a few days before me. We were Nevertheless I tell you the
the last two “newbies” to join the incoming class of college grads at ABG in
Indianapolis. truth; It is expedient for you
I remember distinctly going on our “orientation” tours together, meeting with that I go away: for if I go not
various people throughout the company who would try to give us a better
understanding of the big picture. Some of it made sense, a lot of it didn’t, but
Becky always had great questions tucked up her sleeve. From the beginning I
away, the Comforter will not
knew she would be successful…and she was.
come unto you; but if I depart,
In the Spring of 2008 our company opened an office in St. Louis, and Becky
was given the opportunity to help establish that division. It was sad to see a I will send him unto you. And
couple close friends and colleagues leave Indianapolis, but as lasting friendships
can attest, distance does not mean the friendship ends. And then, as I began when he is come, he will
moving down to Jamaica, she moved to Boston.
reprove the world of sin, and of
I was thankful for the opportunity to go to her wedding on Sept. 25th and
celebrate with her and Jim. Observing Becky interact with her family at the righteousness, and of judgment
rehearsal dinner on Friday night helped me see that she is much the same person
in the professional environment as she is in the personal. She is loyal, kind,
loving, always knows the right thing to say and is thinking about others. Their A PRAISE REPORT
wedding was beautiful and Christ honoring, and they even had everyone in
attendance sign their extra large marriage certificate, very cool! The ACWR sea container was released by
customs! It arrived in Mandeville on Sept 23.

Most of our students returned to school safely,

however, there are still some missing, so please
continue to pray.

Our students participating in the Hands in Praise

tour in October were all granted VISA’s to travel to
the States.

Safety through Tropical Storm Nicole. Rain and

Becky and Jim Neyhard and I at their wedding reception…I did not intentionally match!
floods have ravaged the island over the past few
weeks. Although some have perished, none of our
CCCD family have sustained devastating tolls.
Please pray for those effected and that the Lord
would give us a reprieve from rain.

BLAKE WIDMER
US Address:
9036 Northridge Lane
Battle Ground, IN 47920
 SEPT 2010
Total.Reliance.Upon.Spoken.Truth. VOLUME 1 ISSUE 5

The Great Northeast Adventure

When deciding whether it would work to attend Becky’s wedding, Mitch Van
Kampen (a former Purdue classmate and colleague at ABG/Adayana) and I
decided if we were going to travel to Albany, NY, then we might as well make it
worth the trip and pack as much in as possible. With only a vague idea of what
we’d do, we booked our flights into and out of JFK way back this summer. About a
week before our arrival in NYC, Mitch and I had yet to figure out what we were PRAYER REQUESTS:
going to do. This is nothing new for me, but we needed a rental car, hotel rooms
and a plan! Things came together and we really had quite the excursion. • Hands in Praise team as they travel
through Alabama, Kentucky, Ohio and
Tuesday the 21st we arrived in NYC and were able to find our way to the Statue of Michigan. Pray not only for their
Liberty and Ellis Island, but unfortunately found out that the tour to climb up inside ministry to bless those who watch, but
the Statue of Liberty is booked 3 months in advance…next time! The spectacle of that through this experience the faith of
the Statue was still an awesome experience though and I’m glad we were able to do our five students would also be grown.
that. We then checked out a lot of Manhattan, Times Square and Grand Central Pray also for energy for Principal
Station. Maria Lawrence as she leads the group.
• Pray for Marc White as he travels away
Wednesday the 22nd we headed for Boston, arriving mid-afternoon. We had enough from his family for five weeks to
time to walk down to the Harbor area and check out some sites, made it to provide transportation for the Hands in
“Commons Park” which is in the heart of the city and get a general feel for the city. Praise Group.
• As I temporarily move up to the Deaf
Thursday the 23rd was our big day. We walked…a lot! We were able to cover the Village (JDV) this October to help with
entire Freedom Trail (path that leads throughout historic sites, particularly those various projects, please pray for the
relating to Independence) by 1 or 2 pm. We went into the Old North time I do have (now and on weekends)
with the kids at the Kingston campus,
Church where Paul revere hung the lanterns as well as for the time I have with
that alerted the Minute Men of the Red Coats’ friends in the Mandeville area.
arrival, visited Faneuil Hall where many • Willing hearts (including mine) to
revolutionary meetings were held and saw support the new Christian Fellowship
headstones for men like John Hancock and recently begun in Sav-la-mar, an area
John Adams. with a large deaf community. Pray also
Leaving Boston, Mitch and I both gave the that we would trust the Lord to add the
city a big thumbs up. Even though they are increase.
crazy about the Red Sox and most like the • Final Sea Container of 2010, shipped
Patriots, we could put that aside and give it off Oct 7 and plans to be delivered end
our valuable stamp of approval. It had history, of the month or early November.
character, it wasn’t too big, felt very safe, was
• Reprieve from rain and recovery from
surprisingly clean and offered great walking
the water saturated island.
areas throughout the city…and the icing on
the cake was, pun intended, the delicious
dessert at the famous Mike’s Pastries, yumm!

BLAKE WIDMER
4 Cassia Park Road
Kingston 10, Jamaica, W.I.
876.587.3833 cell • blake.widmer skype
blakewidmer.blogspot.com
 BLAKE WIDMER
Work Team Coordinator Serving Through: Serving With:
4 Cassia Park Road
Kingston 10, Jamaica, W.I.
876.587.3833 Cell • Blake.Widmer Skype
blakewidmer@gmail.com
BLOG: BlakeWidmer.blogspot.com
PICS: BlakesJamaicaPics.shutterfly.com

Other Activities of ACWR in Jamaica:

New Beginnings is a ministry to children in the community of Ramble, just
outside of Montego Bay. There is an opportunity to serve through ACWR and
this ministry for the period Oct 29 – Nov 23. The focus of the team would be
to serve as a substitute teacher for 7 boys from 2nd to 6th grade. They use a
Christian school curriculum called Alpha Omega Switched on Schoolhouse.
Two of them need remedial reading help. There is also a possibility of an
afterschool program and library time for the students that took part in the
summer reading program.

World Relief has assisted New Beginnings through child sponsorship and
humanitarian aid for many years. Contact me if you are interested in pursuing
this opportunity to serve, whether for a week or the entire period.
ACWR supported a Reading and Remedial Study Program this past
summer. Some of those serving (Sisters Sarah Nolan, Alisia Kilgus,
Leah Gasser, Sarah Fiechter and Bro Quinn Fiecther) are pictured
with New Beginnings Staff.