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Volume 1 April 2012

The Question: How can the body of Christ work together, “as one”, to build God’s kingdom in the Albert Lea

area?

The Mission: To serve Jesus by serving others.

The Emphasis: Service projects, Short-term missions, Helping the hurting, Leadership training.

The JACOM EditionThe JACOM EditionThe JACOM EditionThe JACOM Edition This edition of the AZ-One Newsletter is dedicated to the JACOM Mission. Each additional newsletter will feature a different mission under the AZ-One umbrella. JACOM Mission Statement: To share a personal relationship with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ through

education, mentoring, and leadership development while helping to meet the needs of the poor and disadvantaged.

JACOM is short for Jamaica Accompong Connection of Minnesota. JACOM was formed in 2004, but seeded in the 1990s when Harald Petersen was led to Christ by Pastor Blair in Montego Bay, Jamaica. With prompting by the Holy Spirit, Harald was led to build a Center in the Maroon village of Accompong, Jamaica. Today, JACOM’s ministries have expanded. JACOM is currently working with the Heart Trust NTA, an arm of the Jamaican government, to offer vocational education, community education, and to help those students who are 17 and over with basic reading and writing skills. The Petersen School is now the Petersen Center. It has 3 floors. The upper floor has an apartment, four dorm rooms, and a deck. The main floor has 2 large class rooms, a lunch room with kitchen and serving area, 2 bathrooms, and an office. The lower level has 3 class rooms and a shower room. This wonderful center is able to house a large, short-term mission group easily.

Testimony:Testimony:Testimony:Testimony: During a resent JACOM trip, God used a mistake we made to bring two women to the Lord. Here’s what happened. We had collected items of need for the people in the village and packed everything in several suitcases. In our hurry to get our gear and head up the mountain, we accidentally switched a suitcase that wasn’t ours with one of the suitcases filled with donations. Once we arrived, we realized our mistake, but had no way to contact the authorities until several days later. After our business with the people of Accompong was completed, and our ride came to transport us back to the airport, we contacted the authorities and attempted to explain the mistake and our ‘stranded’ nature. Well, the authorities, two women by the names of Desha and Wanda, were furious with us. We walked into a huge mess; they had been dealing with a vacationer who didn’t have luggage, and we were trying to explain our honest mistake while attempting to make the plane that would take us home. After much discussion, we said, “We are Christians from the states just trying to help. Tell us what you need us to do and we will do it. We are very sorry.” This simple statement of humility started the action. We went to the office where they wanted to see what exactly the ‘Christians’ were transporting. When Desha opened the suitcase, it was filled with baby clothes just the right size for her child. Her tears began to flow as she explained that she had no money, her personal life was falling a part, and that she had nothing for her child. Wanda began crying for her friend and both women shared their needs. After listening, Dan asked if they knew Jesus. The women spoke of the usual church experience as a child, but said they had not been a part of a faith community for a long time. Dan asked them if he could pray for them and if they would like to pray the prayer of salvation. Both said yes, and they laid their lives before God. This is an example of God’s love for his people and how he uses our humanity for his high purpose. Oh, we made our flight without a problem, and Desha was the one who checked us in. God is good.

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The Petersen Scholarship/Mentoring Fund has been formed as a way to help local students finish their education from the 7th grade through high school. This is an important endeavor because after 6th grade, many of the students will go to school outside their communities and there is no bus system. When the Jamaican school system was set up; children whose parents worked at the sugarcane factory were sent to a specific school different from the children whose parents worked in other job situations or lived in different areas. This method of distribution created a system of varying abilities even within the same grade levels. 8th grade students at one school may not be at the same level or have the same opportunities as an 8th grade student in another school. During the 6th grade; students who live in Accompong, take a test called the GSAT. The school they attend is based on how well they do on their GSAT. If they pass the test they attend school outside Accompong. Unfortunately, an expensive taxi ride is the only mode of transportation. Scoring high on the GSAT increases the student’s ability to attend a better school or a school with better resources. Before the students take the GSAT, parents are allowed to request the school of their choice. If a student scores high enough on the test, the parents face some tough choices because the families are very poor. Real and heart breaking decisions must be made between feeding the children in the home and going with less food so that one child can go to a better/safer school. Another choice parents (mostly single-mothers, abandoned by the child’s father) make is to send the children to school once or twice a week so more of the children can attend. When this happens grades, of course, suffer. Usually, the parents choose the less expensive school. The students that don’t pass the GSAT stay at the Accompong School through 9th grade and then are finished – sentenced to a life with little opportunity. Many of the girls end up pregnant in an effort to be supported by a man. JACOM started years ago trying to solve the school issues. God lead JACOM to a girl named Doveita Gillette. She was doing well in school, but was starting to miss classes and was so shy she could hardly look us in the eyes. She knew her future looked bleak, but God had a plan for her and for JACOM. We went to Doveita’s school and talked to the principal and teachers. We committed to her education and helped Doveita get back on track. We continued to help her with her education until she graduated. Today Doveita is a successful young woman. Her life has been changed forever. The scholarship program needs dedicated individuals, couples, or families to mentor the students who pass the GSAT and have economic need. For very little time and money you will change a life forever. Every student helped is a life saved. JACOM has set up a voucher system between the sponsored students and the taxi drivers. This is a wonderful situation as the local taxi drivers have a steady income and the students have a safe/consistent way to attend school. We currently have 11 students in the program. To continue within the program, the student needs to perform well in their academic classes, maintain 80% attendance at all times, have good behavior, and allow JACOM facilitators to see the student’s grades and exams. How much JACOM and the mentors pay is based on grades, behavior, and attendance. The funds are used only for the student’s taxi costs, school fees, lunch, and a portion of the school’s costs. JACOM’s responsibilities are to find quality mentors, train mentors, OK transfers of money to student or school, oversee student and mentor, help with school related issues, work closely with JACOM Board Members and the Accompong Scholarship Board Members to make the selection process successful, and work with board member with any issues that may come up. Working together to help the young people of Jamaica gain skills, competence, and independence continues to be the educational goal. The widely used and highly successful ‘Internet Cafe’ is another way that students are enhancing their education. The students complete school work, are able to research together, and have access to their mentors through this wonderful tool. Students who are enrolled in the JACOM Scholarship/Mentoring program can use the internet Café for free when doing school work. This program is changing lives. The principal at the Accompong School tells us that the 6th graders just completed their GSAT test, and because of the opportunity with the Scholarship/Mentoring program, have had the highest scores ever. Children and parents know that if they do well they have an

opportunity for a good life.

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MINISTRY OPPORTUNITY

JACOM is looking for mentors to work with students!

Qualifications and requirements for mentors: Christians who will work with a student on following a Christian path

Work with parents to help student be successful Mentor student until they graduate – with some financial commitment

Come to Accompong and meet student and parents Communicate with student via the internet to help in school success

Pay for school related expenses only Work with school if needed Go through JACOM training

If interested, please Contact David Peterson at dave@vanladder.com

The Farmers Co-op was started and sponsored by JACOM to help the local community. Farmers Co-op is currently over 30 members strong, with the main focus being coffee production. In September the Co-op planted and fertilized 3000 coffee plants with 3000 more plants in April. The Co-op along with the community has put aside a larger portion of land to be used by the farmers for coffee and banana production. They have a logo and story that will be used for the packaging of the coffee; telling the history of their rich heritage. We are learning to market and sell the coffee locally, through churches, and through a mission organization that

helps non-profits like JACOM market and sell their products. Farmers from both Jamaica and the states work cooperatively sharing strategies, practices, and marketing ideas. Lately, Chicken coops have been built and 150 chicks bought for a trial run as another skill is built upon.

Growing Hope has been supporting the efforts of JACOM since 2009. Their role has been multi-faceted; and includes helping to fund the scholarship program with seed money, the building of chicken coops, and most recently; helping to support the restoration of the local soccer field. Growing Hope is a non-

profit land

management foundation. It works in several ways. A farmer can donate some of his/her land to a favorite charity as a means of providing a steady revenue stream, and Growing Hope can manage that land for the non-profit; overseeing all that needs to be done. Growing Hope can also be the direct recipient of gifts of land and then funnel the revenues to the specified charity. While Growing Hope has a passion for helping the disadvantaged; they also have a passion for seeing farmland farmed according to the best stewardship practices.

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Prayer Requests:Prayer Requests:Prayer Requests:Prayer Requests:

Pray for God’s leading that he may provide a missionary couple for the minPray for God’s leading that he may provide a missionary couple for the minPray for God’s leading that he may provide a missionary couple for the minPray for God’s leading that he may provide a missionary couple for the ministry in Accompongistry in Accompongistry in Accompongistry in Accompong Pray for spiritual growth.

Pray for the kids in the scholarship program. Pray that the growers will have success.

Pray for safety and that physical needs are met. Pray for mentors.

Pray for Desha and Wanda.

Financial Needs:Financial Needs:Financial Needs:Financial Needs: A roof for Waits sister, Amie’s, home.

A young girl needs surgery to remove a tumor under her ear at the cost of $400.00. We need more coffee plants for the common plot.