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She was a young Jewish girl and a slave in the household of a Syrian soldier. Like many other females in the Bible, we do not know her name. Yet the only recorded words she spoke live on almost 3,000 years later. The writer of the book of Kings tells us, “She said to her mistress, ‘I wish that my master [Naaman] were with the prophet who is in Samaria! Then he would heal him of his leprosy.’” (2 Kings 5:3, AMP).

Verses 4-15 record the story of Naaman and his healing from the dreaded disease. However, central to the story is the young girl’s words. Because she had the courage to mention the God of Israel and his servant the prophet in a household in what to her was a foreign land, her witness set in motion the chain of events behind this narrative. So what is the big deal? Consider this. She was captured from Israel, taken to Syria, and made a servant in the house of Naaman (v. 2). She was far away from her home, isolated from her family and from the worship of her God. If anyone had an excuse to abandon the God of Israel, she did! Seen from the human perspective, He had not protected her from the Syrian raiders and He had not kept her out of a life of slavery! She had more than enough reasons to complain, yet despite her circumstances not being the best, she had not abandoned her faith in the God of Abraham, Jacob, and Isacc. On the contrary, she was looking for opportunities to spread His message and light in the place where she had been taken. The flame of her faith was still burning and she was not afraid to declare that faith to the people around her.

Contrast her attitude with that of those who use their situation in life as an excuse for not being able to serve God faithfully and not being able to be an effective witness for Him. Struggling through sicknesses, financial distress, family crises, being the only Christian at home or in the workplace, and whatever else, some ask, “Why should I keep faith in God when He has not been all that helpful to me?” Because some of us do not trust God when we find ourselves in difficult places, we often feel He has abandoned us; we find it difficult to stay true to our faith. However, in an environment that was hostile to her race, country, and faith, the young girl remained faithful.

Pastor Tim Chester was right when he said, “Notice that the girl didn’t have to heal Naaman herself, or even pray for him to be healed; all she had to do was point him in the right direction. . . . Her role was really a very small role, but it was a vital one nonetheless. Without Elisha, Naaman could not have been healed, but without the young girl, Naaman would never have gone to Elisha to ask for healing.” That is powerful stuff! I believe God’s people are everywhere with a message of hope for a world that is without hope. In their search for answers, people need someone to tell them about Jesus. Why are you where you are? Are you there by accident or is it possible that you are there on assignment?

The post WEEKLY DEVOTIONAL – On Assignment appeared first on Jamaicans.com.

Miami Carnival 2023 was a vibrant celebration of Caribbean culture, resonating with the pulsating rhythms of soca music. A thoughtful addition of the event lineup was Junior Carnival that allowed younger Caribbean revelers to join the festivities. They came out in their numbers at the Central Broward Regional Park. It was a pleasure to witness colorful costumes and floats, each narrating a story of the heritage of each child decorated in their own miniature splendor.

Here are some photo highlights captured by Artist Adrienne Chadwick for you to relive the moments.

Photo – Adrienne Chadwick

The post Photos: Most Adorable Revelers at 2023 Miami Carnival in Broward, Florda appeared first on Jamaicans.com.

The Jamaican Robotics team received a top prize at the Robotics Olympics in Singapore, taking home the Katherine Johnson Award for Engineering Documentation. The award is presented to the team that can best demonstrate the path it took to build its robot. The Robotics Olympics are a yearly event that attract participation from some 160 countries worldwide. The theme of the 2023 Robotic Olympics highlighted “Hydrogen-based Energy Technologies.”

Named for ‘the Human Computer”

The award is named in honor of African American mathematician Katherine Johnson who had been called “the human computer” when she worked to calculate the aeronautics that helped in returning astronauts John Glen and Alan Shepard back to Earth from a voyage into space.

Jamaica’s Team Members

The captain of the Jamaican Robotics Team was Johnathan Smith of Campion College. Members included

Shawn-Michael Ferguson, also of Campion College; Duncan Stanley from Wolmer’s Boys’ School; Terrance Grant from Glenmuir High School; Kimmi Chang of Hillel Academy; and Taeija-Lee Hall-Watts from The American International School in Kingston (AISK). Accompanying the team were two coaches and two chaperones.

UJAA Sponsored Team Since 2017

The Union of Jamaica Alumni Associations (UJAA), a nonprofit organization, has been the chief sponsor of the team since its participation in the FIRST Global Challenge (FGC) event in 2017. According to the UJAA, the robotics program offers students a unique opportunity to engage with other students from around the world, display their skills, and encourage them to be proud ambassadors for Jamaica on the international stage. UJAA president Donovan Wilson noted that STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) education represents the future and that the robotics competition provides a way to expose Jamaican students to modern technological developments. He emphasized that it is important for Jamaica’s students to be exposed to robotics if they want to succeed in the future.

Photo – Facebook of UJAA, USA Inc.

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