Reflecting on aspects of my Journey and honouring people including my batchmates who journeyed with me.

In the collage above from the top left hand corner is Revs. Kevin St. Hill (from Barbados), Donald Burke and Rohan Kong (from Jamaica), Jean Wilson Milord (from Haiti), Sam Dorelien (from Haiti) and Celina Walton Charles (from Trinidad), Viles Dorsainvil and Johmen Tireus (from Haiti). Lower left hand corner: Tanesha Ashbourne, Nina-Rae Barrett, Travis Drummond (from Jamaica), and Daniel Mark (from Tobago), Derrick Saddler (from Jamaica), Winston Garner Jr. (from Guyana), Marjorie Downer and Kirk Pinnock (from Jamaica)

Absent from the collage above is Rae Karim from the USA and Michael Lessey who is a very gifted preacher from Trinidad

With the help of God, on May 20, 2016 I graduated with a Master of Divinity from The United Theological College of the West Indies (UTCWI) in Kingston, Jamaica. Indeed, God is great and greatly to be praised. God helped me to complete this 4 year program in 3 years. To say that this was a difficult task is an understatement, but God was faithful. Graduating one year earlier meant that I had to double up or do extra courses each semester. While the average number of courses a person carried per semester was about 5, I had to take 7 courses some semesters. One semester I had to take 8 courses. Thanks be to God Who helped me to maintain my sanity. In addition to school work, the students of the UTCWI have church responsibilities, denominational duties, and duties related to the school. In my case I was responsible for 4 churches, performed the duties of treasurer and general secretary for the Baptist Student community, volunteered in the library, and volunteered in teaching at UTCWI’s Citizen’s College.

In the midst of this my mind was always back home for various reasons including my father’s accident, my wife’s pregnancy, and her having to raise the children without me, the death of church and biological family etc.

Finishing within 3 years seemed impossible at times, but it was a task I endeavored to do and one that God helped me accomplish in order for me to return home to my wife and children sooner who  could not live with me while I was in Jamaica.

Where would I be without my wife Ernella? She was a major encouragement to me throughout this journey. I recall having to complete 40 hours at the University of the West Indies Hospital for my Supervised Ministry course. It was difficult completing those hours in my already busy schedule. However, my wife’s encouragement motivated me and I not only completed my hours before the other members of the class, but I also completed it way ahead of the deadline. Having to complete 40 hours in a busy schedule was God’s way of preparing me for an upcoming semester where I would have to complete 200 clinical hours in an even busier semester. God is so great, that I not only graduated one year earlier, but I was given 5 awards including Student of the Year.  

For the 3 school years that I was in Jamaica I remained true to my Guyanese identity. As I traveled the Island and met new people, I told them to feel free to call me "Guyana" any time they forgot my name. I spoke Guyanese Creole, frequently wore my Guyana flag pin, displayed my national flag, showed Guyanese hospitality, showed documentaries on Guyana, sang national and other Guyanese songs, and promoted Guyanese artiste every time I had the opportunity. Some of the artiste I promoted included Samuel Medas, Cherlyn Maloney, Shawn English, and Anil Azeez. Consequently, the dance in my Final Service at UTCWI was to the song “In My Day” by Guyanese Gospel artiste Samuel Medas featuring Apostle Claude Brooks. Moreover, the song the choir sang at the same church service was “Don’t Give Up” by Guyanese Gospel artiste Cherlyn Maloney. To my delight, subsequently when the choir had the opportunity to perform on a popular Methodist program hosted by Rev. Dr. Byron Chambers, which is aired on television, they chose to sing Cherlyn Maloney's "Don't Give Up" out of the many songs they could have chosen. At that time the choir was directed by Rev. Kirk Pinnock and Rev. Marie Sanon who did a wonderful job. Rev. Kirk Pinnock is my very good batchmate who has been there for me in many ways throughout the journey.

God worked through many people to assist me and I want to express appreciation again to some of those people (see the pictures below for their names taken from the liturgy of my Final Service at UTCWI). At this time I would like to particularly acknowledge my batchhmates who are in the collage above. Some of us graduated in 2016 while the majority graduated in 2017. God worked through all of them to help me along the journey, and it is indeed a blessing to be a part of this batch. I would never forget the night on the Methodist bench when Rev. Celina and Rev. Kevin had to read for me the night before the Christian Education course final exam. I was experiencing headaches and unable to read anything. They read for me that night and discussed the topics. With their help I successfully faced that exam. All of my batchmates helped me in one way or another and I am thankful to God for all of them. I thank all of my batchmates for their support. I pray that God richly bless all of you as you minister throughout the Caribbean.

At the beginning of the Journey (September 2013)

Our batchmates Michael Lessey (from Trinidad) is at the front with the shades and Rae Karim (from the USA) is the girl with the Afro hair style in the top left hand corner. My Friend Jean Rony Seraphin (from Haiti) who is separate from the group on the right hand is from the batch before mine who graduated with me in 2016. The woman in red is Mrs. Saddler (wife of Rev. Derrick Saddler) and their son is in the front row. 

My dad provided great support to my wife and children in my absence. He is a wonderful father and person. He often went the extra mile for us. Moreover, the following persons also went the extra mile for me and my family including helping me to return home to my family: Ossie Taylor (my uncle), Deacons Mindel Levy and Laura Levy (of Moses Baker Baptist Church), Deacon Cynthia Commock (of Stokes Hall Baptist Church), Deacon Simmonds and his wife (of Mineral Heights Baptist Church).

Thanks to my Superintendent Rev. Brenda Harewood (Guyana Missionary Baptist Church), Rev. Karl Johnson (Jamaica Baptist Union), and Rev. Dr. David Emmanuel Goatley (Lott Carey Baptist Foreign Mission Convention) who were very instrumental in me going to Jamaica and completing the program. Thanks for the scholarship and all the support you gave to me. I also thank my former warden Rev. Dr. Glenroy Lalor, all the Jamaica Baptist Union churches, and all the staff of the United Theological College of the West Indies for all their assistance in my ministerial training. Rev. Lalor also opened up his home to my brother for the few days he was in Jamaica.

My wife and I are thankful for Rev. Dr. Gillian Wilson (Guyanese librarian at UTCWI) who assisted me in getting internet to communicate with my wife and children. We are also very thankful for Rev. Dr. Karen Mc Sweeney (Guyanese Methodist lecturer who is a medical doctor and also has a doctorate in theology), her husband Victory Mc Sweeney (a very skilled musician in several instruments who is from Belize), and Keon Price who accommodated us in their home when my family was in Jamaica. Rev. Dr. Mc Sweeney and Victor Mc Sweeney has also assisted me in many other ways and I thank God for both of you.

I am also very grateful to Rev. Neilson Waithe (Moravian Pastor from Barbados) who assisted me tremendously in my clinical pastoral education.

See (click on) the pictures below for further acknowledgments. The pictures are pages 8-11 from the Order of Service (liturgy) for my Final Service at UTCWI in October 2015.

A group that was missed out in the liturgy above because it was written before they assisted me is the Bethel Baptist Church (HWT) family. I thank the Pastor of this church, the great Rev. Dr. Burchell Taylor who was also one of my lecturers. Thank you for your kindness, taking time to speak with me, and your support. At my request, Rev. Dr. Burchell Taylor brought forward his "Doctrine of God" assignment and final exam from June to May so that I could have been home for Guyana's 50th Independence on May 26, 2016. I returned to Guyana with my wife and children on May 24, 2016.

I also thank Ms. Yvonne Soares, Dr. Beverly Taylor, Mr. & Mrs. Shakes, Ms. Dailey (receptionist at the clinic), Ms. Beryl Roper, Ms. Lassom Mc Dermott, Mr. Burnett Prince, Dr. Brissett, Mr. Simms, Dr. Volda Alfred (medical Guyanese doctor serving in Jamaica for 20+ years), Ms. Lodge, Ms. Gilbert, and other persons associated with Bethel Baptist church who assisted me in various ways.

Moreover, I am very thankful to God for my cousin, Andrew Taylor, who checked in with me regularly while I was in Jamaica. I am also thankful for Therese Ferguson-Murray who also checked up on me from time to time until her husband Lawren Murray (who is also my cousin) went to live in Jamaica. They were also at my graduation and I really appreciate them being there. It was a blessing to see both of you. I am also thankful for my brother Marlon Garner who came to my graduation on behalf of the rest of my family apart from my wife and children. I pray that God bless you and everyone mentioned in this article.

In addition, my wife and I are also very grateful to Rev. Omar Archer and his wife Indira Archer who took us out to lunch before we returned to Guyana (my wife and children came to Jamaica for the graduation – thanks to all the persons who assisted in making it possible for them to make it to the graduation). God used Rev. Archer in a great way to prepare us for the season we would face when we returned home.

Finally, I would like to acknowledge some of my Jamaican church members who have been keeping in touch with me, and particularly those who have done so on a more regular basis since I returned to Guyana:

1. Sis. Sonia Brown-Kildare (Church Secretary, Moses Baker Baptist Church-Stokes Hall Circuit of Baptist Churches)
2. Sis. Janette Atkinson (Mineral Heights Baptist Church)
3. Sis. Madhoo Donegan (Moses Baker Baptist Church-Stokes Hall Circuit of Baptist Churches - she encouraged me everyday with her whatsapp messages from the time she heard my dad was in an accident. Thank you very much)
4. Deacon Vinetta Mc Kenzie-Smith (Thompson Town Baptist Church)
5. Deacon Dalbert Rattary and his wife (Bloomwell Baptist Church that was/is a part of the Thompson Town circuit of Baptist Churches)
6. Sis. Linna Staple (Mineral Heights Baptist Church)

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