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THIS WEEK’S SUMMARY
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INSURERS PREDICT CLAIMS TO BE LESS THAN THOSE FOR IVAN—08/25/07
Although insurance companies have yet to finish their assessment of the damage caused by Hurricane Dean, a Category Four storm, they believe the claims will total much less than those paid out for Hurricane Ivan. Earl Coding, general manager of American Home Insurance Company (AHC), total claims estimated for Hurricane Ivan reached $750 million for his firm. This time, he believes the claims will be less. Hurricane Dean had more wind, but less rain, says Coding. Therefore, the damage should be less. Total claims should reach approximately $250 million for Dean, a third of the total cost for Hurricane Ivan.
VOTERS’ SUPPORT FOR JLP AND PNP TIED AT 40 PERCENT EACH—08/26/07
Popular support for the People’s National Party (PNP) and the Jamaica Labor Party (JLP) measures 40 percent each, according to a poll conducted on the eve of Hurricane Dean’s passage. The poll indicates that the opposition JLP has obtained an increase of two percentage points since August 11, when a poll placed support for the party at 38 percent. The support for the ruling PNP remained constant at 40 percent in both polls.
DISTRIBUTION OF CHECKS TO BEGIN—08/27/07
The Ministry of Labor and Social Security will begin to distribute checks to pensioners and beneficiaries of the Program for Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH). The checks will provide a special one-time payment of $2,000 to people in the PATH program and $5,000 to each one of the 80,000 pensioners in Jamaica after Hurricane Dean. Portia Simpson Miller, Prime Minister, said the money was expected to help people after the Category Four hurricane hit the island.
ELECTIONS BEGIN IN JAMAICAN—08/28/07
Over 30,000 security-force members and Election Day workers cast their ballots in advance of the September 3 General Election for a new government. Voting is happening at 238 polling places across the country. Danville Walker, Director of Elections, said there are 26 locations for police to vote and 218 for Election Day workers to vote. These individuals were originally scheduled to vote on August 21, but there was a change in the date after Hurricane Dean hit Jamaica with winds over 145 mph. The hurricane forced the August 27 General Election to be postponed.
HURRICANE STOPS EXPORTS FROM JAMAICA”S LARGEST BANANA FIRM—08/29/07
The largest banana company in Jamaica, Jamaica Producers Group, announced that the firm will stop its exports for as long as six months and lay off planters and packers after major damage to entire plantations from Hurricane Dean. According to Marshall Hall, chairman of the company, which represents about 80 percent of Jamaica’s banana exports, there are no bananas to harvest or pack. About 150 workers will be laid off initially, with more layoffs expected in the future.
NEW PRESIDENT OF TEACHERS’ GROUP WANTS SAFER SCHOOLS—08/30/07
Ena Barclay, the new president of the Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA), believes that stronger initiatives should be implement to prevent schools from becoming places dominated by chaos and anarchy. According to Barclay, the education system is going through one of the most challenging periods in its history, with schools experiencing serious problems that should be of concern to everyone. The 2006-2007 school year saw the highest level of indiscipline in history, with acts ranging from students killing their classmates, violence against teachers, and a high disregard for school rules.
ELECTORAL COMMISSION REPORTS HIGH TURNOUT—08/30/07
Some 33,288 people are expected to vote when members of the security forces and Election Day workers cast their ballots. Of these, 24,030 actually turn out to vote. The chairman of the Electoral Commission of Jamaica (ECJ), professor Errol Miller, says this represented a voter turnout of 72 percent. In spite of the damage to 246 polling stations done by Hurricane Dean, officials at the ECJ and the Electoral Office of Jamaica (EOJ) said voting in the General Election would not be affected.
FOUR KILLED IN POLITICAL VIOLENCE—08/31/07
Four people were killed in the growing political violence accompanying Jamaica’s General Election. The dead included a policeman and the chauffer of an opposition party candidate. Two new surveys placed the opposition Jamaica Labor Party (JLP) moving strongly ahead. The ruling People’s National Party is looking to obtain a record fifth consecutive victory in the General Election. Portia Simpson Miller, who is Jamaica’s first woman prime minister, is looking for her first election victory after taking over the leadership of the PNP when P.J. Patterson resigned. Jamaica has a history of political violence; in 1980, almost 900 people died in violence before the General Election.
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JAMAICAN DIASPORA NEWS
HURRICANE AID FROM JAMAICAN DIASPORA—08/26/07
The Jamaican Diaspora Southern United States has organized hurricane aid for Jamaica and the Cayman Island. The Jamaica Consulate General and the Jamaican Diaspora Southern United States Advisory Board coordinated emergency preparations for the island in advance of Hurricane Dean reaching its shores. The organizations established several points for aid drop-off in Florida and several other states.
SOUTH FLORIDA RELIEF GROUPS AID JAMAICANS AFTER HURRICANE—08/27/07
Food for the Poor, the largest provider of aid to the Caribbean, has prepared for the aftermath of Hurricane Dean in the region. Relief organizations in South Florida have cooperated to aid the island. Ann Briere of Food for the Poor reported having a whole warehouse stocked with generators and supplies. The group works with the Jamaican Government to provide hurricane relief supplies and to coordinate a damage-assessment team.
AMERICAN FRIENDS OF JAMAICA RESPONDS AFTER HURRICANE DEAN—08/28/07
In the aftermath of Hurricane Dean, which hit the island on August 19, 2007, the American Friends of Jamaica (AFJ), responded to the needs of Jamaicans with a program called “A Thousand Roofs of Love.” The group is a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to supporting charitable and social initiatives in Jamaica. The project is being carried out with Missionaries of the Poor, headed by Father Richard Ho Lung. The roof project receives the support of Brenda Johnson, the United States Ambassador to Jamaica. Johnson, her husband J. Howard Johnson, AFJ President Ambassador Glen and Gloria Holden will each pledge US$20,000 for rebuilding and repairing 1,000 homes.
JAMAICAN MUSICIANS TO PLAY CHARITY CONCERT—08/29/07
Jazz fans in London will be treated to a concert by two legendary Jamaican performers. Myrna Hague and her husband Sonny Bradshaw will appear at Gants Hill Methodist Church for a special event. The couple represents the closest thing to ‘jazz royalty’ on their native island, and their careers go back decades. The couple divides is time between Jamaica and Gants Hill, where they regularly attend the Methodist Church. Proceeds from the concert will go to benefit the church, which Myrna credits with helping her through a bout with breast cancer in 2004.
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SPORTS
POWELL SEEKS FIRST WORLD TITLE—08/26/07
Asafa Powell, the world record holder in the 100 meters, is looking for his first world title at the 11th IAAF World Championships in Hagai Stadium in Osaka, Japan. Power, a 24-year-old Jamaican from St. Catherine, wants to be the first Jamaican and the second athlete from an English-speaking nation in the Caribbean to take the top medals at this level. He entered the semi-finals with the fastest time at 10.01 seconds in a quarterfinal heat.
JAMAICAN SISTERS SEEK TENNIS STARDOM—08/27/07
Simone Vranov Brown, 15, and her sister Lauren Vranov Brown, 13, are following in the footsteps of Venus and Serena Williams, intending to attain the same iconic status in the Jamaican tennis world. Both of the girls were introduced to the game of tennis when they were “babies,” and over time, they have reached a level of prominence. The sisters are coached by their father, Andre Brown, in another similarity to their idols, the Williams sisters.
SABINA PARK CRICKET GROUND DAMAGED IN HURRICANE—08/28/07
The Sabina Park cricket ground in Kingston was damaged by Hurricane Dean when the storm swept over the island nation. The roof of the pavilion at the park was ripped off. There was also damage to the veranda and in some of the offices. The Trelawny Sports Complex, which was built for the opening ceremony of the cricket World Cup, was not damaged by Hurricane Dean.
POWELL “CHOKES.” LOSES 100-METER CONTEST—08/29/07
Asafa Powell, labeled as the fastest man on earth, blamed panic and nerves for his defeat in the 100-meters at the 11th IAAF World Championships in Japan. American Tyson Gay won the gold medal in the 100-meter race. Gay achieved a near personal-best at 9.85 seconds, while Powell, who had an early lead, ended up a disappointing third. Gay was beaten by Powell five times in 2006.
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DEVOTIONAL
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The Surrendered Life (Part 4)
In this our final time on this subject , we come full circle - back to The Call: "If any person wills to come after Me, let him deny himself [disown himself, forget, lose sight of himself and his own interests, refuse and give up himself] and take up his cross daily and follow Me [cleave steadfastly to Me, conform wholly to My example in living and, if need be, in dying also]" (Luke 9:23, Amplified). Undoubtedly, this is a struggle for most, if not all of us, and even as we face that struggle, deep within we know this surrender is what God expects. In his book "Absolute Surrender", Andrew Murray wrote: "Do you expect that in your immortal being, in the divine nature that you have received by regeneration, God can work His work, every day and every hour, unless you are entirely given up to Him? God cannot. The temple of Solomon was absolutely surrendered to God when it was dedicated to Him. And every one of us is a temple of God, in which God will dwell and work mightily on one condition - absolute surrender to Him. God claims it, God is worthy of it, and without it God cannot work His blessed work in us."
The last sentence intrigues me, because it is heart's cry of every sincere believer for God to work in and through us. We however should not lose sight of the fact that God does not expect us to accomplish this surrender in our own strength. As a matter of fact, we cant. Murray continued: "God does not ask you to give the perfect surrender in your strength, or by the power of your will; God is willing to work it in you. Do we not read: "it is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13)? And that is what we should seek-to go on our faces before God, until our hearts learn to believe that the everlasting God Himself will come in to turn out what is wrong. He will conquer what is evil, and work what is well pleasing in His blessed sight. God Himself will work it in you."
I believe that the desire to be fully surrendered to God have to be burning deep in the heart; we have to want it. It is as the Psalmist wrote: "As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God" (42:1-2a, NIV). Do you have that longing? Do you feel that desire?
In closing, I'm reminded of the words penned by Adelaide A. Pollard:
"Have thine own way, Lord! Have thine own way! / Thou art the potter, I am the clay.
Mold me and make me after thy will / While I am waiting, yielded and still.
Have thine own way, Lord! Have thine own way! / Hold o'er my being absolute sway.
Fill with thy Spirit till all shall see / Christ only, always, living in me!"
This is my prayer. I hope and pray that it is yours.
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CREDITS/SOURCES
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The weekly news is compilation of new articles from top Caribbean and Jamaican news sources.