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THIS WEEK’S SUMMARY
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BELGIANS EAGER FOR MORE JAMAICAN BUSINESS—09/05/09
An advance team from the Wallonia Foreign Trade and Investment Agency of Belgium arrived in Jamaica to look for potential partnership and investment opportunities ahead of a full Belgian trade mission scheduled for the end of 2009. Representatives of the government agency came to research and discuss market conditions and prospects for investment in areas including spices, sauces, canned fruit, processed cocoa, and coffee.
INCREASE IN SUICIDE LINKED TO ECONOMIC CRISIS—09/06/09
The economic downturn has prompted more Jamaicans to commit suicide, according to the Ministry of Health. The Ministry has found that 318 individuals attempted suicide between 2007 and 2008. According to Dr. Donovan Thomas, founder and president of Choose Life International, a suicide-intervention organization, there is a significant connection between the current economic situation and some suicides and suicide attempts.
SPANISH-JAMAICAN FOUNDATION TO RESTRUCTURE—09/07/09
The Spanish-Jamaican Foundation, a nonprofit organization, seeks to enhance the friendship between the people of Jamaica and Spain by restructuring its management position. The restructuring is occurring via the appointment of Betty Valiante McKenzie, general manager, and Avalon Arscott. project officer.
JAMAICAN HIGH SCHOOL FIRST TO PROVIDE COURSE IN AVIATION—09/07/09
Jamaica College in Kingston, Jamaica, an independent high school, will offer a one-year course to help its senior students obtain a private pilot’s license. The school is partnering with Jamaica’s Civil Aviation Authority and a local firm to offer the class at a cost of $200. David Robertson, the program’s technical support manager, believes the course will aid students in becoming more marketable during the current economic crisis. About 200 students have enrolled in the program.
TEACHERS TOLD TO FOLLOW DRESS CODE—09/08/09
The president of the National Parent Teachers Association, Miranda Sutherland, has called on teachers in Jamaica to abide by the dress code and pay more attention to how they dress for class. Sutherland made her recommendation in response to a decision by Norman Manley High School in St. Andrew to keep out students who breached the school’s uniform rules.
JAMAICAN GOVERNMENT CONSIDERS ECONOMIC BENEFIT OF CASINOS—09/09/09
The government of Jamaica is likely to introduce casino gambling on the island through proposed investments totaling US$6.8 billion in Harmony Cove and Celebration Jamaica, two gaming hotels. The government is looking at the potential economic benefit of casino gambling on wages, output, and exports to Jamaica.
POLICE INVESTIGATE DEATH OF BRITISH HONORARY CONSUL—09/10/09
The Jamaican police are investigating the death of Britain’s honorary consul, John Terry, in Montego Bay, according to reports from the Foreign Office. Terry, 65, was found outside his home in Mount Carey, St. James, with a cord around his neck. Foreign Secretary David Miliband said Terry was “a key member” of his team.
NATIONAL HOUSING TRUST TO AID HOME HUNTERS—09/11/09
Jamaica’s National Housing Trust (NHT) has developed a series of new initiatives that are meant to help more Jamaicans have a chance to become homeowners. Howard Mitchell, NHT chairman, presents a five-point policy that includes major changes to current mortgage structures. These include short-term leases, combined mortgages, and extended loan term facilities.
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JAMAICAN DIASPORA NEWS
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JAMAICAN DIASPORA THINK TANK SLATED IN UNITED KINGDOM—09/07/09
Three Jamaican corporations have joined in partnership with the University of the West Indies to host an historic one-day “think tank” session entitled “Enhancing the Political and Economic Welfare of the Jamaican United Kingdom Diaspora.” The session is slated for September 11, 2009, at the Chandos House, Royal Society of Medicine, in London, and will target business leaders in Jamaica and the UK, expatriate Jamaicans, and those with backgrounds related to the Diaspora.
JAMAICAN RHODES SCHOLAR TO BE UNIVERSITY BUSINESS DEAN—09/08/09
Peter Blair Henry, Jamaican-born Rhodes Scholar, will be named the first black business dean at New York University. He will become dean of the university’s Stern School of Business in January 2010. Henry is currently the Konosuke Matsushita professor of economics at Stanford University and has taught at the Stanford Business School for over ten years. He also led the transition team for United States President Barack Obama, reviewing multinational lending agencies before the inauguration.
FOUR JAMAICANS ARRESTED IN CAYMAN DRUG OPERATION—09/09/09
Four Jamaicans were among those captured by police in the Cayman Islands during a counter-narcotics operation. The men were on a boat that was carrying 600 pounds of compressed ganja, said Royal Cayman Police. All seven suspects have been arrested on suspicion of importing and possession of a controlled drug with the intent to supply.
JAMAICAN DIASPORA OUTREACH SCHEDULED IN HOUSTON—09/11/09
Jamaicans living in the Houston, Texas, area will have the chance to participate in a two-day community outreach program on September 18 and 19, 2009 at the First Methodist Church. Resource personnel from the Consulate General of Jamaica in Miami, Florida, are partnering with other Jamaican agencies to provide individuals with information and services in several areas, including consular services, passport processing, land titles, and estate management.
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SPORTS
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POWELL WINS 100 METERS DESPITE STRONG HEADWIND—09/06/09
Asafa Powell, Jamaican sprint champion, managed to run the 100 meters in 9.99 seconds in spite of a strong headwind to win the race at the Rieti Grand Prix in Rieti, Italy. Powell hoped to improve on his season’s best time of 9.84 seconds, which gave him third place at the world championships in Berlin, Germany, in August 2009.
USAIN BOLT WILL LEAD JAMAICANS TO WORLD ATHLETIC FINAL—09/08/09
Usain Bolt, double world and Olympic sprint champion, will lead a group of 16 Jamaican athletes who qualified for the two-day World Athletics final in Greece. Among those who qualified are Asafa Powell, Michael Frater, Dwight Thomas, Shelly Ann Fraser, Kerron Stewart, and Veronica Campbell-Brown.
JAMAICANS KEEP CARIBBEAN CUP—09/09/09
The Jamaicans have retained the Digicel Caribbean Cup New York title, defeating St. Vincent and the Grenadines team 4 to 2 on penalty kicks in the final match, which was played at the Jefferson High School in Brooklyn, New York. This was the fifth straight victory for Jamaica.
BOLT FATIGUED, WILL NOT PARTICIPATE IN SOUTH KOREA MEET—09/10/09
Usain Bolt, Olympic sprint champion, has communicated to the organizers of the Daegu Pre-Championship Meeting in South Korea that he is “too tired” to run in the one-day competition in Daegu on September 25, 2009.
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DEVOTIONAL
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Believing in the Face of Doubt
The man had brought his son to Jesus’ disciples for them to cast out the “dumb spirit,” but they couldn’t. According to the narrative, this spirit “wheresoever he taketh him [the boy], he teareth him: and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away….ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him” (Mark 9:20-21, KJV). Any parent could understand the father’s anguish as he pleaded with Jesus, “If thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us”(v.22).
There, standing before the Master, he used the words, “If thou canst do any thing.” Before we come down too hard on him, it is worth pondering: are we guilty of the same thing? Do we approach the throne of grace doubting God’s ability to do as He says in His word? Do we find ourselves in a double-minded state, wanting to believe yet not quite believing? Luke tells us, “Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief” (vv. 23-24). The lesson to be learnt here is that it is not a matter of matter of whether God can do what He says He will do, but whether we can believe without reservation that He can and will.
“All things are possible to him that believeth.” Paul encourages us, “Be (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God” (Philippians 4:6), but we also need to reaffirm the admonition of the writer to the Hebrews who writes, “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that [H]e is, and that [H]e is a rewarder of them that diligently seek [H]im” (11:6, KJV).
The next time you come to the throne, do so with boldness and with confidence (Hebrews 4:16); there really is nothing too hard for our LORD to do (Genesis 18:14).
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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.
