My Blog to the World by Rica-Paule Nehemiah

Hi world, I am a part of the summer camp Lighting a Fire for a Better Jamaica, which is being held in Kingston, Jamaica for 5 weeks. This camp has been very fun, exciting and great. For this camp, we have gone 1 week and 3 days. From these days I have learnt a lot about Jamaica's heroes, emancipation, and some of Jamaica's icons that I didn't even know. Our country Jamaica is very special and has unique people.

For the past 8 days I have learnt different Biblical themes like Identity - Jeremiah 1:5, With Great Freedom Comes Great Responsibilities - Matthew 5:13 - 16, Born Free - Galatians 5:1, Think Free, Live Free - Romans 12:2, TAGs: Let it Shine - Matthew 25:14 - 30, and Born for This - Jeremiah 29:11. Each day we would have different themes and scripture readings. My favourite theme was TAGs: Let it Shine - talents, abilities, and gifts. Unlike a shirt where the tag is most times hidden we should not hide our talents like the the man in the story Matthew 25:14 - 30. You should show your TAGs and express them. God made you special and unique and has given you different talents. We should not hide them, however we should accept them, explore them, practice them, and show them inside out, and use them to be ourselves. My other favourite theme was Born for This - Jeremiah 29:11. Here some statements that you can apply to your life: God all of us and gave us TAGs to use them and to showcase them to others so they know God has given everyone TAGs, and God made everyone on earth with a purpose.

Whoever's out there and reading this, my name is Rica-Paule Nehemiah and I live in Jamaica. If you have low self-esteem you can remember that you were born to accomplish a specific purpose. My experience has been awesome and wonderful. I would like to thank Ms. Chelsea Wallace for being inspired to do this camp and for letting me be a part of it. I hope someone out there will be inspired to do something similar to help children grow. Everyone, I love you and I hope you will grow in the right way and follow in Jesus' ways. Bye for now and I love you and remember everyone is equal and can do great things by knowing yourself.

My Opinions by Markel James

My name is Markel James. While at Camp Fire I learned about my TAGs and what they can do. I can drum, sing, play sports, make music, and dance. I have my TAGs because God gave them to me as a gift. They are a part of what makes me special. I can change the world with my TAGs.

Another thing I learned while at this camp is that "It Takes Two". I think this means that if you cannot do something, you can ask for help. Others will help you and explain things to you. It is not something to be ashamed of.

My Thoughts by Patrina Ashlee Manning

My name is Patrina Manning. I am a 13 year old girl who attends this camp: Lighting a Fire for a Better Jamaica. I have learned a lot while I have been here. Two of the things I learned about are my TAGs and my Identity.

TAGs are talents, abilities, and gifts. We must let our talents shine, as well as our abilities and gifts. This is because God made everyone unique and every person is different. Some of us have talents and don't even know. So one of the good ways to find out is to ask God knowing He will answer your prayers, because nothing is impossible with God: Matthew 25 vs. 14-30.

My identity is who I am, and I need to learn about me. It is the special and unique part of yourself, what people see in you and don't see in anyone else. For example, when my friends see me they always run because I love to talk and take up a lot of their time. That is a part of my identity. Everyone has an identity. Jeremiah 1:5.

My Thoughts by Rassaan Grant

Well, what I think of Camp Fire is that it is a fun programme for children like me. It teaches you to be self-confident, to be yourself, to know your identity, and to know about yourself. Now a days we are losing our young men. However there is some good for them in the world so that they, who are sometimes young men on the road or in gangs, can start to be a part of Camp Fire.

We also have fun and games and go on the road. While we are learning about our national heroes, our ancestors, and our culture, the mentors at the camp also allow us to show our TAGs: talents, abilities, and gifts. We even create our own poems. One for example is: "Before God made me, He designed me, with talents gifts and abilitites. Before God made me, He designed me, with talents gifts and abilities. He made me, for a purpose, for a purpose, my purpose. As I said before, that is just one of our poems. We have many more powerful poems. Just remember, God is with you all the way. We are leaders, not followers, and this is what I want to say about Camp Fire, lighting a fire for a better Jamaica and world; and "God will always answer, maybe not now but at the right time".

My Thoughts by Daniel Tomlinson

My name is Daniel Tomlinson. I am a member of the Lighting a Fire for a Better Jamaica summer camp. We learn a lot of good things here. Some of the things were learnt were that all men are made equal, we should emancipate ourselves from mental slavery, and that we were born to be whoever we are and to be the best of ourselves that we can be. We all have TAGs: talents, abilities, and gifts. We are the salt and light of the world, that means that as salt, we are to purify, preserve, and flavour others. As light, we are to show others the way so that they don't make mistakes. I met new persons and I have gone to new places. I know that when I leave here I will know how to talk to persons and tell them all that I have learned at this summer camp.

Let it Shine by Kiiam Campbell

Lighting a Fire for days 1 - 9

I learnt that Bob Marley sold 300 songs and he was the King of Reggae and learnt about Marcus Garvey. Marcus Garvey fought for our freedom. We also wen to Emancipation Park which was opened on July 31, 2002 by The Right Honourable P.J. Patterson. After, we went to Heroes' Circle, and we looked at some of the heroes' statues and their graves.

Lighting a Fire Camp helped me to find my TAGs, helped me to let them shine, and helped me with showing people my talents, abilities, and gifts. FIRE is a very good program.

Thoughts and Opinions by Natalia Brown

MY Name Is Natalia Brown ,a Student At Lighting A fire Summer Program. It has been a nice experience for me. It helped me to be confident, smart and say I can do it. Here we get a lot of jokes, play games and a lot more activities. Also it helps you find your T.A.Gs-Talents Abilities and Gifts, and helps you to get over some your fears.I also learned a song:  Before God made me He designed me with talents, gifts, and abilities. He made me for a purpose, for a purpose, my purpose. My opinions are if you get the chance to seize this opportunity take it; it teaches you a lot and with great things come great responsibilities. You should let your T.A.Gs shine, wear them inside out, not outside in, let everyone see your T.A.Gs. Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our mind.

My Thoughts by Philecia Jones

Well, my name is Philecia Jones, and I am a member of the Lighting a Fire Summer camp. I have learnt a lot of good things that I already knew and things that I did not know. This camp is about expressing yourself and to do what you never thought you would do. Like me, when I first came here I was very, very shy but during my week and 4 days here I find myself doing things I would never do. Some of those things are: singing in front of a crowd or volunteer to do things. Among all  themes that we had done my favorite is: T.A.G which means talents, abilities and gifts. We discussed about our talents, abilities, and gifts.  All I'm saying is that this summer camp has really changed me and I like it. So I'm encouraging you to let your child/ children come to Lighting a Fire and you will love the results.

My Thoughts and Opinions by Chadrick K. Henry

The Fire Camp has really been a great experience for me, for almost two weeks because I got to learn about our national heroes and heroine who helped to bring Jamaica  out of slavery. The thing that I like about the camp is that I got to meet new persons who are friendly and show that they care about this country. I even learnt that before God made us all He designed us with Talents,Abilities and Gifts which we must use to help the world so that we can make it a better place for generations to come. We also learnt about Bob Marley, where he was born, and other things about him. I also learnt about Marcus Mosiah Gravey who was the first national hero of Jamaica. 


                                         This is what I learnt thus far at Fire.

Meet the Students

The Males:


Chadrick Henry

Markel James

Daniel Tomlinson

Kiiam Campbell

Daniel Bell

Rassaan Grant

The Females:

Rica-Paule Nehemiah

Philecia Jones

Natalia Brown

Patrina aka Ashlee Manning

The Igniting

The Lighting a Fire for a Better Jamaica Summer Camp, aka FIRE 2012, began with the opening ceremonies on Monday July 16, 2012. Parents were welcomed and Chelsea Wallace, the visionary of FIRE, gave a synopsis of the process through which FIRE became a reality.

Pastor Beresford Pryce of Kingdom Embassy Ministries gave a brief exhortation to the parents and students present. His words were well-received. The standards and protocols to be followed during the 5 weeks of FIRE were laid out in the hearing of the parents ans students. Tools for the camp, particularly the laptop and the water cooler purchased with project funds, were then blessed and dedicated for efficient usage and benefit of all involved in carrying out the project. Students were then presented with writing instruments they would be using throughout the camp.  

To close out the opening ceremonies, the camp was declared open and blessed by Pastor Pryce.

We, as the mentors of FIRE, will accomplish our goals of a change in perspective within the students by involving them in many activities and discussions. These will sharpen their awareness of who they are, and how their education can serve as a tool for maxmising all that they have within them so as to change their world for the better.

We are now in Week 2 of FIRE. Thus far we have engaged the students in tours to the Bob Marley Museum, Liberty Hall, Emancipation Park, and Heroes' Circle. From these tours we have engaged the students in discussion s about their identity, freedom, and what their freedom allows them to be. This week, we will be focusing on the students' TAGs - their talents, abilities, and gifts.

We have seen positive growth thus far, and are looking forward to further improvements. FIRE 2012 is providing the tools for these students to light their own fires, to ignite what they have within them so as to empower them to enforce change.