YS Falls and Banana Ground

The sound of roaring water streamed through the air. Hearts pounded and adrenaline pulsed as the grip on the rope grew stronger. You pull back on the rope and quickly run forward. The rope launches you into the air, only to be dropped in the thunderous medium brown water. Air escapes the lungs the moment the chilled water makes contact with skin. Engulfed in living water, as bubbles danced around your body, you break through the surface of the water only to find a massive tree in your path. Frantically you swim to the right to avoid its grasp. Once successful, your next challenge is to walk on under-water rocks that increasingly become shallow waters. Once you have made it to the stairway, your adventure is complete.

This is what it was like at YS (pronounced Y. S.) falls. We arrived around 9-10am and we quickly made our way to the falls. Once we were up there a handful of us took a rope swing into the falls--it was great. After several rounds of falling into the falls, we made our way back down the hill and into a couple different pools. The first pool was cool with pebbles as the pool floor while the other one was warm with a cement floor. Upon our arrival back to the hotel we found our skin beginning to blush. By the time we were leaving for our next event many of us were lobsters.

Before I get ahead of myself, while we were on our way back to the hotel we stopped at a jerk restaurant and ate on the open second floor. While we were eating, we found ourselves being eaten up by the clouds. We were high enough in the mountain where the clouds would roll right into us. Unfortunately, they weren't extremely thick clouds so visibility was not effected.

After we got cleaned up at the hotel we left for Banana Ground. Banana Ground is a town at the top of a mountain and we led worship, pretty much at an intersection of the town. A good number of Jamaicans showed up and we had a good time.When we first got there we found out the sound tech guys had not arrived and we didn't know if they would so we made due with what we had and let me tell you, it was interesting. Rosie was on bass, Lewis was on the kahone and Elijah and Judy had mics while Sara played her guitar without being plugged into the small sound system that was there.

After two songs the tech crew arrived and pilled out of a white van crammed packed with sound equipment and a drum set. It was a sight to see. After several songs Clyde preached a messaged that echoed through out the small town and the surrounding mountainous areas. We were literally a city on a hill (mountain). We didn't get back till the hotel till 11pm but what a day. To God be the glory, forever and ever. "Shout unto God with a voice of triumph. Shout unto God with a voice of praise. We lift your name up." - Hillsong

-Brandon