A ZBI flashback!

I attended Zion Bible Institute when...........well, when it was called Zion Bible Institute! I was a student when the school was located in East Providence. I was there in the days of Dr. Leonard Heroo, Mary Campbell and Alice King. And I was there in the days of blue uniforms for normal days and a white uniform for Easter, which brings me to my flashback!


Since we arrived in Jamaica almost 8 months ago we made a choice to attend a different A/G church each week. We are on a cultural learning curve and learning from the churches is a great avenue. We are learning from the Bible College students and their distinct churches.


On Sundays the services start at 11:00 which makes it wonderful for travel time. We don't have to leave the house in the dark! But today the church we chose to visit moved their service to 9:00 which is early for Jamaica. Because we had a 2 hour drive it had been an early morning. I dozed off pretty good before we arrived at the church. When we drove into the church lot, I opened my eyes and thought I was dreaming! A deja~vu kind of dream! All I saw was WHITE, men in white suits, ladies in white dresses. White, white, white everywhere. The platform was decorated with white touling draped over white pillars. I had worn black, Denny was in black, Renee in pink! Wow did we stick out! But hey, we're learning culture! We will wear white next year!


All of a sudden I thought I was back at ole ZBI!!! When school started in September we wore blue uniforms. Through the winter we wore blue uniforms. But when Easter came, out came the white uniforms and if you happened to have a sweetheart, a beautiful corsage adorned your neckline! When Easter hit the calendar in those days the girls were required to put on the white uniforms. We all looked so pure, so clean, so bright. It was an absolutely beautiful sight! If my children were to see ZBI today as it was then, they might laugh. However, back in those days the white uniforms were quite refreshing after the long, hard, New England "blue" winters!


I travel with my camera and unfortunately, we left the house so early today I forgot to put it in the car! Today would have been a great photo op! I haven't thought about those uniform days in a long time but today, well......let's just say I must be getting old because all during the service I saw Raymond Goodwin leading the Gospel Temple in the great old hymn, "He Lives" in only the way he could direct. I heard Sis. Chase at the organ and when Dr. Heroo stood to speak using those picture word sentences as only he could, I found myself wishing that I was a ZBI student one more time! Where does the time go and I wonder what ever happened to all my uniforms!!