Miami native Leo Benjamin travels to Jamaica about eight times a year, but his trips have nothing to do with sun, sand or sex. Instead, the 45-year-old businessman heads straight for Windsor Castle in Portland where he does mission work. Yes, spreading the gospel.

Even so, Mr. Benjamin is not the average missionary. He has found in Windsor Castle a home away from home, and in the Jamaican people, a second family.

"I kind of found a family there," he said in an interview with the Miami Herald recently.

GospelFest

His latest project in the community was an annual series of youth rallies and vacation Bible school classes called GospelFest. The event ran from August 8-16. During the event, Benjamin and a team of volunteers conduct all activities.

The volunteers all belong to a non-denominational Christian movement based in Pittsburgh.

GospelFest 2006 marked the fourth consecutive year that Benjamin organised the event.

The three-day vacation Bible school and four youth rallies drew more than 1,000 participants from Windsor Castle and nearby communities. School supplies, including pens, notepads, backpacks, crayons and other classroom items were distributed to about 500 youngsters.

With GospelFest over for this year, Benjamin said he intends to keep returning to Windsor Castle to conduct Bible study sessions several times a year on his own or with another volunteer.

Benjamin is already planning his next visit in October to conduct the classes. He is also busy making plans for GospelFest 2007, which he intends to expand with more rallies and Bible schools in neighbouring towns.

Benjamin, who has been doing mission projects at churches throughout Jamaica for the past 10 years, said he never imagined that his earlier one-man trips to the island would evolve into GospelFest.

Love doing it

"I became friends with a resident who lived in Windsor Castle, and I began concentrating my efforts there,'' Benjamin said. 'I didn't expect GospelFest to get this big. It's been a little overwhelming, but I love doing it.''