THE SOUND of gospel music fills the air, a tambourine beats to time in the background, and somewhere up front, a man quotes from The Bible.
It's not Sunday worship at church, however. Just a typical ride on ZR 232 any day of the week.
The Route 11 van, driven by 43-year-old Ishmael Cain, stands out from all the others on the Silver Sands, Christ Church, route.
It may look the same, but the similarities stop there.
As soon as you step on to the "church van" or "the gospel van" as some passengers call it, you are immediately ushered into a sense of serenity and peace.
The ride somehow seems shorter and the impatient drivers and bumper-to-bumper traffic all seem to fade away.
Suddenly, you forget about your schedule for the day as your fingers and toes move in unison with the contagious beat of a Joseph Niles, Sister Marshall, or Shine The Light songs.
And, that's exactly what Ishmael wants. He wants you to forget about your troubles and take in the message he is trying to get across through the music.
"I want people to know about the love of God," he told the SUNDAY SUN during a break, last Tuesday in the Constitution Road bus terminal.
His passion for God is visible in everything he does.
It isn't unusual for him to pull out his tambourine from beneath the seat and start a rhythm whenever the van is caught in a traffic jam – to the surprise of most passengers.
And, his van is the easiest to find in the terminal. All one has to do is follow the gospel music.
Ishmael's passengers aren't just of a specific age group either. Everyone from primary to secondary school children wait for his van on mornings and evenings. This, he said, goes to show "that all school children are not bad".
He uses the opportunity to tell them about God.
His Christian walk started three years ago, when a lady invited him to the Church of God In Christ, Brittons Hill, St Michael.
"I've never turned back. I thank that girl every time I see her," said the Club Morgan, Christ Church, resident.
Prior to becoming a Christian, Ishmael who has been driving public service vehicles from the 1980s, played mostly dancehall music on his van.
"I was ignorant then. Nobody ever told me about the love of God, that is the hurtful thing.
"He (God) said to go and spread the Word. I know I would feel real bad if I dead and gone long and nobody didn't tell me about the love of God.
"So, that is why I encourage people about God and that is what I try to do everyday," he said.
And, he's not kidding. Everyday, he travels with his gospel CDs, tambourine, and his only weapon in a job that can be sometimes dangerous – his Bible.
Most of the response from passengers has been positive. However, there are those who reject Ishmael's form of ministry.
"People compliment me everyday. They like the gospel music, they say it blesses their soul that it makes them feel better. They prefer it over the "ragga-ragga" and "bum, bum" music which has no meaning.
"But, sometimes, the young fellows tell me to turn off the music and put on 95.3 HOTT FM or 98.1 FM. Even some of the other drivers give me heat but I tell them 'I'm not pleasing man, I'm pleasing my saviour'", said Ishmael.
The criticism doesn't stop there. He was even told once that Christians should not be driving ZRs.
"The way I see it, Jesus mixed with everybody. The job is an ordinary job like anything else. You just have to show an example, you can't be like the rest."
His mission, as he sees it, is to tell as many people about Jesus as he possibly can, everyday. He believes there's more to life than just hustling to make a dollar.
Those who sit in the front of the van with him get the chance to hear his testimony.
And when he's driving, Ishmael keeps in constant contact with his chief navigator.
"I keep communicating with my [heavenly] father. I praise God 24 hours, not just at Christmas.
"They (other drivers) laugh at me when I play my cymbals and my gospel music. But I tell them that if they laugh at me, they're also laughing at Christ. The only time people want to hear about Christ is when they're sick or meeting it bad.
"But I am not ashamed of him. If you're ashamed of Christ, he will be ashamed of you," he said.
