Monday:
Today we are going to paint a homeless shelter that the church owns. We have never been to see this place and I haven’t really planned this day, so I’m not sure what to expect. Richard meets us at our hotel, we stop to pick up Ms. Pat, and then we make another stop at the hardware store on the outskirts of town to pick up the paint. As the story begins to unfold, we learn that this house used to belong to Ms. Pat. She was attacked there and stabbed multiple times, and her husband was brutally murdered. She couldn’t live there anymore, so she moved in to the hotel to take care of Mr. Allen and she gave the house to church. It is being used as a place to stay for a couple of men who are trying to get back on their feet.
We wind our way down the dirt path, around the corner, and through the bush. We get out and walk down the lane to a nice little house on stilts with a broken front gate. Neighbors come out of their homes to watch our parade. Certainly they have never seen such a procession back here.
We brought paint brushes along in our suitcases and have collected some plastic jugs during the week to pour paint in to share around. We try to get organized as to who will be where. We are going to paint the outside of the house and two of the rooms inside. The taller ones of us will paint up high, the shorter ones will get the lower places. With 18 of us, you would think the job should go quickly.
The first thing that we find is that there is no ladder. It’s going to be hard to get the top of the outside without any way to reach up there, especially since the house is up on concrete stilts. Richard and Phil find some boards under the house, find a few nails here and there, and create a make shift hammer. Voila, a ladder! At least one person can paint the high places. Until Phil puts Andrew on his shoulders. Now we have two ladders. Smart kids.
The paint is oil based and super sticky. It’s messy and does not go on easily. But after an hour and a half, much of the work is done. We have run out of paint and decide to clean up and go.
At one point Bruce and I stand back in the middle of the painting and watch the kids laughing, working together, and having great time just a few short days since we came together as a team. It’s been really fun to watch this group gel as a unit, not just becoming friends, but truly becoming a team.
They have worked very hard this week, and now we want to give the kids one more fun experience. We leave the house around lunchtime and head off to find the place where Nick and Phil got lunch the day that we picked up the rest of the team from Montego Bay. It’s a roadside stand kind of place. We order and take our food on down to the Negril lighthouse where we eat on the ocean side. Then we take them to the famous Rick’s Café to watch the cliff jumpers.
A few of us jump from the low platform into the ocean. Nick is brave and jumps from the second to the highest platform. We have fun watching the Jamaicans performing acrobatics into the water from 50 or 60 feet up. Sometimes I can hardly watch. I don’t want to see someone get hurt.
After a couple of hours at Rick’s, we go back to the hotel and all get in the pool. It’s dark and late and the kids are mostly quiet. Finally, I say what everyone is thinking. We have to pack and up and leave in the morning. But no one is ready to go home. This place has started to feel like home and these people have become like family. As I look around, several of the girls are crying. Even the guys are visibly sad to be leaving. More than a few tears are shed.
In the weeks before coming on this trip, I prayed every day for each person that would join us, that we would make a difference in Jamaica, that our group would have a special bond, and that each person’s faith would be strengthened. I prayed for the Jamaicans we'd meet, and for direction in meeting the specific needs of the locals. And I prayed specifically that God would show Himself to Bruce and me to let us know we were following the right path.
God answered my prayers in ways I never expected. We had an amazing week together in Jamaica, each one of us grew, had our faith strengthened, and we learned a lot. We developed a special bond during our time together. We knew we met some needs and touched some lives just like we were supposed to, but our lives were touched even more than we could ever have imagined. God showed us things that we could have never dreamed of.
We left two simple tetherball poles, some ladies size 10 shoes, a little girl’s swimsuit. We came home with important lessons we will never forget.
Before we left the island we were already planning our next trip back to Jamaica. Now, thanks to a ball on a string, Bruce and I know for certain that this is the place that God wants us to be, and we continue to plan for Journey Home Jamaica. God was with us every step of the way and showed Himself to us more than once during our week in Jamaica. I prayed for Him to show up. And did He ever. In many ways He didn’t just show up, He showed off.
Wednesday, February 24, 2016
Mission team in Jamaica; Day 6
Sunday:
This morning we went to church at the community center with Richard and Nicola. We got there early so that we could help set up. We had a wonderful worship service together, and then, once again, Nicola and several of the church ladies prepared us some lunch. We ate and fellowshipped with our Jamaican friends. They have been so generous to us.
After lunch we brought in all the of the clothes and shoes that we had brought along. We had planned a community outreach clothing distribution for this afternoon. We organized the clothes by men’s, women’s, and children’s sizes, and laid out all the shoes in rows on the stage. People came in to the community center and sat in the chairs, waiting patiently. One by one they filed by, taking only what they needed. We helped them pick things out, until the last article of clothing was gone. It was very orderly and organized. And people were very thankful. We reflected on how different this was than what we had experienced in Whitehouse.
As we were cleaning up and getting ready to leave, Maxine came over to me and said that she hadn’t gotten any shoes. We had been praying for Maxine all week because she had been having some problems with her feet, had a lot of pain, and it was hard for her to walk. I felt really badly as Maxine had been such a friend and help to us this week. I explained to her that I was sorry, but all of the shoes were gone. I asked her what size she wore and told her that maybe I could send some back for her from home. She said that she needed a size 10. That’s a big shoe for a woman. Who wears a size 10?
We finished putting all the chairs away and locking up the building. When we opened up the vans, there was one suitcase on the floor that had been forgotten under one of the seats. How could we have missed that? I opened it up. Guess what was inside? Yes, it was full of nothing but women’s size 10 shoes! Expensive, cushiony, brand new shoes with all the support that Maxine would need for the foot troubles that she was having. God knew her need. And He helped us very specifically to fill it.
After we left the community center in the afternoon, we went back to change clothes. We had a few hours before we needed to be back in the center of town to meet Pastors Richard and Nicola. Since it was Sunday, we were going to join along with them on their weekly street evangelism.
The kids had been wanting to have some free time to swim in the ocean. There are several places at the hotel where it is possible to jump off of the deck in to the water . There is a ladder down into the ocean and steps to climb out. Some of the kids wanted to jump off the 30 foot high lighthouse into the water. So, we watched as they took turns jumping. All of the brave ones jumped in. They had a blast. I took pictures. This girl isn’t jumping from 30 feet high. But I’m glad that they could have fun.
After they were all sufficiently tired, we changed clothes and made our way back in to town. The kids were a little apprehensive about what we were going to be doing. We met up with Richard and Nicola, and several others from the church. We passed out some gospel tracts that I had brought along and Richard gave us instructions about how to talk to people. We split up into groups and wandered around for about an hour. A lot of great discussions were started. Bruce and I were really impressed at how the kids walked right up to people, shared with them about Jesus, and invited them to church. We heard so many stories about how people don’t have the right clothes to wear to church, or how they had sinned during the week so didn’t feel like they are worthy to go in to the church building. It just breaks my heart. These people desperately need to understand God’s grace!
We turned up a street to get out of the bustle of downtown. When we got to the top of the hill, there was a soccer field. Several of the girls in our group are soccer players, so they ran over and started kicking balls around with the Jamaican kids. We struck up a conversation with a gal who said that she had been meaning to come back to church. She said that she had been invited to church before and had attended Word to Life church in the past but hadn’t come recently. She looked over at Bruce and I, pointed to us and smiled. “You,” she said. “You invited me to come to church a year ago!” Yes, we had talked to this same lady on the street last year on a hot Sunday evening. We invited her to church. When it was time to leave, she hugged us. “I’ll be in church next Sunday,” she promised.
When it was starting to get dark, we went back to our vans. Normally she is not open on Sundays, but Miss Connie had opened up her restaurant especially for our group tonight. Jenny’s Restaurant is a country joint but with Jamaican food named after Connie's mom. Nicola and Ms. Pat were there to help. Miss Connie served us a wonderful meal complete with sorrel or beet juice, a first for many on the trip. It was a really fun evening for us.
This morning we went to church at the community center with Richard and Nicola. We got there early so that we could help set up. We had a wonderful worship service together, and then, once again, Nicola and several of the church ladies prepared us some lunch. We ate and fellowshipped with our Jamaican friends. They have been so generous to us.
After lunch we brought in all the of the clothes and shoes that we had brought along. We had planned a community outreach clothing distribution for this afternoon. We organized the clothes by men’s, women’s, and children’s sizes, and laid out all the shoes in rows on the stage. People came in to the community center and sat in the chairs, waiting patiently. One by one they filed by, taking only what they needed. We helped them pick things out, until the last article of clothing was gone. It was very orderly and organized. And people were very thankful. We reflected on how different this was than what we had experienced in Whitehouse.
As we were cleaning up and getting ready to leave, Maxine came over to me and said that she hadn’t gotten any shoes. We had been praying for Maxine all week because she had been having some problems with her feet, had a lot of pain, and it was hard for her to walk. I felt really badly as Maxine had been such a friend and help to us this week. I explained to her that I was sorry, but all of the shoes were gone. I asked her what size she wore and told her that maybe I could send some back for her from home. She said that she needed a size 10. That’s a big shoe for a woman. Who wears a size 10?
We finished putting all the chairs away and locking up the building. When we opened up the vans, there was one suitcase on the floor that had been forgotten under one of the seats. How could we have missed that? I opened it up. Guess what was inside? Yes, it was full of nothing but women’s size 10 shoes! Expensive, cushiony, brand new shoes with all the support that Maxine would need for the foot troubles that she was having. God knew her need. And He helped us very specifically to fill it.
After we left the community center in the afternoon, we went back to change clothes. We had a few hours before we needed to be back in the center of town to meet Pastors Richard and Nicola. Since it was Sunday, we were going to join along with them on their weekly street evangelism.
The kids had been wanting to have some free time to swim in the ocean. There are several places at the hotel where it is possible to jump off of the deck in to the water . There is a ladder down into the ocean and steps to climb out. Some of the kids wanted to jump off the 30 foot high lighthouse into the water. So, we watched as they took turns jumping. All of the brave ones jumped in. They had a blast. I took pictures. This girl isn’t jumping from 30 feet high. But I’m glad that they could have fun.
After they were all sufficiently tired, we changed clothes and made our way back in to town. The kids were a little apprehensive about what we were going to be doing. We met up with Richard and Nicola, and several others from the church. We passed out some gospel tracts that I had brought along and Richard gave us instructions about how to talk to people. We split up into groups and wandered around for about an hour. A lot of great discussions were started. Bruce and I were really impressed at how the kids walked right up to people, shared with them about Jesus, and invited them to church. We heard so many stories about how people don’t have the right clothes to wear to church, or how they had sinned during the week so didn’t feel like they are worthy to go in to the church building. It just breaks my heart. These people desperately need to understand God’s grace!
We turned up a street to get out of the bustle of downtown. When we got to the top of the hill, there was a soccer field. Several of the girls in our group are soccer players, so they ran over and started kicking balls around with the Jamaican kids. We struck up a conversation with a gal who said that she had been meaning to come back to church. She said that she had been invited to church before and had attended Word to Life church in the past but hadn’t come recently. She looked over at Bruce and I, pointed to us and smiled. “You,” she said. “You invited me to come to church a year ago!” Yes, we had talked to this same lady on the street last year on a hot Sunday evening. We invited her to church. When it was time to leave, she hugged us. “I’ll be in church next Sunday,” she promised.
When it was starting to get dark, we went back to our vans. Normally she is not open on Sundays, but Miss Connie had opened up her restaurant especially for our group tonight. Jenny’s Restaurant is a country joint but with Jamaican food named after Connie's mom. Nicola and Ms. Pat were there to help. Miss Connie served us a wonderful meal complete with sorrel or beet juice, a first for many on the trip. It was a really fun evening for us.
Mission team in Jamaica; Day 5
Saturday:
This morning we were to head to the orphanage in Montego Bay that Bruce and I had visited on a previous trip - Robin’s Nest Children’s Home. I had talked with the directors before coming and asked them what we could bring that the kids could use. She gave me sizes of clothes and shoes that were needed. We had brought along several suitcases just for Robin’s Nest. We loaded up and started the hour and a half drive to MoBay. I was a little concerned about how we would find it, as it is up the mountain and there are just no real road signs.
But somehow God led us to the right turn off, and we started the bouncy 30 minute ride up the bumpy and windy one-lane road. Up, up, up the mountain we went, stopping for goats, cows and chickens to move out of our way. Finally, from below we saw the buildings that are part of the orphanage and turned onto the steep, curving driveway.
As we rounded the corner approaching the parking area, there standing right in the middle of the drive was a little boy holding a long rope up in the air and with the other hand, was batting a ball attached to the other end. This little boy had a sparkling new tetherball! I turned to look at Bruce. His eyes were open wide in amazement. And there, behind the little boy, was an old tire leaning up against the fence. Everything we needed to build a tetherball pole was in plain sight, staring right at us, in front of the children’s home.
We climbed out of the vans and went in to find the director. After our tour of the bright, clean and beautiful orphanage filled with little ones, I told our guide about the boy in the driveway, that we had an extra pole and a bag of cement along, and asked her if it would be okay if we made them a tetherball pole. “Of course!” she said. “You know, I don’t know where that ball came from, actually. He found it this morning in a bucket and asked me if he could play with it. I’ve never seen it before today.” We just smiled. All sixteen of us knew exactly where that tetherball came from.
While the guys and Jama were putting together the tetherball pole, I helped orchestrate some cleaning projects at the home. We decided that we wanted the kids to be able to serve those who serve the kids. So, they swept, mopped, washed and cleaned. As they were working on the chores, I unpacked the suitcases full of clothes and shoes that we had brought along.
On the day before we left home, I had a basket of clothes come into our resale store. There was a swimsuit in that basket that I couldn’t sell, but something told me to buy it anyway and take it along. It wasn’t one of the things that Robin’s Nest had asked for, but somehow I felt like I needed to take it. My suitcases were already packed. So I took the swimsuit home and stuffed it in my carry on bag.
As we were pulling things out at Robin’s Nest, the director took the swimsuit out, held it up, and said, “Oh, this is perfect! I just saw that the swimsuit that Sue has been wearing is way too small. It is a size 4T. She needs a size 10/12.” Oh my goodness, I thought, that is small! She called Sue over and handed it to her. A few minutes later, Sue came out to model her new swimsuit. It fit her perfectly. She did a little dance in front of me, hugged me, and ran off to the pool. All I could think was, yay God!
After our team got done with their cleaning, several of the girls changed and got in the pool with the kids at the orphanage. They swam and splashed and played. A few of the girls stayed inside and did crafts with the kids. Several got books and had kids on their laps, reading to them.
We ate lunch at the orphanage and when it was nap time, it was time for us to go. We piled back in to go back down, down, down the mountain.
We got back in to Negril and stopped at Rock Cliff for dinner. It was earlier today and when we got there, dinner wasn’t quite ready. We walked through the grass toward the ocean where we could watch the sunset. The sunsets in Negril are, in my opinion, the most beautiful on the entire planet. Really, you should see them.
As we stood there watching the sun go down, one of the girls turned around with an “ah-ha” look on her face. She looked at the others in the group, and then, it was almost as if I could see the lightbulbs go off for each one of the kids at the exact same time.
She walked over to me and said excitedly, “Jen, why don’t you guys buy this place and use it for the ministry? You could have the orphanage here!” Bruce and I looked at each other and smiled. Yes, that’s kind of what we had been thinking since the day we dropped Ms. Pat off and she puzzled us with her words, then we saw the hotel from the ocean later and realized that we had seen this same place two years before from next door. The kids all started to buzz with excitement. Bruce and I decided that we would try to talk to Mr. Allen sometime and see what he had to say about that. But tonight, he was no where to be found.
This morning we were to head to the orphanage in Montego Bay that Bruce and I had visited on a previous trip - Robin’s Nest Children’s Home. I had talked with the directors before coming and asked them what we could bring that the kids could use. She gave me sizes of clothes and shoes that were needed. We had brought along several suitcases just for Robin’s Nest. We loaded up and started the hour and a half drive to MoBay. I was a little concerned about how we would find it, as it is up the mountain and there are just no real road signs.
But somehow God led us to the right turn off, and we started the bouncy 30 minute ride up the bumpy and windy one-lane road. Up, up, up the mountain we went, stopping for goats, cows and chickens to move out of our way. Finally, from below we saw the buildings that are part of the orphanage and turned onto the steep, curving driveway.
As we rounded the corner approaching the parking area, there standing right in the middle of the drive was a little boy holding a long rope up in the air and with the other hand, was batting a ball attached to the other end. This little boy had a sparkling new tetherball! I turned to look at Bruce. His eyes were open wide in amazement. And there, behind the little boy, was an old tire leaning up against the fence. Everything we needed to build a tetherball pole was in plain sight, staring right at us, in front of the children’s home.
We climbed out of the vans and went in to find the director. After our tour of the bright, clean and beautiful orphanage filled with little ones, I told our guide about the boy in the driveway, that we had an extra pole and a bag of cement along, and asked her if it would be okay if we made them a tetherball pole. “Of course!” she said. “You know, I don’t know where that ball came from, actually. He found it this morning in a bucket and asked me if he could play with it. I’ve never seen it before today.” We just smiled. All sixteen of us knew exactly where that tetherball came from.
While the guys and Jama were putting together the tetherball pole, I helped orchestrate some cleaning projects at the home. We decided that we wanted the kids to be able to serve those who serve the kids. So, they swept, mopped, washed and cleaned. As they were working on the chores, I unpacked the suitcases full of clothes and shoes that we had brought along.
On the day before we left home, I had a basket of clothes come into our resale store. There was a swimsuit in that basket that I couldn’t sell, but something told me to buy it anyway and take it along. It wasn’t one of the things that Robin’s Nest had asked for, but somehow I felt like I needed to take it. My suitcases were already packed. So I took the swimsuit home and stuffed it in my carry on bag.
As we were pulling things out at Robin’s Nest, the director took the swimsuit out, held it up, and said, “Oh, this is perfect! I just saw that the swimsuit that Sue has been wearing is way too small. It is a size 4T. She needs a size 10/12.” Oh my goodness, I thought, that is small! She called Sue over and handed it to her. A few minutes later, Sue came out to model her new swimsuit. It fit her perfectly. She did a little dance in front of me, hugged me, and ran off to the pool. All I could think was, yay God!
After our team got done with their cleaning, several of the girls changed and got in the pool with the kids at the orphanage. They swam and splashed and played. A few of the girls stayed inside and did crafts with the kids. Several got books and had kids on their laps, reading to them.
We ate lunch at the orphanage and when it was nap time, it was time for us to go. We piled back in to go back down, down, down the mountain.
We got back in to Negril and stopped at Rock Cliff for dinner. It was earlier today and when we got there, dinner wasn’t quite ready. We walked through the grass toward the ocean where we could watch the sunset. The sunsets in Negril are, in my opinion, the most beautiful on the entire planet. Really, you should see them.
As we stood there watching the sun go down, one of the girls turned around with an “ah-ha” look on her face. She looked at the others in the group, and then, it was almost as if I could see the lightbulbs go off for each one of the kids at the exact same time.
She walked over to me and said excitedly, “Jen, why don’t you guys buy this place and use it for the ministry? You could have the orphanage here!” Bruce and I looked at each other and smiled. Yes, that’s kind of what we had been thinking since the day we dropped Ms. Pat off and she puzzled us with her words, then we saw the hotel from the ocean later and realized that we had seen this same place two years before from next door. The kids all started to buzz with excitement. Bruce and I decided that we would try to talk to Mr. Allen sometime and see what he had to say about that. But tonight, he was no where to be found.
We wandered around a little before it got too dark to see. We ate our dinner and went back to our hotel for some playing in the swimming pool before bed. Bruce and I contemplated the discussion about Rock Cliff...what if?
Mission team in Jamaica; Day 4
Friday:
Today we had planned a fun day at YS Falls. We ate our Jamaican breakfast buffet of eggs, toast, fruit and juice, and then made out way to the vans for the drive to the falls. When we got there, we took the jitney tractor to the falls.
A couple of the girls camped out by the swimming pool. Some of us climbed the falls. And others hung out in the cold spring fed pool at the bottom. A bunch of us took advantage of the zip line through the rain forest canopy, which was exciting. Bruce and few of the kids jumped off the rope swing into the deep water in one of the pools of the falls, climbing back up the ladder over and over again. After everyone had their fill, we climbed on the tractors back to the parking lot, got our hungry group something to eat, and then went back to Negril.
Driving in Jamaica always seems to take longer than you plan for. We got back to town just in time for the community game night that we had planned at the church. When we got there, we set up some tables and chairs, Richard turned on some music, and people started to file in.
We had brought American games along to play with our new Jamaican friends. Some of the girls taught a group of kids how to play Uno in the middle of the floor, a couple of intense games of chess were going on in one corner, and Bruce and Philip had a fierce ladder ball competition going in another part of the room. We blew up some balloons that became an instant hit with both kids and adults.
Nicola, Ms. Pat and a few other ladies made us some wonderful authentic Jamaican snacks. The music was loud, the atmosphere was fun, and the food was delicious. We made many new friends that night and shared a little of both American and Jamaican cultures. We played until very late and we were all exhausted!
Today we had planned a fun day at YS Falls. We ate our Jamaican breakfast buffet of eggs, toast, fruit and juice, and then made out way to the vans for the drive to the falls. When we got there, we took the jitney tractor to the falls.
A couple of the girls camped out by the swimming pool. Some of us climbed the falls. And others hung out in the cold spring fed pool at the bottom. A bunch of us took advantage of the zip line through the rain forest canopy, which was exciting. Bruce and few of the kids jumped off the rope swing into the deep water in one of the pools of the falls, climbing back up the ladder over and over again. After everyone had their fill, we climbed on the tractors back to the parking lot, got our hungry group something to eat, and then went back to Negril.
Driving in Jamaica always seems to take longer than you plan for. We got back to town just in time for the community game night that we had planned at the church. When we got there, we set up some tables and chairs, Richard turned on some music, and people started to file in.
We had brought American games along to play with our new Jamaican friends. Some of the girls taught a group of kids how to play Uno in the middle of the floor, a couple of intense games of chess were going on in one corner, and Bruce and Philip had a fierce ladder ball competition going in another part of the room. We blew up some balloons that became an instant hit with both kids and adults.
Nicola, Ms. Pat and a few other ladies made us some wonderful authentic Jamaican snacks. The music was loud, the atmosphere was fun, and the food was delicious. We made many new friends that night and shared a little of both American and Jamaican cultures. We played until very late and we were all exhausted!
Mission team in Jamaica; Day 3
Thursday:
Today was to be a work day to finish up what we could to clean up Spring Garden. We ate a leisurely breakfast and took off when everyone was ready. Shorty and Marvin were there to meet us and we got right to work. Everyone kind of knew what their job was from the day before. We hauled and burned trash. We raked and cut and trimmed. We cleaned out the inside of the buildings and swept the floors. We discovered that the driveway continued on in a circle where we originally thought that it just stopped. Nick uncovered an outdoor bathroom that had been completely covered with overgrown vegetation. It was hard work, but it was fun doing it together.
Shorty and Marvin had prepared lunch for us again. This time it was curried goat with rice and peas along with breadfruit and pumpkin taken right from the property. Everyone enjoyed it and some even went back for seconds.
After we had done all the cleaning up that we thought we could accomplish, we asked Shorty and Marvin to take us on a hike to the spring. We walked down the lane and up the road toward the spring that gives this place its name. As we walked, our tour guides told us about the different Jamaican fruits and trees along the way. When we came to the spring, we climbed down the slippery little path to where the water comes right out of the mountain. The kids splashed in it and cooled off, we all filled our water bottles back up, and climbed back up the steep rocky hill to the road. I prayed that no one would slip or sprain an ankle.
On our way back, we turned down Lynette’s lane. She greeted us and showed us around her place a little. Marvin and Shorty took the kids over to one of the large coconut trees. Shorty shimmied up to the top, picked a couple of huge coconuts, and threw them back down to the boys. Marvin cut the top off with his machete and we passed them around. Meanwhile, Lynette took us over to her apple tree. It was heavy with fruit. We picked some Jamaican apples and shared them around. Everyone had an apple or two. They are so different than the apples that are grown in the US, almost more like a pear. We all enjoyed the apples and drinking the fresh coconut milk. Tori even fed apples to some wandering goats as they were passing by.
It was late afternoon when we went back to the hotel to get cleaned up and then to Rock Cliff again for dinner. When we got there, it wasn’t quite as dark yet as when we had been there the night before. We could see a little more of the state of disrepair of the hotel and grounds. Even though we didn’t venture far from our tables, we could see that there were several buildings, an empty pool and a rickety gazebo off toward the ocean. The candles were lit again and we sat down to eat. We talked about the day and shared a devotion after our meal.
Ms. Pat is a good cook. We helped her clean up and thanked her for our meal before heading back for a swim before bed.
Today was to be a work day to finish up what we could to clean up Spring Garden. We ate a leisurely breakfast and took off when everyone was ready. Shorty and Marvin were there to meet us and we got right to work. Everyone kind of knew what their job was from the day before. We hauled and burned trash. We raked and cut and trimmed. We cleaned out the inside of the buildings and swept the floors. We discovered that the driveway continued on in a circle where we originally thought that it just stopped. Nick uncovered an outdoor bathroom that had been completely covered with overgrown vegetation. It was hard work, but it was fun doing it together.
Shorty and Marvin had prepared lunch for us again. This time it was curried goat with rice and peas along with breadfruit and pumpkin taken right from the property. Everyone enjoyed it and some even went back for seconds.
After we had done all the cleaning up that we thought we could accomplish, we asked Shorty and Marvin to take us on a hike to the spring. We walked down the lane and up the road toward the spring that gives this place its name. As we walked, our tour guides told us about the different Jamaican fruits and trees along the way. When we came to the spring, we climbed down the slippery little path to where the water comes right out of the mountain. The kids splashed in it and cooled off, we all filled our water bottles back up, and climbed back up the steep rocky hill to the road. I prayed that no one would slip or sprain an ankle.
On our way back, we turned down Lynette’s lane. She greeted us and showed us around her place a little. Marvin and Shorty took the kids over to one of the large coconut trees. Shorty shimmied up to the top, picked a couple of huge coconuts, and threw them back down to the boys. Marvin cut the top off with his machete and we passed them around. Meanwhile, Lynette took us over to her apple tree. It was heavy with fruit. We picked some Jamaican apples and shared them around. Everyone had an apple or two. They are so different than the apples that are grown in the US, almost more like a pear. We all enjoyed the apples and drinking the fresh coconut milk. Tori even fed apples to some wandering goats as they were passing by.
It was late afternoon when we went back to the hotel to get cleaned up and then to Rock Cliff again for dinner. When we got there, it wasn’t quite as dark yet as when we had been there the night before. We could see a little more of the state of disrepair of the hotel and grounds. Even though we didn’t venture far from our tables, we could see that there were several buildings, an empty pool and a rickety gazebo off toward the ocean. The candles were lit again and we sat down to eat. We talked about the day and shared a devotion after our meal.
Ms. Pat is a good cook. We helped her clean up and thanked her for our meal before heading back for a swim before bed.
Mission team in Jamaica; Day 2
Wednesday:
Since it was taking way too long to order food individually, I had arranged for the hotel to have a breakfast buffet for us for the rest of our stay. Richard took a cab and met us at the hotel. We all ate together, and then left early for the Gertie McKenzie primary school.
We found the tiny little road off the main highway and turned up toward the school. There was no place to park our vans, so we just stopped on the hill with the parking brake securely in place. I hoped that the neither of the vans rolled down the steep hill. We piled out and nervously made our way in to the one room schoolhouse.
I found the principal, Mrs. Spencer, and we introduced ourselves. She asked us if we would do a devotion with the kids and sing some songs. So, we gathered around the outside of the room. More than 50 cute little faces stared back at us.
A couple of the girls on our team prayed, and others came up with camp songs to sing that they thought the kids could try to follow along with. It was hot, the kids were squirmy, and they didn’t know any of our American songs. Our efforts were bombing quickly and we were losing their attention. So, I suggested that maybe we just play with them instead. And so we did.
I took a couple of our kids along with me back to the vans and we gathered up all of the candy, toys, books and games that we had brought along to share with the school. I had packed a wiffle ball and bat in Bruce’s suitcase that I had planned to leave at the school, but at the last second, I opened the van door back up and put it back away. Maybe that’s for someone else, I thought. Some of the kids colored in the classroom, some played games, and some played ball in the yard. Everyone was busy and having fun.
While the girls were playing with the kids, the guys - and Jama - got right to work. They mixed the cement with water from a big black water tank on the side of the building and a broken shovel they found nearby. One of the school teachers asked if we had brought along a tire to put the pole in so that it could be moved around instead of sticking it permanently in the ground. Nope, we hadn’t thought of that. After some searching, an old tire was found in a neighbor’s yard. When we asked if we could have it for the school, he agreed. "Yah, mon. No problem," he said with a smile. So the guys filled the tire with cement, and propped up the pole in the middle with blocks until the wet cement dried in the sun. In the meantime, the school boys played with the tetherball, hanging it from a tree, threading it through the fence, and tossing it around.
We read books, played catch and ran around with the kids until after lunch and we were all exhausted. They were all so cute in their green and white uniforms! Saying good-bye to our new little friends was hard, but it was time to head off for the days’ next adventure. As we drove away, we took one last look at the tetherball pole and prayed it would be fun and bring joy to the kids who would use it.
Our next stop was Spring Garden. It was only a few minutes past the school. We wound around through the countryside, through the hidden cane field, down the lane and to the property where our friends, Shorty and Marvin were expecting us.
When we got out, I realized that I was going to borrow some rakes and other tools from our hotel. I had completely forgotten to grab them and put them in the van. So, we surveyed the situation, found some old tools laying around here and there, rakes with broken handles, borrowed one or two from Lynette next door, and just made due with what we had. The kids had all brought along work gloves and clippers. And Richard had brought a couple of machetes. We got right to the task of cleaning up the trash out of the large building and cutting back the over growth from all around.
As we were walking around the property, a young girl emerged from the house carrying a little boy. Shorty introduced her to me as his girlfriend. Apparently, she and her son, Alex, had been inside taking an afternoon nap. Our youth group girls were immediately taken little Alex, who was probably about 3 years old. Alex picked up an orange from the ground and handed it to Marah. Then he found a long stick and held it up next to his ear. He wanted to play baseball. They tossed the orange back and forth. I didn't have to wait long for the answer to who the wiffle ball and bat were for that I had held back from the school earlier. Alex had no toys or books there at all. We got a few things out of the back of the van - the ball and bat included - and several of the girls started playing baseball with Alex. Perfect.
Meanwhile, Shorty and Marvin were making lunch for us. They prepared a brown stew chicken and rice in the outdoor kitchen over an open fire. We all got a plate and sat around on the ground to eat. It was delicious. After we finished eating, it was getting pretty late in the day and was starting to rain. We were under the trees, hot and tired, and most of us didn’t really care about getting a little wet. But we decided to call it a day and head back to the hotel. The girls said their good-byes to little Alex, and we all piled back in the vans.
By the time we got back to the hotel, it had stopped raining. We all jumped in to the pool to cool off, changed clothes, and went to Rock Cliff where Ms. Pat was to have dinner prepared for us. By the time we got there around 6 pm, it was already dark. Ms. Pat led us about 50 feet down a little overgrown path through the hotel buildings to a section of grass in the middle of the property. I hadn’t anticipated that it would get dark so early. Ms. Pat had set out some tables on the grass and had set them up quite nicely, covering them with tablecloths and had candles burning in the middle. It was kind of peaceful to listen to the sound of the ocean in the distance and sit quietly in the dark after a long day.
As she was finishing up dinner, we started to talk about our experiences of the day. It was a little tough to get the kids to open up. Although we were a group that didn’t know each other very well, we had gotten together several times at our house before coming so that we could get acquainted. I’m not sure if they were just tired, or why they were all acting so shy but no one wanted to talk.
Ms. Pat served us a wonderful dinner and we all ate until we were stuffed. I read a short devotional by candle light, and we walked back down the narrow path to the vans to go back home. It had been a long day and full day.
Since it was taking way too long to order food individually, I had arranged for the hotel to have a breakfast buffet for us for the rest of our stay. Richard took a cab and met us at the hotel. We all ate together, and then left early for the Gertie McKenzie primary school.
We found the tiny little road off the main highway and turned up toward the school. There was no place to park our vans, so we just stopped on the hill with the parking brake securely in place. I hoped that the neither of the vans rolled down the steep hill. We piled out and nervously made our way in to the one room schoolhouse.
I found the principal, Mrs. Spencer, and we introduced ourselves. She asked us if we would do a devotion with the kids and sing some songs. So, we gathered around the outside of the room. More than 50 cute little faces stared back at us.
A couple of the girls on our team prayed, and others came up with camp songs to sing that they thought the kids could try to follow along with. It was hot, the kids were squirmy, and they didn’t know any of our American songs. Our efforts were bombing quickly and we were losing their attention. So, I suggested that maybe we just play with them instead. And so we did.
I took a couple of our kids along with me back to the vans and we gathered up all of the candy, toys, books and games that we had brought along to share with the school. I had packed a wiffle ball and bat in Bruce’s suitcase that I had planned to leave at the school, but at the last second, I opened the van door back up and put it back away. Maybe that’s for someone else, I thought. Some of the kids colored in the classroom, some played games, and some played ball in the yard. Everyone was busy and having fun.
While the girls were playing with the kids, the guys - and Jama - got right to work. They mixed the cement with water from a big black water tank on the side of the building and a broken shovel they found nearby. One of the school teachers asked if we had brought along a tire to put the pole in so that it could be moved around instead of sticking it permanently in the ground. Nope, we hadn’t thought of that. After some searching, an old tire was found in a neighbor’s yard. When we asked if we could have it for the school, he agreed. "Yah, mon. No problem," he said with a smile. So the guys filled the tire with cement, and propped up the pole in the middle with blocks until the wet cement dried in the sun. In the meantime, the school boys played with the tetherball, hanging it from a tree, threading it through the fence, and tossing it around.
We read books, played catch and ran around with the kids until after lunch and we were all exhausted. They were all so cute in their green and white uniforms! Saying good-bye to our new little friends was hard, but it was time to head off for the days’ next adventure. As we drove away, we took one last look at the tetherball pole and prayed it would be fun and bring joy to the kids who would use it.
Our next stop was Spring Garden. It was only a few minutes past the school. We wound around through the countryside, through the hidden cane field, down the lane and to the property where our friends, Shorty and Marvin were expecting us.
When we got out, I realized that I was going to borrow some rakes and other tools from our hotel. I had completely forgotten to grab them and put them in the van. So, we surveyed the situation, found some old tools laying around here and there, rakes with broken handles, borrowed one or two from Lynette next door, and just made due with what we had. The kids had all brought along work gloves and clippers. And Richard had brought a couple of machetes. We got right to the task of cleaning up the trash out of the large building and cutting back the over growth from all around.
As we were walking around the property, a young girl emerged from the house carrying a little boy. Shorty introduced her to me as his girlfriend. Apparently, she and her son, Alex, had been inside taking an afternoon nap. Our youth group girls were immediately taken little Alex, who was probably about 3 years old. Alex picked up an orange from the ground and handed it to Marah. Then he found a long stick and held it up next to his ear. He wanted to play baseball. They tossed the orange back and forth. I didn't have to wait long for the answer to who the wiffle ball and bat were for that I had held back from the school earlier. Alex had no toys or books there at all. We got a few things out of the back of the van - the ball and bat included - and several of the girls started playing baseball with Alex. Perfect.
Meanwhile, Shorty and Marvin were making lunch for us. They prepared a brown stew chicken and rice in the outdoor kitchen over an open fire. We all got a plate and sat around on the ground to eat. It was delicious. After we finished eating, it was getting pretty late in the day and was starting to rain. We were under the trees, hot and tired, and most of us didn’t really care about getting a little wet. But we decided to call it a day and head back to the hotel. The girls said their good-byes to little Alex, and we all piled back in the vans.
By the time we got back to the hotel, it had stopped raining. We all jumped in to the pool to cool off, changed clothes, and went to Rock Cliff where Ms. Pat was to have dinner prepared for us. By the time we got there around 6 pm, it was already dark. Ms. Pat led us about 50 feet down a little overgrown path through the hotel buildings to a section of grass in the middle of the property. I hadn’t anticipated that it would get dark so early. Ms. Pat had set out some tables on the grass and had set them up quite nicely, covering them with tablecloths and had candles burning in the middle. It was kind of peaceful to listen to the sound of the ocean in the distance and sit quietly in the dark after a long day.
As she was finishing up dinner, we started to talk about our experiences of the day. It was a little tough to get the kids to open up. Although we were a group that didn’t know each other very well, we had gotten together several times at our house before coming so that we could get acquainted. I’m not sure if they were just tired, or why they were all acting so shy but no one wanted to talk.
Ms. Pat served us a wonderful dinner and we all ate until we were stuffed. I read a short devotional by candle light, and we walked back down the narrow path to the vans to go back home. It had been a long day and full day.
Picking up a mission team
Tuesday:
We all have breakfast together in the restaurant and we join the kids in the pool for a little while. Then Bruce and I leave instructions with them to stay put on the property, not to get too much sun, order lunch from the restaurant when they are hungry, and to call us from the front desk if they need anything. We have to go back to Montego Bay to the airport to pick up the team. It’s more than a little nerve racking to leave all six of our kids alone at a hotel all day when we are going to be an hour and a half away. But, four of the six are over 18, they are all responsible, and we trust them to make good decisions and watch out for each other.
We have rented a second van so that there is enough room for all 16 of us to get around this week. We stop on the way to Montego Bay to pick up Richard because he is going to be the driver of the second van this week. I’m the planner and the navigator. I’m not interested in driving on the wrong side of the road, dodging dogs and donkeys and bicycles. Bruce and Richard can drive. I’ll just give instructions and directions. That’s what I do best.
We talk with Richard all the way to Montego Bay. He tells us his story of growing up in MoBay, going through school, meeting Nicola at church, getting a scholarship to attend seminary in Tennessee, and then Nicola getting a scholarship and following him there. Both of them were ordained in the United States. They are an awesome couple and we feel so blessed that God has connected us with them.
As Richard tells us about life in Montego Bay and the secondary schools that he attended, he tells us about a dancing and singing group that was there and some of the guys that he met during that time in his life. As we talk, we realize that he is talking about Troy, our friend from Whitehouse! Richard and Troy knew each other. Is this a small island or what? Only 2.7 million people. I’m pretty sure that we must have connections with most of them by now!
We arrive at the airport in plenty of time, get our van rented and prepare to wait for our friends outside the door. All of the sudden Bruce pokes me in the side and takes off. Where is he going? And then I see. Oh my gosh, it’s Troy! He is waiting to pick up some friends to come from the United States and take them back to Whitehouse! We exchange stories, Richard and Troy talk a little and get reacquainted, and a few minutes later, our team walks through the doors with Troy’s friends right behind. Yes, they were even on the same plane. Coincidence? Naw...
We greet our youth group, but don’t see Jama or Tori. Apparently Tori’s tickets had the correct flight information on them, but had been issued for the wrong day. Jama scrambled to figure out how to get her on a plane and rerouted, but she would not arrive for another 45 minutes. Jama was sitting inside waiting for Tori before going through customs. Tori had not traveled much in the past, had never flown before, and certainly never been outside of the country. Jama didn’t want her to have to go through customs alone. Oh no. What a disaster. We haven’t even started the trip and I’ve already lost one of the kids. I’m responsible for all these people. Did I make a mistake thinking that I could bring a group to Jamaica?
An hour later, Jama and Tori emerged from the terminal. Poor Jama just looked frazzled and exhausted. Tori, however, was all smiles. She had her first adventure, made friends on the plane, talked to someone else standing in line, and probably felt like she conquered the world!
We loaded everyone up in the vans, took them to Scotchies for their first jerk chicken, and then made a stop at the Ace True Value hardware store in Montego Bay. One of the projects that we wanted to do this week was to build some playground equipment at a local primary school. We didn’t have the time to plan or to raise the money to do a big project, so Jama suggested that we put up a tetherball pole. We could deflate a tether ball and take it in one of our suitcases, then buy the rest of the supplies there. Simple enough. So, we stopped to get the poles and the cement for the project. While Richard and Bruce were getting what we needed, I walked around the store with the kids.
Bruce motioned me over to pay, since I’m the one with the money. Apparently steel poles only come in 20 foot sections but they were willing to cut it for us. So, now we had two pieces. He said, “I just have this feeling that we should buy a second bag of cement. I’m not sure why, but maybe we will find someone else who will want another tetherball pole.” Really? But we only had one ball along and I wasn’t sure where we could pick up another one. He felt pretty strongly about it though, so since a second bag of cement was only a few dollars, I gave in.
We loaded up our supplies in the van, everyone got comfortable, and we started the hour long drive back to the hotel in Negril. Most of our passengers feel asleep instantly.
When we got back to the hotel, we found our kids in the pool and pink with sunburn. What happened to stay out of the sun? Nick and Phil had taken a long walk down the street to find something to eat. They found a great place, they said, and brought back food for the others that all the kids raved about. They made friends with a Jamaican on the street and Nick bought his CD. What happened to stay on the property and order from the restaurant? Well, they had their own adventure that day. Together. Besides a little sunburn, they were all fine.
By now all our newcomers were well rested from their nap on the road. We showed the group to their rooms where they all changed into swim suits. We had some snacks on the pool deck, let everyone swim for a little while, talked about our upcoming week, and then had a devotion in the pool in the dark. We were all tired, but safe, together and happy.
We all have breakfast together in the restaurant and we join the kids in the pool for a little while. Then Bruce and I leave instructions with them to stay put on the property, not to get too much sun, order lunch from the restaurant when they are hungry, and to call us from the front desk if they need anything. We have to go back to Montego Bay to the airport to pick up the team. It’s more than a little nerve racking to leave all six of our kids alone at a hotel all day when we are going to be an hour and a half away. But, four of the six are over 18, they are all responsible, and we trust them to make good decisions and watch out for each other.
We have rented a second van so that there is enough room for all 16 of us to get around this week. We stop on the way to Montego Bay to pick up Richard because he is going to be the driver of the second van this week. I’m the planner and the navigator. I’m not interested in driving on the wrong side of the road, dodging dogs and donkeys and bicycles. Bruce and Richard can drive. I’ll just give instructions and directions. That’s what I do best.
We talk with Richard all the way to Montego Bay. He tells us his story of growing up in MoBay, going through school, meeting Nicola at church, getting a scholarship to attend seminary in Tennessee, and then Nicola getting a scholarship and following him there. Both of them were ordained in the United States. They are an awesome couple and we feel so blessed that God has connected us with them.
As Richard tells us about life in Montego Bay and the secondary schools that he attended, he tells us about a dancing and singing group that was there and some of the guys that he met during that time in his life. As we talk, we realize that he is talking about Troy, our friend from Whitehouse! Richard and Troy knew each other. Is this a small island or what? Only 2.7 million people. I’m pretty sure that we must have connections with most of them by now!
We arrive at the airport in plenty of time, get our van rented and prepare to wait for our friends outside the door. All of the sudden Bruce pokes me in the side and takes off. Where is he going? And then I see. Oh my gosh, it’s Troy! He is waiting to pick up some friends to come from the United States and take them back to Whitehouse! We exchange stories, Richard and Troy talk a little and get reacquainted, and a few minutes later, our team walks through the doors with Troy’s friends right behind. Yes, they were even on the same plane. Coincidence? Naw...
We greet our youth group, but don’t see Jama or Tori. Apparently Tori’s tickets had the correct flight information on them, but had been issued for the wrong day. Jama scrambled to figure out how to get her on a plane and rerouted, but she would not arrive for another 45 minutes. Jama was sitting inside waiting for Tori before going through customs. Tori had not traveled much in the past, had never flown before, and certainly never been outside of the country. Jama didn’t want her to have to go through customs alone. Oh no. What a disaster. We haven’t even started the trip and I’ve already lost one of the kids. I’m responsible for all these people. Did I make a mistake thinking that I could bring a group to Jamaica?
An hour later, Jama and Tori emerged from the terminal. Poor Jama just looked frazzled and exhausted. Tori, however, was all smiles. She had her first adventure, made friends on the plane, talked to someone else standing in line, and probably felt like she conquered the world!
We loaded everyone up in the vans, took them to Scotchies for their first jerk chicken, and then made a stop at the Ace True Value hardware store in Montego Bay. One of the projects that we wanted to do this week was to build some playground equipment at a local primary school. We didn’t have the time to plan or to raise the money to do a big project, so Jama suggested that we put up a tetherball pole. We could deflate a tether ball and take it in one of our suitcases, then buy the rest of the supplies there. Simple enough. So, we stopped to get the poles and the cement for the project. While Richard and Bruce were getting what we needed, I walked around the store with the kids.
Bruce motioned me over to pay, since I’m the one with the money. Apparently steel poles only come in 20 foot sections but they were willing to cut it for us. So, now we had two pieces. He said, “I just have this feeling that we should buy a second bag of cement. I’m not sure why, but maybe we will find someone else who will want another tetherball pole.” Really? But we only had one ball along and I wasn’t sure where we could pick up another one. He felt pretty strongly about it though, so since a second bag of cement was only a few dollars, I gave in.
We loaded up our supplies in the van, everyone got comfortable, and we started the hour long drive back to the hotel in Negril. Most of our passengers feel asleep instantly.
When we got back to the hotel, we found our kids in the pool and pink with sunburn. What happened to stay out of the sun? Nick and Phil had taken a long walk down the street to find something to eat. They found a great place, they said, and brought back food for the others that all the kids raved about. They made friends with a Jamaican on the street and Nick bought his CD. What happened to stay on the property and order from the restaurant? Well, they had their own adventure that day. Together. Besides a little sunburn, they were all fine.
By now all our newcomers were well rested from their nap on the road. We showed the group to their rooms where they all changed into swim suits. We had some snacks on the pool deck, let everyone swim for a little while, talked about our upcoming week, and then had a devotion in the pool in the dark. We were all tired, but safe, together and happy.
Taking our family to Jamaica; Day 4
Monday:
We had breakfast together as a family and planned to give the kids a free day, then go snorkeling later in the afternoon. We asked our waitress, who called a friend to bring his boat right to our hotel and pick us up and take us on a tour out to the reef. The kids got in the pool and laid in the sun while we went down the street to Rock Cliff to pick up Ms. Pat and go shopping to buy groceries for the team for the upcoming week. We went to several stores and got lots of food. It seemed like it took a really long time. But Bruce and I had a good time and made friends everywhere we went. We really felt this time like we “belonged” here. And we were treated differently by the locals, too. In fact, someone at the grocery store even asked us if we lived nearby.
Rock Cliff is almost right next door to Negril Escape. We dropped Ms. Pat off and helped her unload the groceries that we had purchased together. As we said our good-byes, she said something really interesting. She kind of shrugged and said, “Why don’t you guys take over this place?” Huh? Bruce and I just looked at each other, puzzled. “You could fix it up and use it,” she said. Well, that’s an interesting thought. I wonder where that came from?
When we finally got back to the hotel late in the afternoon, we got our swimsuits on, and got ready to go out on the ocean. A big yellow snorkeling boat, the Sunbaby, pulled in to the little bay by the hotel. Roger and Kirk helped us all jump onto the boat from the cliff to take us out to the reef. As we slowly started out on the ocean, Bruce and I saw the Rock Cliff hotel from the ocean. Then we saw that it was right next door to Sunset on the Cliffs where we stayed on our first trip to Negril. Was that the hotel that we had peeked over the wall at and wondered about almost two years ago?
We could see the clouds coming and it was a little over cast but the afternoon storm hadn’t hit us yet. Roger and Kirk helped the kids get used to their fins and snorkels, and off we went. We saw all kinds of fish, and the kids even held sea urchins, star fish, sea cucumbers, and other creatures. We swam around and around. We weren’t in any rush at all to get back. When everyone was ready to get out of the water, and just as we all got in to the boat, the rain started and the wind picked up.
It was cold as we drove back and the waves were really rough. The rain was pouring down and the wind was blowing. We were all freezing as we pulled up to the cliffs at our hotel. The waves were really pounding now, especially here in the little cove near the hotel. The boat was bobbing up and down.
The older kids jumped off first and were on standby and ready to help the younger ones. Andrew and Jackie were on either side of the ladder ready to catch Katie. One of them grabbed her hand and she jumped off just as a wave ebbed and threw her up toward the ladder.
Little Andrew was next. Nick and Phil were standing by to catch him. As he went to make his move the boat dipped. But it already was too late. His foot had come off of the boat and his momentum had already pushed him forward. He was going to miss the ladder completely and head right into the rock. There was a collective gasp as we were all sure at that moment that he wasn’t going to make it and would crash into the side of the sharp cliffs. In my mind’s eye I could just see him coming short of the ladder and falling into the ocean, smashed between the boat and the cliff. But somehow, by a miracle, as the boat dipped, he rose up and just barely got his foot onto one of the rungs, and pulled himself on to the ladder without a scratch. We collectively let out our breath. Whew.
Bruce waited for his moment and jumped off safely. I tossed him the bag and the rest of our stuff from the boat. Then it was my turn. Frankly, it was a little scary, jumping off the boat in the storm onto the sharp rocks. But all of the rest of my family was already safely on solid ground, so I had no choice! I jumped forward and Bruce grabbed my arm. We all made it off the boat safely in the pouring rain.
We turned and all waved good-bye to Sunbaby. We shouted our thanks to Roger and Kirk over the roar of the wind and the waves. And then standing in the rain, we all turned to look at each other in silence. Almost instinctively everyone took off in a mad dash for the pool. We jumped in one by one, every one of us laughing a laughter filled with relief and pure joy. The rain and the wind were cold but the pool was warm. It was invigorating. We played in the pool for another half hour before going in to get cleaned up for dinner.
It really was an amazing snorkeling trip. And we all knew that we had witnessed the hand of God yank Andrew from the boat to the safety of the cliff. We had shared a moment of silent unity on the deck. And a giggle fest of nonsense and bonding in the pool. Looking back, it was probably the highlight of family bonding of the whole trip.
We had breakfast together as a family and planned to give the kids a free day, then go snorkeling later in the afternoon. We asked our waitress, who called a friend to bring his boat right to our hotel and pick us up and take us on a tour out to the reef. The kids got in the pool and laid in the sun while we went down the street to Rock Cliff to pick up Ms. Pat and go shopping to buy groceries for the team for the upcoming week. We went to several stores and got lots of food. It seemed like it took a really long time. But Bruce and I had a good time and made friends everywhere we went. We really felt this time like we “belonged” here. And we were treated differently by the locals, too. In fact, someone at the grocery store even asked us if we lived nearby.
Rock Cliff is almost right next door to Negril Escape. We dropped Ms. Pat off and helped her unload the groceries that we had purchased together. As we said our good-byes, she said something really interesting. She kind of shrugged and said, “Why don’t you guys take over this place?” Huh? Bruce and I just looked at each other, puzzled. “You could fix it up and use it,” she said. Well, that’s an interesting thought. I wonder where that came from?
When we finally got back to the hotel late in the afternoon, we got our swimsuits on, and got ready to go out on the ocean. A big yellow snorkeling boat, the Sunbaby, pulled in to the little bay by the hotel. Roger and Kirk helped us all jump onto the boat from the cliff to take us out to the reef. As we slowly started out on the ocean, Bruce and I saw the Rock Cliff hotel from the ocean. Then we saw that it was right next door to Sunset on the Cliffs where we stayed on our first trip to Negril. Was that the hotel that we had peeked over the wall at and wondered about almost two years ago?
We could see the clouds coming and it was a little over cast but the afternoon storm hadn’t hit us yet. Roger and Kirk helped the kids get used to their fins and snorkels, and off we went. We saw all kinds of fish, and the kids even held sea urchins, star fish, sea cucumbers, and other creatures. We swam around and around. We weren’t in any rush at all to get back. When everyone was ready to get out of the water, and just as we all got in to the boat, the rain started and the wind picked up.
It was cold as we drove back and the waves were really rough. The rain was pouring down and the wind was blowing. We were all freezing as we pulled up to the cliffs at our hotel. The waves were really pounding now, especially here in the little cove near the hotel. The boat was bobbing up and down.
The older kids jumped off first and were on standby and ready to help the younger ones. Andrew and Jackie were on either side of the ladder ready to catch Katie. One of them grabbed her hand and she jumped off just as a wave ebbed and threw her up toward the ladder.
Little Andrew was next. Nick and Phil were standing by to catch him. As he went to make his move the boat dipped. But it already was too late. His foot had come off of the boat and his momentum had already pushed him forward. He was going to miss the ladder completely and head right into the rock. There was a collective gasp as we were all sure at that moment that he wasn’t going to make it and would crash into the side of the sharp cliffs. In my mind’s eye I could just see him coming short of the ladder and falling into the ocean, smashed between the boat and the cliff. But somehow, by a miracle, as the boat dipped, he rose up and just barely got his foot onto one of the rungs, and pulled himself on to the ladder without a scratch. We collectively let out our breath. Whew.
Bruce waited for his moment and jumped off safely. I tossed him the bag and the rest of our stuff from the boat. Then it was my turn. Frankly, it was a little scary, jumping off the boat in the storm onto the sharp rocks. But all of the rest of my family was already safely on solid ground, so I had no choice! I jumped forward and Bruce grabbed my arm. We all made it off the boat safely in the pouring rain.
We turned and all waved good-bye to Sunbaby. We shouted our thanks to Roger and Kirk over the roar of the wind and the waves. And then standing in the rain, we all turned to look at each other in silence. Almost instinctively everyone took off in a mad dash for the pool. We jumped in one by one, every one of us laughing a laughter filled with relief and pure joy. The rain and the wind were cold but the pool was warm. It was invigorating. We played in the pool for another half hour before going in to get cleaned up for dinner.
It really was an amazing snorkeling trip. And we all knew that we had witnessed the hand of God yank Andrew from the boat to the safety of the cliff. We had shared a moment of silent unity on the deck. And a giggle fest of nonsense and bonding in the pool. Looking back, it was probably the highlight of family bonding of the whole trip.
Taking our family to Jamaica; Day 3
Sunday:
We got up and had breakfast at the hotel overlooking the water and with the sound of the ocean in the background. Around 9:30 am we took off for the community center to attend Word to Life International church services. On the way, we drove past Jenny’s Restaurant and I remarked that we wanted to eat there sometime this trip. We had seen it in the past but never had the opportunity to stop.
When we got to church Bruce and I jumped out of the van and ran inside. We were so excited to see our friends Pastors Richard and Nicola! They were just starting to set up so we all jumped in and helped them set up chairs, plug in the sound system, and hook up the projector. For a minute, Bruce and I just stood in the back of the room. We watched all of our kids working away, doing whatever needed to be done. We shared a proud parental moment. We are truly blessed.
Richard and Nicola’s 8 year old daughter, Micah, normally does the video and sound, but she wasn’t there yet, so since Philip was playing around with the sound system anyway, he just ended up staying in that seat for the service. Micah walked in sometime after the service had started. And you should have seen the look on her face when she saw that he had taken over her job! It was so funny!
We got to see all of our friends: Iona, Maxine, Althea, Ms. Pat, and so many others. We were so honored to be there. After church was over, Nicola, Ms. Pat and the other ladies prepared a wonderful lunch for us. They cooked it all on a hot plate! Amazing, really. We are so thankful and humbled at their gesture. And thrilled because we were all starving! We graciously ate with them and all helped to clean up. During this time, Nicola introduced us to Ms. Connie. When Ms. Connie heard that we were coming, she offered to treat us and our team to dinner one night at her restaurant. Guess which restaurant is hers? Jenny’s! We couldn’t believe it!
They have to lock everything up each week because the community center is used for lots of activities during the week, so it takes a little while to get every unhooked, rolled up, put up, packed up, and put away. After we get the place cleaned up, we took our family back to the hotel so that we can all change clothes. Then we all got back in to the van and went back to the church to pick up Richard, Nicola and Micah.
They took us down the street to a rundown hotel called the Rock Cliff to pick up Ms. Pat who we had met at the church that morning, and Mr. Allen, the owner of the place. Nicola has connected us with Ms. Pat, who is going to cook some of our evening meals this week. Ms. Pat lives at the hotel and helps take care of the owner, Mr. Allen, who also owns a piece of property that he has for sale in nearby Little London that they wanted to show us. They thought it might be a suitable place for the ministry.
But first, we take them all out to Spring Garden so that they can see what we already feel like could be the place that Journey Home Jamaica will eventually land, and where we will be working this week. Plus it’s kind of on the way. When we get there, our friends Shorty and Marvin are there to meet us. We made a few quick introductions and looked around for a just a minute. The mosquitos were biting fiercely. When we got back to the van, found that we had a flat tire! Philip - our resident one man pit crew - changed it like a champ and we were back on the road in no time, uh, flat.
Richard directed us back to Negril to drop off the tire so that it could be repaired. The tire shop was reminiscent of the tire repair place in Whitehouse that we visited a few months ago. We would have never found it if we didn’t have a guide.
When we were back on the road, we headed in the direction of Little London to see Mr. Allen’s property. All the way down the bumpy road, we followed the same car. Just as we turned a corner, the car stopped right in the middle of the road. We were a little bit concerned until our friend, Leroy, who we had met a year ago got out and started walking toward us! He had recognized us in the rearview mirror. Bruce and I jumped out of the van and ran up to give him a hug! The other eleven people in the van had no idea what was happening. When we explained to them, they were amazed that we know so many people in Jamaica! Leroy told us that the Coconuts property we had looked at before had just sold and that the new owners would be taking over in a few weeks. We were a little sad, but know that God must have another plan for us. A better plan.
We drove a little further down the road and stopped at Mr. Allen’s property. It was something like 15 acres. He used to have a whole herd of steer there. He said it used to be all cleared off, but now it was just an overgrown mess. We couldn’t walk on the actual property itself because it was all just brambles, so we asked the neighbors if we could walk along the side on their land. They agreed (and from the smell of the all of the marijuana, I think they probably would have agreed to just about anything). About halfway down the side of the yard we had to walk through a gate. On the other side of the gate were two donkeys wandering around. We waited and someone finally grabbed the ropes around their necks and tied the up so that they wouldn’t bother us. Of course, there were dogs, chickens and roosters wandering around in the yard, too. The kids got a taste of the “real” Jamaica here, for sure!
Although we knew immediately that we probably didn’t want this property, we wanted to be respectful to Mr. Allen, so we spent about 15 or 20 minutes walking around and letting him tell us about it. Finally we all piled back in to the van, and started back toward Negril. Our first stop was to pick up our tire. We were very glad to have Richard along with us, as he negotiated the price and made sure that it was fixed correctly. (By the sound of the conversation that I heard through the window, I’m sure that we most certainly would have gotten “the white man’s price”.)
Then we took Ms. Pat and Mr. Allen back to their home/hotel at Rock Cliff to drop them off. Then we dropped off our kids at Negril Escape down the road, where the kids all jumped right into the pool. It just so happens that Nicola and Janet, the owner/wife of Negril Escape, are related so Richard and Nicola stopped for a drink and we chatted a bit. Then Bruce and I got back in the van to take Richard, Nicola and Micah to their home south of town.
They live with Nicola’s mother at Green River, but are building a house next door on the same property. We met Nicola’s mother and gave them a couple of gifts that we had brought along for them. We walked around their house and saw the construction. It’s really going to be nice. Micah was so cute running around and telling us every detail about the rooms and how they will look when they are finished. They were so proud to show us around, and since we both really love that kind of thing, we had a lot of fun looking. We really wished that we had the time to come back and help them work towards their finished product.
Although they go out to do street evangelism on Sunday nights, we were tired and wanted to spend some quality time with our kids, so we bowed out for the night and went back to the hotel to play cards with our kids before bed.
We finally managed to get the kids out of the pool, ordered some dinner at the restaurant, and got out the cards. All of the sudden, Little Andrew was up on his chair. There was a crab that had come up from the ocean and was coming right toward him. He jumped down. And the crab followed him. He ran to the left. The crab chased after. He swerved to the right. The crab followed. All of us laughed and laughed as we watched Andrew try to dodge the crab. Andrew, however, wasn’t quite as amused. Finally, I put him out of his misery and chased the crab off the deck so that we could finish our cards in peace. Ha!
We got up and had breakfast at the hotel overlooking the water and with the sound of the ocean in the background. Around 9:30 am we took off for the community center to attend Word to Life International church services. On the way, we drove past Jenny’s Restaurant and I remarked that we wanted to eat there sometime this trip. We had seen it in the past but never had the opportunity to stop.
When we got to church Bruce and I jumped out of the van and ran inside. We were so excited to see our friends Pastors Richard and Nicola! They were just starting to set up so we all jumped in and helped them set up chairs, plug in the sound system, and hook up the projector. For a minute, Bruce and I just stood in the back of the room. We watched all of our kids working away, doing whatever needed to be done. We shared a proud parental moment. We are truly blessed.
Richard and Nicola’s 8 year old daughter, Micah, normally does the video and sound, but she wasn’t there yet, so since Philip was playing around with the sound system anyway, he just ended up staying in that seat for the service. Micah walked in sometime after the service had started. And you should have seen the look on her face when she saw that he had taken over her job! It was so funny!
We got to see all of our friends: Iona, Maxine, Althea, Ms. Pat, and so many others. We were so honored to be there. After church was over, Nicola, Ms. Pat and the other ladies prepared a wonderful lunch for us. They cooked it all on a hot plate! Amazing, really. We are so thankful and humbled at their gesture. And thrilled because we were all starving! We graciously ate with them and all helped to clean up. During this time, Nicola introduced us to Ms. Connie. When Ms. Connie heard that we were coming, she offered to treat us and our team to dinner one night at her restaurant. Guess which restaurant is hers? Jenny’s! We couldn’t believe it!
They have to lock everything up each week because the community center is used for lots of activities during the week, so it takes a little while to get every unhooked, rolled up, put up, packed up, and put away. After we get the place cleaned up, we took our family back to the hotel so that we can all change clothes. Then we all got back in to the van and went back to the church to pick up Richard, Nicola and Micah.
They took us down the street to a rundown hotel called the Rock Cliff to pick up Ms. Pat who we had met at the church that morning, and Mr. Allen, the owner of the place. Nicola has connected us with Ms. Pat, who is going to cook some of our evening meals this week. Ms. Pat lives at the hotel and helps take care of the owner, Mr. Allen, who also owns a piece of property that he has for sale in nearby Little London that they wanted to show us. They thought it might be a suitable place for the ministry.
But first, we take them all out to Spring Garden so that they can see what we already feel like could be the place that Journey Home Jamaica will eventually land, and where we will be working this week. Plus it’s kind of on the way. When we get there, our friends Shorty and Marvin are there to meet us. We made a few quick introductions and looked around for a just a minute. The mosquitos were biting fiercely. When we got back to the van, found that we had a flat tire! Philip - our resident one man pit crew - changed it like a champ and we were back on the road in no time, uh, flat.
Richard directed us back to Negril to drop off the tire so that it could be repaired. The tire shop was reminiscent of the tire repair place in Whitehouse that we visited a few months ago. We would have never found it if we didn’t have a guide.
When we were back on the road, we headed in the direction of Little London to see Mr. Allen’s property. All the way down the bumpy road, we followed the same car. Just as we turned a corner, the car stopped right in the middle of the road. We were a little bit concerned until our friend, Leroy, who we had met a year ago got out and started walking toward us! He had recognized us in the rearview mirror. Bruce and I jumped out of the van and ran up to give him a hug! The other eleven people in the van had no idea what was happening. When we explained to them, they were amazed that we know so many people in Jamaica! Leroy told us that the Coconuts property we had looked at before had just sold and that the new owners would be taking over in a few weeks. We were a little sad, but know that God must have another plan for us. A better plan.
We drove a little further down the road and stopped at Mr. Allen’s property. It was something like 15 acres. He used to have a whole herd of steer there. He said it used to be all cleared off, but now it was just an overgrown mess. We couldn’t walk on the actual property itself because it was all just brambles, so we asked the neighbors if we could walk along the side on their land. They agreed (and from the smell of the all of the marijuana, I think they probably would have agreed to just about anything). About halfway down the side of the yard we had to walk through a gate. On the other side of the gate were two donkeys wandering around. We waited and someone finally grabbed the ropes around their necks and tied the up so that they wouldn’t bother us. Of course, there were dogs, chickens and roosters wandering around in the yard, too. The kids got a taste of the “real” Jamaica here, for sure!
Although we knew immediately that we probably didn’t want this property, we wanted to be respectful to Mr. Allen, so we spent about 15 or 20 minutes walking around and letting him tell us about it. Finally we all piled back in to the van, and started back toward Negril. Our first stop was to pick up our tire. We were very glad to have Richard along with us, as he negotiated the price and made sure that it was fixed correctly. (By the sound of the conversation that I heard through the window, I’m sure that we most certainly would have gotten “the white man’s price”.)
Then we took Ms. Pat and Mr. Allen back to their home/hotel at Rock Cliff to drop them off. Then we dropped off our kids at Negril Escape down the road, where the kids all jumped right into the pool. It just so happens that Nicola and Janet, the owner/wife of Negril Escape, are related so Richard and Nicola stopped for a drink and we chatted a bit. Then Bruce and I got back in the van to take Richard, Nicola and Micah to their home south of town.
They live with Nicola’s mother at Green River, but are building a house next door on the same property. We met Nicola’s mother and gave them a couple of gifts that we had brought along for them. We walked around their house and saw the construction. It’s really going to be nice. Micah was so cute running around and telling us every detail about the rooms and how they will look when they are finished. They were so proud to show us around, and since we both really love that kind of thing, we had a lot of fun looking. We really wished that we had the time to come back and help them work towards their finished product.
Although they go out to do street evangelism on Sunday nights, we were tired and wanted to spend some quality time with our kids, so we bowed out for the night and went back to the hotel to play cards with our kids before bed.
We finally managed to get the kids out of the pool, ordered some dinner at the restaurant, and got out the cards. All of the sudden, Little Andrew was up on his chair. There was a crab that had come up from the ocean and was coming right toward him. He jumped down. And the crab followed him. He ran to the left. The crab chased after. He swerved to the right. The crab followed. All of us laughed and laughed as we watched Andrew try to dodge the crab. Andrew, however, wasn’t quite as amused. Finally, I put him out of his misery and chased the crab off the deck so that we could finish our cards in peace. Ha!
Taking our family to Jamaica; Day 2
Saturday:
We have to drag everyone out of bed this morning. They take turns coming to our room to get their breakfast and juice from our fridge. We head off for Ocho Rios to climb the Dunn’s River Falls and play in the ocean. No one seemed real interested at first, which kind of hurt my feelings because I had been wanting to bring them here since our first trip. But I think they had a good time by the time we got to the end. We had a really good guide leading us up the falls who made it fun. Andrew and Katie ran up and down the falls a couple times after our first trek and we found Nick and Andrew in the ocean right on the verge of where the warm ocean hits the cold river. We walked through the market and shops inside the park and to the restaurant where we all found something to eat and got a video of the trip up as a family. Fun.
We got dressed and left Dunn’s River and headed towards Negril and to our hotel. About halfway between Ocho Rios and Montego Bay, as we passed a semi on the highway, there was a police officer standing on the side of the road. It looked like he was flagging us down. So, we pulled over and stopped. He didn’t move, but we could see him waving at us in the rearview mirror. We weren’t sure if he was telling us to come back or move on. So, we just sat there for a couple minutes until Nick finally said something like, “if we leave, we’re all going to end up in Jamaican jail!” So, we backed up and the officer told us that the speed had limit changed, but Bruce couldn’t see the sign because the semi was blocking our view. He saw all of our suitcases piled up the ceiling and, even though we told him several times that we were headed to our hotel in Negril, he seemed to assume that we were really heading to the airport in Montego Bay and leaving the country. I guess he didn’t want to mess with us. So, he just let us go.
We found our hotel, the Negril Escape, and got checked in. We decided who would sleep where, and everyone made a bee-line for the swimming pool where we stayed until very late, getting out just long enough to eat dinner at the restaurant at the hotel just steps from the pool deck.
We have to drag everyone out of bed this morning. They take turns coming to our room to get their breakfast and juice from our fridge. We head off for Ocho Rios to climb the Dunn’s River Falls and play in the ocean. No one seemed real interested at first, which kind of hurt my feelings because I had been wanting to bring them here since our first trip. But I think they had a good time by the time we got to the end. We had a really good guide leading us up the falls who made it fun. Andrew and Katie ran up and down the falls a couple times after our first trek and we found Nick and Andrew in the ocean right on the verge of where the warm ocean hits the cold river. We walked through the market and shops inside the park and to the restaurant where we all found something to eat and got a video of the trip up as a family. Fun.
We got dressed and left Dunn’s River and headed towards Negril and to our hotel. About halfway between Ocho Rios and Montego Bay, as we passed a semi on the highway, there was a police officer standing on the side of the road. It looked like he was flagging us down. So, we pulled over and stopped. He didn’t move, but we could see him waving at us in the rearview mirror. We weren’t sure if he was telling us to come back or move on. So, we just sat there for a couple minutes until Nick finally said something like, “if we leave, we’re all going to end up in Jamaican jail!” So, we backed up and the officer told us that the speed had limit changed, but Bruce couldn’t see the sign because the semi was blocking our view. He saw all of our suitcases piled up the ceiling and, even though we told him several times that we were headed to our hotel in Negril, he seemed to assume that we were really heading to the airport in Montego Bay and leaving the country. I guess he didn’t want to mess with us. So, he just let us go.
We found our hotel, the Negril Escape, and got checked in. We decided who would sleep where, and everyone made a bee-line for the swimming pool where we stayed until very late, getting out just long enough to eat dinner at the restaurant at the hotel just steps from the pool deck.
Taking our family to Jamaica
Friday, June 13, 2014. Our 4th wedding anniversary. It's funny that we are leaving this morning and taking our kids as our first trip together to Jamaica was a second honeymoon. We have to leave really early this morning. At 4 am, we get in the van to head to the airport. Our kids have gotten us an anniversary card that they all signed and put it on the seat of the van so that we see it when we get in. I cry. We have really great kids.
When we arrive in Indianapolis, we feel like we are the only ones in the airport. It’s a very long trip through Houston. We will remember not to go that way again. We get to Montego Bay, get through security, and walk through the doors into Jamaica. The heat and the smells are so familiar. A man looks me right in the eye and says, “Welcome home, ma’am.” I feel this deep in my soul. Thank you. I'm so happy to be here.
We pick up our van. We rented an 8 passenger, but it turns out that it really is a 12 passenger van but some of the seats fold up. They rent them that way so that there is room for luggage. Good thing because we have a lot of luggage! Everyone has one large suitcase one carry on and one personal bag, plus we have two extra large suitcases along for a total of 26 suitcases plus our purses, laptop bags, etc. Oh brother. We somehow managed to fit it all in the car. Just barely.
Our first stop is to Pork Pit to eat. It’s one of our favorite places and we really want the trip to start out right. Everybody gets their fill and we head a few blocks back down the street to the Caribic Hotel. It’s a cute, quaint little hole in the wall. If I wouldn’t have called to book the hotel and gotten landmarks, we most certainly would have missed the front door. There is no parking lot. Just exactly one made-up spot in front of the door. Our big van just barely fits. Perfect.
We find our rooms and lug our suitcases up the slanty stairs and through the narrow hallway; mom and dad in one room; three in three single beds in one room; three in single beds in another. The kids notice something interesting...there is a step down into their room and another step down into their bathroom. The window in the bathroom does not have a curtain and looks out to the hallway, which is two steps higher. It has a screen but no glass and ends up being eye-level to the hallway And so this becomes a temporary joke among the sibs, peeking in to the bathroom window. Eventually, towels go up.
We put swimsuits on and walk across the street, through a local bar, and down the stairs to the beach. In order to use this beach we probably are supposed to buy something, but the place is quiet on a late Sunday afternoon and no body says anything to us. We play in the ocean, build sandcastles, swim and play games for at least an hour an a half. Not another soul around. We have our own private beach.
We head back to the hotel to shower and then plan to find some dinner. But everyone is exhausted from the long day, the sun and the water, and zonks out. We gather later and head off to shop, but most of the shops are closed by this point. We find a grocery store to get something for breakfast for the next day. The kids have a good time picking out juice and muffins. Just as I am start to pay, my purse breaks. Really? I can’t go through a 10 day trip with no purse! So, we walk the kids back to the hotel and Bruce and I head off to buy a new purse. Everyone is sleeping when we get back. It’s been a long but good first day.
When we arrive in Indianapolis, we feel like we are the only ones in the airport. It’s a very long trip through Houston. We will remember not to go that way again. We get to Montego Bay, get through security, and walk through the doors into Jamaica. The heat and the smells are so familiar. A man looks me right in the eye and says, “Welcome home, ma’am.” I feel this deep in my soul. Thank you. I'm so happy to be here.
We pick up our van. We rented an 8 passenger, but it turns out that it really is a 12 passenger van but some of the seats fold up. They rent them that way so that there is room for luggage. Good thing because we have a lot of luggage! Everyone has one large suitcase one carry on and one personal bag, plus we have two extra large suitcases along for a total of 26 suitcases plus our purses, laptop bags, etc. Oh brother. We somehow managed to fit it all in the car. Just barely.
Our first stop is to Pork Pit to eat. It’s one of our favorite places and we really want the trip to start out right. Everybody gets their fill and we head a few blocks back down the street to the Caribic Hotel. It’s a cute, quaint little hole in the wall. If I wouldn’t have called to book the hotel and gotten landmarks, we most certainly would have missed the front door. There is no parking lot. Just exactly one made-up spot in front of the door. Our big van just barely fits. Perfect.
We find our rooms and lug our suitcases up the slanty stairs and through the narrow hallway; mom and dad in one room; three in three single beds in one room; three in single beds in another. The kids notice something interesting...there is a step down into their room and another step down into their bathroom. The window in the bathroom does not have a curtain and looks out to the hallway, which is two steps higher. It has a screen but no glass and ends up being eye-level to the hallway And so this becomes a temporary joke among the sibs, peeking in to the bathroom window. Eventually, towels go up.
We put swimsuits on and walk across the street, through a local bar, and down the stairs to the beach. In order to use this beach we probably are supposed to buy something, but the place is quiet on a late Sunday afternoon and no body says anything to us. We play in the ocean, build sandcastles, swim and play games for at least an hour an a half. Not another soul around. We have our own private beach.
We head back to the hotel to shower and then plan to find some dinner. But everyone is exhausted from the long day, the sun and the water, and zonks out. We gather later and head off to shop, but most of the shops are closed by this point. We find a grocery store to get something for breakfast for the next day. The kids have a good time picking out juice and muffins. Just as I am start to pay, my purse breaks. Really? I can’t go through a 10 day trip with no purse! So, we walk the kids back to the hotel and Bruce and I head off to buy a new purse. Everyone is sleeping when we get back. It’s been a long but good first day.
Forming a Mission Team, 2014
Talking to so many people in the store every day became a great way to spread the word about outreach in Jamaica. And since people brought in their gently used clothing for us to purchase anyway, I would suggest that they donate the remaining items that were not saleable to Journey Home Jamaica. We amassed quite a collection of clothes and shoes.
One weekend, we had a clothing drive for Jamaica. We collected hundreds of pounds of clothes in the store. The newspaper was there to take pictures. People came from all over. Some people had no idea, just came in to shop, saw what we were doing and went home to clean out their closets. We took all the donations home, sorted, organized and cleaned them up, and packed them away in preparation for our next trip.
One Sunday morning at the end of 2013, the youth director at our church asked us if we would like to take a group of kids to Jamaica with us. Sure we would! So, we scheduled an informational meeting. About a dozen kids came, parents asked questions, and we formed a small group. Everyone applied for their passports, cleared their calendars, and the youth started the daunting task of fundraising.
We opened up the trip to others, too. We decided we would take our entire family along to show them the places that we talk about around the dinner table and introduce them to our Jamaican friends. When I started planning the itinerary, we had about a dozen people on our list.
We shared our upcoming trip on social media. We had continued to host Monday night bible study in our living room and invited the group that was to go with us to join us. Our friend, Jama, had been coming over on Mondays and decided to join our trip. And she shared it with friends. The daughter of Jama’s high school friend, Marah, decided to come along, too. The fundraising efforts were well underway. In just a few short months through various activities, the youth group raised $6500 - more than enough for them to all go for the week. Incredible. The people of our church are very generous.
Soon our group had grown to 15 travelers. We had team meetings and started to get to know each other. We planned out our week together. We would do outreach in the community, visit a school and spend a day with kids, clean up a property for future use, go to an established orphanage, paint a homeless shelter, and do some street evangelism.
We also decided that we wanted to do a clothing distribution since we had so much that we could take along. The airline allows each person to check one 50 pound suitcase. We asked each person to leave some room to take along at least 10 pounds of additional clothes, shoes, and toys to give away. Some of the parents were unhappy with that, but the kids really stepped up, most taking more like 30 or 40 pounds of extra stuff. Each one filled their suitcases to the brim with extras, taking carry-on’s and back-packs full of things to donate.
A few days before we left, we asked everyone who was going to go along on the team to come to our house to help us sort clothes. We shared a devotion, talked a little, and then got out the baskets and boxes of clothing and began to sort and distribute it among the team.
Jama had brought along a guest with her that afternoon. She and Tori had been riding bikes on the Greenway when it was time for the meeting to start, so Tori just tagged along. Bruce and I knew Tori because she had been dropping in at our bible study. Tori was a recent high school graduate who was very kind, gentle, made friends easily, and fit right in with our group. She jumped right in talking with the others and helped to sort clothes with the rest of us.
As the job was finished, some of the kids started to leave. All of the sudden, Tori said, “I want to go along.” What? We are leaving in three days. “I think I want to go along with you to Jamaica,” Tori said. I ran over the computer and looked up the flight. I could still get her a seat. The hotel rooms were already booked. Since I had planned for only two or three to a room, she could easily bunk with someone. She already had a passport. Jama and Marah volunteered to pitch in toward paying for her trip. A few phone calls later confirmed that she had permission. “Okay!” I said.
Tori grabbed a couple of arm fulls of clothes and marched out the door with Jama. Our group now totaled 16.
One weekend, we had a clothing drive for Jamaica. We collected hundreds of pounds of clothes in the store. The newspaper was there to take pictures. People came from all over. Some people had no idea, just came in to shop, saw what we were doing and went home to clean out their closets. We took all the donations home, sorted, organized and cleaned them up, and packed them away in preparation for our next trip.
One Sunday morning at the end of 2013, the youth director at our church asked us if we would like to take a group of kids to Jamaica with us. Sure we would! So, we scheduled an informational meeting. About a dozen kids came, parents asked questions, and we formed a small group. Everyone applied for their passports, cleared their calendars, and the youth started the daunting task of fundraising.
We opened up the trip to others, too. We decided we would take our entire family along to show them the places that we talk about around the dinner table and introduce them to our Jamaican friends. When I started planning the itinerary, we had about a dozen people on our list.
We shared our upcoming trip on social media. We had continued to host Monday night bible study in our living room and invited the group that was to go with us to join us. Our friend, Jama, had been coming over on Mondays and decided to join our trip. And she shared it with friends. The daughter of Jama’s high school friend, Marah, decided to come along, too. The fundraising efforts were well underway. In just a few short months through various activities, the youth group raised $6500 - more than enough for them to all go for the week. Incredible. The people of our church are very generous.
Soon our group had grown to 15 travelers. We had team meetings and started to get to know each other. We planned out our week together. We would do outreach in the community, visit a school and spend a day with kids, clean up a property for future use, go to an established orphanage, paint a homeless shelter, and do some street evangelism.
We also decided that we wanted to do a clothing distribution since we had so much that we could take along. The airline allows each person to check one 50 pound suitcase. We asked each person to leave some room to take along at least 10 pounds of additional clothes, shoes, and toys to give away. Some of the parents were unhappy with that, but the kids really stepped up, most taking more like 30 or 40 pounds of extra stuff. Each one filled their suitcases to the brim with extras, taking carry-on’s and back-packs full of things to donate.
A few days before we left, we asked everyone who was going to go along on the team to come to our house to help us sort clothes. We shared a devotion, talked a little, and then got out the baskets and boxes of clothing and began to sort and distribute it among the team.
Jama had brought along a guest with her that afternoon. She and Tori had been riding bikes on the Greenway when it was time for the meeting to start, so Tori just tagged along. Bruce and I knew Tori because she had been dropping in at our bible study. Tori was a recent high school graduate who was very kind, gentle, made friends easily, and fit right in with our group. She jumped right in talking with the others and helped to sort clothes with the rest of us.
As the job was finished, some of the kids started to leave. All of the sudden, Tori said, “I want to go along.” What? We are leaving in three days. “I think I want to go along with you to Jamaica,” Tori said. I ran over the computer and looked up the flight. I could still get her a seat. The hotel rooms were already booked. Since I had planned for only two or three to a room, she could easily bunk with someone. She already had a passport. Jama and Marah volunteered to pitch in toward paying for her trip. A few phone calls later confirmed that she had permission. “Okay!” I said.
Tori grabbed a couple of arm fulls of clothes and marched out the door with Jama. Our group now totaled 16.
CAFO: Christian Alliance for Orphans
The Christian Alliance for Orphans conference is held somewhere around the world every May. We attended CAFO last year in Nashville and it was an amazing experience. In 2014, the conference was going to be held in the Chicago area. I grew up in Michigan City, not too far from Chicago. So, it kind of felt like it was near home. I wanted to go.
I paid for the tickets and made our reservations. I found someone to work in the store for a couple of days so that we could go. When we arrived at Willow Creek Community Church on the morning of the first day, the parking lot was packed.
I will probably never forget the feeling of walking through the doors into the sanctuary that morning. It was an unmistakable heavy feeling. The Holy Spirit was there. It almost dropped me to my knees. We found two seats together. I crumpled in to the chair and wept. Bruce looked at me with a giant question mark on his face. I couldn’t help it. In that moment, I was totally broken.
We worshipped together in a huge mega church that weekend with hundreds of other people who have hearts to care for the orphans and widows. We sang with Andrew Peterson and Sara Groves. We participated from the audience in a live taping of Family Life Today radio programs. We heard Dr. Gary Smalley speak. I had been given a copy of Richard Stearns book, The Hole in Our Gospel and had finished reading it just days before. Mr. Stearns is a former president of World Vision. I had no idea that he would be there, too, to share from the stage. It was an amazing few days and I was humbled beyond belief, struck again by all the God connections, the vastness of the orphan situation - an estimated 147 million orphans worldwide - and the awesomeness that God would choose us to serve him in this way.
I can’t even begin to pinpoint the highlights of that weekend. We met and talked to Beth Guckenberger and her husband, Todd, who started Back2Back Ministries in Monterrey, Mexico. A couple of very amazing people with an awesome story of how God has taken them on a roller coaster ride through orphan care, adoption, and ministry. Beth has written several books, my favorite of which is Reckless Faith. Get it and read it. Beth autographed my books and gave me her phone number. You may have your heros. This woman is one of mine.
We met and talked with Jed Medefind, the president of CAFO, who gave us his book about the orphan crisis. We made friends with founders and directors from all over the world: Florida Baptist Children’s Home, Casa Viva, Dresses for Orphans, Sweet Sleep, MudLove, Kids Around the World, and many more. Yes, the resources are limitless. And the connections are irreplaceable.
During our time there, I posted several pictures on social media. A friend from home messaged me and asked where we were. When I told her, she said that another friend of hers from high school who now lives in Washington state was posting almost the same pictures....we were in the same place! On the way out, Bruce and I got stopped by a woman who introduced herself as Angie and we became fast friends. Our mutual friend connected us from hours away. Another pretty cool God connection.
I paid for the tickets and made our reservations. I found someone to work in the store for a couple of days so that we could go. When we arrived at Willow Creek Community Church on the morning of the first day, the parking lot was packed.
I will probably never forget the feeling of walking through the doors into the sanctuary that morning. It was an unmistakable heavy feeling. The Holy Spirit was there. It almost dropped me to my knees. We found two seats together. I crumpled in to the chair and wept. Bruce looked at me with a giant question mark on his face. I couldn’t help it. In that moment, I was totally broken.
We worshipped together in a huge mega church that weekend with hundreds of other people who have hearts to care for the orphans and widows. We sang with Andrew Peterson and Sara Groves. We participated from the audience in a live taping of Family Life Today radio programs. We heard Dr. Gary Smalley speak. I had been given a copy of Richard Stearns book, The Hole in Our Gospel and had finished reading it just days before. Mr. Stearns is a former president of World Vision. I had no idea that he would be there, too, to share from the stage. It was an amazing few days and I was humbled beyond belief, struck again by all the God connections, the vastness of the orphan situation - an estimated 147 million orphans worldwide - and the awesomeness that God would choose us to serve him in this way.
I can’t even begin to pinpoint the highlights of that weekend. We met and talked to Beth Guckenberger and her husband, Todd, who started Back2Back Ministries in Monterrey, Mexico. A couple of very amazing people with an awesome story of how God has taken them on a roller coaster ride through orphan care, adoption, and ministry. Beth has written several books, my favorite of which is Reckless Faith. Get it and read it. Beth autographed my books and gave me her phone number. You may have your heros. This woman is one of mine.
We met and talked with Jed Medefind, the president of CAFO, who gave us his book about the orphan crisis. We made friends with founders and directors from all over the world: Florida Baptist Children’s Home, Casa Viva, Dresses for Orphans, Sweet Sleep, MudLove, Kids Around the World, and many more. Yes, the resources are limitless. And the connections are irreplaceable.
During our time there, I posted several pictures on social media. A friend from home messaged me and asked where we were. When I told her, she said that another friend of hers from high school who now lives in Washington state was posting almost the same pictures....we were in the same place! On the way out, Bruce and I got stopped by a woman who introduced herself as Angie and we became fast friends. Our mutual friend connected us from hours away. Another pretty cool God connection.
God speaks through a basket of clothes
Bruce and I were scheduled to take a trip back to Jamaica in March. February rolled around and nothing seemed to be lining up. I couldn’t find anyone to work in the store during the time that we wanted to be there. I couldn’t get the flights at the right times, with the right connections or for the right price. I couldn’t get the hotel that we wanted. It seemed that every door was closing.
One afternoon as I was wandering around the store feeling pretty discouraged and dejected, I started arguing with God. Why wasn’t He paving the way for this trip? Why weren’t things falling in to place? Maybe I wasn’t really hearing what He was saying. Was I just dreaming? Were we really supposed to do this? I shut off the radio to listen. Maybe God was speaking but I was being too loud to hear Him?
Just about that time, a mom and her two daughters came in with a couple baskets of clothes for me to go through. At Here We Grow Again, we would buy gently used clothing from individuals. Like other resale shops, that’s how we got our inventory.
I started going through her baskets. I really didn’t feel like it. I wasn't finished sulking. But, I had a store to run. So, I did what I had to do. I tried to make a little conversation with mom and her kids. They weren’t very receptive or talkative.
Like I always did, I went through each item in the basket, pulled it out, and looked it over. She had several baskets, boxes and bags and bins. It was taking forever. Finally I was getting to the bottom of the last basket. I could finally make her an offer and send them on their way. I wanted to get back to feeling sorry for myself.
I pulled out the second to the last t-shirt and shook it out in front of me. In big, bold letters on the front it said “Jamaica”. I gasped. “Where did you all go in Jamaica?” I asked. “Jamaica? We have never been to Jamaica.” she said. So, I showed her the shirt. “I have no idea where that came from. I’ve never seen that shirt before.” The girls didn’t know either.
Huh. Well, isn’t that interesting? It was in the bottom of her basket. She thought for sure that I wouldn’t want to keep it. On the contrary, I hung it up behind the counter where I could see it every day as a reminder that God IS listening. Even when I argue with Him, sulk or feel sorry for myself. He chooses to comfort me in a way that only He can get though to me and get my attention. Even when I’m loud and can’t hear Him, He will still find a way to get through to me. And even though he doesn’t work on my time table, He is calling us.
I knew that it was okay if we didn't go back to Jamaica in March. We would go back when God showed us that the time was right.
One afternoon as I was wandering around the store feeling pretty discouraged and dejected, I started arguing with God. Why wasn’t He paving the way for this trip? Why weren’t things falling in to place? Maybe I wasn’t really hearing what He was saying. Was I just dreaming? Were we really supposed to do this? I shut off the radio to listen. Maybe God was speaking but I was being too loud to hear Him?
Just about that time, a mom and her two daughters came in with a couple baskets of clothes for me to go through. At Here We Grow Again, we would buy gently used clothing from individuals. Like other resale shops, that’s how we got our inventory.
I started going through her baskets. I really didn’t feel like it. I wasn't finished sulking. But, I had a store to run. So, I did what I had to do. I tried to make a little conversation with mom and her kids. They weren’t very receptive or talkative.
Like I always did, I went through each item in the basket, pulled it out, and looked it over. She had several baskets, boxes and bags and bins. It was taking forever. Finally I was getting to the bottom of the last basket. I could finally make her an offer and send them on their way. I wanted to get back to feeling sorry for myself.
I pulled out the second to the last t-shirt and shook it out in front of me. In big, bold letters on the front it said “Jamaica”. I gasped. “Where did you all go in Jamaica?” I asked. “Jamaica? We have never been to Jamaica.” she said. So, I showed her the shirt. “I have no idea where that came from. I’ve never seen that shirt before.” The girls didn’t know either.
Huh. Well, isn’t that interesting? It was in the bottom of her basket. She thought for sure that I wouldn’t want to keep it. On the contrary, I hung it up behind the counter where I could see it every day as a reminder that God IS listening. Even when I argue with Him, sulk or feel sorry for myself. He chooses to comfort me in a way that only He can get though to me and get my attention. Even when I’m loud and can’t hear Him, He will still find a way to get through to me. And even though he doesn’t work on my time table, He is calling us.
I knew that it was okay if we didn't go back to Jamaica in March. We would go back when God showed us that the time was right.
Much More Than Resale
One part of our resale shop, Here We Grow Again, was selling clothes. It is a business, after all. Another part - an even more important part to me - was giving. Sometimes giving meant spending time with someone listening or helping them shop. But sometimes I would have families come in that I knew just couldn’t afford to buy something that they really needed. Now, wants are one thing. But needs are something different entirely.
The majority of our customers were just thrifty moms like me. I love to find a bargain. And with a house full like we have, you can bet your bottom dollar that I am a frugal shopper. I try to stay within my budget. And if my bags can still contain name brands and trendy fashions, then I am a hero.
Occasionally, I gave away coats, and hats and pairs of gloves. Sometimes I gave away jeans and shoes. The look on one little girl's face when she watched me put the second pair of pants in the bag even though her mother didn’t have the $6 to pay for them, was absolutely priceless. She ran around the counter and hugged me, thanking me for giving her an extra pair of jeans so that the other kids didn’t make fun of her. Really? The peer pressure of a 10 year old in this day and age is hard enough. It wasn't all that much to me. But no kid should have to worry about that kind of thing. I was thankful that I could do that.
Sometimes people would come in to buy things for “adopted” families that needed them. They would read an article in the newspaper or hear of a family through their church and want to help. It was such a joy to see their faces when I would help them pick out the right sizes and little outfits to match. Many times I would throw something extra in the bag like socks or a headband. It was just a bonus from me.
Our friend, Pastor Richard in Jamaica, had an idea for vouchers for a local grocery store. They didn’t want to just give money outright, so instead, they chose to give coupons that the stores would honor. People can go in and use them to purchase what they need up to the value of the voucher. Bruce and I took that idea to our local food pantries in Muncie. We distributed a limited number of Here We Give Again vouchers that could be used in our store for clothes, shoes, coats, etc. Recipients had 30 days to come in to redeem them. It wasn’t much, but they were always thankful.
One woman who was a retired teacher at a local school would come in often. Because she just loved the kids and wanted to keep busy, she still went back a couple of hours each week to help out. She came in primarily to buy sweaters for the kids in her class. She said that the classroom was cold and kids would often come to school without any warm clothes. At first, she told me, she would ask the kids to leave the sweaters on the back of their chairs for the next day. Until she learned that some of these kids had brothers or sisters that didn’t have sweaters or jackets on either. This sweet woman would let the kids from her class take the clothes home to give to their siblings, and she would just provide another one the next week at school. Each time she would come in, we would go around and clean off the racks together. She paid for the clothes that she bought, but I would give her the "grandma discount". She told me once that she would take snacks in and give kids the extras at the end of the day to take home. Many of the kids in her class wouldn't eat until they came back to school the next day. Oh, I can hardly stand the heartbreak. Right here in our own back yard. Bravo, sweet teacher, for seeing a need that you can help meet.
I had one young dad in particular who would come in every couple of weeks with his young son and daughter. Each time he had on exactly the same stained shirt, ripped jacket and dirty pants. His kids had dirty faces, and their clothes were much too small. I could just see the gentleness and love in his eyes when he would look at them. He was obviously embarrassed and terribly shy. He would hardly talk to me. Rarely, if ever would he buy anything. But he was always so polite. I often wondered what his back story was. You know, how did he get to the place where he was in life right now?
One afternoon, he came in by himself. He would often do that, just kind of scope the place out. So, I asked him a few questions to try to get him to open up. He barely made eye contact with me, mostly just looking at the floor. With some coaxing, he told me that he was divorced and didn’t really have a place to live. He just kept going from place to place every so often. He did have some kind of job, but it didn’t pay enough for him to support himself and pay his child support, too. He said that it was more important to him that he took care of his kids than himself. He was trying to turn his situation around, but it wasn’t something that could happen over night. He got to see his kids for a few hours every other weekend and desperately wanted to provide for them and make their short time together special. So, he would bring them in to our little store to try to get them something that they both needed and wanted. Bless his heart.
The next time he brought those kids in, I let them pick out a few things that they wanted and made them try the clothes on and model them for me. I picked out what fit them best, found things that matched, and would maybe last the longest. Then I took them over to the books and toys and helped them pick some things out. I filled their bags up with clothes and toys and shoes. I told the kids to come behind the counter with me and gave them some snacks and candy that I had back there for myself. I could tell that all the attention made them feel really special.
Then I gave the father all the cash that I had in my wallet; probably about $5. When I pressed it into his hand, he had tears in his eyes. You would have thought that it was a fortune. “Thank you”, he whispered. And I knew that he was thanking me for more than that little bit of money. When they left the store, I went in to the back room, closed the door, and cried.
Honestly, it wasn’t that much. Just a few things really. The profit would have been maybe $10. And that little bit of cash from my purse I would never miss. But maybe that dad could get his kids some french fries or ice cream that night. Maybe they could share some laughs and make a memory.
The look on that father’s face taught me a lesson that has stayed with me. Big or small, don’t take for granted the blessings that you have. He was thankful for what he had - that time to spend with his kids. And I was thankful for the little bit that I could help him with, too.
Don't worry that your gift is too small or insignificant to make a difference. Start where you are. And do what you can.
The majority of our customers were just thrifty moms like me. I love to find a bargain. And with a house full like we have, you can bet your bottom dollar that I am a frugal shopper. I try to stay within my budget. And if my bags can still contain name brands and trendy fashions, then I am a hero.
Occasionally, I gave away coats, and hats and pairs of gloves. Sometimes I gave away jeans and shoes. The look on one little girl's face when she watched me put the second pair of pants in the bag even though her mother didn’t have the $6 to pay for them, was absolutely priceless. She ran around the counter and hugged me, thanking me for giving her an extra pair of jeans so that the other kids didn’t make fun of her. Really? The peer pressure of a 10 year old in this day and age is hard enough. It wasn't all that much to me. But no kid should have to worry about that kind of thing. I was thankful that I could do that.
Sometimes people would come in to buy things for “adopted” families that needed them. They would read an article in the newspaper or hear of a family through their church and want to help. It was such a joy to see their faces when I would help them pick out the right sizes and little outfits to match. Many times I would throw something extra in the bag like socks or a headband. It was just a bonus from me.
Our friend, Pastor Richard in Jamaica, had an idea for vouchers for a local grocery store. They didn’t want to just give money outright, so instead, they chose to give coupons that the stores would honor. People can go in and use them to purchase what they need up to the value of the voucher. Bruce and I took that idea to our local food pantries in Muncie. We distributed a limited number of Here We Give Again vouchers that could be used in our store for clothes, shoes, coats, etc. Recipients had 30 days to come in to redeem them. It wasn’t much, but they were always thankful.
One woman who was a retired teacher at a local school would come in often. Because she just loved the kids and wanted to keep busy, she still went back a couple of hours each week to help out. She came in primarily to buy sweaters for the kids in her class. She said that the classroom was cold and kids would often come to school without any warm clothes. At first, she told me, she would ask the kids to leave the sweaters on the back of their chairs for the next day. Until she learned that some of these kids had brothers or sisters that didn’t have sweaters or jackets on either. This sweet woman would let the kids from her class take the clothes home to give to their siblings, and she would just provide another one the next week at school. Each time she would come in, we would go around and clean off the racks together. She paid for the clothes that she bought, but I would give her the "grandma discount". She told me once that she would take snacks in and give kids the extras at the end of the day to take home. Many of the kids in her class wouldn't eat until they came back to school the next day. Oh, I can hardly stand the heartbreak. Right here in our own back yard. Bravo, sweet teacher, for seeing a need that you can help meet.
I had one young dad in particular who would come in every couple of weeks with his young son and daughter. Each time he had on exactly the same stained shirt, ripped jacket and dirty pants. His kids had dirty faces, and their clothes were much too small. I could just see the gentleness and love in his eyes when he would look at them. He was obviously embarrassed and terribly shy. He would hardly talk to me. Rarely, if ever would he buy anything. But he was always so polite. I often wondered what his back story was. You know, how did he get to the place where he was in life right now?
One afternoon, he came in by himself. He would often do that, just kind of scope the place out. So, I asked him a few questions to try to get him to open up. He barely made eye contact with me, mostly just looking at the floor. With some coaxing, he told me that he was divorced and didn’t really have a place to live. He just kept going from place to place every so often. He did have some kind of job, but it didn’t pay enough for him to support himself and pay his child support, too. He said that it was more important to him that he took care of his kids than himself. He was trying to turn his situation around, but it wasn’t something that could happen over night. He got to see his kids for a few hours every other weekend and desperately wanted to provide for them and make their short time together special. So, he would bring them in to our little store to try to get them something that they both needed and wanted. Bless his heart.
The next time he brought those kids in, I let them pick out a few things that they wanted and made them try the clothes on and model them for me. I picked out what fit them best, found things that matched, and would maybe last the longest. Then I took them over to the books and toys and helped them pick some things out. I filled their bags up with clothes and toys and shoes. I told the kids to come behind the counter with me and gave them some snacks and candy that I had back there for myself. I could tell that all the attention made them feel really special.
Then I gave the father all the cash that I had in my wallet; probably about $5. When I pressed it into his hand, he had tears in his eyes. You would have thought that it was a fortune. “Thank you”, he whispered. And I knew that he was thanking me for more than that little bit of money. When they left the store, I went in to the back room, closed the door, and cried.
Honestly, it wasn’t that much. Just a few things really. The profit would have been maybe $10. And that little bit of cash from my purse I would never miss. But maybe that dad could get his kids some french fries or ice cream that night. Maybe they could share some laughs and make a memory.
The look on that father’s face taught me a lesson that has stayed with me. Big or small, don’t take for granted the blessings that you have. He was thankful for what he had - that time to spend with his kids. And I was thankful for the little bit that I could help him with, too.
Don't worry that your gift is too small or insignificant to make a difference. Start where you are. And do what you can.
Here We Grow Again
In late November 2013, a couple of weeks after meeting Alex, I was looking around on the computer to find the address and phone number of a resale shop in town. With six kids, someone is always out growing something or needing something new. In the past I have taken things to the resale shop to sell, and then put the money toward something else.
As I was searching, I ran across a post on the resale shop Facebook page from the owner saying that she was interested in selling. It was dated about a year before, and I didn’t think too much more about it. I guess I was really busy at the time so I never actually ever made it in to the store.
For the next couple of weeks, the thought of buying and taking over this resale shop kept coming back to my mind. I finally decided to call. I thought if I just heard once and for all that it had already sold and changed hands I could forget about it and let it go. And that would be that. Great, I thought. Let’s get this over with. So, I looked up the phone number and called.
The owner, Kelly, answered the phone. No, she had not sold the store. Yes, she was still interested in selling. I asked a few questions, wrote down some information, and we hung up. It was a lot of money. And a lot of work. No thanks. I’m not interested, I told myself.
A few days later, I told Bruce about the phone call. And I told him that I really wasn’t interested. She wanted too much money, I didn’t have time, and I had lots of other reasons. I dismissed it.
In January, I was still thinking about this store. I had driven by it, but had not gone in. Bruce and I went to Florida for a conference. I was still talking about it then. I told myself that I would call sometime after we got back. The day after we returned, I got an email from Kelly. She contacted me before I even got the chance to reach out to her. So, Bruce and I decided to go in and talk to her.
We thought it would be fun, I could get out of the house some, meet new people, and share with people about our vision for Jamaica. So, we came to some terms that we thought we could agree with, and I took over the children’s resale shop at the beginning of February.
We spent hours and hours cleaning, organizing, and rearranging things. I was having a blast! I took my mom with me to work almost every day and she helped me steam clothes before we hung them on the racks. My dad came and washed windows and fixed things that were broken. Bruce made big bright signs and came in and hung them up on the walls and from the ceiling. Our kids came along and straightened hangers, cleaned, and organized racks. Sometimes the older kids worked at the store running the cash register when I had to take an hour or two off. It was so much fun!
I was meeting so many new people. And almost every day, someone had a story to tell me. Many times the stories were about Jamaica. Someone had visited there or knew someone who had visited there. But most of the time the stories were about a family situation, or a job, or a sickness, or something different. Often times the store would be full of shoppers, and suddenly everyone would file out, leaving only one person left. He or she would come to the counter or sit down on the bench next to me and start to share something that was going on in his or her life. These people would absolutely bear their souls to me. And I would listen. Sometimes people would cry. And often, I would cry with them. Many times someone would ask for prayer. So, I prayed with them. It became almost like a game for me to see who God would bring in for me to meet. Bruce and I determined that until we could be in Jamaica, this was my ministry. Right here. Right now.
I knew that through this store and specifically through this process, that God was teaching me, stretching me and growing me. For as long as I can remember, I have always gone a hundred miles an hour in ten different directions at once. I was always in a frantic rush, hurrying from one thing to the next. But, here’s the thing: when someone is crying and asking you to pray for them, you shouldn’t be thinking about the phone ringing or the trash that has to go out. You should be listening. When someone is sharing their personal story with you, asking for help and prayer, you need to learn to shut out the distractions.
I could see that’s what God was really working on in me. I have probably never been a good and focused listener. Each time that this scenario would repeat itself - and it was pretty often, actually - I would have to make a real effort to slow my actions down, stop my thoughts, and just listen. And the more that I practiced at it, the better I got and the more natural it became. Some days it is still a challenge. But I am learning to have peace through this process.
As my friend, Missy, told me last year, “Everyone has a story; we all just want someone to listen.” And so, thanks, Missy. I’m learning how to do just that.
As I was searching, I ran across a post on the resale shop Facebook page from the owner saying that she was interested in selling. It was dated about a year before, and I didn’t think too much more about it. I guess I was really busy at the time so I never actually ever made it in to the store.
For the next couple of weeks, the thought of buying and taking over this resale shop kept coming back to my mind. I finally decided to call. I thought if I just heard once and for all that it had already sold and changed hands I could forget about it and let it go. And that would be that. Great, I thought. Let’s get this over with. So, I looked up the phone number and called.
The owner, Kelly, answered the phone. No, she had not sold the store. Yes, she was still interested in selling. I asked a few questions, wrote down some information, and we hung up. It was a lot of money. And a lot of work. No thanks. I’m not interested, I told myself.
A few days later, I told Bruce about the phone call. And I told him that I really wasn’t interested. She wanted too much money, I didn’t have time, and I had lots of other reasons. I dismissed it.
In January, I was still thinking about this store. I had driven by it, but had not gone in. Bruce and I went to Florida for a conference. I was still talking about it then. I told myself that I would call sometime after we got back. The day after we returned, I got an email from Kelly. She contacted me before I even got the chance to reach out to her. So, Bruce and I decided to go in and talk to her.
We thought it would be fun, I could get out of the house some, meet new people, and share with people about our vision for Jamaica. So, we came to some terms that we thought we could agree with, and I took over the children’s resale shop at the beginning of February.
We spent hours and hours cleaning, organizing, and rearranging things. I was having a blast! I took my mom with me to work almost every day and she helped me steam clothes before we hung them on the racks. My dad came and washed windows and fixed things that were broken. Bruce made big bright signs and came in and hung them up on the walls and from the ceiling. Our kids came along and straightened hangers, cleaned, and organized racks. Sometimes the older kids worked at the store running the cash register when I had to take an hour or two off. It was so much fun!
I was meeting so many new people. And almost every day, someone had a story to tell me. Many times the stories were about Jamaica. Someone had visited there or knew someone who had visited there. But most of the time the stories were about a family situation, or a job, or a sickness, or something different. Often times the store would be full of shoppers, and suddenly everyone would file out, leaving only one person left. He or she would come to the counter or sit down on the bench next to me and start to share something that was going on in his or her life. These people would absolutely bear their souls to me. And I would listen. Sometimes people would cry. And often, I would cry with them. Many times someone would ask for prayer. So, I prayed with them. It became almost like a game for me to see who God would bring in for me to meet. Bruce and I determined that until we could be in Jamaica, this was my ministry. Right here. Right now.
I knew that through this store and specifically through this process, that God was teaching me, stretching me and growing me. For as long as I can remember, I have always gone a hundred miles an hour in ten different directions at once. I was always in a frantic rush, hurrying from one thing to the next. But, here’s the thing: when someone is crying and asking you to pray for them, you shouldn’t be thinking about the phone ringing or the trash that has to go out. You should be listening. When someone is sharing their personal story with you, asking for help and prayer, you need to learn to shut out the distractions.
I could see that’s what God was really working on in me. I have probably never been a good and focused listener. Each time that this scenario would repeat itself - and it was pretty often, actually - I would have to make a real effort to slow my actions down, stop my thoughts, and just listen. And the more that I practiced at it, the better I got and the more natural it became. Some days it is still a challenge. But I am learning to have peace through this process.
As my friend, Missy, told me last year, “Everyone has a story; we all just want someone to listen.” And so, thanks, Missy. I’m learning how to do just that.
Calling Wayne
The next morning we said our good-byes to Alex. I remembered his instructions from last night and walked right over to the phone. I called Wayne, but he didn’t answer. So, I left a message. I sent him a follow up email and waited. Impatiently.
A couple of days later, I called Wayne again. And the next day again. Finally, I got a response to my email. Apparently, Wayne had been out of the country on a mission trip. Oh...
We arranged for a time to talk and I called him again. This time he answered. We chit-chatted and got to know each other a little bit. Then I started to share with him about our vision and plans for Jamaica. Wayne immediately broke out in patois, the familiar language of Jamaicans. Oh my goodness! Wayne had spent two years living in Jamaica. Well, now we really had something to talk about!
I felt comfortable sharing with Wayne and appreciated his input and suggestions. He had been at the Christian Alliance for Orphans conference that we attended in May. He was at their vendor table answering questions during the conference and we may have even met him there, but didn’t know it. He sent me some other resources and gave me some new ideas. I told him that we would connect back with him later when we felt like the time was right for us to talk about the possibility of partnering with Orphanos.
God keeps making connections for us. Sometimes I have to look for them. And other times, they start with a new friend who sits down at my kitchen table and gives me a direct order.
A couple of days later, I called Wayne again. And the next day again. Finally, I got a response to my email. Apparently, Wayne had been out of the country on a mission trip. Oh...
We arranged for a time to talk and I called him again. This time he answered. We chit-chatted and got to know each other a little bit. Then I started to share with him about our vision and plans for Jamaica. Wayne immediately broke out in patois, the familiar language of Jamaicans. Oh my goodness! Wayne had spent two years living in Jamaica. Well, now we really had something to talk about!
I felt comfortable sharing with Wayne and appreciated his input and suggestions. He had been at the Christian Alliance for Orphans conference that we attended in May. He was at their vendor table answering questions during the conference and we may have even met him there, but didn’t know it. He sent me some other resources and gave me some new ideas. I told him that we would connect back with him later when we felt like the time was right for us to talk about the possibility of partnering with Orphanos.
God keeps making connections for us. Sometimes I have to look for them. And other times, they start with a new friend who sits down at my kitchen table and gives me a direct order.
Meeting Alex
My brother, Dan, had been living with us since shortly after Bruce and I got married. He moved in to a bedroom in the basement and just never left. He helped us take care of the kids, mostly helping with driving to and from all their different activities. And just having another adult in the house was really helpful and gave us a lot of freedom.
We also moved my parents in down the street from several hours away to live near us so that we can help to take care of them as they get older. Having Dan around meant that he could also visit with mom and dad and help to take care of them, too.
Dan is a sword swallower. Yes, you read that right. He travels around the country and around the world sharing the gospel in his own unique way. But we encouraged him to reach out and do something else, too. So, in April 2013, Dan took a job as the US Director of an outreach ministry that housed an orphanage in Kazakhstan. In and through his travels both in our country and others, Dan meets many people.
One night at dinner in November, Dan told us about a Russian friend that he had made on a recent trip to Ohio named, Alex. Abandoned by his mother in a St. Petersburg dumpster when he was only three days old, Alex Krutov should not have survived. But God had something else in mind. Alex was raised in the harsh Russian orphanage system, and until the arrival of some Christian missionaries from the US, Alex's life was one of hopelessness and despair. God pursued Alex, and he has started a ministry in Russia for emancipated orphans called The Harbor.
Bruce and I listened intently to Dan’s story about Alex. Then Dan told us that the ministry he was working for would be hosting a banquet and that Dan was going to ask Alex if he would come and speak. Dan said they needed a place for Alex to stay overnight and asked if he could stay with us. Sure, we said. But on one condition. We wanted to go to the dinner so that we could hear him speak, too.
Alex has written a book called Infinitely More. Dan gave me a copy and I read through it in no time. It is an inspiring true story of a young man who would not give up, and the God who relentlessly pursued him. Jesus said, "I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you." Through Alex’s book, I was reminded that God came to Alex, and He offers hope to all of us. I was moved to tears many times though those pages. And I couldn’t wait to meet this man in person and to make another new friend.
On the night of the banquet, we walked into the church hall and Dan immediately found us and introduced us. Alex is a slender, well dressed, dark haired man. You would not know that he is from Russia just by talking to him since he has no accent at all. He is warm and friendly and from the first moment we met him, I felt like we had always been friends.
Bruce and I sat down at a table in the back by ourselves and enjoyed the catered dinner. But I could hardly wait for the main course - which for me was hearing Alex speak. He told his story eloquently, every detail just like I had read in his book. After the events of the evening were over, Dan stayed back to help clean up and Alex was talking to others. Bruce and I went home. We were sitting at our kitchen table when they walked in.
Alex came over and sat by me. I peppered him with questions. He graciously answered every single one. His ministry, The Harbor, has been rehabilitating teenagers and young adults for many years. Alex understands the gap that happens when kids age out of the state orphan system. It was so humbling to talk to him and interesting to hear all his stories. We have only a vision. But Alex shares from another place - having lived through it and survived. So many kids who age out end up in self-destruction or a life of crime. Alex is helping kids get to the other side of the survival.
Alex spends much of his time traveling around the country raising support. As we talked about different fundraising techniques, he told me that I should contact his friend in Tennessee, Wayne Sneed. Wayne is the CEO and founder of Orphanos, a non-profit organization that partners with Christian ministries and missionaries who help at risk children around the world. Alex gave me Wayne’s phone number and said, very directly, call him tomorrow.
And I intend to.
We also moved my parents in down the street from several hours away to live near us so that we can help to take care of them as they get older. Having Dan around meant that he could also visit with mom and dad and help to take care of them, too.
Dan is a sword swallower. Yes, you read that right. He travels around the country and around the world sharing the gospel in his own unique way. But we encouraged him to reach out and do something else, too. So, in April 2013, Dan took a job as the US Director of an outreach ministry that housed an orphanage in Kazakhstan. In and through his travels both in our country and others, Dan meets many people.
One night at dinner in November, Dan told us about a Russian friend that he had made on a recent trip to Ohio named, Alex. Abandoned by his mother in a St. Petersburg dumpster when he was only three days old, Alex Krutov should not have survived. But God had something else in mind. Alex was raised in the harsh Russian orphanage system, and until the arrival of some Christian missionaries from the US, Alex's life was one of hopelessness and despair. God pursued Alex, and he has started a ministry in Russia for emancipated orphans called The Harbor.
Bruce and I listened intently to Dan’s story about Alex. Then Dan told us that the ministry he was working for would be hosting a banquet and that Dan was going to ask Alex if he would come and speak. Dan said they needed a place for Alex to stay overnight and asked if he could stay with us. Sure, we said. But on one condition. We wanted to go to the dinner so that we could hear him speak, too.
Alex has written a book called Infinitely More. Dan gave me a copy and I read through it in no time. It is an inspiring true story of a young man who would not give up, and the God who relentlessly pursued him. Jesus said, "I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you." Through Alex’s book, I was reminded that God came to Alex, and He offers hope to all of us. I was moved to tears many times though those pages. And I couldn’t wait to meet this man in person and to make another new friend.
On the night of the banquet, we walked into the church hall and Dan immediately found us and introduced us. Alex is a slender, well dressed, dark haired man. You would not know that he is from Russia just by talking to him since he has no accent at all. He is warm and friendly and from the first moment we met him, I felt like we had always been friends.
Bruce and I sat down at a table in the back by ourselves and enjoyed the catered dinner. But I could hardly wait for the main course - which for me was hearing Alex speak. He told his story eloquently, every detail just like I had read in his book. After the events of the evening were over, Dan stayed back to help clean up and Alex was talking to others. Bruce and I went home. We were sitting at our kitchen table when they walked in.
Alex came over and sat by me. I peppered him with questions. He graciously answered every single one. His ministry, The Harbor, has been rehabilitating teenagers and young adults for many years. Alex understands the gap that happens when kids age out of the state orphan system. It was so humbling to talk to him and interesting to hear all his stories. We have only a vision. But Alex shares from another place - having lived through it and survived. So many kids who age out end up in self-destruction or a life of crime. Alex is helping kids get to the other side of the survival.
Alex spends much of his time traveling around the country raising support. As we talked about different fundraising techniques, he told me that I should contact his friend in Tennessee, Wayne Sneed. Wayne is the CEO and founder of Orphanos, a non-profit organization that partners with Christian ministries and missionaries who help at risk children around the world. Alex gave me Wayne’s phone number and said, very directly, call him tomorrow.
And I intend to.
Catching up with Missy
I love Facebook, don’t you? I have connected with so many people, made new friends, and found old ones. One day in 2011, I got a friend request from a friend from Christian Day School days, 5th grade, Melissa Shaner. Missy and I were friends long ago in Michigan City. Her family only lived in town for a couple years, but during that time Missy was in my class at St. Paul School. Middle school can be rough. And I’ll just go out on a limb here and say that being in private school is even probably tougher emotionally. You are a small fish in a small pond. The whole population of our grade was less than 20 people. So, that means that you are surrounded by the same handful of friends (or fr-enemies) all day, every day, for your entire school career.
Missy came to St. Paul in about the 5th grade. She and her brother and sister stayed for a couple years before moving on. Missy and I were friends. She was kind and gentle and genuine in a middle school world where not every pre-teen girl is like that probably myself included sometimes.
We had slumber parties, wandered around the mall together, and went roller skating. Missy lived on the other side of town so it was an effort to get together. But we had good mothers. They drove us. And then she moved away. And I didn’t. And life went on.
I watched her walk in to the restaurant a few days later. She looked exactly the same. She has a gigantic smile that can brighten up the room. She is truly beautiful both inside and out and glows with positivity.
We sat down and started to talk. Missy told me about herself, her marriage, her divorce, her kids, her job, her family, and her church. And she asked me questions. I dumped out my vision for Jamaica, not really sure what to expect. Missy is one of the first people that was not in my “inner circle” that I told all this craziness to. She embraced me with open arms. She got excited, gave me new ideas, and prayed for me. Wow. I opened up. And got accepted.
I thanked her for talking with me and for listening to me share my story. And then she said something to me that I will probably never forget. “I love listening to other people’s stories," she said. "Everyone has a story; we all just want someone to hear it.” It was the first time that I shared my vision. And yes, I guess I just wanted someone to listen who wouldn’t tell me that it was a stupid idea, think I was totally crazy, or judge me.
Ever since that meeting, when someone starts talking to me, I think of Missy. Now I try to listen to other people share their stories. And to really hear them. Sometimes I write them down. Sometimes I just listen. Sometimes I pray for people. And sometimes I ask them to pray for me. In a very real way, listening is how we connect with each other. After a couple of hours of sitting in that restaurant, our iced tea was watered down, the check was on the table, and our waitress wanted to go home. We vowed to keep in touch. And we have. Missy is one of the first prayer warriors that I go to when I want to shake open the gates of heaven. And one of the first ones that I celebrate with when something amazing happens. God knew what a gift He was giving us when He gave us friends, didn’t He? And Missy is one friend that I think is a pretty amazing gift.
Leaving Jamaica again; Whitehouse, Jamaica - Day 9
We got up early, showered and dressed. We ate breakfast, cleaned up and finished zipping up our suitcases. As we started to leave, Linda asked us if and when we wanted to take over her Jesus for Jamaica ministry. We gently said that we would pray about it, but that we didn’t think that this was the place that God has for us. We are pretty sure that she already knows that we are not going to be the ones that will take over. And that’s okay. We made lots of new friends on this trip, had many experiences and learned a whole lot.
We said our good-byes and headed off for the airport. I wanted to leave in plenty of time to stop for one more meal of jerk chicken. Troy told us to go to the Pork Pit in Montego Bay. So, that’s where we are headed.
It’s been a long and eventful trip. As we reflect on our time in Jamaica this past week, we have come to a few conclusions:
*that we feel called to children and youth ministry. That’s where we are going to have an impact and can make a change for the future.
*that we feel comfortable and feel peace in Negril and the western part of the island.
*that we really love and appreciate Pastors Richard and Nicola, their vision and their ministry. We hope that we can partner with them in some big ways long term. We appreciate their church and their leadership.
*that we love and appreciate our friends, Lynette and Tracy in Spring Garden. Lynette has many connections around the island and through the Rotary Club. Tracy knows how to build and has learned from his mistakes. They are both a wealth of knowledge, understand us as Americans, and understand the Jamaican culture, too.
*that we have come to love and trust many Jamaican friends like Shorty, Troy, Paulus and others. We feel safe with them.
*that we can get all over the island without a problem.
*that we feel safe in Jamaica, are no longer afraid of just about any situation. We still understand the need to be alert and cautious, as you would be anywhere, but we never felt unsafe or uneasy anywhere, even in Kingston that has a reputation of being a little more dangerous.
*that we are in love with the island and want to be here long term. We know that God is going to work it out, we just have to continue to take one step after the next and see where He leads!
*that the Pork Pit is GOOD! And that jerk chicken all over the island is good. And ice cream. Don’t forget about ice cream.
*that it is a good idea to have snacks along at all times. Several times we got hungry and there just wasn’t a place to stop to eat. Additionally, it’s always a good idea to have a couple of bottles of water along.
*that we can trust and believe that God is leading us and that He will continue to open doors for us to walk through, as long as we keep stepping out in faith and moving forward.
We said our good-byes and headed off for the airport. I wanted to leave in plenty of time to stop for one more meal of jerk chicken. Troy told us to go to the Pork Pit in Montego Bay. So, that’s where we are headed. It’s been a long and eventful trip. As we reflect on our time in Jamaica this past week, we have come to a few conclusions:
*that we feel called to children and youth ministry. That’s where we are going to have an impact and can make a change for the future.
*that we feel comfortable and feel peace in Negril and the western part of the island.
*that we really love and appreciate Pastors Richard and Nicola, their vision and their ministry. We hope that we can partner with them in some big ways long term. We appreciate their church and their leadership.
*that we love and appreciate our friends, Lynette and Tracy in Spring Garden. Lynette has many connections around the island and through the Rotary Club. Tracy knows how to build and has learned from his mistakes. They are both a wealth of knowledge, understand us as Americans, and understand the Jamaican culture, too.
*that we have come to love and trust many Jamaican friends like Shorty, Troy, Paulus and others. We feel safe with them.
*that we can get all over the island without a problem.
*that we feel safe in Jamaica, are no longer afraid of just about any situation. We still understand the need to be alert and cautious, as you would be anywhere, but we never felt unsafe or uneasy anywhere, even in Kingston that has a reputation of being a little more dangerous.
*that we are in love with the island and want to be here long term. We know that God is going to work it out, we just have to continue to take one step after the next and see where He leads!
*that the Pork Pit is GOOD! And that jerk chicken all over the island is good. And ice cream. Don’t forget about ice cream.
*that it is a good idea to have snacks along at all times. Several times we got hungry and there just wasn’t a place to stop to eat. Additionally, it’s always a good idea to have a couple of bottles of water along.
*that we can trust and believe that God is leading us and that He will continue to open doors for us to walk through, as long as we keep stepping out in faith and moving forward.
Food distribution at church; Whitehouse, Jamaica - Day 8
We had arranged to pass out food this morning at the church. A couple of days ago, a few of the people from the mountain village of Aldear had been told that we would be doing this and they were asked to spread the word. Several people in the Whitehouse area had been sharing this by word of mouth, too. So, after breakfast, we loaded up the food that had been separated, sorted and packed up, and headed in to town to the church.
People were instructed to come to the church at 11:00 am for food distribution. We got to the church at about 10:15 am. We unloaded all the food and decided where each food station was going to be and started setting it up. We wanted to have a traffic pattern and assembly line so folks could check in at one door, pass by each table and pick up enough for their family, then go out through another door. They would get their hand marked with a Sharpie so that they wouldn’t go through the line more than once. We had a table with bags of rice on it, another table with bags of flour, one with cornmeal, another place where there was cans of mackerel, and outside of the exit door there were large bottles of oil. People had been instructed to bring their own bottles to refill with oil for cooking. We also had some clothes laid out over the church pews for people to take what they needed. We had a volunteer at each station to help distribute the food and clothes to make sure that no one took more than anyone else or more than they needed.
Just after 10:45 am, people started coming to the church. By 11:15 am, all the food had been passed out. We met lots of people and talked with them. We heard many stories. Lots of people came after 11:00 am and were disappointed, scolding us because the food was gone so fast. People were mad and some got kind of ugly with us. We had purchased and sorted 200 pounds of food. Once it was gone, it was gone. We finally shooed people outside and away from the church and headed off to have some lunch.
After lunch we went to the grocery store and I bought some ice cream. I really like ice cream and some of the flavors are different than what we get in the States. We went back to Linda’s house, took a rest, a walk around the neighborhood, and then headed for the beach. When we got back our friend, Troy, was there. We got out the ice cream to share. We had ice cream and the remaining coconuts that we brought from Spring Garden days earlier. Ice cream and coconuts. That was our dinner. Fine by me.
While we were eating, Troy started talking and shared his story with us. He talked for well over an hour. He grew up in a rough neighborhood in Kingston and said he had made some not so great choices. But he had a talent for dancing and singing. A woman befriended him and invited him to Montego Bay to pursue his music and attend a training school there. He was introduced to Jesus in MoBay and was saved. As he shared his story, both Bruce and I knew that he is really a special person and that God has big plans for this guy. Everyone who meets him likes him instantly, and we surely know that we will see him again.
The evening wore on and we finally decided that we needed to call it a night. We would be leaving in the morning and needed to pack.
Just after 10:45 am, people started coming to the church. By 11:15 am, all the food had been passed out. We met lots of people and talked with them. We heard many stories. Lots of people came after 11:00 am and were disappointed, scolding us because the food was gone so fast. People were mad and some got kind of ugly with us. We had purchased and sorted 200 pounds of food. Once it was gone, it was gone. We finally shooed people outside and away from the church and headed off to have some lunch.
After lunch we went to the grocery store and I bought some ice cream. I really like ice cream and some of the flavors are different than what we get in the States. We went back to Linda’s house, took a rest, a walk around the neighborhood, and then headed for the beach. When we got back our friend, Troy, was there. We got out the ice cream to share. We had ice cream and the remaining coconuts that we brought from Spring Garden days earlier. Ice cream and coconuts. That was our dinner. Fine by me.
While we were eating, Troy started talking and shared his story with us. He talked for well over an hour. He grew up in a rough neighborhood in Kingston and said he had made some not so great choices. But he had a talent for dancing and singing. A woman befriended him and invited him to Montego Bay to pursue his music and attend a training school there. He was introduced to Jesus in MoBay and was saved. As he shared his story, both Bruce and I knew that he is really a special person and that God has big plans for this guy. Everyone who meets him likes him instantly, and we surely know that we will see him again. The evening wore on and we finally decided that we needed to call it a night. We would be leaving in the morning and needed to pack.
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