On day 6 we sadly had to say goodbye to the Teen Challenge Jamaica team in Ocho Rios. Forming bonds with many of the men is a great thing but challenging as well because you wonder what they future holds for them. I prayed, as Alvis opened the gate for us one last time, that God would continue his powerful work there and that he would send peace and understanding to not on the men struggling there but also the staff that cares for them. I hope one day our paths will cross again. I am thankful for the opportunity to learn more about the good work, the powerful work that God is doing here.
As we made our way back to Kingston our car was quiet…I can only speak for me but I know that I was reflecting and marveling on all that we had accomplished over the last few days. At times it didn’t feel like enough. But that is my nature..always pushing…always wanting to do more and do it better. As I looked at the beautiful Jamaican mountains go by I thought about all the small things we did accomplish that add up to something larger. We may have only finished 5 out of the 6 rows of tomatoes in the green house but our goal was only 3! I also thought a lot about Sam’s homecoming and how I can be sensitive enough to push when he needs it and sensitive enough to appreciate the small things that will add up to the larger things.
We were given the afternoon to relax by the pool so if you know me (true Pisces fish) I couldn’t wait to lay by the pool with my book. Even squeezed in a nap!! With crisper skin and rosier cheeks we made our way back over to the Upper Room church that we had visited early in our trip. Every Friday they have community corner where they invite all of the children in their community to come and play games in the parking lot/yard. Pastor Muirhead then does a 5 min devotion and after they are given a hot meal.
It may be obvious by now that I have a really big space in my heart for kids and animals. And my heart was filled. As soon as I got out of the car I was approached by a sassy little girl named Kimona. She asked to play with my hair and her friends joined in. They added some braids and told me how soft it was:)
One boy no older than 3 named Dian made me chuckle because he was wearing a patchwork blazer. All business this one! One of the lines I worked on at Belk we made patchwork shorts and eventually a blazer! Not something I ever thought I would see on a cute Jamaican kid. He was shy and adorable.
Kimona had the ability to make me jump right in and start playing with all the kids. Next thing you know I am running laps where she graciously stayed behind just to “make sure you can make it”. Nothing more humbling than a child telling you that you are slow!
Then a group of boys all around the age of 8-10 approached me and started telling me about a cartoon called The Blaze. They were so animated and excited to tell me and do impressions. When there was finally a break I was able to ask their names. One of the boys tells me his full three names, then quickly says “They call me Johnny”! ahahaha! It was great. All of them had nicknames which I thought was fun. I mostly understood all that they were telling me but there were a couple times that I had to ask them to slow down. Oh another funny moment was when Johnny was telling me about his pet donkey who is appropriately named Eagle:)
We did not get to transfer the pictures to my computer from Sam’s camera (only have a few from my phone), but I will get them this weekend and add them here!
All in all it was the perfect way to end our trip. I feel like I have missed writing about so many moments that happened on our trip, but I guess that is the beauty of a mission trip. You will never really know what it is like until you go. This trip has started a new phase in my travel goals. I LOVE to travel and I LOVE to serve now I can do both! Thanks for hanging in there are all the support along the way!
