God in Jamaica

This year for spring break I had the privilege of going to Jamaica on a missions trip with my college volleyball team. The week consisted of us going to various places to share the love of Jesus and pour into different people. Our week started out with landing in Montego Bay Saturday evening where I experienced the most beautiful view of the Island as we were landing, we then got settled into our cottages and relaxed from the long day of travel. Sunday we had the privilege to go to a local church where the Holy Spirit was no doubt in that place. The passion the people had for the Lord was nothing like I had ever seen before, they were dancing and singing and praising the Lord with so much joy it was truly eye opening to see how unashamed we should be in our faith. Later on that afternoon we traveled to a home and spent some time with girls who had been involved in abusive situations previously, their spirits were so positive and the time we had to connect with them is forever cherished. Being able to get to know them and love on them was a great start to the week and we were humbled as we were leaving, they kept asking us to stay and if we were going to come back later that week even though that was our only time there during the trip. Monday and Wednesday morning we traveled to an infirmary for elderly and disabled people, this was an entirely new experience but the smiles on the people’s faces from simply listening and holding their hands brought me so much joy. A majority of the time I had no clue what they were saying but the little bits I could pick out are so valuable. There was one lady I had to privilege to talk to both days we were there and I will be honest, I probably got 2 sentences out of the 30 minutes we talked with her but the clearest words she spoke to us were “God is great and God is good”. That one phrase truly amazes me because this is a place were people spend the rest of their lives, and very few people come to visit but everyone there had immense hope. It’s amazing to think that though I was not able to understand much of what she said, the common ground was God. That in and of it self has so much merit and reveals so much about who He is. 

Monday through Thursday we went to an after school like care facility where we spent at least 2 hours with kids from the ages of 4 to 14. When I say this kids captured our hearts, I don’t mean that lightly at all. They lived in a high risk area and all they wanted was to be loved on. Everyday we waited for them until they were out of school and were greeted with countless hugs and endless games of BINGO and Little Sally Walker. Our time there included games and fun but we also were able to share various topics with them each day including respecting authority, conflict management, goal setting, and then what we called good touch bad touch. The week was a little overwhelming at times when the kids did not want to listen or sit still or would run in and out of the rooms, that’s just how kids can be though. But there were also days where they were well behaved and listened intently. Thursday was our last day there and it was the most emotional day for sure, we had connected and related to all of these kids and when we had to say goodbyes most of us had tears in our eyes. We had written letters to the kids and handed them out before we said our final goodbyes, I hope and pray that they forever cherish the week of memories. During this time there was one little girl who I was hugging on, every day she would come up to me and give me the biggest hug (and if you know me I will never turn down a hug). She wasn’t very talkative but that last day when we were saying goodbye she did not let go and I was perfectly content with that. A little bit later another little girl came up and joined in on the hug and I has the opportunity to pray for them (this is when I lost it). I told them how loved they are and how happy I was to spend time with them and the second little girl started crying. Seeing how much we impacted them in one week was the most incredible thing, they have brought so much joy into all of our lives and we will forever love them. 

Wednesday morning we traveled about an hour into the hills (one of the most terrifying drives of my life but we survived and thrived so praise the Lord) and spent a couple hours at a disabled home. Let me tell you that this was the most heart warming and fulfilling experience I had ever had in my life. I have very limited experience with those who have special needs but I have never felt such a more pure joy ever in my life. The biggest lesson for me that day was knowing that they were created by God and are so incredibly loved. Most of the people there were not able to verbally communicate but their smiles spoke more than words ever could. Running around and dancing or holding hands with those who were physically disabled was so much fun! We got to have a dance party with them and did different relay races with some of them also. Being able to love on people is something I would consider I am good at, not to sound over confident in who I am or anything, but I certainly love to make people feel appreciated and loved. I was in my element being able to make these kids and people smile throughout the week. 

The Lord definitely worked in my life and revealed so much to me, on trips like this it is fairly easy to think that you are solely there to serve the people, but in all reality the Lord works in your heart and uses the people you meet to touch your own life. This week spent in Jamaica is a week I will never ever forget, the people are held close to my heart and I would go back in an instant! A consistent theme throughout the week was that we were meant to be there for a reason, originally our team was supposed to travel to Nicaragua last summer but due to circumstances out of our control the location was changed to Jamaica. Throughout the whole week I could sense the Lord saying that we were always intended to be in Jamaica that week. In comparison to the rest of time, a week can seem so insignificant, however we had faith the Lord had us there to plant seeds wherever we went, even if we didn’t see a child give their life to Christ or have that divine moment, we planted seeds for the Lord to continue His work in their lives! If we were able to expand someone’s curiosity or show them a glimpse of who Christ is then I think that the Lord will continue to open more and more doors for their lives to be poured into. You never know, it could be a few weeks from now or multiple years from now, but some of those people could make the decision to change their lives forever and accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior! I pray that this week was not taken for granted and that our team does not fall back into the normal routine of life, that we continue to share Jesus and go out of our comfort zones to love on people like He loves us!