Each time I return, it becomes harder and harder to describe my experience to people. All of my visits seems to mesh together in my head. Each trip is generally spent working with the same kids at the Hanbury Home. However, during my trip with the Butler YMCA last week, God placed these main themes on my heart:
Reaffirmation- God really wants me to go on the World Race! I really hadn’t had any doubts about Him leading me down that path, but He really just kept telling me that He wants me to be a part of this.
Community- We were created to live life with other people. This is not just a lesson that I learn reading the Bible (Acts 2), but one that I have learned through experiencing it. This week, 40 of us lived in a big community. We ate together, sang together, cried together, jumped in frigid swimming pools together, worked together, climbed waterfalls together, played with precious children together, and laughed to the point of tears together. God designed us to live this way because he knew that we would be most fully alive when we are joined with our fellow believers. Community makes my heart perma-happy (shout out to Hospo!).
Purpose– I don’t know what God has in store for me with Jamaica. But He told me that I’m not done there yet. The people, the children, the landscape, and even the random roosters, goats, cows, and dogs walking down the street have a permanent place in my heart. I don’t know what my exact purpose in Jamaica will be, but I have faith that God will show me in His perfect timing.
Adventure– Plain and simple: I love adventures. So many events happened during this trip that were unplanned by our team; I found it easiest to adapt to these changes by considering them adventures. We were required to have flexible work plans because we were working at 3-4 different locations. This was an adventure to go to new locations everyday and interact with new people and paint new walls. Even our daily ice cream runs became adventures as our group of “whities” would get yelled and called at by Jamaicans in cars driving down the street. It was just another adventure.
I’m ready to take on the thousands of adventures on the World Race. Bring it on, God!
Painting at New Hope Orphanage
Yelling at everyone to get into the freezing swimming pool with us. We figured that this process would make the cold showers much more bearable.
I’m handing out “smooshies” (s’mores) at Hanbury.
Betsy, me, and Beth under the waterfall at Dunn’s River
Jamaican landscape
Beth and I with two of my favorite boys at Hanbury: Swab and Roshane
A game that we played a few times: Super Ninja Time! Everyone has to come up with awesome ninja moves such as the “Angry Woman”, “Supernova”, “Colt 45” or “Pink Flamingo”
5 other people from my house church went on the trip with us this year. It was awesome to have them with us!
