jamaica trip...

posted by Ashley

Hi everyone!
It seems like it's been forever since I've blogged! So much has happened since my last post. The most important event was a mission trip to Jamaica with our college group at Adventure Community Church. There aren't enough words to describe just how incredible this trip truly was and how much my life was impacted by the people there. It was astonishing for me to see how little the people of Jamaica have, with regard to material possessions, and yet they are some of the happiest people I've ever met! While we were there, our group was in charge of leading VBS (Vacation Bible School) for Parrytown Church in the mornings and Ocho Rios Baptist Church in the afternoons. The kids at both churches immediately began talking with us, hugging us, and playing soccer with us (which is called football in Jamaica). So many kids do not have both parents living with them, which was heartbreaking for me to realize. These children just wanted to be with someone who would love them unconditionally and really care about them. Oh, and of course, all the girls wanted to play with our hair! Literally, for two hours straight, the girls at Ocho Rios Baptist Church twisted, braided, and "pony-tailed" my hair. I probably lost about 1/3 of my hair from all the tugging, and my scalp was really sore that night, but it was so much fun!


Having gone with Praying Pelicans Missions, I thought we would be eating PB&J sandwiches, or American food the whole time, but we were able to consume LOTS of delicious Jamaican food. Our first meal was jerk chicken, coleslaw, and sweet bread (it tasted a lot like funnel cake). We also ate a lot of fresh fruit, like mangos, papayas, and watermelon :) We even got to drink coconut milk! To be honest, it tasted like warm water (hardly any flavor!), but I was so excited to get to try some local fruits!


Overall, this mission trip really opened my eyes to the needs of those in other countries. God used this experience to help mold me and show me just how blessed I am to live in the United States. It makes me realize that more is expected of those who have more to offer ("From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked" Luke 12:48b). The entire experience in Jamaica was truly life-changing!
I hope you all have a wonderful day & I'll see you back here on Thursday!