After visiting the school, we met at the church to eat lunch and gather meal bags that had been packed the night before. The bags were distributed throughout the community and consisted of beans, rice, and mackerel. It was truly eye-opening for our team to get out into the hillside of Jamaica. It was estimated that our group walked 4-5 miles in the sun for about 2 hours. It was quite rewarding and fulfilling to help families provide for the upcoming week.
We then made our annual stop during visiting hours at the St. James Infirmary. We started off in the women's ward at the base of the property and finished at the men's ward at the top of the hill. Many of the faces encountered were still there from last year. There was much pain and suffering, but our group continually reminded the residents about the power of God's love.
As you can tell in the pictures, the team received some true Jamaican sunshine today. The team devotional for the night was based on fulfillment and achievement. It was led by Austin Cushing, Damani Bailey, Emily Gilreath, and Blair Zakas. They have shared their thoughts and reflections from the day below.
Austin: “Today we visited the infirmary and it was really
eye opening. We walked from house to house, visiting men and women in their
late 80’s and 90’s. It’s amazing how much joy singing the first verse of
“Amazing Grace” or “Lean on Me” can bring to someone’s day, especially someone living
in such rough condition.“
Emily: “Today we started off playing with kids at a primary
school, and then went off to deliver food in the area from the church that we packed
the night before. After delivering food, we went to visit the infirmary and
that really gives you a new perspective. I saw one man who was helpless and
sick in bed, hardly having any ability to move. Then he began singing and when
I found that he was singing a worship song, I almost broke down in tears.
Seeing him having nothing, but filled with so much joy brought so much joy to
my own heart and that in itself was rewarding enough to come on this missions
trip.”
Damani: “When I first signed up for this trip, I did not
really know most of the people on this trip. I didn’t really expect to interact
with too many people. Now that I have spent time with these people, I can say
that I love every single person on the team. I feel like we have grown to be a
family and I have made friends that I would not have were it not for this trip.
After working together to bring joy to people with so little and glorifying
God, I know that this is an experience that I will never forget.”
Blair: “Today we handed out food to the citizens of Jamaica on
the streets. It was very eye-opening to see their homes and how different their
life-style is compared to how we live at home. We have much to be thankful for
and it has been cool to see our team work together and leave a lasting impact
on peoples lives.”
Tomorrow is our final day in Jamaica, and we will be traveling for our culture day. There hasn't been much change to our return flight home on Friday. Information is listed below and I will update again on Thursday.
Delta 304
Depart Jamaica 3:02pm
Arrive Atlanta (International Terminal) 6:59pm
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