Today I was really looking forward to a full day at the infirmary and seeing my friend Daisy May King.  I found out when we arrived that she had passed away.  I was really bummed. I didn't know how to handle it, but Ashley was there and pushed me to talk to more people.  I made my rounds to the people I met last year  and found my friend Myrtle.  When she saw me she started crying and singing amazing grace to me. After that I loosened up and started walking around.  I was really touched by how people remembered me and how excited they were.  I didn't want to leave at the end of the day. The people there just make you feel so welcomed and loved.
Grace

true joy

When I got home last year from my 1st trip to Jamaica i knew I wanted to go back.  but after a year the desire and reason to go had faded away. With graduation and grad parties and blah going on I totally forgot why I had wanted to go back.  When I arrived I still couldn't remember. Two days went by and still nothing.  Then I went to the infirmary.  It was even better than last year and after spending a full day there I got to continue some amazing relationships and most of all I experienced full, true joy.

Olivia

I am going to talk about my full day at the infirmary.  I wasn't sure it was really what I wanted to do.  But I felt it was the right thing to do.  When I arrived I was very nervous to go out and talk to some new people.  So I went our with Evan Fuller.  I definitely wouldn't describe him as shy.  We went to the men's side first.  He introduced me to a man named George Allen.  I found out he served for the Royal Air Force during World War 2.  I was weird to see a veteran of WW2 in such a place.  But, after that I remembered a verse, John 13:34.  "Love one another as I have loved you."  And I thought these people still need love and I can give it to them.  So I went to the woman's side and talked with a lady named Mavis who wanted me to read some Psalms to her.  She also recited some from memory.  Evan prayed with her.  She repeatedly praised God and before we left she said about 20 times "Lord be with you."  She made me think if she can praise God like that in this environment, then I need to rethink how much time I give to God daily, like hours instead of minutes.
Cory Kratzer

This is my second time in Jamaica, and it is still awesome.  Now that I know people from the last year it gives me a chance to really reconnect and have good conversations.  God is definitely here with us and He is working in our lives and the Jamaicans.  I have worked at a house, spent a full day at the infirmary and spent a full day at the Harmons all age school.  All the experiences have been great and gave me a chance to really serve and connect with the people of Jamaica.
Cade Kratzer

great so far!

Today I went and worked on house 1 in Johns Robinson District.  The second house was for the Palmer's. They have a little boy who is 4 and he is adorable.  He wanted to help us sift the maul.  Today was pretty tough, but yesterday was hard.  I put up the foam walls and cut out the doors and windows.  It wasn't too hot just really humid, so sweat was getting in my eyes as I looked up to cut wire.

Last night was the staff hang out in the court yard. I met Berti. He is a welder for Won-by-One.  He told me a lot about his life and girlfriend Courtney ran him off when she went to get her camera.  Berti and I picked on Courtney, but it was all good fun.

It's been great so far!
Nick
 

40 year old eyes

Tuesday was a full serve day and I was assigned to the same house I was at yesterday.  The entire day had something to do with maul. Shoveling it, spreading it, sifting it, mixing it, spreading it and flinging it. Such hard and dirty work.  I looked over and Thomas, a Jamaican worker, had nearly completed the entire wall and my  half corner wasn't even up to my waist!  By noon, another worker asked me to help him and I tried my hardest to be the best helper. These guys never stopped. My stomach was growling, I had sweat in my eyes, I was so thirsty but I did not want to let them down.  Thomas and the other Jamaicans started laughing and said I was a hard worker and would not be fired today!  I have maul skills.

The most most impactful realisation thus far is the Jamaican women thinking Olivia is my sister. Of course I accept the compliment but I look into their 40 year old eyes and I can tell they have lived a much harder, rougher life than I can ever imagine.  I have had my share of bumps but I always had indoor plumbing, transportation, and the knowledge that Jesus would never leave me or forsake me.

Kerri
1 Peter 3:3-4

Very blessed to be here

On Monday I was a part of House #1 where we put up walls to the house. I was thankful for the opportunity to begin the first steps to a new house for a precious family. The family consisted of a Mom, a Dad and two young children.

Today I was blessed to go back to the same house and work on cementing the foam walls.  There were 8 american team members helping the 3 Jamaican Won-by-One workers.  We sifted maul, mixed concrete and then got lessons from the workers on how to spread the concrete, which was quite a task. One Jamaican in particular, Thomas, took the time to show us His ways of spreading the concrete on the walls. I am so very thankful for the patience of the Jamaicans because we were not good at spreading concrete.

At the end of the day a young woman, friends of the homeowners, and her 10mo old son came up with a bowl of candy they had been selling at the primary school when the kids got out. She desperately wanted us to buy her candy.  She sat with us and we learned about her.  I was encouraged by the love and happy spirit she showed through her eyes and smile.  Living in a place of poverty, she was blessed with what she had. I was surprised by the baby and the way he would crawl around on the hard rocks, But I was even more surprised by the way the mom was okay with it. You would never see that happen in America.

I am very blessed to be able to be here in Jamaica.  God is showing me his grace everyday.  I can see God's love through the Jamaican people.

Lauren Whyte

Toothbrush scrubbing

Hey everyone! It's so great to be back in Harmons. Today we did the walk-about of the area to see what Harmons is like. After that we had delicious PB&J and went to work.  I was supposed to sift maul but because of an equipment miscommunication ended up scrubbing the water filters with a toothbrush! This alone time allowed me to reflect on how easily we take for granted our resources.  It's so great to be back.
Evan Fuller

Good to be back

It's good to be back in Jamaica for the 5th time. I love being here and serving the Jamaican people. Today was the 1st day in Harmons and to start off we took a small tour of the village to see how the Jamaicans live. It still amazes me how happy they are with how little they have.We ate the usual PB&J for lunch on the best bread in the world and then straight to work. I was at house 1 and we got the walls put up and about half of the mall sifted for tomorrow to start making concrete. We got to play and hang out with some children and a little boy named Raymond.  He and I played catch for a while and then he decided he was going to help us shovel some rock. God constantly is doing amazing things here.

Ty