Friends and Family!
Today we helped David, Sister Marcia, Sister Evette and Garland (the groundskeeper on campus) patch the driveway at the LIA campus. We had to start by moving dirt from the bottom of the drive all the way up the hill in order to mix the concrete at the top. This was SO hard – our bodies were sore and fighting the heat. After about an hour of taking turns, Liz saved the day and thought of a much more efficient way to move the dirt that was MUCH easier on our bodies. Her suggestion was absolutely brilliant, and we saved so much energy by forming an assembly line and passing off the buckets while replacing each other’s spot in line. Jaylen was especially encouraging to everyone as we passed buckets – despite his fatigue he stayed positive and lifted everyone’s spirits!
Lunch was SUCH a treat! Sister Evette brought in Juici Patties from town – a local favorite. A Juici Patti is what you get if a hot pocket and a pot pie were to have a love child – the outside is a flaky crust and the inside is either beef or chicken with spices and cheese. They were so filling and delicious! After lunch we finished mixing and pouring the concrete into the potholes, Isaac was tasked with smoothing out and leveling the concrete. He took his job very seriously, and Sister Marcia praised him for his attention to detail and his relentless work ethic.
Tonight at debrief we talked about our highs and lows of the day. Even through the heat, and the heavy lifting, and the thousands of steps we would have earned today, your students said working together as a team and finishing the driveway for our friends here in Jamaica they’ve come to love and adore, was the highlight of their day. Just incredible.
God hand picked each and orchestrated the universe so that every one of them could be here…they all come from different homes, different experiences, and in different places in their walk with Jesus…though all of that, God has bonded this team together in a very special way. To celebrate that, and to seal it on our hearts we did what is called, “the gold I see in you”. You make two lines, facing in towards each other, the student on the end makes their way through the tunnel, stopping at each and every person to be showered with praise and encouragement, to be told by their teammates “the gold I see in you is…”. And wow. Some of us cried (mostly me, because I’m a sap and will cry at a TV commercial), most of us laughed, and every single one of us encouraged one another with sincerity and tenderness #12strong.
I’m truly grateful for each and every one of your students and the way God gifted them, wired them, and created them…and that he brought us all together miles away from home on this island.
Soaking up every last bit of our trip, and looking forward to our homecoming.
Today we helped David, Sister Marcia, Sister Evette and Garland (the groundskeeper on campus) patch the driveway at the LIA campus. We had to start by moving dirt from the bottom of the drive all the way up the hill in order to mix the concrete at the top. This was SO hard – our bodies were sore and fighting the heat. After about an hour of taking turns, Liz saved the day and thought of a much more efficient way to move the dirt that was MUCH easier on our bodies. Her suggestion was absolutely brilliant, and we saved so much energy by forming an assembly line and passing off the buckets while replacing each other’s spot in line. Jaylen was especially encouraging to everyone as we passed buckets – despite his fatigue he stayed positive and lifted everyone’s spirits!
Lunch was SUCH a treat! Sister Evette brought in Juici Patties from town – a local favorite. A Juici Patti is what you get if a hot pocket and a pot pie were to have a love child – the outside is a flaky crust and the inside is either beef or chicken with spices and cheese. They were so filling and delicious! After lunch we finished mixing and pouring the concrete into the potholes, Isaac was tasked with smoothing out and leveling the concrete. He took his job very seriously, and Sister Marcia praised him for his attention to detail and his relentless work ethic.
Tonight at debrief we talked about our highs and lows of the day. Even through the heat, and the heavy lifting, and the thousands of steps we would have earned today, your students said working together as a team and finishing the driveway for our friends here in Jamaica they’ve come to love and adore, was the highlight of their day. Just incredible.
God hand picked each and orchestrated the universe so that every one of them could be here…they all come from different homes, different experiences, and in different places in their walk with Jesus…though all of that, God has bonded this team together in a very special way. To celebrate that, and to seal it on our hearts we did what is called, “the gold I see in you”. You make two lines, facing in towards each other, the student on the end makes their way through the tunnel, stopping at each and every person to be showered with praise and encouragement, to be told by their teammates “the gold I see in you is…”. And wow. Some of us cried (mostly me, because I’m a sap and will cry at a TV commercial), most of us laughed, and every single one of us encouraged one another with sincerity and tenderness #12strong.
I’m truly grateful for each and every one of your students and the way God gifted them, wired them, and created them…and that he brought us all together miles away from home on this island.
Soaking up every last bit of our trip, and looking forward to our homecoming.