I want to change the world...

I've been debating writing this post, for I know it will be a controversy for many. This week I recklessly read the book, Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne. Shane is a passionate, fuming, beautiful, wretched, and broken person with a strong desire to seek out Christ's heart and the literal way we are to follow Christ. Shane grew up in a "normal Christian" home and church, which he found to be incredibly un-fulfilling. In college, Shane explored his desire to "be Jesus with skin on" and went with his friends to downtown Philadelphia to do night life with the homeless there. The more time he spent in the "dangerous places" in Philly, the more he experienced real life and real love. He has continued to live his life in the pursuit of Christ. He has lived with Mother Teresa in Calcutta, loving on the lepers and hanging out with the little Indian kids there. He has gone to Iraq several times during the midst of war to love on the citizens there. Shane has also started a community in Philly, called the Simple Way (http://www.thesimpleway.org/). The Simple Way is a house and a home, a family and a community. They house the homeless, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and simply love each other.

Now I am not writing this post to glorify Shane's work or even to admire his pursuit after Christ, rather, I am blown away by his argument for a world in need of a new revolution, a world that revolves around love and community. I think all of us believe in and even desire a "changed world", but I feel that we are just sitting here, waiting for something to happen. Please know that I am just as guilty of this as anyone, but that I do desire a changed world, sooner than later. We see movies like "Crash" and "Hotel Rwanda" that expose us to the ugliness of our world. We join movements like The ONE Campaign, or read about things like the UN Millennium Development Goals that inform us of global poverty. We read books, hear from speakers, listen to sermons, etc. These things are great and do an okay job of making us aware of our world crisis, but it still seems that most of us fail to live out our dream world, the world that Christ calls us to create.

In Shane's book, he describes our world as "independent and materialistic", while we ought to rely on "interdependence and sacrificial sharing". His constant argument is that if we are focused on loving one another, then provisions will be met, harmony will echo, and our world will soon be changed. One thing I have realized is how much the community of Harmons reflects this idea of harmony and love. Experiencing a week down here, (let alone an entire summer), we are given a glimpse of true community. We see for perhaps the first time true love and true relationships that are based solely on love for our neighbor. We are able to provide for those who have little and love them as Jesus loves us all. I know this is getting lengthy, but I urge you to find and consider what Christ has literally called us to for this world. He is a God of love; a God who loves the righteous and a God who loves the wretched.

"Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God."
Ephesians 5:1-2



This will be my last post for a while. We will be gone all next week. Please keep the staff in your prayers as we retreat and rest for a week...


One Love,
Lace

Funny story from the infirmary-

Hello friends! So I was planning on writing all about the stuff that has been going on in my mind about what it means to fully live the gospel and follow Jesus. However, a funny thing happened during our trip to the infirmary today, so I will write about it instead...

Some of you know what the infirmary is, and some of you don't. The government of Jamaica funds one infirmary in each parish in Jamaica, so there are 14 in all. We visit the Clarendon Infirmary, which is about 40 minutes from Harmons. The infirmary is kind of like a nursing home, however, it has the worst conditions I have seen in my life. Some of the people are healthy and "normal" (as bad as I hate to use the word.) Others are deformed and lifeless. Every week, Won By One To Jamaica takes an hour-long visit to go and love on our brothers and sisters that live there.

It's very interesting being on summer staff and visitng this place every single week. Sometimes it is a horror, while other times I have a great time just laughing and singing with my friends there. I feel a great sense of satan in that place, but I also feel more Jesus than I've ever felt in my life. While talking to the lonely, the dying, the sick, and the rejects of society, I am able to see Jesus in their eyes. These people have a holy nature about them, literally depending on Christ for provision in every area of their life. They have been stripped of every worldly thing (even relationships and physical love), that their only way to hope and have joy is to fall madly in love with the Lord.

Today as I was making my last trip around the men's ward, I went over to a man named Brown. He was hunched over his bed and looked to be feeling ill. I asked him how he was doing and he told me he was "not too good," and pointed to the bowl at his feet. He said his stomach was hurting him. I was with Phil and so Phil asked him if we could pray for him, because we didn't have any medicine so prayer was all we had to help. He said sure. As Phil began to pray, he asked Phil to pull up his shirt. Phil pulled up the shirt off his back and revealed very dry and scratched up skin. As soon as his shirt was up, Brown said, "Scratch it!" Phil and I both laughed. All he wanted was a back scratch! I thought it was so funny, and so neat. He was in an incredible amount of pain, but all he wanted was someone to scratch his back! I loved it...

The greatest part about getting to go to the infirmary week after week is that every week God reveals something new. Everytime I go, God teaches me something different. Sometimes I am mad, sometimes all I can do is question God, sometimes I am overwhelmed with the most genuine sense of joy, and times like this remind me that we are all people, brothers and sisters together. Today the Lord made me realize how much alike we really are with these people. All Brown wanted was a back scratch! He and I have a lot more in common than I thought!

Well, that's it for today. Maybe I'll try to write my "good post", as I called it, sometime in the next couple days. My advice to you, go scratch someones back!

Take care!

Lacy

Staff Bio #3

Name: Phil the Thrill Stroessner
Jamaican Pet Name: Tip, the Rat
Age: 21
Hometown: Missouri’s very own capital, Jefferson City… home of Central Dairy ice cream
High School: Helias Crusaders
College: Mizzou
Major: International Studies
Activities: Young Life, soon to be Granny’s House, Eating, Praying, Intramural Sports
Interests: Food, Oak Island, God, Historical Context behind Scripture, my wonderful girlfriend
Favorite Color: the color of the bouncy balls that look like the sunset
Favorite Team: M-I-Z…Z-O-U!!!!
Favorite Book: Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe, Song of Songs, Psalms, the Gospels, the Bible, On the Road by Jack Kerouac
Favorite TV Show: Man vs. Wild, Myth Busters, The Bugs and Daffy Show
Favorite Foods: My mom and dad’s home cooking… usually fried and/or barbecued!
Favorite Jamaican food: The Pork Pit (jerk pork, rice and peas)… go there if you ever visit Montego Bay
Favorite Music: everything… except Pop-Country… which is not real country... or real music for that matter
Biggest Dreams: Start an orphanage/school or start a mission in the States
Job in Jamaica: Lead the evening and morning meetings with David Cover
Biggest thing I’ve learned lately: Jesus did not come to burden us with His radical teachings. Instead, He has come to set us free and give us a life to the full. This is not an idealistic dream. This is truth. I do not come to Jamaica in order to be a Christian. I do not serve and love others at home to be a Christian. I already am a Christian! Instead, I do these things for the “least of His people” because Christ is living within me. I no longer feel disappointed that I can never do enough to please Him. I feel overwhelmed with joy and the freedom of Christ because I have allowed Him to more fully live in me and through me!

That's it for the day! Check back for a post tomorrow. I'm working on something good!

One Love,
Lacy

Expectations, Fears, Hopes, and Dreams

We're back at the Harmony House and ready for week 4! Our new team from Conroe First Baptist Church in Conroe, TX arrived today. (See picture below). Only two of the team members for this week have been to Harmons before. Therefore, this week is a new week for almost everyone. No matter how many times you have experienced this place, there are always expectations you have, fears and things you are nervous about, as well as dreams and hopes for the week. I asked Haley Roberts, a senior from Conroe to tell us about what she is thinking right now at the beginning of the week.

Ok, first let me preface this by saying that HOLY COW, the bus ride to Harmons from the airport was the craziest I've ever been on! Just when you think the road can't get any narrower... it does! Oh, and if you are ever driving in Jamaica on a road that appears to be one way, beware! It is a two-way road! The people here drive ten times crazier than NYC taxi cab drivers! I really feared for my life more than a few times!

Anyway, on a more serious note, I am so excited to be here in Harmons. I expect to become closer with Christ and also regain a proper gratitude for how blessed America is. This week, I want the Jamaican people to see who Jesus is through us and learn about His grace. I would love it if God would bring forth a specific person that I could minister to personally.

I must admit, I'm a little afraid of the dirt here... I don't mind working hard and sweating, but all of this dirt bothers me a little bit - especially because we only get two-minute showers! I'm one of those people who likes to be clean, so I'm out of my comfort zone a little here. Another fear of mine is that my team will leave on Monday without truly making an impact or without being changed themselves. I don't want this to be just a fun trip where we got to dance and hang around with new people. I want us all to realize the real opportunity we have to make a difference.

An accomplishment I want to make would be to share my faith and testimony with many people, and maybe even lead a few to Christ. An even bigger accomplishment, however, would be that my faith would be shared without words. I want to be Jesus to these people and demonstrate God's grace to them by working with them and helping them along spiritually, emotionally, and physically. I hope that wherever our church's mission team goes, everyone we come into contact with will notice something different about us and want to know more about the everlasting God that we serve.

--- Haley Roberts, FBC Conroe

That's all for tonight!

Lacy

The Rule of Life

This summer, we have been studying the basics of Christianity. We have been emphasizing the importance of having a rock solid foundation to build your life on. Without solid Christian beliefs and knowledge about our Christian faith, the Christian life will without doubt become boring and unfulfilling. So many Christians today find themselves burnt-out or stagnant, wondering why the 'life to the full' has left them dry and hungry. To our surprise, we are finding that so many Christians have forgotten the incredible fact that Christ is presently living inside of them. We have been reading Classic Christianity, by Bob George. His insights have been incredibly helpful as we wrestle with truth about basic fundamental Christian beliefs. One thing that has stuck out to me is that so many people do the "Christian things" (i.e. go to church, read the bible, reach out to the homeless, come to Jamaica) because they are trying to please God and earn a little bit more of His acceptance. Yet we all know that Christ loves us each the same and that His love is endless. Since we are no longer under the law but under grace (see Romans 6), we should now set ourselves to a higher standard. We should now strive to allow Christ to live in us as fully as possible. If we live for any other reason, our faith is not based on grace and love and life in Christ, but on good works or what others think of us. I could go on and on about our nightly discussions and what we are experiencing and learning together, but today I want to focus on one thing that will help us to have a dependent, receiving heart for the Lord to use in our daily lives.

This summer, the summer staff has created and committed to our rule of life. We have six things that we will strive to do each day or week (depending on the rule) that will enhance our relationship with Christ and allow Christ to move in us and live in us. We understand fully that these six things are not to be done for any other reason than to serve the Lord. Here is our rule of life, divided into three different categories...

The Inner Life
- Journal Regularly
- Spend one hour per week in solitude
The Communal Life (this applies to summer staff only)
- Participate in a weekly happy/crappy session (This is basically a weekly discussion about how we are living with each other)
- Serve a staff member daily
The Outer Life
- Engage a team member in a significant conversation daily
- Engage a Jamaican on an emotional level daily

As you can see, these six rules really stretch us each day, but allow us to be intentionally filled with Christ's love and live in Christ with each other and the people we are ministering to this summer. I would like to challenge EACH OF YOU to create and commit to your very own rule of life. It may be something very small, or you may want to go big with your rule. Regardless, I urge you to make your rule of life something that will help you to have a dependent, receiving heart for Christ's love and life to be overflowing in you...

In Christ Alone,
Lacy

Facts You Should Know About Jamaica...

Lately I've discovered that many Americans know very little about the country of Jamaica. Even people who have been here multiple times don't know basic facts about the country. So, here is a little bit of Jamaican trivia for you! I'll have more facts about Harmons and Won By One To Jamaica later!!!

Country Name: Jamaica
Capital City: Kingston
Population: 3 million in Jamaica (2.5 live in or around Kingston, another 2 million Jamaicans live in Canada, Great Britain, and US)
Official Language: English
Slang Language: Patois
Motto: "Out of many, one people."
Discovery: Columbus discovered it in 1494 (It was first settled by the Spanish, but later ruled by the British until it gained independence)
Independence: 1962
Type of Government: Parliamentary Democracy
Prime Minister: Portia Simpson
Area: 4,244 square miles
Land Size: 141 miles from East to West; less than 50 miles from North to South
Location: Caribbean, West Indies, South of Cuba, and West of Haiti
14 Parishes: Clarendon, Hanover, Kingston, Manchester (where we are), Portland, Saint Andrew, Saint Ann, Saint Catherine, Saint Elizabeth, Saint James, Saint Mary, Saint Thomas, Trelawny, Westmoreland
Geography: Humid, tropical weather, jungle, and mountainous regions
National Holiday: Independence Day (August 6th)
National Flower: Lignum Vitae tree
National Bird: Doctor Bird
National Fruit: Ackee
National Tree: Blue Mahoe
National Dish: Ackee and Saltfish
Popular Sports: Cricket, Football (soccer), and net-ball
Jamaican Music: Reggae

Welp, that's it for tonight...

--- Lacy

Staff Bio #2

Name: Jonathan Joseph DiBenedetto
Jamaican Pet Name: Nappy

Age: 21

Hometown: Cincinnati, Ohio

High School: Milford High School

College: Geneva College

Major: Student Ministries

Activities: Hockey

Interests: sports, snowboarding, college ministry

Favorite Color: Red

Favorite Team: Philadelphia Flyers

Favorite Book: Chronicles of Narnia

Favorite TV Show: Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

Favorite Food: Pizza

Favorite Jamaican food: Beef and gravy

Favorite Music: Punk

Biggest Dreams: Write a book

Job in Jamaica: Courtyard time, Coffee

Biggest thing I’ve learned lately: God is just as present and at work in the United States as He is in Jamaica or anywhere else in the world.

Week 2: Complete! Week 3: Beginning!

Week two is complete. We had a an incredibly busy week! Two houses were built, a foundation was made for a new house, lots of marl was hauled, the schools were visited, and about 60 families were able to shop. It was an incredible week! We said goodbye to our friends from Deerbrook Covenant Church, Christ Community Church, and Western PA this morning! Shortly after, we picked up our team for this week, Abundant Life Baptist Church from Lee's Summit, MO. (See picture below!)

Last week we had a brother and sister that were able to share this experience together. Devon Russel, a 17 year-old Senior from Lee's Summit, MO was here for her second trip. Her brother, Reed Russel, an 18 year-old high school graduate, was here as well. Each of these siblings had a very unique and challenging week and I wanted to share it with you. I asked each of them to write about what they learned this week...

My week here in Harmons was an awesome experience this year. Because I have traveled to Jamaica one time before, the mysteries and surprises of the week were not as eye popping as they were a year ago. Rather than having the anticipation of experiencing each day for the first time, I was able to focus on developing relationships with Jamaicans rather than focusing on my insecurities of being in a new place. This mindset proved to be very beneficial in understanding what the Lord was trying to teach me about His heart this week.

I came into this week with the prayer that God would capture my heart and give me a burning desire to know more about Him. Phil and Dave (the meeting guys) led our team to understand truth in waiting on the Lord to bestow His peace and joy upon us. For a year, I had been wanting the joy I found in Harmons last year, but that joy didn't last. I learned this week that I shouldn't be working for the gifts of God, but rather have a receiving attitude that I might allow Christ to fill me up and live through me.

--- Devon Russel

After taking an easy stroll up the slope of my faith for the past 17 years, I came face to face with a cliff. Growing up in the church, my hand had always been held throughout my life as a Christian. When I reached the cliff, which symbolizes the transition from my fake faith to my real faith, I slowing started to lose interest in the pursuit of my relationship with God. An impasse. I had drifted too far from the expectations of the Christian faith that I looked back and viewed my life in the church in a whole new perspective. I realized I was living a lie and I was tired of it. I began to question many of the accepted beliefs we as Christians posses. I looked past the cliches and started to become honest with myself. It was refreshing...

Because of these realizations, I had lost all motivation to practice my faith or pursue that relationship with God. Through the meetings led by Phil and David, I reached a conclusion. I lacked motivation because I had no idea how to take that first step up the cliff. If you don't know how to take the first step, you're not going to take it. Our discussions made it clear what this first step will be, to know that I am fully accepted by Christ and to allow Him to to fill me up and use me as He wants me. I feel like I am back on track and I feel a peace that everything is as it should be.

--- Reed Russel

That's all for now! Have a great night and check back soon!

--- Lacy

Jesus tends to rock my world...

So yesterday was a really hard day, but maybe one of the best days I’ve had yet. I was helping a lady named Annetta Reid in the store. She was talking very softly and I could tell she wasn’t well. She apologized for being out of it and went on to tell me that she had been in a car accident the day before. I asked her more about it and found that she had gotten in a car wreck on her way to shop at our store on Thursday. She was in a taxi when it hit a pothole, flipped and rolled, leaving a huge gash in her head. She had a towel on her head and asked me if I wanted to see it. I said yes, as she revealed a huge (probably 4-5 inches) gash in her skull that was no less than an inch deep. It looked as if it had just happened because it wasn’t cleaned or dressed or anything, so I asked if she had been to the hospital. She told me she had gone to the hospital right after it happened but they only gave her a shot, paid no attention to the gash in her skull, and told her to come back the next morning. When she returned in the morning, the doctor was not there, so they told her to come back around noon. In the meantime, she came to shop since she missed her chance Thursday due to the accident. I was so lucky to shop with her because I don’t know if she would have gotten the help she needed otherwise. After she told me about the accident and after I saw her wound, I gave her some pain medication and went inside to get Phil. Phil and I took her around to the side of the house where no one was looking and began to clean and dress her head. Before Phil poured peroxide on her, I told her it would hurt very badly, so if she wanted to hold my hand, I would be there for her. She took my hand and as Phil began to pour, she squeezed tighter and tighter and the look on her face was terrifying! I knew it had to hurt terribly. Phil blew on the gash to ease the stinging. After he cleaned it, we worked together to bandage her head and wrap her up in gauze. I then gave her a huge bottle of extra strength Tylenol and told her to get to the hospital as soon as she possibly could. I told her if they turned her away a third time to come back and I would get her the help she needed. After we were finished, I carried her suitcase and walked her up the road to catch a taxi. She didn’t come back last night so I’m hoping that she ended up seeing a doctor. I’m positive she needed tons of stitches, and probably lots of real pain medication and not just Tylenol. This was probably the worst and best part of my week, simply because I felt like I was doing this “changing the world thing” for the very first time. I knew that I was actually making a difference and that I had true compassion and true love for this woman, simply because she is a sister of mine and because she needed the help. It was as if Jesus was there the entire time, because I honestly had no idea what I was doing, but what needed to be done got accomplished. Annetta was a HUGE reminder of why I am here, - to love people who need love, to help people who need help, and to be Jesus to people who need to see Jesus in their lives.

Please keep Annetta in your prayers...

---Lacy

Serving Opportunities!

Many of you are probably wondering what exactly it is that we do here in Harmons. Therefore, I'm going to give you a tiny run-down of all our serving opportunities we have throughout the week...

The House: Every week a team is here, they will build 1-2 houses, depending on the size of the team. This week, since we have a larger team, they are building 2 houses in Porus, which is a city near Harmons. There is quite a process that goes into building, including building the foundation, putting up walls, adding layers of concrete, topping it with a zinc roof, etc. At the end of each week, the team will have a dedication ceremony where they will present the house to its new family. It is a very meaningful event and we will have a video of a dedication ceremony coming later!

The Store: The store is opened up 2-3 days a week, where Jamaicans from Harmons and surrounding areas can come to shop. Every team member that comes to Harmons brings 100 pounds of donations with them, and it is all stocked in the store. Jamaicans can shop for everything from clothes and shoes to school supplies and diapers. Check out our newest VideoCast for an in-depth description of how the store works!
Click Here For Video!

Hauling Marl: Marl (pronounced "mall") is a gravel/sand-like substance that is used for building things such as foundations, concrete, etc. Because many Jamaicans live up in the bush, marl must be carried up the hill where no vehicle can venture. Using burlap sacs, a pile of marl is hauled by an assembly line from the bottom of a hill to the top. It is a very grueling job, but it provides a necessity for many.

The School: Some team members get the crazy privilege of visiting either the St. Jago School or the Harmons All-Age School. School runs from September to July. When team members visit the schools, they often find themselves being a jungle-gym for the kids and even teaching the class. This is a very unique opportunity and the Jamaican children absolutely love to see the "whities" (as they call them) come to their school.

I hope that gives you a better picture of what we are doing here and what our days actually entail! Each of these opportunities contribute to the ministry of Won By One To Jamaica and provide so much for this small community of Harmons...

Lacy

Staff Bio #1

Over the next several weeks, I will be doing a biography on each of our staff members, just so you get a better idea of who we are and what we are doing down here. For starters, I'll introduce myself!

Name: Lacy Donaldson
Age: 20
Hometown: Independence, MO
High School: William Chrisman
College: University of Missouri (Go TIGERS!)
Major: Secondary Education – English
Activities: Young Life and Jamaica
Interests: dancing, autumn, singing, writing music, traveling, roller coasters, camping, fishing, sarcasm, wiener dogs, poetry, reading books you can’t put down, taking pictures, surprises, road trips, love letters, and changing the world…
Favorite Color: Pink
Favorite Team: Mizzou Tigers and KC Royals
Favorite Book: A Severe Mercy, The Barbarian Way, and Catcher in the Rye
Favorite TV Show: Seinfeld
Favorite Foods: Orange soda, jalapeno chips, anything chocolate, and Chipotle
Favorite Jamaican food: it’s a tie between juicy patties or jerk chicken
Favorite Music: anything I can sing or dance to
Biggest Dreams: marrying the man of my dreams and having beautiful children, teaching high school English, singing in Nashville, starting a church, adopting a baby, doing mission work in a foreign country, writing for an international journal, and retiring to a big mountain farm house…
Job in Jamaica: I’m in charge of the store! Every week the store is open 2-3 days and I am in charge of stocking it, running it, etc. (You’ll learn more about the store and how it works later!) I’m also in charge of Ladies’ Night and writing this blog!
Biggest thing you’ve learned lately: I’ve learned about how HUGE the power of Christ is IN ME. I feel like I’ve always belittled who I am in Christ. But He is alive in ME and He is HUGE and at work!!! My life is no longer mine, but His! It is incredible…

That's it for now! Be sure to check back tomorrow for another entry...

Joyfully His,

Lacy

The Internet Was Down

Hello friends! Sorry for the delay. The internet has been down at the Harmony House so we haven’t been able to post any blog entries. We said goodbye to our first group from Olathe Bible Church this morning. Their lives were deeply impacted during their short stay here in Jamaica. They had an incredible week and went home changed.

I asked some of the group members questions about their experience here in Harmons and here is what they had to say:

What is the one thing you learned this week?

One thing that I learned is that we should be thankful to go to school and have a good education. When we went to the school, I realized that the teachers don’t really care what the kids do during class and it’s so loud in the classrooms that you can’t even think. – Kaitlyn

What was your most meaningful experience this week?

This whole week was filled with many meaningful experiences. One of the highest on the list was the trip to the infirmary. I loved it when we sat down to read to a lady named Louise, when another lady named Patricia came up to us. She said to kiss her friend Louise because, “she loves kisses!” Then we all sang songs together. When we began to read scripture, Louise began to repeat each verse. When we had to go she thanked us, as Patricia walked us to the bus. It was a very humbling and meaningful experience. – Michele

What was the one thing that made your week here different from a week at home?

There were many things that were different, such as: being in the jungle and having stars at night, having Christian friends all around me for encouragement, spending time discussing God everyday in a group, and reading to people at the infirmary. – Colton

What is one thing you will do when you go home to remind yourself of your week here in Harmons?

It was a big surprise to come back this year and see how close the bauxite mining had moved to the house and the community in Harmons. When I return home, every time I use aluminum, I am going to pray for Harmons and the people I’ve met there. – Sam

This evening, our second group arrived! (See picture above) We have a fairly large group this week, comprised of a group from Deerbrook Covenant Church in Lee’s Summit, MO, a group from Christ Community Church in Leawood, KS, and two girls from Geneva College in Pennsylvania. I will update this as soon as I can, so look for more entries and new photos! Be sure to look for our newest videocast , it will be coming soon!

One Love,

Lacy

Matilda's Story...

This afternoon, I spent some time with my friend, Matilda. I went to her house and just talked with her about her life. Here's her story...

77 year-old Matilda Morrant was born on June 23rd, 1930. Matilda was born here in Harmons and has lived here ever since. She was the oldest of 4, and the only girl in the family. Her favorite thing when she was little was all the fruit that grew in Harmons. When Matilda was 29 years old, she married the love of her life. They shared 44 years together, until he died in 2003. The two of them had 12 children, 5 which died in their infancy, and 7 who are still around today. Matilda is a mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother of many.


During Matilda's adult years, she worked as a midwife, delivering several babies in the community of Harmons. Her husband had a hard and laborious job as a sugar cane cutter, and was the bread-winner for their entire family. Along with her midwifery job, Matilda watched several babies and children during the day.



Now that Matilda is older and without her husband, she lives with her family. During the day, Matilda takes care of her great-grandson while his mother goes to work. Throughout the week, Matilda volunteers as the secretary at her church, where she takes the minutes of meetings, goes to town to do business, etc. Matilda has a real servant's heart.

Some facts about Matilda:
-she has never been to school
-she has never seen a movie
-she likes to watch the news at night
-she enjoys cooking, cleaning, and doing laundry
-her favorite food is chicken soup or banana porridge that she eats when she is sick

At the end of my talk with Matilda today, I asked her if someone wrote a book about her life, what would she want everyone to know about her? This is what she said:

"I would want everyone to know about my lifestyle here in Harmons..."




One Love,

Lacy

First Team, First Full Day, First Flouring

Our first team, Olathe Bible Church (see picture above), arrived last night in Montego Bay. After traveling to Harmons, unpacking suitcases full of donations, and settling into the Harmony House, we all went to bed so that we would be fully energized and ready for our first day in Harmons. This morning the team went through orientation where they learned a little more about Won By One To Jamaica, the culture and religion of Jamaica, the community of Harmons, and more of what this week will look like. Afterwards, we went on a walking tour of Harmons and saw how people live back in the bush. Many people's eyes were opened to the reality of hard life here in Harmons.

At our courtyard time tonight, we shared ice cream with Jamaicans while dancing the night away to music played by the Harmony House's very own DJ, Blackmouth. We were also happy to celebrate the birthday of one of our very own staff members, Rachel Schomaker, who turned 20 today! A very fun tradition in Jamaica is "flouring"! Every time someone has a birthday, they must be floured by someone sneaking up on them and throwing flour on their head. This has been done in Jamaica for several years and it is a funny way to make the birthday boy or girl look a little older! I hope the picture below will make you laugh!

That's about it for tonight!

Check out the 2nd VideoCast - it's guaranteed to make you laugh...


Good night,


Lacy

2 days to go...

Yesterday we had a change of pace. We were privileged to spend the day with the Jamaican staff of Won By One To Jamaica (see picture above). We gathered for several hours where we introduced ourselves to the Jamaican staff, had a meeting about expectations for the summer, and shared a wonderfully prepared Jamaican lunch. Through a gospel presentation by Henry Shaffer (Founder and President of Won By One To Jamaica), the Jamaican workers were able to see and hear what this organization is all about. It was truly a great day and being able to spend time with our Jamaican friends really made each of us more excited about swinging things into full gear.

We eagerly await our first group, Olathe Bible Church. They arrive on Monday, June 4th, just two days from now. We all know that in two days, life will change dramatically. We will pick up the pace and get this summer started. We will be able to see transformation taking place in the lives and hearts of both Jamaicans and Americans. We will see the community of Harmons as they gather around to engage with the Americans who come to serve. We will see houses being built, marl being carried, new clothes being worn, and needs being met. We will see how just one conversation can cultivate a lifelong relationship. We will see the huge change that can take place in just one week of service, selflessness, and love. But most importantly, we will begin to see a tiny glimpse of what God is doing in Harmons...

In Christ Alone,

Lacy