This Spring Break, Father Peter and a group of 12 students went to Montego Bay, Jamaica, to volunteer with Mustard Seed Communities. Mustard Seed is an organization dedicated to caring for the most vulnerable and marginalized populations in the countries where they serve. They currently have locations established in Jamaica, Nicaragua, Dominican Republic, Zimbabwe, and Malawi. Thanks to the generosity of a grant, we were able to spend the week in Adelphi, Jamaica, at the Blessed Assurance site, about an hour inland from Montego Bay. At this site, we had the pleasure of serving disabled kids between the ages of 7 and 18 who have absolutely nowhere else to go. Blessed Assurance truly is a special place on this Earth that does an amazing job caring for the sweetest of kiddos in Jamaica.
To say this was a life-changing experience would be an understatement. We received so much more out of this trip than we could have ever hoped for. Taking care of kids, especially those with disabilities, was definitely out of our comfort zone, so you can imagine what it was like going to the middle of the Jamaican rain forest to care for disabled orphans, many of whom barely spoke English. Of course, many of our greatest experiences come from times when we force ourselves outside of our comfort zones. This was certainly no exception. We felt ourselves grow so much, both as caretakers to the kids and also as servants of God.
Although our main purpose of the trip was to spend a week caring for the kids, there was even more to gain. It is nearly impossible to put into words the incredible opportunity of fully experiencing another country and its culture. During our week there, we had a chance to go to Mass with the Bishop at Blessed Sacrament Cathedral in Montego Bay. We also drove to Moneague and visited another Mustard Seed location, Jacob's Ladder, a site that takes in many of the disabled adults in Jamaica. We then spent the rest of the day on the beach in Ocho Rios. The combination of all of these experiences provided such an immersive and wholesome week for us, and one we certainly won't soon forget.
