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A "Rookie's" View From Jamaica
Crystal clear waters, lush trees and bushes, rolling hills, and starry skies cannot be described to their fullness in regards to the beauty of Jamaica. Whether you are able to experience this beauty first-hand or through pictures, God's mighty work cannot be overlooked. However, anyone can see these aspects of the island. God created the mountains, waters and everything around for us to recognize His greatness and beauty, but the team of 18 who gave a week of their lives to serve spiritually and physically will tell you that there is more to God in Jamaica than what is visible to the eye.
I was one of the five "Rookies" on the trip wondering what I could possibly contribute to the well-established team who has returned to the Battersea New Testament Church for the past 13 years. However, I quickly undertook the Jamaican lingo and became acclimated to the foreign environment in which I was living. Going to the church on that first Sunday, I understood why I was called a "Rookie." All the returning team members have relationships with the people and children of the church, and the consistent support that First Presbyterian has provided gives the Jamaicans a tangible and visible image of Christ.
As a member of God's team and plan, my opening up to Him to work on my heart in a place like Jamaica brought lessons that really shook me up and changed my perspective on life overall. When we first arrived and were driving through the hills on the bumpy roads, I was listening to music with lyrics of praise to our Lord, who is Great and Powerful and Awesome, while looking at the poverty of the island, which appears hopeless and desperate for something more. I was quick to judge those who were just sitting outside of their "homes" (broken cinderblock covered with rusted pieces of zinc), thinking that they are missing out on the full schedule that I experience every day. Little did I know that I am the one missing out on the fullness of life.
Simplicity. Before Jamaica, I had forgotten the meaning of this word. Like many of you, I get so caught up in making sure that every minute of my day is accounted for, not wasting any time. Also, I often complicate my relationship with God when I try to control His work in my life. From the physically and mentally disabled people at the infirmary to those who just cannot find a job to bring any sort of income or stability to the family, I learned that a childlike faith in God is all that is needed to make the most of each day. The patients at the infirmary talked about nothing but their faith in God and love for Him. Those who live in the hillside communities know that they can only trust in Him for their needs each day. Our lives here are filled with so much materially as well as in our daily schedules that we often forget to rely on God for everything we have and do, since He is our sustainer for all things in our lives.
My prayer is that you will know that there is so much more to life than the hustle and bustle of our busy, prosperous American lives. God's beauty in the sun, stars, ocean and tree-covered hills of Jamaica overshadows the poverty, since the people know that there is something so much greater than the material and the busy schedules in life. Christ tells us to have a simple, childlike faith and to live our lives as His children in full need of His Grace.
I am fully confident that, rookie or not, each person on the trip was placed there for a personal lesson and message from God. Yes, He is teaching us something every day, but sometimes it takes an awakening message in a place like beautiful, impoverished Jamaica to recognize what He is saying. I will never forget the giant-sized faith in the simple lifestyle of beautiful Jamaica.
"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world… [The sun] rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is deprived of its warmth. The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple" Psalm 19:1-4, 6-7.
Val Kikkert |
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