Hey everyone:) I know I haven’t been posting super frequently but that’s mostly because of the service here in Jamaica. It’s a little different than what we’re used to in America. But another reason is I’ve been so present in living in the moment of what God has been teaching me during this whole journey. This experience has not been easy to say the least. It’s challenging, Physically, Mentally and Spiritually. However, it has been such a blessing to experience those challenges. These things have helped me grow closer to God and be more present in his word and really just try and focus on what he’s teaching me. I came on the world race mostly expecting to help others come closer to Christ and help them get new roofs on their homes. Which we are doing but I never expected to receive help in things I have been struggling with. I think in this world that we live in, it’s so easy to focus on the things that have hurt us and caused us pain rather than the blessings that have happened within the hurt. Being here in Jamaica I have realized more and more that even though I was hurt in the past and was holding onto so much hurt. God has still shown me who I am and that’s a child of God. My hurt and my pain and my past don’t define me, that’s not my identity. My identity is in Christ and it’s so easy to think less. This week my team had a job at a church to fix the roof. This job has been so extremely hard I can’t even describe it. First of all in Jamaica it is very hot and you sweat like no joke. Secondly the roof we are working on is so steep and certain parts are not stable to stand on so that’s a challenge in itself. But the hard parts of the job aren’t what matter. What matters is the connections and relationships we’ve been building during the hard job. We are not only blessing the people who lead this church but we are blessing a whole entire community who attend this church. That’s the beauty within it. My team and I get to serve and do something that’s challenging for us but we are blessing people and they are feeling the presence of God more than they have before. There is this guy named Mr Lance and he attends the church and does a-lot of leadership roles within the church and since we got to the church on day one of this specific job he has been there all day just sitting there in our presence while we work on this roof because of how grateful he is. He is also blind so he can’t even see what we are doing but he still sits there with us and talks to us while we serve them and that is such a huge blessing. I got to talk to Mr Lance for probably over an hour and he shared his story with me and it was just so beautiful to see that even though he went through some extremely tough things in his life I can’t even imagine he still runs to God. He doesn’t let his past define his identity and I think that’s so beautiful, because the man I saw before he shared his story I saw a loving man of Jesus and after he shared I still saw a true loving man of Jesus and it just inspired me so much.  I thank God everyday for this experience even when it’s hard I’m just so thankful I get to help people and learn things myself:)

As I sit here at the church, anticipation fills the air. We’ve gathered for a mission trip that promises not just to raise the roof, but to elevate our spirits and deepen our faith. The sun shines brightly, casting a hopeful glow on the task ahead.

I glance around at my fellow volunteers, each of us united in this beautiful encounter with God. There’s something special about coming together for a purpose greater than ourselves. As we prepare to put on the roof, I can’t help but reflect on how this experience is more than just physical labor; it’s a journey of spiritual growth.

In moments like these, I am reminded of the transformative power of service. We’re not just building a roof; we’re constructing a haven—a place where faith can flourish and lives can be changed. Let’s embrace this journey with open hearts and joyful hands, trusting that God is at work in every nail we drive and every prayer we lift up.