by Kelly Kenner, 6-month Caribbean Immersion team member
The Caribbean team has spent time on the Navajo Reservation in New Mexico, in the small Haitian town of Petit Goave, and are now living with host families in the mountain town of Catalpa, Jamaica.
Sitting in IMMERSION training 3 months ago, EM Executive Director Chris Clum talked about the four relationships God wants us to have: with God, our self, others and Creation. I remember nodding my head as he spoke, thinking how true that sounded, but not necessarily knowing what it would look like when I lived it out.
Three months later, I'm starting to see these four spheres begin to flesh out. In Haiti, I was constantly surrounded by other people. In fact, I rarely had alone time unless I hid on my shady corner on the roof away from others. Through this constant contact with others, I was challenged by the culture and the different beliefs the people held, but rewarded by incredible relationships with the translators, my family, and friends I met along the way. It was incredible to see God work through these relationships with others, especially with the huge language barrier.
Two weeks in, and it's already evident that here, in Jamaica, I will be diving into my relationship with creation. Although the Wendy's chicken sandwich I ate in Miami was not sitting well, during the van ride to Catadupa from the airport in Montego Bay I sat in awe of God's beautiful creation on this island. Up the narrow, windy (and kinda scary) mountain roads we drove and the further we ventured, the more amazed I became. We were driving deeper into the jungle filled with huge palm leaves, gorgeous flowers of all colors, and countless fruit trees, some of which I do not yet know their names. When the thick brush would open up for a brief moment, we would catch glimpses of the vast mountain ranges in the distance. I didn't even have time to acknowledge the painful cramps in my stomach, because I was becoming more aware that I was about to live in paradise for nearly two months!
From Montego Bay, we went directly to our host homes with no prior information about the families or what to expect. Being the good leader she is, Amanda (my roomie for the first 3 weeks) let the other pairs have the first two homes closer to the church, and we continued further and further down the mountain until we finally arrived at our home. We were dropped off by a muddy dirt road and our host father Henry greeted us in his big black rain boots, clearly more prepared than us for our walk even further down the mountain. We slipped and slid our way down and walked up to our adorable, green house sitting on the edge of the mountain and facing another distant mountain range.
We walked into our home, said hello to our new host mom Janet, and then nearly cried when we saw the huge bed sitting in our room for the next few weeks. Our home consists of our room in the front next to the covered porch, a living room, kitchen, bathroom, and the other bedrooms in the back of the house. After Haiti, we feel so blessed to have electricity, running water, and a flushing toilet that only occasionally needs help from a bucket to flush. We live with our parents, two sisters around our age, Shadea and Monique, and our 5 year old nephew, TK. We also have visitors nearly everyday from our other host sister, along with her 2-year-old twins and 6-month-old baby. Despite the large family, the house has a quiet, relaxed feel to it and I actually have quite a bit of alone time here.
During this quiet time, I dive into my Bible, have daily devotions with Amanda and sit in amazement of the beauty I am blessed to live in. I read a verse in Romans a couple of days ago that says "Ever since the creation of the world, His eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been understood and seen through the things He has made" (1:20). I have never related to that verse as much as I do now as I gawk at God's creation everyday and feel His presence more and more every minute. A few days ago, walking down the mountain and through the jungle from a friends home in the daily downpour, I kept looking up, holding my arms out and praising God because I so strongly felt Him in every drop that hit my face. That's the eternal power that I see through His creation, and that relationship with creation is what I am so excited to continue to build on each and every day I spend here.
It's a blessing to build this relationship through the thirty minute hike up the mountain to church and our friends' homes each day. It's a blessing to build this relationship through our time spent in the swimming hole that sits deep in the jungle and is accompanied by a waterfall to jump off of and a rope to swing on. It will be a blessing to continue to find ways to build this relationship throughout the next several weeks I live here.
Because I am so aware of the beauty and comfort of this town and my home, I have actually struggled with what my purpose here is and it is something I pray about everyday. Unlike in Haiti, it is difficult to find the physical brokenness here and thus difficult to understand why I was called here. However, I know God called me and my team here for a reason, and I am eager to begin to uncover His plan for us. Obviously our main focus here is the relationships we form with others, especially our families. That means a lot of "living the local way" and immersing ourselves into their daily lives. All of our families are amazing here, and we love spending time with them, but we can't help but to wonder what else we are meant to do here. So, my team is brainstorming ways that we can benefit this community whether it's through open Bible studies in the town square, vacation Bible school for the children, or volunteering with the youth in the community. I am confident that our team will make an impact here, and I am more confident that God knows what He is doing with us, and will guide us in the right direction.
LEARN MORE | Apply now to join the 6-month Caribbean Immersion term starting in January!
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