Debs is Back from Jamaica
I am back and I have been changed forever. There is no way humanly possiable for me to describe everything I have seen while I was in Jamaica. It was a mixture of the most beautiful awesome experience I have ever had and the most emotionally heartbreakingly painful experience I have ever had. I made many friends in the market, they called me by name by the time my trip was almost over, they were not trying to sell me anything anymore they just wanted me to talk to them. The Jamaican people are awesome people very strong and resiliant, they have to be to servive in the poor areas where we were. The women are so creative and amazing. The men are so talented with the art and wood carvings. The women were showing me how to weave baskets and the men were "trying" to teach me to carve. That was very funny. The places we visited to help were Windsor House for Girls, Widow's Mite, Hilltop Correctional. In Kingston we went to Alpha House for Boys, Bellevue Mental Hospital, The Lords Place, UNICEF, Hope for Children, We also went to Trench Town and walked through with a guide from Richard Troups Hope for Children, If you don't know what this is, it would amaze you, it is a maze of rows and rows of little tin huts connected together with just a narrow trail about 12ft wide space in the middle to walk between with people who live in these huts. They do not have running water or bathrooms or kitchens ect. they are just huts. There are donkeys , chickens, and goats, just roaming loose within the middle and kids playing. I thought the kids would be dirty b/c of the lack of access to water, I was wrong these ladies and their kids were cleaner than my kids are most of the time. A lot of the girls were scared b/c we were told that this was a very dangerous part of town. I didn't feel any fear I actually felt very comfortable I talked to the ladies they showed me their babies and seemed very proud to show them off. They were so beautiful. We were not allowed to take pictures here though. When we went to visit the bush people that live on the mountian a woman followed me for 3 miles with tears streaming down her face begging me to take her 2 yr old baby to the USA so she could get food, health care and school. b/c she could not afford to provide it for her.I was crying too I wanted so badly to take her with me. The laws would not allow it. I cried for the rest of the day. And Im still praying for this child her name is Kimberly. I did go to an AA meeting while I was there. I wanted to go to more than one but my classes interfered with the timming. It was really great b/c 2 other people in my group went with me. This is just a small, very very small report of what my trip was like. If anyone has any questions about the Jamaican people and their culture I would be very glad to share what I have learned. The facilities we visited are always looking for people who want to come and work there, or donations of money or supplies. Through my homework assignments I learned a lot, I don't know everything however but if I don't know I can find out for you b/c I now have friends in Jamaica I can contact. I am very glad to be home I really missed my family. But at the same time I will also miss the friends I made in Jamaica.