Another exhausting day!! We stepped up our game a bit for the school devotional this morning by incorporating the Jamaica motto “out of many… one people”. It was fun to talk to the kids about the differences in people & how important it is to work together. We ended with the Marcus Garvey quote “The ends that you serve that are selfish will take you no further than yourself but the ends you serve that are for all, in common, will take you into eternity”. The kids were thrilled that we had referenced one of their heroes. The kids also got a big kick out of how afraid Shana was of the stray dogs that wondered near our podium. They couldn’t stop giggling. Thank goodness Terry stepped over to protect her from the threat:-).

We spent the rest of the day teaching, hugging, laughing, playing, singing, listening, and reading.

The ground for the garden was still not prepared for us to plant, but we have been told that it will be ready tomorrow. We can’t wait to get that part of our mission under way!!

On the way home we discussed some of our observations about how bright many of the children are and the obstacles many will face as they grow up that could deter their education. We’ve learned that nearly none of the boys make it to University… or even high school. Reverend Harrison said that while the numbers are improving, there are still only about 2 boys for every 100 girls that go on to University. How dis-heartening. Serena mentioned that in her time going on mission trips she’s noticed one thing consistent in each “you usually end up with more questions than answers”. Boy is that true. Each day we become more & more motivated by the notion that our words, hugs, and smiles could have a lasting impact that may be powerful enough to keep some of these great kids on course.

We closed the night with our own devotional that helped us to understand our mission, ourselves, and each other with deeper insight & sensitivity.

Tomorrow we’ll get to tour one of the other schools in Rev’s parish and then head back to Eccleston for a final day with the kids & teachers that we’ve grown to love… and to get that garden planted!!!

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