Friday started with a 40 minute drive to Reverend Harrison’s manse in Brown’s Town. Once we arrived we loaded up avocado trees and headed down to Egypt (the name of his farm along the mountain side and in the valleys). Egypt is a very mountainous terrain with multiple vegetation ranging from fern trees to cabbage. The goal was to replace some of the avocado trees that were planted in January and had died off during the drought. The avocado trees were spread out in a 25 acre area and we had 75 trees to plant. The group walked the trees up the hillside to each hole and there were two designated water hands, who carried the 20 gallon water jugs. The heat mixed with the terrain made it very challenging.
Once we completed the task, most of the group made a hike up the opposite hillside to Reverend Harrison’s manse which was about a 50 story steep climb. At the top we were treated with a great lunch by June (Rev Harrison’s wife). We left there to head back to the school we had worked at earlier in the week to receive a thank you parting gift. After saying bye to Principal Cole we were off to Dunn’s River Falls to partake in some much deserved fun in the sun. Most of the group climbed the falls while a few hung out on the beach. Fun was had by all and it was a beautiful day.
Before dinner we drove thru Fern Gully which is a natural rainforest that had a road carved through it just south of Ocho Rios. To conclude the evening we had dinner at Scotchie’s, which is a local Jerk center that had delicious smoked meat that we all enjoyed. I will say the day did have it’s set backs. We had a rolled ankle from the rocks, a knee laceration while on the Egypt hillside, and a twisted knee while at the Falls. No emergency hospital visits were needed, thanks to a fantastic medic in the group that made precise diagnoses and care.
To learn more about the work Resurrection is doing in partnership with the Methodist Church of Jamaica, visit our website at www.cor.org/jamaica.