Stevens Global Service Initiative to Jamaica 2017

Where do I even begin.. Honestly words can't even begin to explain how I felt this week. As soon as I got here, day 1, I already knew I wanted to be a part of this country. There was a strong sensation that filled me with sadness, happiness, and anxiety all at the same time. I was sad because I knew I only had a week here. I was happy because I was living my dream and I was going to make a difference in the lives of everyone that I met. I was anxious because I wanted to talk, hang out, and hug everyone that walked by me but I didn't know how I would have time within the short 7 days. Day 2, I praised the Lord at a Pentecostal church with some of the citizens of Jamaica and I thanked Him for giving me this amazing opportunity. Day 3, I met so many children with huge hearts that only desired one thing, my attention. I also met a super cool dude that goes by the name of Scratchy. We instantly connected and became best friends, I appreciated his existence so much. Day 4, I sat in o...

I never imagined what a group of 11 students (plus 3 adults and 3 Jamaican Day laborers) could get accomplished in just four days, in a whole different country. This climate is nothing we have ever experienced. Jamaican work culture is intense work until the sun goes down: hours of shoveling, hauling bricks, and mixing cement. That is not light work. It allowed us to appreciate how simple and quickly construction is done in America.  At the same time, it really allowed us to push ourselves and see what we can accomplish. Most of us had never made cement from scratch before. We shoveled and passed buckets after buckets in our staple assembly line. Each day we would set a goal and surpass it by a landslide. Yesterday was to lay down two layers of brick and we did two full and some. Today was to lay down a few more and move buckets of dirt, which we did getting as far as we could.  My greatest surprise for myself was my endurance through the heat. I knew I could challeng...

The week has come to an end and the Saturday when we first flew in seems so long ago. Thoroughout the week we not only did service and experienced the culture of Jamaica but we also bonded as a group. We talked about who gets ore out of service, the ones receiving the service or the ones providing it? I feel like I have gotten so much out of this experience that it is hard to say it affected the people we helped more. The children at the schools are receiving bleachers or an extension to their school, but i received an experience i will never forget. I formed close bonds with people who were strangers to me before this week. I got to see actual progress being made on these projects and know my sweat and hard work went into it. When we left the worksite today it looked like a building was taking form there and not just a few stacks of cinder blocks. I had so much fun on this trip and felt like I did a lot of good work. I'm going to miss Jamaica but who knows mayble I'll be back!...

As a returning member from last year's GSI trip to Jamaica, I must claim all biases and recognize that I knew a bit of what the transition would be like between the lovely Taino Cove resort, located in utterly peaceful and quiet Treasure Beach on Jamaica's south side, and the Whistling Bird resort, in tourist-centric yet staggeringly beautiful Negril on Jamaica's westernmost tip. I learned last year that Negril is much more densely populated with gift shops, restaurants, and hotels, but that the impeccable white sand beaches and so-crystal-clear-it's-scary ocean water make the trip and the louder environment all the more worth it.    Even this year however, I couldn't help but recognize how my perspective changed during this transition; in Treasure Beach, the secluded nature of Taino Cove meant that I found myself being a bit more reserved, and looking forward to quiet moments after a long day's work at St. Mary's, the first school we worked with. However...

Today was our first day at Higher Heights Academy. The kids are younger, the school is smaller, and the worksite is alot hotter. And by alot hotter i mean 105 degrees. I honestly do not think I've ever sweat more in my life, but the progress we made, made it all worth it. Our goal was to lay a meager 2 rows of blocks to make the foundation for an extension to the school, and we surpassed it. We laid 5 rows! That progress made the entire day of blistering heat, dripping sweat, and even a little nausea completely worthwhile. I would say that today was the most rewarding day solely in terms of work that we've had yet.  Something I have to note is everyone's concern for each other's well being, on and off of the worksite. I can honestly say that there was not more than 10 minutes that passed by without someone asking "Do you need someone to switch out for you?" on the worksite, or more generally, "Are you okay?", "Do you need water? bugspray? sunsc...

Once the group arrived in Negril, the whole environment changed. Negril is much more densely populated with better infrastructure and professionals. The school we are working on is Higher Heights Academy for young children. We started building an extension for the school by first, making cement by hand, laying the cement, and then placing the cinderblocks. We are accompanied by Paul, Shavon, and Richard. Working together with them is an extraordinary experience, I've learned many tricks of the trade while also connecting with these people. This offered a true glimpse into the life of these people which is truly what is benefitting me the most on this trip. To learn about their struggles and the daily hardships truly shifted my perspective and confirmed that I am here for the right reasons. The first work site at Saint Mary's held a similar experience. The work was similar but it was the relationships and connections formed that changed. Working with Scratchy, Patrick and Kirk a...