My Beautiful Team

In a week filled with detours--actual and metaphorical--our team found our way.


This was my 10th trip to Jamaica working with Mustard Seed.  It was everyone else's first.  Invariably throughout the week I would mention experiences from some of my previous trips.  Some wondered aloud if I was comparing this trip to the others.



The teamwork with getting all of this safely to Jamaica.


The truth is: that I was so in the moment with them, that as those thoughts came across my mind, I simply shared them.

The truth is: there is no comparing one trip to another.  Everything about each one is different.  Everything, that is, except for overall ethos of Mustard Seed: the children they care for--so much in fact that they are lovingly referred to a residents--have been abandoned once, and will never be abandoned again.

Rather than compare them, I will share with you all the beauty I came to know in each of my team members.



Look at everyone feverishly share the blog!


Una: she is beautiful in her peacefulness.  She took on each new experience without as much as a grumble (even though sometimes my "leader tone" would likely warrant such).

Angie: she is beautiful in her headstrong nature.  She kept me in check throughout the week, and was undistracted when she was spending one-to-one time with a child.

Nanette: she is beautiful in her observational skills.  She was always on the lookout for cool snapshots each day; I cannot wait to see the work of our very own Instagram star ;-)

Lola: she is beautiful in her energy.  She was always the first awake to start up "Cafe Lola" each morning, and she kept our entire team energized with her playful antics and conversations during our work and our downtime.



Such beautiful painting!


Steve: he is beautiful in his gentleness.  The skill he showed both with the children and with a paintbrush was impressive to say the least.

Kathy: she is beautiful in her conversational skills.  She made meals and bus rides a more pleasurable experience for whoever was lucky enough to sit near her.

Jose: he is beautiful in his patience.  He showed massive patience when reading with Donovan (one of the residents of Sophie's Place) and when awaiting direction from Mr. Williams (our General Contractor for the week).

Eve: she is beautiful in her eye for efficiency.  She was unabashed in pointing out opportunities to complete our work projects more efficiently so that we could have more time with the children and more downtime as a team.



Such a great team effort all week.


Katie: she is beautiful in her perspective.  She showed no hesitancy in providing me live feedback in how to make the week better for everyone as it all played out, and she always had something insightful to share as we reflected on our experiences each evening.

John: he is beautiful in his lightheartedness.  He provided a ready-to-work attitude injected with a simple joyfulness that helped me get things going smoothly in the morning, keep our team working smoothly despite the heat during the day, and keep kids fed and entertained in the evening.

Victoria: she is beautiful in her strength.  She is no doubt the fittest member of our team, but her strongest strength lies in her willingness to dive in every experience with courage and fervor--from joining our team about two weeks prior, to interacting seamlessly with children with various kinds of disabilities, to laughing at my jokes.  That last one take a lot of courage as there is no guarantee that anyone else with join :-)

Gabby: she is beautiful in her versatility.  Gabby surprised me the most this week; she was relatively reserved during our team meetings leading up to the trip, so it was hard to get a read on her.  Once we set foot in Jamaica, she unleashed her true nature: that of a kind soul with childlike playfulness and a strong work ethic who was all about experiencing everything this trip had to offer--the children, her fellow team members, the little side-trips, and of course the pigs.


To me, this week was perfect.  I find myself wishing we were still only mid-week as this trip seems to bring out the very best in everyone who comes--including yours truly.



TANK YUH to all who have donated money and teddy bears and to all who have written us notes of consolation throughout the week.  TANK YUH to all of my team members.  I love you all.



Andrew / Sweetie Mon
One Very Grateful & Tired Trip Leader

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