Monday started with an early wake up and simple breakfast at
our residence at Sophie’s Place. Around
8am, we hopped on the bus and made our way to My Father’s House, a Mustard Seed
property with an urban vibe. This was an eye opening glimpse at how amazingly
self-sufficient and well run these properties are for the community and
residents. Our first stop was at Little
Angels Learning Center, a pre-school for about sixty students, ages 3, 4, and
5, from various Mustard Seed residences and the nearby local community. There is not a set tuition, but a donation is
suggested. The children attend school
from 8:30am-2pm and are served both breakfast and lunch (a real selling point
for parents!). Little Angels is focused
on preparing children for the next step in their educational journey, which
requires them to take an exam to gain entrance to competitive primary schools
in the area. Due to the rigorous
education the Little Angels students receive, they are highly successful in
gaining access to some of the best schools in Kingston. We were able to watch the children sing their
morning songs, including the Jamaican Anthem, say a few prayers, and hang out
together for a few minutes before they started their school day. It only took a few minutes for them to warm
our hearts. They wanted to touch and
braid our hair, learn our names and ages, and play with our cell phones and
watches. 😊
Next, we took a tour of the rest of the property, starting
with the day school. The building was
bursting with colors, letters, numbers, books, and toys! From every angle, learning is made easy and
interactive for these kids. As with all
of the Mustard Seed properties we have seen so far, this property was also
extremely clean, the kids were well dressed and smelled good, and the staff was
attentive, upbeat and friendly.
Katie, Kathy, and Steve make their live radio debut.
Andrew makes his directorial debut.
Next, we stopped by to visit the children at My Father’s
House with Cerebral Palsy. These
children are a little older than the children at Sophie’s Place. We all sung songs and participated in circle
time before the kids were brought out for a nature walk and our group moved on.
Next up, we visited the radio station called “Roots 96.1 FM.” The radio station was established
in the 1990’s as a way to communicate to the local community about public
health issues and explanations on how to work with people in the community with
physical disabilities, learning disabilities, and HIV/AIDS. Katie, Steve, and Kathy made their live radio
debut as they were interviewed about our mission trip to Jamaica which can be
found on Facebook (https:/m.facebook.com/ROOTSFMJA) and then moved on to the on-site
pottery shop.
At the pottery shop, we were given a brief explanation on
how the pottery (dishes, bowls, vases, and ornaments) is made and glazed. Mustard Seed uses this pottery as a way of
earning money to support the various locations,
and we brought our credit cards to do our part in stimulating the Mustard Seed
economy (and to bring home some beautiful pottery!).
After leaving, My Father’s House we hopped back on the bus
and headed to the second location of the day called Jerusalem!. This is the largest of the Mustard Seed
properties in the Kingston area and is located in a much more rural setting. Within Jerusalem!, there are a few
sub-communities; a home for teenage girls with HIV/AIDS called Dare to Care, a home
for young boys and girls called Martha’s House, and a third area for children
with Cerebral Palsy, similar to Sophie’s Place.
Our team at the chapel at Jerusalem!
In addition to the residential areas, Jerusalem also has an amazing farm with 3,000 chickens that supply the Jamaican residences of Mustard Seed with eggs. Eggs are also sold to the local community to earn income for Mustard Seed. Vegetable gardens, honey bees, and two tilapia ponds also act as food and income for Jerusalem.
Our team at the chapel at Jerusalem!
In addition to the residential areas, Jerusalem also has an amazing farm with 3,000 chickens that supply the Jamaican residences of Mustard Seed with eggs. Eggs are also sold to the local community to earn income for Mustard Seed. Vegetable gardens, honey bees, and two tilapia ponds also act as food and income for Jerusalem.
The fish pond at Jerusalem!
Next, it was time to put our Xavier team to work! Our project for the day was to repaint a few
homes at Jerusalem bright yellow and pastel green. Some of the team was pretty hot, frustrated,
and exhausted by the time this projected started which resulted in some badly
needed quality control. We got through
our task just as a storm rolled in. We
headed back to our residence at Sophie’s place on the bus to reflect the day
and contemplate our game plan for tomorrow.
Preparing for our paint job this afternoon.
Victoria & Kathy
Rookies
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