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Marla’s Minute: Reaping A Harvest
The manual for life, The Bible, continually says that sooner or later, whatever choices we make in our lives, we will see the results of these choices come to light in our lives or the lives of others. “Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap...
We Are Warriors
Tina Gerke has been volunteering and leading trips with ACE for 23 years now. After her latest trip in March, she shared the following story with our team. My recent two weeks in Jamaica were another amazing time of watching God work. I never cease to be amazed at how...
A Lent Devotional
ACE volunteer Christina Kershaw came down on a mission trip with Bethel Baptist Church in 2018. As she was recently reflecting on her time in Jamaica, she wrote the following devotional. May her experience and reflection bless you during this Lent season! READ: John...
Marla’s Minute: A Home Run For Lashauna
Last week, ACE had our annual Men’s & Women’s Conference in St Mary. However, unlike the past 16 years of holding the conference at Galina Breeze Hotel, we moved the conference to an outside event space, Buccaneers Jerk & Juice Centre. When some very...
Answering The Holy Spirit’s Call
In 2009, my wife and I took our first trip to Jamaica to serve with ACE. I recall our uncertainty on the long roller coaster ride from Montego Bay to Galina Breeze, survived only by the assistance of Dramamine. The main highway looks a lot better now than it did back...
Marla’s Minute: Saying Goodbye to an Old Friend
It’s never easy to lose a foundational pillar in any organization, but since Jesus loves Mr. Myers more than we do, He decided to bring him home for company last month. Mr. Myers was 89 years old, still riding a motorcycle to work, and kept an incredible work ethic...
The Smith Family Next Door
ACE hosts site trips, which invite leaders to experience what ACE does and our “why” in Jamaica. Our most recent site trip happened last October, where we met Jennifer and Mitchell Smith. They are just starting a much-needed ministry called Wet Feet. But in the...
A Child Sponsorship Heart Warmer
As most of you are aware, ACE’s Child Sponsorship program strives to not only give every child a step up in their education, but also help grow them into young adults who contribute to their community and society in Jamaica. This is the case with 22-year-old Anthony...
4 Ways to Give Hope on Giving Tuesday
As we enter the “Giving Season” and Giving Tuesday draws near, we can’t help but think about how thankful we are to have a community of supporters that don’t simply give during a season of the year, but they give of their time, talents, and treasures throughout the...
Marla’s Minute: A Bittersweet Story
We know you’ve likely experienced a bittersweet story of someone you love leaving to take the next step in life. This month, ACE has one of those stories to share. Our Child Sponsorship Coordinator D’Vaun has been with ACE for eight years and has made the painful...
The Mission & Vision of ACE
We’ve just released our latest video detailing the mission and vision of ACE. Even after 35 years, we’ve remained focused on our four main impact areas — education, wellness, micro enterprise, and spiritual development. Please take a moment to watch the video below...
Peaceful Discussions at the Peace House
Thanks to so many donors and volunteers, we are enjoying our Thursday night dinners in our Peace House on the ACE Campus. For years, we’ve been planning and sending pictures of what we are doing to get this building ready for a weekly dinner and discussion with Pastor...
Marla’s Minute: ACE Expands Another Notch
We have been so blessed to see another generation of our ACE family coming into the world. Earlier this month, D’Vaun and Saskia gave birth to a healthy baby boy named Christovaun Azhani! D’Vaun already gave him a pet name, Markhus. Whichever name you decide to call...
And They’re Off!
“And we’re off” is what we say at ACE when we get ready to drive out of the office to begin our day, but in this case, it’s the students who are off, heading back to class. We have a lot of little sayings around ACE, like the abbreviation “BBD” – that might not mean...
A Word From Arlene – Gathering in Peace
Most of you know Arlene, whom we wrote about in last month’s newsletter. She is our long-time and frequent volunteer who always brings work ethic and words of wisdom with her on every trip. This was her take on our new happenings at the Peace House. I’ve been here...
Cloud 9 and Pat soar to a Higher Level
Our own chocolatier, Patricia, was granted a visa to enter the US for a much-anticipated conference in Atlantic City on chocolate. Thanks to so many of our friends in the New Jersey area who arranged the housing details and for Bruce Smith to secure the invite to the...
Marla’s Minute: What a Summer!
We want to give a big thank you to all the wonderful volunteers and sponsors whose generosity and time made this summer a great success. ACE is in full swing for fall and, after three years of prayers, concerns, and faith walks, we as a staff feel that God has...
A Word From D’Vaun: Nicoya’s Story
In our years of changing lives and transforming communities, God always places the people who He wants us to touch within our reach. We never aspire to do more than God has equipped us to do, thus our mantra of "Deep not Wide". Over the years, we have made connections...
She’s an 80 Lady!
When ACE says we have long-term volunteers, we are not joking! Many of you have met Arlene from New Jersey, but did you know this friend of ACE just turned 80?! And she is still going strong, the most young-at-heart go-getter we know. We met Arlene when she came with...
ACE Goes Deep, Not Wide
Many of you have heard this before as it’s a mantra we continually repeat among our staff and with guests. This month, Sugar Hill got to do something rather amazing. They dismantled a house they were part of building many years ago to move it to another location. One...
Celebrating a Remarkable Friend of ACE
Last week, Allen, Althia, and I had the honor of traveling 1600+ miles from Jamaica to New Orleans, Louisiana, to be a part of a dear friend’s defining moment. Our personal friend and an ACE spiritual mother, Helen Delaney – or as we call her, Pastor Helen – invited...
Marla’s Minute: Generational Blessings
Earlier this month, ACE hosted a choir group from Augusta. This was somewhat new to ACE as we are used to having volunteers coming to work, sweat and serve. What a special blessing to not only see the projects done with love, but to hear in song their servant hearts. ...
Marla’s Minute: iQuest’s Purpose
For 25 years, ACE has offered what we call iQuest. As most of you know, this is a leadership course for young adults who are being guided to serve here in Jamaica. They participate, lead and serve in many capacities before finding their place in the world of “making a...
Peace House Update
If anyone has ever engaged in building their own home, the dream of moving in on time quickly fades with the reality of what supplies are available, what didn’t arrive, misfit fixtures, and, well, just about anything that can keep a building from becoming a...
Happy Birthday or “Happy Earthstrong mi bredah” as our friends in Jamaica might say!
Every quarter, ACE staff plans a birthday celebration for your sponsored children. Like most birthday parties in the States, they are full of fun and games, and we make sure that each child gets a small gift. We are finding challenges accommodating the varying ages of...
Marla’s Minute – The Peace of Easter
In my middle-class world growing up in the U.S., my mother and grandparents made sure that Easter was a big deal around our home. There was a big Easter basket full of all the great things a child loves that today are considered toxic to the body… chocolate eggs,...
Greenhouse Growth
Do you have experience in organic greenhouse gardening? We have recently been given the chance to purchase two brand new greenhouses that a local farm operation can no longer use. This is an amazing opportunity for Green Life farms to grow food not only for our...
Home Away From Home – A Word from Lynne
We were blessed to have Lynne, a former volunteer, come out to housesit at the Campus. She was a Godsend to us for being present and willing to help us in whatever ways He led her. Thank you, Lynne, for sharing your talents, your time, and your kindness. Here are a...
Marla’s Minute: Saving Savvy
ACE is always looking for ways to cultivate relationships and restore people that just need a little help along the way. We are very proud to say that we, as individuals with ACE, are just the hands and feet of a greater story, the story of a Savior who loves all His...
We are the Zalks – A Word from Charity
In 2019, Brian and I were vacationing in Jamaica, and we experienced God undoubtedly and distinctively calling us to uproot our life and come serve Him there. As a family, we came as a package deal, so that included our kids – at the time, nine-year-old twins and a...
Many Hands Make Light Work
Many hands make light work This old saying portrays a picture of what ACE has experienced this spring on the ground. For the first time in years, we have been blessed with many incredible volunteer teams in a row! Ranging from families, high school students, college...
Marla’s Minute –God Gives Me Grace
This is the month of valentines! I can recall those paper valentine punch-out cards where you write on the back and then give to your teachers and friends. They always seemed to say the same thing: “from _________ “to ________ -- Would you be my Valentine?” A special...
A Visit with Marla and D’Vaun
Our very own Marla and D’Vaun were featured on a recent podcast! Thank you to TJ Mauldin for taking time to talk with both Marla and D’Vaun to hear their stories and experiences with ACE and what led them to where they are now. If you’ve never heard them speak or...
Gooden’s Good News – A Word from D’Vaun
Any great undertaking doesn’t start where the results are seen; it starts with a spark of inspiration, a simple idea, a tiny prick that over time becomes a little more than a sensation to ignore. Then God confirms that He’s implanted destiny, and it so happens you’re...
Samaritan’s Purse and ACE: Partners at last!
Have you ever seen the shoeboxes in the lobby of your church or school marked “Operation Christmas Child”? Those red and green boxes are for a program facilitated by Samaritan’s Purse, a nondenominational outreach organization that provides spiritual and physical aid...
Ms. Foster’s Focus
With the start of 2023, I'm so thankful to see another year but even more exited to know things are getting back to some normalcy, getting to see our ACE friends we have not seen for a while. I am also happy to update you on how our microbusinesses (Galina Breeze,...
A New Dawn, A New Day in Child Sponsorship
Most of you know or have heard us mention Dawn, our Child Sponsorship Stateside Coordinator. She has worked diligently for nine years with our Jamaican staff via email and phone calls, coordinating sponsor/child relationships, home visits, and learning about the needs...
Marla’s Minute – Infirmary Update
With 2023 here and lockdowns in the distant past, we at ACE had hoped and prayed the infirmary we had been calling “ours” for so many years would be open, with the residents happy to see all of us and our volunteers. Sadly, that hasn’t happened. Though we keep sending...
A Word from Althia
Someone once asked me to write all the things on the pages of my bible of what I’m grateful for that God has done for me. My response was, if I did that, no pages would be left in my bible. That’s because there are so many things that God has done and will continue...
Long-Term Commitments = Results
Remember at family functions as a child when you walked into the room and all the relatives made comments about you like, “You are growing like a weed” or “I can’t believe you’re taller than me now” or “Look at you, all grown up!” It’s amazing how quickly children...
Heroes and Zeroes
It’s safe to say that there have been some real challenges this month in our ACE family. Dawn, our Stateside Child Sponsorship Coordinator, experienced severe pain one evening that put her in the hospital. Dawn has been battling illnesses for much of her adult life,...
Marla’s Minute: Fall is Here- Even in Jamaica!
It is Fall! Granted, the leaves stay green here and the students still wear their cute uniforms with short sleeves, but there are changes happening all around St. Mary and ACE if one takes the time to look and listen. If you have been reading our newsletters for the...
Physical Education ramps up at Hampstead Primary
For two years, ACE has been unable to help with physical education in the schools due to lockdowns. And how we have missed it, not only for our own health (who doesn’t get in shape keeping up with kids?) but for the joy of playing with the children through energetic,...
Marla’s Minute – Big winds and torrential rains
That’s the report for this weekend for Jamaica. As tropical depression #9 is gaining strength to enter our personal space here in Jamaica, we are advised to prepare for 65 – 80 mile an hour winds and 6 -12 inches of rain. Being a girl from Miami, Florida, spending...
Back to School!
While the Ministry of Education is maneuvering the system and making changes daily, our students hardly seem to notice as they enjoy the official start of the 2023 school season. It feels great for us and for them to have a sense of normalcy finally. Smiles and laughs...
Marla’s Minute: Something Old, Something New
We’ve had our iQuest program in some form for over 20 years, so I can safely say this is an old tradition. Each year, though, brings new life and new energy with every young person who participates. This summer, we had the pleasure of having Kayla as our one and only...
The Village Has Begun
For those of you who have been with ACE since the beginning, you may remember the first draft of our Children’s Village or even the update last year. It seems a long time in coming, but do we have great news for you! This month, ACE has finally begun building one of...
From Child to Family: Sponsorship Reimagined
Back in 2005, as part of our community outreach, ACE began helping a few students get to school and have a meal every day at lunch time. Then, more and more volunteers got involved and committed to helping one student at a time with us, evolving into what our Child...
Eight Days of Hope
Before COVID came into the world, a generous couple had donated funds to help us build the Peace House, a place for families to come together weekly to eat, play games, socialize, and hear what we believe to be foundational truths to our faith through the Bible. The...
Down Home on the Farm
During the month of July, while VBS was happening in one part of ACE, Allen and non-VBS volunteers were doing some pretty serious projects needing completion before the heavy rains come in September. We continued the work of previous teams on cleaning out the 16-foot...