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Marla’s Minute: Beryl, Blessings and Beets

by American-Caribbean Experience | Jul 29, 2024 | Book A Trip, Community, Outreach

All we can say here on the ground at ACE in Jamaica is……whew!!! What a surprise hit we received from Hurricane Beryl. Who would have thought, this early in the summer? As we watched Beryl coming towards us, all hands on deck began preparing for the storm. God answered all our prayers throughout the Nation by turning Beryl slightly away from us getting a direct hit at the last minute.

We were fortunate the 97-year-old hotel stood her ground and only a few trees and small roof tiles went down. However, the generator that sustained a fire almost 10 months ago was no help. We sat without electricity for over a week. The fortunate part is that we had no guests or volunteer teams the week Beryl went through Jamaica.

Green Life Llanrumney Farm, on the other hand, took a greater hit of destruction than we expected. As Beryl passed by Jamaica south of Kingston, the rain poured into the downtown area, but St. Mary and the farm seemed to have caught mostly wind. All our inside and outside roads to the pastures, Greathouse, village etc., disappeared into the thickness of bamboo. It was a reality check for all of us as we realized we had no place to go with cattle and other livestock. And then…

God showed up with shovels of favor. Friends of ACE from all over the US and Canada began asking our US office, how can they help. What do we need? And funds helped us get going with parts for the tractor and chainsaws that we desperately needed. Most of all, ACE friends helped us get a team of three men down to help Allen begin to clear the inside roads. As I write this, there still isn’t any power at the farmhouse. Huie got the pump working again down by the river, so we can pump water for the cattle.

Our greenhouse was destroyed, but we didn’t have any growing towers installed yet which could have been devastating. While we are praying for more manpower to help us, we have our summer volunteers coming in to help Allen and Foster clear the roads, repair the fences, replace broken tables and, yes, even help us begin our mid-summer planting. This time, in addition to the above ground crops, we are going under with planting our beets. At least they can go through a hurricane without much damage.

So, yes, we had Beryl early, but we got to see how God blesses us with our friends who care and love ACE. Needs? Oh yes, we have lots of them. Please see our prayer requests and know that we are so grateful for you all and the generosity you have given ACE.

Keeping up the God work,

Marla and Allen

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A Sponsor’s Story

by American-Caribbean Experience | Jul 29, 2024 | Book A Trip, Community, Discipleship, Education, Outreach

BY TINA STUBBS

In 2011 the school where I worked, Heritage Academy, began sponsoring Anthony, or Antonio as he was known then. He was ten years old, and we were told he was very shy and hesitant to speak. He was at Hampstead Primary School and eventually began attending Edgehill School for Special Needs.

When I first met Anthony in person, he was indeed quiet, but, when encouraged, his smile made my day! He thrived at Edgehill and grew in height A LOT! Each year when we visited the school, I would look for him. There he’d be, a head taller than most of the other students. I’d catch his eye and there would be a twinkle in it as he gave me a quick smile. When we got the chance, he’d give me a hug.

Along with academics, Anthony learned life skills at Edgehill, like carpentry and gardening skills to build garden boxes. In the fall of 2020, my current employer, Sugar Hill Christian Academy, my family, and another ACE sponsor began co-sponsoring Anthony. After graduating out of Edgehill a year later, Anthony became part of the ACE Apprenticeship program. He is learning farming skills, personal responsibility, and is being mentored by some of ACE’s best!

Over the years, we’ve been able to provide many necessities to him, but this past December, Amber, ACE’s Stateside Sponsorship Coordinator, reached out and shared Anthony’s Christmas wish. He asked for a bed. All his sponsors came together and provided the funds for a new bed. While in Jamaica this past June, Diana Kissing and I were able to visit Anthony at his home and give him a set of sheets provided by Diana!

What a joy it has been over the years to watch Anthony grow from that shy little boy to the confident young man he’s become!!

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Marla’s Minute: Let’s Hear it for the Boys

by American-Caribbean Experience | Jun 24, 2024 | Book A Trip, Community, Discipleship, Outreach

Let’s hear it for the Boys…….

Remember last month’s Marla Minute when I said I was getting old? Well, this proves it. One of my many favorite songs during the 1980s (and many of you weren’t born yet!) was a song called “Let’s Hear It For The Boy”. Since Father’s Day falls in the middle of this month, we want to reflect on ACE’s admiration for the men and boys that help us at ACE.

In Jamaica, as in the states, we know that if it were not for the strength of men who come down to serve, all of us on the ground at ACE would have a much more challenging time in completing our many tasks that spring up. Just ask Allen; he is the tractor driver, who not only repairs the tractor, the bobcat, and the billy goat (as we call our large grass cutter) but drives them all when no one is around to help out. He sees firsthand the work that gets done when a strong team is serving. During one of our June weeks, we had 25 boys-to-men coming with our friend Tina’s team. These men, along with others throughout the month, have helped our men at ACE and on the farm finish the many hard and heavy things we don’t have the hands or feet to do.

Before you ask, we are not forgetting our strong committed girls and women who are the experts at supervision and clean up after these guys complete the heavy lifting… and even do some heavy lifting themselves! It takes the unique talents of many to finish a project, and to all of our volunteers who give up their vacations and time at home to do the hard work here in St. Mary, we are grateful!

I know, it doesn’t fit our time in history to make these statements on the specific talents and strengths of men versus women. The world seems dead set on erasing our differences, but we are reminded that, to honor God, we are not to conform to the things of this world, “but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:2

Thank you, Allen and all the men that choose to make a difference, at ACE and at home. We hope you had a wonderful Father’s Day!

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30 Years of Growth

by American-Caribbean Experience | Jun 24, 2024 | Book A Trip, Community, Discipleship, Outreach

“30 years of growth and some things never change”. That’s the thought I had this past week as I mixed concrete at GLLF with my team of 27. You may be thinking that I was bemoaning the opportunity that lay ahead of me, but I really wasn’t. I actually love cooking in the Jamaican sun while mixing concrete, by hand, surrounded by my family and team. It sure beats sitting in an office staring at a computer all day!

This summer was my 30th year serving with ACE, so I was very nostalgic all week long. I met Marla as a high school student back in 1994. She took me and a small team up around Mandeville to a place called Bethel. We spent ten days serving the local community in the same ways that many of you have since.

Some things have never changed: the heart and commitment that Allen, Marla and ACE have for the local community, a heart for service and compassion, which always finds creative ways to invest in those that need help but may feel uncomfortable asking for it.

For those of you that have been there, you know exactly what I am talking about. Many Jamaicans have a quiet need shrouded in pride that takes a bit of patience and perseverance to get to heart of, and ACE has that patience and perseverance.

In 30 years, many other things haven’t changed as well but one that stands out to me year after year – and keeps me coming back, if I’m honest – is my team and the commitment that I have made to them.

Team leaders, you will get this. Lean in with me for a minute and be encouraged. Our teams may change in number and gender. Our teams may change in skills and gifts. But the gift of exposing a new member to the ministry never changes. The joy of seeing a member return to that special island never changes. The awe of watching The Lord move among your group never changes, and feeling the weight, the good weight, of leadership never changes.

I’m always astonished at this universal truth; we go to Jamaica to help “Change Lives and Transform Communities”, but it somehow always ends of being my life that’s changed and my little community that’s transformed. “30 years of growth and some things never change.”

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The Harvest is Great

by American-Caribbean Experience | Jun 24, 2024 | Book A Trip, Community, Discipleship, Education, Outreach

Before 2008, my perception of Jamaica was based on the cruise ship port in Ocho Rios and commercials for the huge all-inclusive resorts. All of that paints a picture of a thriving culture where everyone is living the dream life. It was not until June of 2008 that I really experienced the true heart and culture of Jamaica and its people.

In the beginning of 2008, Brandon, my son, who was 14 at the time, expressed an interest in going on a mission trip through our church. The idea of a teenage boy wanting to go on a mission trip to a strange new place, serving others and getting closer to God — who would say no? So, we started looking at the options, keeping in mind that my wife hates flying. We decided to investigate the trip to Jamaica, as it was the shortest flight option. After the first meeting with the trip leader, Teresa, we chose to take that leap of faith and sign up.

Fast forward to June of 2008, when we went down to Jamaica. Little did we know, our perspective of Jamaica was about to be radically changed for the better. Working with ACE, we all experienced the true heart and culture of the Jamaican people, from the schools to the infirmary and their homes. Being able to show God’s love to the Jamaican people and the joy they had was amazing.

Fast forward to today. It has been 17 years since our first trip to Jamaica with ACE. The work we did on that first trip touched our hearts in a way that kept us wanting to return, which led Brandon and myself to continue to do these trips. Over the years, we have gone with various size teams down to just ourselves and meeting up with other teams. The relationships we have created over the years with other US teams and more importantly the Jamaicans, has been a true spiritual blessing.

The experience ACE can show someone in the first year is eye opening on how God can work, but the true benefit comes from going back over the years to see how HE continues to use ACE. The work a team does in a week may not seem like much, but each week another team builds on your work and before you know it there is a house for someone to live in or a classroom for the children. Each year you see how that cornerstone that you put in is now a structure that God created through you. These trips not only allow us to bless the Jamaicans but also the people that go on them. My greatest experiences on these trips have been seeing Brandon getting baptized in the pool and because of doing these trips he was able to meet his now wife, Danielle. If we had not listened to God and did not take that first trip, I would not have a God-loving daughter-in-law and 3 beautiful grand babies.

As I look back over the 17 years at all the changes, I see how God has worked through us, a little bit at a time. It may be hot and the work hard, but it is well worth it for the spiritual reward you receive. I can testify that God is at work during that week because the things I am able to do could not be done without His power in me. The vision that Marla has for ACE has been amazing to watch blossom over the years. It has amazed me how God gives ACE the visions, and supplies them with the staff, volunteers and finances to carry out those visions. I also give a shout out to Allen. He has to be a godly man to support his wife, 1200 miles apart most of the year, for so many years.

The verse that came to me back in 2008 when this all started was Matthew 9:37: “The harvest is great, but the workers are few”. I have held this verse close to heart as I want to be a part of the harvest.

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God’s Expectations Vs. Mine

by American-Caribbean Experience | May 24, 2024 | Book A Trip, Community, Discipleship

Long-time ACE volunteer Tina Gerke shared the following story with our team after her recent trip to Jamaica.

It’s been almost 23 years since I first stepped foot in Jamaica. I would have never believed all the changes and lessons that I was to learn along the way! Being so young in leadership, I thought I knew a whole lot. My passion did not match my wisdom though, and God was so patient in molding and pruning me.

Not often do I stop and take a good long look back. But my last two weeks at ACE have given me that exact opportunity. A look back at hopes and dreams, some that have been realized and some that were shattered, walking a road that I could not even see when I first started saying yes to Jesus!

What I didn’t realize then was that God had plans for me that involved crossed paths with Allen, Marla, and the whole ACE family. People that became family and mentors long before I even knew I needed them. I have watched for decades as they have, without fail, remained steadfast and obedient. The lessons I have learned watching them, learning from them, and seeing them walk out their faith is reflected through our ministry and how God has molded me to be.

God doesn’t always do what we want. I am hard headed and always had to learn the hard way. I wanted my way and even thought that my way was surely right and better.

I had a dream of speaking and writing a book of devotions one day. I used to dream of having audiences sitting at the edge of their seats listening with anticipation of jumping up in surrender and it was all because of what I said! Dreaming of people loving me and my ministry. And in the ugliness of my pride, God started pruning. I found myself softening and listening more than talking. And my passionate speeches actually turned into passionate prayers. I have been walking a road of getting older with not as much energy or capacity to keep up with my 20-year-old Tina expectations.

BUT what I have fallen in love with is the fact that my expectations of myself aren’t even close to what God actually wants to use me for. Once I started truly surrendering, I realized that He has been developing me into someone I wouldn’t have even recognized two decades ago! Someone who now is blessed beyond words to pray over people. I have been beaten up enough in life to know that it isn’t Tina’s words, or Tina’s actions that will ever save anyone. Tina can’t defeat an enemy on her own, one that won’t ever stop warring against her God. BUT GOD CAN! And not only can He but HE WILL!

I sat on the rock this past month reflecting on all of the places God has allowed me to go and see and the people He has brought in and out of my life. How so many of our stories intersect right there on that tiny island in one of the poorest areas we will ever visit. Surrounded by more joy and love than most will ever feel.

ACE has given me such a gift in allowing me to glean from every area of their ministry. To not only become lifelong friends with so many, but family!

Just this past trip, I got to witness a young man become overcome with the Spirit moving that after praying over D’Vaun, he sprinted to the rock and fell on his knees before the Lord.

I have seen kids cry out to Jesus to heal, break chains, and use them! I have kids and adults come face to face with sin and fall on their knees before Jesus. So much healing, so much life and so much love!

People used to ask me why I keep going back to the same place, and my response will never change. You build relationships with people and show them along the way in addition to telling them about Jesus. And that changes everything.

Thank you, ACE! Thank you, Allen and Marla, for being the obedient servants that have prayed over a community, land, island, and people for decades! Because of your obedience, you have been able to use your place for more than Jamaican ministry, but also for a host of Americans whose lives will eternally be different! Mine at the top of the list.

Tina Gerke