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, Buccaneers and Green Life Farm) are doing, as well as our newest addition of the Peace House!

Normally, Galina Breeze bookings start very slow coming off a long holiday, but the hotel has really gotten some local business. We were 50% full the first week of January and have remained that way. In the meantime, Buccaneers Jerk Centre has had continuous business and we are very busy during weekends. This has helped us tremendously with income, providing employment and assisting in paying the salaries for farm staff. Speaking of the farm, animals on the farm are doing great. The cows are increasing in numbers and having calves, and the pigs are having piglets as we grow these for the jerk center. The farm guys are now riding the horses to move about on the farm and help with the cattle.

Even though the Peace House is still not finished – we are waiting for furniture as well as a working bathroom and finishing up odds and ends – we can breathe a breath of peace, because finally we’ve had the first official event here! Christmas is one of the best times of the year, and this year was made even more special as we were able to celebrate the greatest gift, Jesus Christ, with our extended family through Christ at the Peace House. What a celebration it was! Food, lots of food, and a ton of off-key singing surrounded us as we visited with our staff, sponsored families, and friends. We even welcomed Ms. Cookie, one of our seniors at 93 years old who lives alone, to join us in the season of togetherness. The Peace House represents that place where we can come to celebrate Jesus, and we all can feel that peace of God here!

So, we’re off to a great start in the new year, and we are looking forward to what’s to come! God is surely not dead. He’s alive and kicking!

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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 do. I am so blessed and grateful.

As we continue to grow in His Kingdom, we have so much to be grateful for. It has been a rough year recovering from all sorts of things, and yet still we are able to ride the waves and not drown. We are grateful to sponsors and volunteers who have harnessed the potential of our staff and encouraged us to work with sincerity and commitment. God has given us the wisdom and determination to continue to bless others who are less fortunate as we have received blessings from you.

We are very grateful for the staff, their hard work, and the time they have poured into ACE ministry, Galina Breeze Hotel, Buccaneers, and the farm. We have seen where God is moving through the lives of the staff as they start or deepen their relationship with Him. Through His strength, they are able to reach out to the families in our sponsorship program and the outreach to the elders in the nearby communities. Though we have some who can be defiant and harder to love, we are thankful for them as they have given us the vigor to deal with the diverse personalities.

As we continue to grow from strength to strength, we ask for more prayers as we continue to strive to be the hands and feet of Christ.

Wi luv unnuh and can wait to si all a unnuh nex year! (We love you all and can’t wait to see you all next year!) HAPPY THANKSGIVING AND WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR YOU!

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 change and grow into young adults. This month, as Americans and Jamericans celebrate Thanksgiving, we feel like those proud relatives watching the kids around us come into their own, grateful for the part we’ve played in their lives and amazed at their accomplishments.

Remember Tahj, Lorna’s son? We’ve mentioned him in previous newsletters. Tahj came into the ACE program when he was a student at Water Valley School.  This month, Tahj has graduated from the Caribbean Maritime University in Kingston.  Thank you all for contributing to this young man’s future, the first in our Child Sponsorship Program to earn a degree. We are so proud of him and his perseverance to follow his dreams.

We all know Anthony.  Anthony moved into the Campus when we had an iQuest team in 2015. Anthony is a survivor, finding a different path than Tahj, with his own dreams and aspirations on how to earn a living. Anthony stayed in St Mary and became an integral part of the ACE team while completing high school. At 19, Anthony took a job, learning the trade of rewinding pumps from small to super large in Ochi. Today, Anthony, soon be 21 in February, has joined Buccaneers in a management training position to run Henry’s Hideout Pizza.

Meet Darron Campbell.  When this little boy needed a safe space to live, his sponsor and some of you answered the call many years ago to help build Darron a home for him, his mother and siblings. Speed forward ten years – guess who called and asked if we were employing workers at ACE or Green Life Farm?  You guessed it! Darron, who now goes by his nickname Carrot, is 19 and, according to Bulla his supervisor, a hard worker.

The nicest, most fulfilling part about our job is being involved in young students’ lives through the Child Sponsorship Program and then, with joy, seeing them move into adulthood with a purpose. This is why staying put in one place for a least a decade or two or three can really prove to be beneficial. We are constantly reinvesting in each other’s lives, day by day, with God at the center. We are grateful for their sponsors and for the opportunity to witness the journey of these young men.

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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, but this was unexpected. She is one of those team members who, even a few years ago when she was in intensive care, had her laptop on her chest, texting families of our students updating them on the many happenings here in Jamaica. Now that is what we call dedication!

Frankly, all of us at ACE see Dawn as a hero, cheerful and diligent in adversity, while we struggle in our ability to cope with splinters and stubbed toes. No matter her health setbacks, not one of our ACE students is forgotten when it comes to needs, birthdays, and making sure you, our sponsors, are kept aware of any changes happening in the lives of these children.

While we highlight one of our heroes at ACE, we want to mention a big zero that happened earlier this week. One of the families in our community had a person throw a Molotov cocktail into their wood home in the wee hours of the morning, killing a four-year-old and her mother. The grandparents and father survived with burns, but the tragedy left all of us in shock. The angry man was caught and is now in jail pending a hearing.

While we don’t know why someone would be so filled with rage to do something like this, it seems that even in our community, angry people are everywhere. ACE was contacted yesterday to see if we could offer help. The Red Cross gave the family two mattresses, and the next-door neighbor gave them a small room to temporarily move into, but that’s it. Their local church is collecting a little bit of money to have a memorial for the mother and child, but in a poverty environment; most of the friends and neighbors can only sympathize with them and offer what little food or clothing they may have.

Which brings us back to heroes – we are so proud of our ACE team lead by D’Vaun and Patricia. When the news was given to us about this family’s crisis, we were having our weekly book club. The tone quickly changed from books and schedules to what do we have to offer and how can we help? I have had the privilege of watching these young adults grow in their commitment to ACE and to others, and it was encouraging to listen to their planning and brainstorming as a team, finding ways for ACE to help this family at least short term until a long-term plan could be developed. Many times, we see the Jamaican ACE team as fun-loving PE instructors, tutors, fruit pickers, and team leaders. When this sort of tragedy happens, it’s tough but reassuring that our staff understands the focus of why we exist in Jamaica: to be a blessing and help in time of need.

You, our extended ACE family in Jamaica as well as in the states, are very much a part of this assistance. Thank you for seeing us through the many years of fun and challenges. Next year is our big 35^th anniversary – 35 years strong! And we owe it to all of you and our staff who show up even when it’s hard. More heroes and less zeroes in the world will make all the difference!