missions | American-Caribbean Experience

It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

by American-Caribbean Experience | Dec 23, 2024 | Community, Outreach

So many miraculous things have happened at ACE in 2024 that listing them all would turn this last newsletter of the year into a novel. Instead, we decided to share highlights with pictures below, since photos tell a thousand words.

Starting with the most recent highlight, we hosted a fantastic Christmas party at the ACE office for all of our sponsor children and their families. We even had some ACE friends/donors volunteer for two weeks to help provide a lot of fun and act as Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus.

2024 ACE Child Sponsorship Christmas Party

Throughout the year, we’ve seen the hand of God answer prayers that we’ve asked for and provided help from our ACE family like you. Our 840-acre farm, where our micro-businesses begin, was paid in full. This allows ACE to focus on impacting more families and giving individuals who are within walking distance a chance to earn and provide for their families.

Beekeeper with a fresh honeycomb making honey

Another prayer answered: The ACE Mobile Infirmary program has located and started helping over 100 senior citizens around our community in great need of housing, food, love, and tender attention.

Lebert in the ACE Mobile Infirmary Program

Denise in the ACE Mobile Infirmary Program

Ezra in the ACE Mobile Infirmary Program

Pastor Lawrence in the ACE Mobile Infirmary Program

Clive in the ACE Mobile Infirmary Program

Gloria in the ACE Mobile Infirmary Program

James in the ACE Mobile Infirmary Program

Julieth in the ACE Mobile Infirmary Program

Marita in the ACE Mobile Infirmary Program

Pauline in the ACE Mobile Infirmary Program

Our leadership has been growing in leaps and bounds as Marla and Allen take more of a back seat on the ground with ACE to focus on developing and promoting ACE. Mr. and Mrs. Foster have everyone on the move, cross-utilizing jobs and introducing our hotel staff to the real “why” of service by taking them out with our ACE team to visit those neglected and needy in our community.

While the economy continues to suffer here in Jamaica, ACE is doing our best to stay ahead of the price increases with prayers of wisdom on how to spend what we receive. That is very important to us, and we never want to forget that it’s because of your generosity that we are able to make such a big difference in the lives of the families God sends our way.

Our motto at ACE is “Love God, Love People.” We at ACE believe it’s the only way to live life. We hope you feel the same way and remember that the main reason for Christmas is always about celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. Christmas won’t be complete without the story of why God sent His only Son to get us back to where God created us to be, and that’s to be free to live and love a God and Savior that has never left us hanging.

We wish all of you a happy Christmas and one in which you impact someone in your family or community with the good news of Jesus. The “why” behind the true holiday.

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The Tiny House

by American-Caribbean Experience | Oct 28, 2024 | Book A Trip, Community, Outreach

ACE built its first tiny House this month in Water Valley, a place well known to ACE Volunteers from pre-covid days.

Clive, pictured below, had a stroke several years ago and was left alone, in a yard with an old home that was falling apart and leaked when it rained (swipe past Clive’s photo to view his home).

Clive during an ACE Mobile Infirmary Visit

Thanks to Clive’s generous neighbors, we were made aware of his situation and decided we had to do something quick. The Connor/Hembree Family, ACE friends from Gainesville, GA, flew in as a family of five and went to work with our ACE staff. Building an 8×8 tiny home out of treated lumber was the plan.

To make it easier to put the home together, we carefully measured and constructed everything under the farm pavilion and then transported everything to the site. The one-room home for Clive was completed quickly thanks to our ACE friends. After the family headed home, all the home needed was painting, and of course, Clive. That’s when our ACE Board of Directors showed up a few days later.

With some yellow and brown paint, along with the help of Clive’s neighbors, we were able to complete the job in one day. We were also able to gift Clive with a single bed, a mattress, and sheets as a housewarming gift.

While the board members were here, they also ran a mini walk-in clinic as we painted, led by Dr. Guy. The doctor gave Clive orders to have plenty of ensure, food, and water.

Tiny houses may not be for everyone, but Clive is a big fan. Today, he has working electricity, and he is now clean and warm. The only thing left to do for him is transplant his lemongrass, the best mosquito repellant in Jamaica.

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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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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.