outreach | American-Caribbean Experience

Marla’s Minute: The Widow, Flour & Oil

by American- Caribbean Experience | Mar 24, 2021 | Book A Trip, Community, Outreach

The other day I was reading a story in 1 Kings, Chapter 17, about the widow who, when the prophet Elijah asked her for a drink and a piece of bread during a severe drought and famine, her reply was “I don’t have any bread – only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. I’m gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it- and die.” The story goes on to say that Elijah asked her to take what she had for herself and make a small cake of bread for him to eat and then make something for herself and her son. Elijah then added this one sentence that changed the widow and her son’s situation instantly… “For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: the jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord gives rain” on the land.

The widow went away and did as Elijah had told her. Sure enough, there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. The jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the Lord spoken by Elijah.

This past month, God sent us, figuratively speaking, a jar of flour and a jug of oil in the form of fifteen volunteers to supply us with encouragement, help, and unconditional love. In the midst of the “famine” of visitors we have been experiencing (thanks to Covid and the lining of fear in the mix), God sent us exactly what we needed, as ACE knows He always will.

On February 20th, these fifteen American friends (and new friends!) arrived into Galina Breeze Hotel with much excitement, big smiles, and lots of needed supplies for us and our many neighbors who were living on that last drop of oil and flour. They came to serve and not be served. And serve, they did!

I often think about the widow story; to put it in real time, what if we believed ACE won’t make it through this famine and we were all going to die from Covid? Do we ignore God’s promises that He alone controls our future and is waiting for us to step out in faith and trust Him? It’s a challenge to overcome the fear of travel, the fear of stepping out and yet every time we “do it afraid”, as ACE says, we see a miracle happen right in front of us! The sheer joy of being part of that miracle God is working through us is exhilarating.

That week, the last week of February, was normally our annual Men and Women’s Conference, where Jamaicans come to us for praise and fellowship. While it didn’t happen the way it has for decades and we upheld all the Covid rules it was exactly the way God set it up to happen this year. Take a few minutes to watch this incredible video made by our ACE friends when they returned to the U.S.

We hope this will encourage you to see all that needs to be done – and that CAN be done – and to get on a plane and get here! That oil and flour goes a long way, as one team builds on another and God always provides what we need when we need it. If you hear that call to come down, perhaps you are part of that miracle!

Thank you, friends and families, for the love!
Marla

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Jamaican Cowboys

by American- Caribbean Experience | Mar 23, 2021 | Book A Trip, Community, Discipleship, Outreach

It sounds funny when you read the title. A Jamaican cowboy? Our age is showing when we think of TV shows like Gun Smoke and Bonanza or all of those John Wayne movies where everyone is Caucasian with fancy boots, spurs, big hats and a horse to ride. But when we talk about cowboys in Jamaica, we need to begin to think a little outside of the box.

If you have not yet visited this miraculous piece of property ten minutes out of Port Maria, our home town, then you will have to set your calendar to come on out. When you come, you’ll see our Jamaican cowboys who will soon be riding horses (left on the property by the previous owner) to keep up with all of our GLLF cattle.

Meet Dwight Huie, known to us as simply “Huie” or by his pet name, “Gold Teeth”. Huie is what we would call an “all-rounder”, soon to be “cowboy”. Huie is the father of two grown daughters (twins!) living in England. He, like all of us, is a true animal lover with lots of heart.

This month, LeRoy, another cowboy, worked on saddling up the horses and getting them accustomed to being ridden. We do have an age limit on who gets to ride (no one over 60 or under 21). These are working horses and working cowboys, so we want to keep the work safe and efficient. As the economy picks up (soon, we pray), we should be able to expand our staff and pastures. Keep us in your prayers!

Thanks, Huie and LeRoy, as well as Indian, Sheldon, Maggie, Skanka, and Noyan (who just turned 80 this month), for keeping those fences going in, one post at a time. Reminds us of that old “Don’t Fence Me In” cowboy song… are we showing our age again? These fences are definitely needed, but our cowboys will still enjoy the wide open country that they love! Who knew that Jamaica – a tourist spot for beaches, resorts, Bob Marley, Blue Mountain Coffee, Irie Mon – would now become home to true Jamaican cowboys!

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Marla’s Minute — Holy Cow!

by American- Caribbean Experience | Feb 22, 2021 | Book A Trip, Community, Outreach

Whenever Allen and I travel to KY to see my parents, we usually go to a place my dad loves to go for breakfast. We don’t have these restaurants in GA anymore, but Bob Evans is our place and their slogan used to be “Down on the Farm.” To me, that phrase meant eating fried food and delicious pancakes. Now that I’m on a farm every day, that phrase means a lot of work!

ACE/GLLF is not trying to create another Bob Evans in Jamaica, but we are definitely learning a lot about what it means to be down on the farm, with pigs, horses, all the chores and that good tired feeling of accomplishment at the end of the day.

Most recently, we are excited to see how our own cattle will start another micro-business for Green Life Llanrumney Farms. Thanks to some wonderful donors, GLLF is now the proud owners of 26 heifers (that’s baby female calves). These calves will grow up to produce calves and beef for the buyers who want grass-fed natural beef meat. That’s one side of the story. The other side is, after our calves calf, we will offer employees and sponsored families the opportunity to purchase a cow. This will begin the legacy for their children to not only own their own herd on the GLLF but to learn about how to be sustainable and make a living as a farmer.

This concept is very important to ACE as our focus is always to be self- sustainable and to teach this to our National friends and families. Want to be part of the investment? Let us know.

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Meet Sarah!

by American- Caribbean Experience | Feb 22, 2021 | Community, Discipleship, Outreach

ACE has been fortunate to have extra helping hands from time to time. Sarah has been one of the people who has been down to Jamaica several years in a row and saw a need that she might be able to fill temporarily. We would to take this opportunity to introduce you to Sarah, a 27-year-old young lady from North Georgia.

Here is a note from Sarah in her own words.

I felt a longing in my heart to do something more with my life, so when the opportunity came to be able to volunteer in Jamaica, I resigned from my job, ended my lease on my apartment, and never looked back.

Since I’ve been here helping out with day-to-day functions of ACE and Buccaneers, I’ve been able to work closely with the ACE staff. What an awesome experience it has already been. I’ve learned many new things, like how to drive on the opposite side of the road, how to call avocados “pears” and even how to navigate my way through Port Maria – but most importantly, I’ve learned how to depend on Christ.

One of the most amazing things about being down here is seeing firsthand the way God has been using ACE to assist these precious people. I can say from the bottom of my heart that ACE has been the hands and feet of Christ for the people of St. Mary. ACE has bridged the gap for employees, their families, and families in our communities by providing food, educational access, and basic needs.

Already in 2021, we are seeing God working in additional ways. While we miss our friends at the infirmary and can’t be with them like we used to, we can still make an impact to those in need. A short survey of our community brought forth numerous seniors that are shut-in, lonely, and longing for human connection. They, too, feel abandoned and forgotten. Instead of becoming frustrated with limitations and setbacks, we are allowing this season to go deeper into our community and relationships. I am learning that God always has a plan, and if I am willing to trust Him in all things, He will open doors of opportunities and ways to be His hands and feet.

I’d like to end with a quick story:

We were visiting a single mother that cares for her disabled adult son, every day, seven days a week, with no help or assistance. We brought coffee and, of course, the famous “Betty” condensed milk creamer. We started out talking about the little things – a new year, the weather – but then the conversation began to go deeper. She shared during this COVID season that she really misses being able to go to her church. I think that has been a tough thing for a lot of people. We decided to hold church right where we were by reading her favorite Psalm, Psalm 51, singing and a few songs. We ended our little service that touched us all by having a prayer together.

I can never go wrong by putting love in action. It has been so humbling to be exposed to a portion of this active ministry. I’m looking forward to the journey ahead – with all of you, the wonderful ACE Family.

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A Tale of Two Sisters

by American- Caribbean Experience | Feb 22, 2021 | Book A Trip, Community, Discipleship, Outreach

We’ve been blessed to have Emily and her sister, Mary, as leaders and contributors to ACE for many decades. Both have led multiple teams – Emily through school mission groups and Mary leading medical trips – and both recently came down to serve with ACE together. Emily had some thoughts on her time with us in January:

If you have ever spent any time on an ACE trip, you’ve most likely helped with some type of construction work, painting, or mixing concrete. Or you’ve been part of a bucket brigade hauling rocks, loved on infirmary residents and helped with P.E. for students at a school. Or maybe you’re from the medical profession and have been a part of clinics and dental care.

But did you ever think that being a part of a cattle drive while on a trip would be added to that list?

My sister, Mary, and I had that very opportunity to be a part of ACE’s first cattle drive. Forty head of cattle had to be moved from one pasture to another, which seems like a pretty straightforward task… except that the other pasture was over a half mile away and involved crossing the road, running through the open field at Llanrumney, down a trail through the bush and then through a series of gates. After a couple hours of running, yelling, waving our arms and sweating, the job was completed. While this was an exhilarating and somewhat hilarious experience, it was an event that really highlighted the new face of ACE.

Since Covid has had its grip on the world, you may think that the work of ACE has been slowed down like everything else – that is definitely not the case. When God opened the door for ACE to purchase the 800+ acre Llanrumney property about a year and a half ago, it seemed like a huge step to purchase this piece of land, but now, looking back, we see how God had his hand in it the whole time. Here, God has provided countless natural resources for the ministry to use and market, some yet to be discovered. It has opened the door to employ more single mothers, create a safe haven for families to spend quality time together and to have a larger impact in the local farming community.

And most importantly, it is opening doors for Marla and the staff to share the love of Christ to these individuals with whom they come in contact.

It has also allowed the ACE staff to grow stronger together as a family. To stand back and watch them work extremely hard together while laughing and joking with each other was such a joy. While waiting for the cows to decide to move in the right direction, I went down the list with some of the ladies of all the things they know how to do, from cleaning, cooking, construction, tutoring, planting, harvesting; the list goes on – and now includes cattle driving. Even though the mission teams are few, the work of ACE continues through its amazing staff who have developed new skills and such compassion for their community.

You may be thinking, does ACE need me anymore? Yes! They absolutely do, more than ever. All of this work is just in its beginning stages and there is so much to be done. I encourage you to get a small group of friends or family together and plan a trip down. Yes, there are a few more inconveniences that you have to experience to travel, but, in the end, it’s so worth it.

And if you’re not able to travel, there are other ways to be involved. Any financial contribution to help move the ministry in this direction would be of great benefit. Finally, you can be involved through prayer. Oswald Chambers writes, “Prayer does not fit us for the greater work, prayer is the greater work.” Pray for the ministry as it moves forward, for the staff, for finances and thank God for opening the doors that He has and the provisions He has given… even for the provision of cows to eat the lush grass that is on the land, God, in His foreknowledge, so graciously provided.