Everything Glorious

Have you ever attempted to ponder the vastness of space or time? Have you ever tried to wrap your mind around the concept of eternity? I feel like these past few weeks I have, for some reason, been thinking about the enormity of God and His power. When those times came this summer I would often just feel defeated or discouraged. How on earth were the eight of us here in a small town in the bush of Jamaica going to really have any sort of impact with respect to the entire lifespan of the earth? I felt so small and insignificant. Then I would start thinking about the question I’ve been asking God since I got here, why? Why, Lord, did you send me here this summer? Why did you bless me with this opportunity? Why me? What good can I do down here? As always, the answer God keeps giving me is, “Wait and see.”

So, today is our final day in Harmons. I woke up this morning and almost teared up a little bit before I even got out of bed. A whole summer comes down to this one day, one last day to clean up our living quarters and wrap up our relationships. I know I’ll be asking Him today especially, “Lord, I’ve waited, now when do I get to see?” However, it’s also in these moments of uncertainty, knowing that the past is past and it’s time to move on to another chapter of our lives, when I feel like God gives me an answer. David Crowder puts it excellently when he sings, “You make everything glorious, You make everything glorious, I am Yours.”

One thing I’ve experienced this summer is that God is in complete control. He makes everything we do for Him completely glorious. Even when we mess up or make mistakes that hurt others, He can use it for His glory; even when we have no clue He’s planning on using us, He does for His glory. When I feel defeated at the triviality of life, all I need to do is remember that He makes everything glorious, and I belong to Him. I feel like most of us will probably never truly understand what God did this summer. As we’ve started to process and reflect on what we’ve learned, and as we return home and remember the things we’ve done, we will probably never fully realize how God used us. But that’s ok, because we know we can trust that it was glorious. I think that is the answer to my question, “Why am I here, what good can I do?” The answer doesn’t matter, because God’s got it covered. I need to trust that He had a specific purpose for each of us, and as the staff learned to make the most of every moment, we made our lives available for His use here in Harmons. Now as we struggle with leaving this place that feels like home, we can only trust that as we continue our walk with God, He will keep using our lives for His glory.

Thanks for reading this blog and for your prayers and support this summer. Nichole signing off.

This morning the eight of us decided to hike up a mountain to see the sunrise over Harmons Valley. We had to wake up at 4 in the morning to walk up a pretty treacherous mountain, in the dark. We got to the top of the mountain a little before 5. Once we got there I realized I was going to be disappointed. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky EXCEPT for where the sun would be rising. So, there was no spectacular view, but it did allow some time to think. This is what I was pondering about: We are leaving in less than 48 hours now and none of us are ready to leave. I feel that is the way it should be. If all of us were ready to leave and couldn’t wait to get out of here than that would mean that either we did not do what God had called us down here to do this summer or that this was just not the place for us. I can honestly say for myself there is no other place I would have rather spent my summer. And nothing I would rather be doing than serving the people of Harmons. And there are no other people I would have rather been doing it with than the seven other summer staff. Our time here is coming to an end but that doesn’t mean the growth that has happened in us has to come to an end, and we have to be satisfied with just that. Our soul needs to keep being fertile and keep seeing changes so that we can grow. I am excited to see what God is planning on doing in our lives individually. I know this summer will play a huge role in all of our lives and in very different ways and that right there is very exciting to think about!
From,
Klarissa

Some closing thoughts from Tayler...

Hey everyone! Tayler here. As the staff prepares to leave Harmons this week, there are so many thoughts and emotions that could never be put into words. After spending close to three months here, it’s hard to imagine living life any other way. However, there are a few closing thoughts that I would like to send out there to everyone on the other side of our experience this summer.
Something that has troubled me all summer is the tourism here in Jamaica. Despite it being a large part of the economy here, I am so sad that all some people get to see of this beautiful place are all-inclusive resorts and white sand beaches. The Jamaica I have come to know and love is completely different from that – and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
At the beginning of the summer I would just get so angry driving past big hotels on the way to the airport, thinking about the audacity of some people who come down here, experience a small part of the culture, take some pictures, get a tan and go home. However, as the summer went on, I started to realize that this is exactly what I did on my first trip to Harmons. It’s something I have come to call “spiritual tourism.” The reason I say spiritual tourism is because I used to have great God experiences on week trips, but that high would wear off soon after returning home. During week trips, I would talk to a few people here and there, take some pictures, and go home. Not to say that my previous trips to Harmons did not impact me in profound ways (and believe me they did), but the true essence of Harmons never really set in until I gave up my summer to be here. There’s just something about being here and deeply engaging in the culture and with the people that has changed me from the inside out. This summer I have experienced God through the many relationships I have formed with my Jamaican friends. This experience is not something I intend to leave in Harmons when I return home. No longer do I feel like a tourist who experiences Harmons and then goes back home to a normal life. This time, I intend to take everything I have learned and experienced here and carry It back with me and apply it to my life back in the states. One of my favorite quotes by E.E. Cummings that I feel is extremely applicable here is “I carry your heart with me always, I carry it in my heart.” I know for sure that my heart has been changed this summer…in a way that I will not soon forget.

Be still and know

Nichole’s turn to blog again! All week I’ve been trying to find something new to write about, and it’s actually been kind of hard coming up with a different idea. I could talk about the community and the friends we’ve made here, but that’s already been done. I also have tons of thoughts about processing the summer and going home, but there’s plenty of time next week for that. Instead, I figured that since I couldn’t find the words, I would use the Word of God and go from there. So, I would like to share some ponderings with you over a piece of Scripture that has been stuck in my head lately, Psalm 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God.”

Every week when we are in Ochi at the Silver Seas Hotel, (you should watch the video about it) I try to spend some time at my favorite spot. The Silver Seas is along the ocean, but it doesn’t really have a beach. Instead it’s got a pier right on the water, and off of the pier there is a dock of sorts. When I sit down on the dock and dangle my feet in the water and look out at the endless ocean, I am always overwhelmed at the awesomeness of God. I love looking at His breathtaking creation, and every week I take this time to just sit with God. Sometimes we talk, other times I just listen for Him. In these moments I am reminded of the importance of sitting still and just knowing that God is there and in control and all powerful. I have had many other moments like that in Harmons as well. Sitting in the mornings out on the deck, watching the sun dry the dew in the garden or just walking along on some of the paths up on the mountain brings these peaceful moments with God.

Each time God blesses me with a moment of silence, I am reminded the importance of simply spending time with Him. I thought at the beginning of the summer that I would somehow feel closer to God here in Jamaica. In a way I have, but it has been very easy to get caught up in spending time with friends (especially now that the end is drawing near) and I forget to stop and talk with my Savior. In these precious moments I always start thinking about how blessed I am to be called one of His children. I often wonder how people live without Him and without the hope He brings. Even being in this community of Jamaicans has shown me the importance of dependence on Christ. Without Him my whole being here this summer is pointless, and without Him many of these Jamaicans would have nothing to lean on. While not all Jamaicans are Christians or believe in God, the ones I have encountered who do have faith are so incredibly strong. The hardships they go through and the struggles they face have given them a reliance on God that I can only pray to have.

This week is drawing to a close and we are preparing to spend an extra day in Ochi as a staff. Next week we are released from our summer staff duties and are given a few days to say goodbye to our friends. Then we fly out on Friday and head back to the States. I definitely plan on leaning on God as much as possible and spending some extra time with Him. If I don’t, I’m not entirely sure how I’ll make it through leaving this place that feels like home.

I guess this isn’t much of a blog, but I just wanted to share the importance of such simple things as being still and knowing that God is there. I feel like many times it’s easy to get distracted when you are trying to do the right thing and follow Him, causing a loss of focus from simply being in love with Christ. So no matter where you are in life, no matter what country you’re in, no matter what struggles you’re going through, “be still and know” that He is God and the rest will begin to fall into place.

Our Joy comes from the Lord...

Two days in a row!!!

Hey everyone! Tonight was so cool. McKenzie and I planned the second talent show of the summer, and it went off with a bang. With the courtyard packed inside and out, and the lights dimmed low, the murmur of the crowd simmered, creating an awesome stage for the performers. Spot lights on; let’s get the show on the road! The Harmony House was the place to be tonight, where there were many different kinds of talents being showed off. Singers and dancers of all ages sang and danced, and let me tell you, the Jamaicans know how to dance; they even put me to shame. We had a few Americans playing guitar, singing songs, and rockin’ out on the djembe, but that was only the beginning. I don’t know how flexible you are, but try and kiss your elbow or put your legs behind your head and do push ups at the same time. Crazy human tricks to the max! I can’t even do that!

The summer staff performed a danced choreographed by Tim to the song “Grace Kelly,” by the band Mika. It was off the chain. All eight of us were on stage doing a sweet dance and making people laugh at the same time. It brought so much joy to me. Acting foolish and silly can be great for making people happy (as long as you stay in the boundaries, am I right momJ?) What can I say; it was an experience we will never forget. Luckily we got it on video, so you can keep your eyes out for a link on the You Tube website.

Thank you.

Love,

Seth

Whats Up, It's Wednesday!!

Hello All,

Tonight was men’s night in the courtyard. Each week we have different activities for the guys, and this evening, like many others, we enjoyed playing dominoes. We also had an intense championship “strong man competition,” which basically consisted of arm wrestling. In the end my American friend, Anthony, and my Jamaican friend, “Bigga,” were the final two contestants out of 20, with the crowd intently watching every move. It was pretty sweet to see the guys so excited.

I just want to encourage all of you reading this blog to seize every moment you have as an opportunity God has set before you. In every circumstance praise Him and glorify His name. Work, school, or play, it is important to always let your light shine for Christ, and also remember that our actions and words influence others. Why not constantly be feeding others a Godly influence through your own self? I share this because this is what I have been challenged with throughout this summer.

I thank you all so much for all of your prayers and support and I am excited to share my experiences with many of you when I am home in the States. Love you all!!!!

Seth

BONJOUR!!

Hey every one!! It’s Seth here. How are you doing? I am well. Our time will soon come to an end and I have to say it is going to be bittersweet leaving Jamaica and going back to the States.
Any way, I just want to share a story about tonight. If you did not know, McKenzie and I are in charge of the Courtyard activities for each evening here at the Harmony House. Tonight we tried to do something new that hasn’t been done all summer. We planned a crazy games night for the kids! There were several stations for the kids to play different games. They are as follows: Pin the tail on the donkey (I drew the donkey, just so you know), throw the ball into the bucket, fish for a prize, bowling, beanbag toss, and the pin drop. Overall the night was awesome. I would say there were about 50 kids in the courtyard tonight. After those exciting games, we played musical chairs, three legged race, and a relay race which went something like this: the kids spin ten times with their forehead on a bat, then run across the room to put on some XL adult size clothing on, then crab walk backwards to their team members. It was a riot!!! The children were spinning and falling to the ground from dizziness. It was so hilarious.
So that’s the evening in a nutshell. I hope you all have an awesome rest of the week and I will see you soon. God bless.

Happy Birthday Henry!

After almost a week of plotting and planning, we pulled it off. We threw Henry the biggest Jamaican surprise birthday party ever. If you don’t know, Henry Shaffer is the founder of Won by One to Jamaica. I’m sure if you check out the history of the ministry on the webpage you can find out all about it, but the short version is that a really long time ago Henry followed God’s call to a little town called Harmons, Jamaica. His servant’s heart was blessed with a ministry that has literally multiplied ten-fold. While starting by coming down only once a year with his family, there are now groups that come down almost every week of the year, continuing to build houses and relationships and showing God’s love to the people here.

So today was Henry’s 61st birthday. Another key piece of information is a little tradition that happens here in Jamaica. Whenever it’s your birthday, there’s a good chance that you will be floured by someone during the day. Being floured is as simple as it sounds, someone will sneak up behind you and dump a bunch of flour on your head. Plain, simple, messy, and definitely unwelcomed; so unwelcomed that many Jamaicans won’t even reveal the day of their birth.

Anyway, in all the years that Won by One to Jamaica has been in the Harmons community, Henry Shaffer has somehow managed to never be here on July 23. So, being the first time he was able to celebrate a Jamaican birthday, we figured we’d make it a huge bash. While Henry has had the chance to flour many, many Jamaicans, none of them have ever gotten the chance to get him back. Through a ton of preparation and scheming we came up with some great plans to make his birthday memorable. Seth and McKenzie, as Courtyard Coordinators, kind of took charge of the project and came out doing a marvelous job.

Last week flyers were secretly posted all around Harmons letting people know of the surprise party, and Justin managed to have a lot of people in the community wish Henry a happy birthday on film. Then we somehow got Henry out of the Harmony House for about two hours this afternoon. In that time we quickly got together and blew up almost two hundred balloons (and trying to get that accomplished with Jamaicans kids grabbing at balloons and attempting to help can be quite the feat). Seth climbed up into the rafters of the Courtyard and rigged up a box full of flour. A previous staff member, Rachel Schomaker, also assisted our birthday scheme and made an incredibly huge and amazing cake shaped like one of the hands that the teams sign when they come every week. After Henry returned, we had until evening to figure out how to get everything set up.

Once the time came, we managed to get Henry to go into the nightly team meeting while the rest of the staff quickly got things ready. A table was situated under the impending flour-doom, a tarp was set up in the rafters where we placed the balloons, and the courtyard was decorated. Very soon after that the entire room was packed with Jamaicans and Americans, there had to have been at least five hundred people there. Henry was somewhat suspicious, but had no idea of the surprises we had in store. The evening went wonderfully well. Henry was covered in flour, cake was eaten, the video was shown, and happy birthday wishes were granted.

It was almost overwhelming seeing so many Jamaicans come just to wish Henry a happy birthday. As I stood there in the doorway watching the chaos of kids running after balloons and cake, I was hit with the reality of the impact that Henry has made on this community. I can’t even being to imagine what he was feeling tonight. I bet that when he first started coming to Harmons, he never in a million years thought that he would build so many relationships and help so many friends. As I watched I couldn’t help but realize that this is the result of following after God’s heart. Such a simple thing like going where God sends you can give Him so much glory. Henry is just an ordinary man. The thought that perhaps God could use my life in such amazing ways is awe-inspiring. But that’s how God works, isn’t it? He uses plain, commonplace people to move mountains in His name. It’s encouraging to see such a great example in Henry Shaffer, and it’s an honor being a part of the work that he began in a little valley in the middle of Jamaica. I wish him the happiest of birthdays and many more years to come.

Nichole- signing off for now.

Hey, Prayer Works!

Hello there our dear readers! We, the staff, just got back to Harmons after picking up another team from Independence, MO and we’re really excited for this new week. Last weeks team was from Carmel Baptist Church in North Carolina, and the time they were down here was amazing, even though we got rained on for most of the week. Their spirits were high and their work ethic even higher. I know as work-site coordinator they sure made my job (and I’m sure everybody else’s job) much easier with their attitudes. I know I speak for the rest of the staff when I say “thank you” to everybody who came down.

Well, being a soccer nut, I can’t help but telling you that the Harmons U-15 soccer team won their season opener 2-1 last Tuesday. I was only able to stay for the first half, but I heard about it later that evening when the kids on the team came to the Harmony House to tell me how it went. Like before the dress parade, I was asked to give a talk to the kids before the game (Justin also talked) and after that we prayed with the team. So when the kids came to the Harmony House that evening to tell me how it was, they began it with “Your prayer worked!” and then went on with the details of the game. After they were done, I told them, “Hey, prayer works.” So, that being said, I would like thank all who prayed for the soccer team and I would ask you to continue to pray for them (their next game is Thursday, July 24) not only for their safety and possible victory, but also for their hearts to be opened more to this “prayer thing.” Hopefully it will become more to them than just a thing to do in church or before games, but something that they will do all the time to a Person who always listens and always gives, and that of course, is Jesus Christ!

Well, that’s a short recap on what’s going on here these days. Again, I would like to thank all of our readers for their support and please keep reading…much more good stuff to come!
Well, see ya later!
Timothy : )

Rain

Hello everyone! Justin here. I hope you all have enjoyed the videos thus far. I have enjoyed hearing that the some of the videos have touched people’s lives in ways I never would have expected. If you haven’t seen Tim’s dancing video, I recommend it to all. It is truly life changing. :)

I wanted to take a few minutes to tell you all a short story. Yesterday morning, I decided to head to a work site after doing some things around the Harmony House. It was a normal day in Harmons, except that it started raining. Pretty hard. This was the first time we had seen a rain like this since the beginning of the summer. The first reaction from everyone in the group was frustration. Here we are, trying to build this house that is close to entirely built out of cement, and the rain comes now?! How are we ever going to finish three houses in one week with rain like this? The cement is never going to dry, we won’t be able to continue working, etc.

We continued working and the rain continued to pour. When it was lunch time, we started to walk back to the Harmony House. Right when we started walking back the rain came down the hardest it had been all day. Seth and I decided to run back so we could shower in the rain. There is a place in the back of the Harmony House where the roofs come together. When it rains, the water pours off of the roof and creates a natural shower. We hadn’t been able to do this since the beginning of the summer (this was in the middle of our nine day stretch without showering), simply because it hadn’t rained.

As I stood there in the rain, I felt complete joy. There are a lot of things in the world that make me happy. My family and friends, listening to my favorite music, watching a good movie, my mom’s homemade fajitas, Seth’s beard, just to name a few. But never before have I felt so much joy over something that happens so frequently. Before this summer, rain was just an inconvenience. But after being engulfed into a community with no running water, rain is so much more. It is tomorrow’s shower water or used to clean dishes the next day. Every last drop is caught from the roof and savored to the fullest extent. As I stood there with rain water being poured on me, I truly sensed its importance. It is so easy to take little things for granted. The fact that we can turn a knob and water flows out of a faucet can be something that seems so miniscule in the grand scheme of things. But when that water is taken away, or comes with a price, every drop seems that much more important. It is cool to see the way that God provides for each of us; even it is through ways that we may not notice at first.

Little experiences like my shower in the rain make me realize the big things I have, without even noticing it. I am excited to see what other experiences are in store in my last few weeks here in Harmons.

Fried Fish and Festivals

Time for another blog by Nichole! Alright, so I think a common question that we, as a summer staff, get asked a lot (after “What do you miss the most from home?”) is “What do you like the most about being here this summer?” After reflecting on the question and spending over half the summer in Harmons, I think that one of my favorite things about being here for so long is the difference that the prolonged time has on my relationships with Jamaicans. When I have visited in the past for week long trips, I got to meet a lot of people and experience a different culture, but being here for so much time has allowed deeper friendships to form. I feel that, in a way, the summer staff is now a part of the community here. We have been living life with the residents of Harmons and have had the blessing of learning more about their lifestyles, joys, and struggles. An important part of our ministry is building relationships, and so part of our job as summer staffers is simply spending time with our friends. One advantage to this being in our job description is that we get a lot of opportunities to experience Jamaican life. A great example of this that I would love to share with you happened last week, as my friend McKenzie and myself spent an afternoon learning to cook dinner the Jamaican way.

When I visited Harmons with Allegheny College last January, I met a woman named Nicole, whom everyone calls Nancy, as I was working in the store one day. Since we share the same name, I feel that we had an instant bond. We traded addresses and have communicated through snail mail since then. It has been a great joy to continue our friendship this summer face to face. One day, Nancy invited me to learn how to cook dinner and share a meal at her home with her and her 3-year-old son, Shalom. So last Friday, McKenzie and I ventured to her house after lunchtime. Our dinner menu was fried fish and festivals. (Festivals are a popular Jamaican food that are basically fried dough made of flour, cornmeal, and sugar.)

Nancy scaled and prepared the fish as we talked with her and played with Shalom. Then it was time to cook. On a small gas burner we placed a skillet with some oil. McKenzie volunteered to fry the fish. I must admit it was quite comical at first, watching her try to avoid the splashing hot oil, but she quickly got the hang of it. As she fried, I got the chance to mix the dough for the festivals and later experienced frying them myself. Nancy complimented us on our “natural” cooking skills, but we definitely could not have done it without her expertise.

The more time I spend with the people living in this valley, the more impressed I am with how they make do with what they have, whether it’s scarce or plentiful. It was a simple meal that made for a wonderful afternoon. We got the chance to fellowship and work with a friend, learning more about her and the Jamaican lifestyle. I am so incredibly grateful to have this memory to cherish and I pray that in the weeks that we have left God will continue to bless us with simple afternoons and deeper relationships.

Learn about Tayler!

Name – Tayler Sonshine Longo

Age - 19

Hometown – Pittsburgh, PA

High School – Greater Works Academy
College – Geneva College
Major – Human Services

Hobbies – Writing, Coming to Jamaica, Laughing, Having fun

Favorite Color – Yellow or Orange

Favorite Sports Team – Pittsburgh Steelers
Favorite Books – The Irresistible Revolution, Praise Habit, Tale of Two Cities

Favorite TV Show – Seinfeld

Favorite Food – Chinese and Leftover cold pizza (not at the same time though!)

Favorite Jamaican Food – Callaloo, Any and All Fruit (mmm especially mangos and pineapples!), Rice and Peas, Stew Chicken, Peanut Punch

Favorite Music – Little bit of everything, but some favorites include: DMB, Jack Johnson, Jack’s Mannequin, Something Corporate…basically anything acoustic.

Favorite day of the week and why – Thursday because we get to visit our friends at the infirmary
Favorite Board Game – Trouble!!
Favorite Number - 11
Biggest Dream – Learning how to truly love everyone around me and inspiring others to do the same.

My job in Jamaica – Working in the store with my friend Klarissa
Biggest thing I have learned lately – The true meaning of 1 John 4:11-12: "Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us."

A Note From Josh

For those of you who don't know me, my name is Josh Shaffer. I work full time with Won By One To Jamaica. I am married, have three children and although I live in Pennsylvania, I reside in Harmons about 1/3 of the year. I have been coming to Harmons since 1989, shortly after Hurricane Gilbert. I love the Harmons Valley; so much so that my family and I have dedicated our lives to working with the people of this Community.
Many people in Harmons call me "Bossy." Although the nickname is partially accurate in that I do payroll for the large number of people we have the privilege of being able to employ, I sometimes wish that I could still be in the role I was many years ago when I was younger and played with the area boys (all of whom are now young men and some are even fathers themselves.)
I would like to say some things about the eight students who have given up jobs in their hometowns to come to Harmons for the summer as Summer Staff. They do not get paid for what they do this summer, AND they all had to pay for their own expenses. I have had the chance to get to know each one of them and I want to say that I am very proud of every single one. I believe it says a lot about the character of someone who is willing to give to others whom they don't know very well and are not related to them.
Now the staff is admittedly not perfect. They make little and sometimes big mistakes like we all do. They are learning to act and speak without offending, which can be a challenge when you are living in a culture that is different than what they have always known.
It has come to my attention that many have read this summer's blog where the students have been writing about what they have been experiencing. Unfortunately, some have been offended at how transparent and brutally honest they have been. A few readers were disappointed that the staff carelessly chose words or phrases that may have been callous or naïve.
Without trying to defend some of the mistakes that were made, I would like to add that I know, without a doubt, that not one of the Summer Staff intentionally said or wrote anything that they intended to be demeaning or show disrespect. In fact, if you read all the posts in their entirety you will see that the Staff is sharing all that they are learning from the Jamaicans and their culture.
It would have been much easier for them not to have done the Blog this summer. They are willingly putting their personal thoughts and feelings on the internet for all to see, and even print off and read to others. It takes a lot of courage to write what you are feeling to total strangers. Some might even decide to believe the worst about them instead of giving an ounce of grace and understanding.
In this Blog, the students are practicing what we as a ministry, which is committed for the long term to Harmons, want to be about. Transparency; Authenticity; Vulnerability; Desire to learn from others; Willingness to help others: Availability to whatever God has in store for our lives. Yes we will make mistakes. Have in the past. Will in the future. But we will continue to ask for forgiveness from those we might have offended, as Christ urges us to do.
We hope to continue to see lives changed as our own lives are changed for many more years to come.
I hope you continue to read and enjoy the Blog this summer.

Josh Shaffer
Won By One To Jamaica
Changing Lives By Changing Lives

Weekend In Harmons

Hey Everybody! This is Tim coming to you from Harmons, Jamaica and I’m going to tell you about my amazing awesome weekend. Ready? Let’s go!

So, the weekend began like any other, getting up and getting the team ready to leave for Ocho Rios. The only difference was this time, I wasn’t going with them. This weekend I stayed behind in Harmons to support the Harmons U-15 soccer club, which I help out (with the help of the gear the groups of Americans bring down.) I help get them gear such as boots, shin guards etc…so they can play not only well, but safe, and look well doing it. So anyway, one of the stipulations was that I couldn’t stay in the Harmony House that night, I would have to find a Jamaican to stay with. I first I asked Little John, who works for Won By One to Jamaica, who at first said “No” but, he said he could help me find a place to stay. He ended up finding a place for me at a very nice lady named Gloria’s house, who also works for Won By One to Jamaica as a cook. After the team left, I made my way up to Gloria’s place with Little John and I was welcomed with open arms. Gloria was so accommodating to me that it made me a little misty eyed to be honest. She made a breakfast which I did not really expect, but I’m glad I got to get it because it was DELICIOUS! It was a meal consisting of mackerel, fried plantains, and bananas. After breakfast we sat around and talked for a while about numerous subjects. We got caught up talking about hurricanes for a while and Gloria told me about preparations they make to their houses and what happens after hurricanes…it was all very interesting. So, after that, Little John and I made our way to Porus, where the event for the soccer teams was being held. Porus is about ten miles from Harmons so we got a ride there in a Taxi. When we arrived (which was about 11:30, and the event didn’t start until around 2:30) Little John showed me around Porus. He was very familiar with the area because he went to high school there so, of course, he gave me a tour of his old high school. I was surprised to find that it was very similar to an American classroom, I don’t know why that surprised me…a classroom is a classroom I guess, but nevertheless, I was surprised. It was really cool to see Little John give me the tour, he got really excited about showing me it and he had a sense of pride about showing me around telling me what classes he had in this room and what teacher taught in that room. He even gave me a brief lesson in Jamaican history when I saw a mural on a wall with past Prime Ministers on it. Again, it was very interesting. We then went to a small restaurant where I had my first experience with curried goat. It was very good food! I found goat meat to be really sweet and tender…I wouldn’t mind having more right now…I better stop, I’m making myself hungry.

So, after all of that, the soccer event finally started. The league that Harmons plays in starts their season with a dress parade where every team is present and they get judged by which team looks the best. I’m very proud to report that the Harmons team won, and they did so with tons of dignity too. In the hall where in was held, all the teams were lined up and waiting to be judged. A lot of the other teams there were very lackadaisical in their lines. The kids were talking to one another and being very unorganized. Our Harmons boys were quite the opposite. They stood there like professionals; hand’s behind their backs and eyes forward. More importantly there was no talking. After they were judged they relaxed and sat down of course. After that I was asked to give a speech to the team. I was very taken off guard and stumbled over my words for a few sentences but after I going, I started saying how this (winning the dress parade) was just the beginning to a great season. I just want to add that their first game is Tuesday July 15th, so say a special prayer for them when you get the chance. After all the festivities that go along with the dress parade, Little John and I came back to Harmons where we stayed up for a while watching the Jamaican news channel and a little bit of the Miss Universe Pageant.

So, that was the gist of my weekend living in Harmons. I just want to add that soccer to me is the universal language. Any language barrier, any culture differences can be absolutely demolished by a soccer ball and 4 willing feet to kick it around, and I find that absolutely amazing.

Timothy : )

Slowing Down

Hi everyone! Nichole here. It’s been a little while since I’ve written one of these, so I thought I would talk to you about some of the things God has been showing me about the every day Jamaican life, especially the life of the women here.


At times, Jamaican women here can be unfortunately much neglected. Many feel especially threatened by the American women that come down, since a lot of Jamaican guys are often more interested in talking to us. When I’ve come down here for week trips in the past, I always remember feeling extremely awkward in the presence of the girls. There are a lot of awkward silences, which often times make me feel uncomfortable. One thing that I have grown to realize, though, is that the lack of conversation is okay, it’s simply a part of the culture down here. The more time I spend in Harmons and with the people here, the more I understand that their lives are fairly different from ours.


I feel like in the States everyone is always moving, always rushing, always busy, always completing their to-do lists. In Jamaica, if you don’t work, there really isn’t any busy work to do during the day. When I ask my friends what they do when there’s no team down here, the response is usually “nothing” or “just stay at home.” As I’ve spent more and more time just visiting the women and spending time with them, I have started thinking about how the women I know from home would survive in a world like Harmons. The day of a Jamaican female usually begins early in the morning. For those that have families, they usually spend time cooking. Otherwise, there is often cleaning and laundry to do. Time is then spent walking to a friend’s house to sit and talk or help with their laundry. Sometimes they’ll watch a movie or take a nap. Even when sitting together there is a lot of silence and time spent being in the presence of someone else. I don’t think many Americans would deal well with having nothing to do the majority of the time.


However, being able to experience this slow-moving life has been a blessing in disguise. While at times I feel like if I just sit and watch the clouds go by with another Jamaican I might go slightly crazy, I have learned to appreciate that time as fellowship. God has been showing me that in those moments of silence with no distractions and no list of things to get done is when He works the most. There’s no telling how God will use me to show His love to others just by existing and doing life with them and slowing down enough to simply sit with them and demonstrate that they are important. I feel that spending my time with them is a great way to show how much I care.


This summer has given me a chance to reduce the speed of my life and be thankful for moments to just live with others. The difference in culture has taken some time to get used to, but I’m finally beginning to understand that we were not created to be so busy that we can’t stop and talk with our neighbors or help out a friend. Doing life with others is often more important than cramming it with meetings and schedules. It can get dangerous when I’m too busy to notice the opportunities God gives me to build relationships with others. Hopefully I will be able to take this “Type-B” personality home with me and continue to value people over lists.


One last thought to ponder comes from a book that our staff is reading together called “Chasing Daylight,” by Erwin Raphael McManus. The first chapter of this book focuses on the importance of a moment and how we shouldn’t underestimate the power of what God can do in one. He writes, “One of the Greek words from which we get the English word moment is atomos. You can easily see that the words atom and atomic come from atomos. This is the perfect picture of what is hidden in a moment. The image of an atom reminds us of how easily we could miss a moment or even underestimate it… At the same time, we have the image of the atomic hidden in the moment… When you seize divine moments, you instigate an atomic reaction. You become a human catalyst creating a divine impact.”


I’m excited to see how God will use us in this culture of “no problem, mon” to create divine impacts for His glory throughout the rest of the time we have here.

Crazy Taxi

Well hello everyone! This is Justin. I am pleased to announce that after a long and gruesome battle with technology, I am victorious. Kind of. After many tries, the Infirmary video is FINALLY posted without skipping. It is probably my favorite one of the summer, so be sure to check it out. The Extreme Home Makeover video is up and two of the three parts don’t skip. Unfortunately, that is how it is going to have to be. So, I apologize for the inconvenience there, but enjoy the videos how they are. You can find the link to the right of this blog page or just click here. This week, we are going to make a video describing our weekly experiences in Ocho Rios. Should be fun!

I have a short story to tell you for the day. On Monday, while half of the summer staff was in Montego Bay picking up our team for the week, Seth and I took two Jamaicans, John and Neal (Fridgy) into town. They both love pizza and we pretty much had the day off, so we decided to take them for a feast at Dominoes. We took Creamy’s bus for most of the trip there, and then walked about three miles until we arrived. When Neal took his first bite of pizza his words were, “God Bless America.” I thought that was pretty funny.

The real story comes when we were ready to leave to go back to Harmons. We went to the taxi station and hopped in a taxi. The taxis in Jamaica are pretty small. Definitely smaller than in the States. It was Seth, John, and I in the back seat and Fridgy in the front seat. To me, the stupid American, this seemed like a pretty full taxi. We drove about 100 yards and the taxi stopped and talked to a lady outside of the backseat window. She said she needed a ride to Porus, which is where we were going. Let’s just say this lady was not skinny by any means. In fact, she was probably the biggest Jamaican I had ever seen, other than Sean Kingston. So you can probably guess what happens next. The driver asks John to move up in his seat, so he is practically straddling the middle console of the front seat and Seth and I get squished up against the window as we drive our 10 mile adventure to Porus.

When we finally reach Porus, and I can finally breathe, we get out to go to another taxi station to go from Porus to Harmons. In Jamaica, taxis are like subways. You can’t just go anywhere in the taxi. The all have limitations to their destinations. So we get to the station from Porus to Harmons and there is only one taxi, which appears to be full. In the back seat is a mother with her three kids and in the front seat is a pregnant woman. Remember, these taxis are small. I think to myself, “Okay, we'll have to wait until another taxi comes.” But, the stupid American was wrong again. Before I know it, I am in the taxi with a random Jamaican boy in my lap, another random kid next to me, followed by her mother, with her child on her lap, and then Seth, smashed against the window. And that’s just the back seat. In the front was Fridgy with his arm around the pregnant girl in the passenger seat.(John stayed in Porus to do some errands. Thank you Jesus.) And we continued on to Harmons.

This experience just opened my eyes to the culture differences here in Jamaica. Can you imagine getting into a taxi, throwing some random person’s kid on your lap or putting your arm around a pregnant woman in the front seat, and continuing on your way as if nothing was going on? Well a few days ago, I would have said no too. But I think I will try it when I get home. Just kidding. Once was enough.

Insight to John's Life.!

Name – John Terrana

Age - 23

Hometown – New Kensington, PA

High School – Kiski Area High School

College – Duquesne University Graduate/ Marymount University

Major – PSYCHE!

Hobbies – Drumming, fishing, swimming, playing games

Favorite Color – Green

Favorite Sports Team – Pittsburgh Penguins and Dallas Cowboys

Favorite Books – The B-I-B-L-E, Unquenchable Worshipper, Blue Like Jazz, Mere Christianity, LOTR

Favorite TV Show – M*A*S*H, McGyver, Bob Ross

Favorite Food – Food is good

Favorite Jamaican Food – Bag Juice, Jerk Chicken, Pineapple, Grapefruit, Oranges, Mangos, Tangerines, Cashews, Calaloo, Coconuts

Favorite Music – lots!!1!

Favorite day of the week and why – Sunday because we get to go to Ochi

Favorite Board Game – Dark Tower

Favorite Number - 7

Biggest Dream – World Peace.

My job in Jamaica – Co-Work Site Coordinator with Tim. Having a blast.

Biggest thing I have learned lately – You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes you might find you get what you need.

LEARN ABOUT KLARISSA!!!!1

Name – Klarissa Lynae Lash

Age - 21

Hometown – Lee’s Summit, Missouri

High School – Lee’s Summit High School (GO TIGERZ!)

College – nope

Major – N/A

Hobbies – having fun, sharing, helping, cleaning, C#minor, talking to John, eating, sleeping, music (playing or listening)

Favorite Color – gray

Favorite Sports Team – I hate sports.

Favorite Book – Blue Like Jazz, Irresistible Revolution, Mere Christianity, Evasion, The Giver

Favorite TV Show – America’s Funniest Home Videos is good. Not a huge television watcher to be honest

Favorite Food – Tomatoes and anything that my mom makes
Favorite Jamaican Food – Papaya, Pineapple, rice and peas, sweet and sour chicken that Gloria makes, oh and her French fries are sooo good!

Favorite Music – Justin Harlan.

Biggest Dream – Just to live my life and show God’s love and make an impact on other people’s lives!

My job in Jamaica – I work in the store with Tayler and make sure everything runs smoothly in there!

Biggest thing I have learned lately – The most important moments rarely come at a convenient time and if you let them come and go the opportunities that lie within them leave with them. (From “Chasing Daylight” By Erwin McManus)

The Church

Hey everyone! It's Seth. We have returned from our staff retreat and I just wanted to share a little insight to something that happened yesterday.

Most weekends we travel to Ocho Rios on Sunday with the team that is here for the week and then on Monday we take them to the airport and pick up a new team for the week and it all starts over again. This Sunday was a little bit different. We had just returned on Saturday from our retreat in Negril, which was a very relaxing time to catch up on our sleep and catch our breath. Anyway, this morning we didn’t have the hustle and bustle of waking up a team and trying to make our way onto the bus to ship them off. No, today we had the opportunity to experience church in Jamaica. This was a real eye opener for me. You see, back in the states, if you don’t like a church because of its preaching techniques, worship style, age group, etc. you can just go somewhere else most times and feel comfortable in a church that you enjoy. But here in Harmons, Jamaica options of a “good” church are slim. So if you speak to a Jamaican about not going to that church down the road chances are that they aren’t going any where at all. On the island I have seen Seventh Day Advent churches and Baptist churches and a few others. This morning I went to church down the road called Open Bible Church in the community called Green Pond. I had no idea what to expect really.

One thing you have to realize about Jamaica is that being on time isn’t really an important thing. It is just part of the culture to be late for everything. So when we heard church started at ten we wanted to leave on time to be there right when it started. Well, it’s a good thing we got there a couple minutes early for church to start right at ten thirty. It was a good opportunity for us to meet every body that was attending church. We were the first ones there. Even before the pastor, who was an old woman named Pastor Wallace.

So we are sitting in our pew. Six white people in a small and very hot building worshiping side by side with the Jamaican people. The service started out with some music. This is how it went. It started with a woman who stood up in front of the congregation (at this point there were only about seven other people in the building) and she was singing very loudly into a microphone. I will admit that I cringed a little bit because she was so off-key with the keyboard player and it was pumping so loud out of the speakers right above our heads loud enough for the entire community to hear and know that it is time to throw on your suit and tie, or dress, and make your way to church. So the singing went on for a few hymns that I didn’t recognize but were easy to pick up so we sang along and clapped any way. Eventually the people started filling in and shouting “Hallelujah” and “Thank You Jesus” which created an atmosphere of spontaneous shouting praises to the Lord through out the rest of the service. After we sang the hymns a few times another woman stood up in the front of the congregation, about 40 people total or so, and began to announce what was going to happen in the service: “songs, introductions of special people in the church today, offering, the sermon, and one of the Americans can come up and speak.” As soon as she said this I had a feeling it was going to be me. Plus, when I looked to all the other staffers they were all staring at me so that was a pretty good indication of who was going to be standing in front of every one I don’t know and preaching some gospel. Wow.

So when it came to be my turn to go up they said will an American come and speak and the team looked to me, the congregation clapped, and there I went. I only knew about one or two Jamaican boys in this church and every one else lives on the other side of the community where I never really ventured before so this was a little intimidating. I was about to speak about God to people who rely on him daily to survive. I spoke in their native tongue to say hello and I got a chuckle back from the crowd which was nice and it calmed any nerves that I might have had. I opened up to the book of Colossians in chapter three and read that. I tried to relate it to them in plain life. I explained how the passage was for everyone all around the world. I expressed that lust, greed, sexual immorality, impurity, slander, etc. is not just a Jamaican sin but the whole world sins. And most importantly, that we are forgiven for these things and because of Gods compassion and forgiveness we are to put to death those things and clothe our selves with righteousness and compassion, kindness, humility and most importantly love. Then I prayed for the congregation and the community and the sermon and gave thanks for God’s Grace and Love and for his amazing gift of eternal life and for Jesus’ sacrifice.

I think it all went over pretty well. In the end I wasn’t really worried about how well it went over. I was just so excited to share gospel in a church full of Jamaicans. Straight up Gods word to a group of almost 50 people who had my undivided attention and I was just feeding them what they need and I know it wasn’t me, but God using me. That’s all I want. I just want to be used, a tool for God. And even though many times it’s not as obvious as this morning, I am so thankful that I can have the opportunity to do these things and trust that I am in Gods will. And that every thing I do I strive to do it for his glory and not my own.

McKenzie's Summer Staff Profile!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Name – McKenzie Sauser

Age - 20

Hometown – Anthon, IA

High School – Maple Valley Anthon Oto High School

College – University of Iowa

Major – I’m not sure yet... I just got accepted into the U of I’s nursing program, but I don’t know if I’m meant to be a nurse or if God wants me to be a nurse.

Hobbies – Running, eating, sleeping, going to Chicago with my fam, reading magazines, hanging out with cool people :)

Favorite Color – PINK!!

Favorite Sports Team – Cubs, Packers, Brett Favre, Hawkeyes and if I liked hockey, I would like the Pittsburgh Penguins

Favorite Book – reading is for the birds...and I am not a bird...but I do enjoy reading the Bible. Favorite TV Show – American Idol, Oprah, Today Show and the news, Full House, Fresh Prince, Grey’s Anatomy, What Not to Wear...anything on TLC.

Favorite Food – homemade macaroni, watermelon, chocolate.

Favorite Jamaican Food – bag juice, patties, rice and peas.

Favorite Music – country and other good songs. I’m in the process of getting musically educated by Justin.

Biggest Dream – learning how to love all people…even those who are really difficult to love.
My job in Jamaica – Co-courtyard Coordinator with Seth Roush. We plan all the nightly activities for the Jamaicans and Americans at the Harmony House.

Biggest thing I have learned lately – realizing the love that I show the Jamaicans can be taken home and be shown to the people I encounter everyday.

The Least of These

Hey everyone its Tayler. We will soon have a new video posted about the Infirmary that I would highly recommend watching (we are having some technical difficulties). Whether or not you have been able to experience the Infirmary first hand, this video captures the true essence of God’s work among “the least of these” here in Jamaica.

For those of you who may not know much about the Infirmary, at first glance it may not seem like a place you would expect God to be. At this rundown government facility, you will find people with mental and physical disabilities, those whose family could not take care of anymore, or even didn’t want anymore. Picture a nursing home in the worst condition in the U.S, multiply it by about 100, and you will come close to picturing the Infirmary.

Every week, Won By One To Jamaica takes teams to visit the Infirmary to spend time reading the Bible and talking with the patients there. Usually a little apprehensive and taken aback by the horrendous conditions, the Americans approach the experience with the intentions of blessing the residents, but surprisingly end up being blessed back more than they ever thought possible. The residents that live at the infirmary are so full of God’s love and joy that it is almost impossible to process or understand. I have heard some of the best sermons preached within the walls of the Infirmary, not to mention some of the most amazing prayers.

One of my dearest friends at the infirmary is a woman named Mary. Mary is in her early seventies and is permanently bedridden due to a faulty operation on her back several years ago. Not much is known about how she came to be at the infirmary, but her legacy is one that will live on in my life for several years to come. One would expect someone who spends every waking moment bedridden in the same room to be quite unpleasant and depressing. That couldn’t be more opposite from the witty, funny, and joyful woman who I have come to know and love. Each week we spend time together laughing, praying, reading the Bible, and reminiscing about her early years. Even more, my absolute favorite thing is to sit and listen to her sing hymns. Each week I walk away dumbfounded that such a woman exists. Never have I seen such faith in the midst of so much hardship. There are countless stories such as this from individuals who have experienced the Infirmary, and the amazing people who live there.

It is practically impossible to capture in words the depth of emotion that comes from experiencing the Infirmary, but it certainly is a favorite place of mine here in Jamaica.

One Month?!

Hello my friends! This is Justin and I just wanted to write a quick note this morning as it does mark one month since arriving to Harmons! It is hard to believe that we have been in this amazing place for a month now. The time sure has flown by. We have learned lots, met some amazing people, and had many unforgettable experiences. And we're not even half way done yet! With all that God has shown us and taught us this summer, it is hard to believe there is so much more in store.

This week is going very smoothly. We have a group from Columbia, Missouri in Harmons. And although it pains me to see all of the Missouri Tiger shirts, I have enjoyed their company and excitement throughout the last few days. And don't worry Jayhawk fans, last night I let everyone who didn't like Mizzou eat dinner first. Two words: National. Champions. :)

I encourage you all to check out the three part video based on the show Extreme Home Makeover on YouTube or in the video section of our blog (to the right). Sorry it is broken up into three sections, but it was the only way that stubborn YouTube would accept it. It was a lot of fun to make, but a pain in the butt to get on the web. By the way, I noticed that sometimes Part 2 of the video doesn't show up on the blog. If you click here you can most certainly find all three parts of the video. I hope you all enjoy it! Special thanks to Lee's Summit Community Church for their help last week with the video. You are all great.

Thanks for everyones continued prayers and support. Until next time...

Another Week!

Hey Everybody! This is Tim and I would like to give everybody a little update on what has been going on here in Harmons, Jamaica.

Well, last week, there was a large team here from Lee’s Summit Community Church from Lee’s Summit, Missouri. Their home church would be very proud of the work they accomplished and the way in which they did it. The whole week the group was so full of energy and enthusiasm and because of that, it reflected in the work they did…they set the record for foundations made in a week, they set the bar at four. Let that be a challenge for all other groups who come down! But, sadly, time passed by and after the week, they had to go back home. On behalf of the staff, I would like to say that we really enjoyed all of the time we were able to spend with you guys and we hope that you will all come back to Harmons sometime in the future! WE MISS YOU!

Right now, the current team here is from Columbia, Missouri and this is their first time as a group coming here. Already, I have noticed in the group a big desire to get to experience the Jamaican culture and love on the Jamaican people, which is great and I pray that they all have a great experience doing such.

Well, that’s all for right now. Please remember to keep myself and the rest of the staff and all of our Jamaican friends in your prayers. Also remember to keep checking in to blog about every other day to check out what is going down with us, many more to come!
With Love,
Tim

I Saw The Sign

To my dearest family and friends… Seth here! Welcome to my first blog while here in Jamaica, other than my staff profile that is. I want to share with you all about a woman I have met down here, Juliet Green, also called Ava. Juliet is deaf and mute. Unfortunately, in Jamaica the culture doesn’t accept anyone who is different or has a handicap in any way. Most Jamaicans, even in Harmons, consider Juliet to be “dumb.” Many of them do not take the time to get to know her or try to communicate with her.

I met Juliet the second week of my time in Harmons. I was playing basketball and saw her sitting alone under a tree. I figured I would go and say hello and make a new friend. I quickly realized that she couldn’t speak or hear, and she started to write on my hand. I wrote back on hers, but we quickly ran out of hand space. So I ran inside and grabbed my journal. Now I have a couple pages of my journal filled with conversations with Juliet. We talked a lot about her life. I found out that she had gone to school in Kingston and that she’s 29 (I don’t think she looks 29, I was guessing maybe 40, but that’s beside the point). She wrote that she has a sister and family. She also gave me her address. I felt like it was a really sweet opportunity that God presented this woman to me, to be able to open up and deeply communicate in a way that was different than the ordinary.

After that I hadn’t had the chance to spend time with her until last Saturday. She came to the worksite where we were building a house for my friend Eddie. She said hello and just stood around for awhile. Nichole was also there, and once we tried to communicate with her a bit more through hand gestures and “writing” with our fingers, she got excited and ran back to her house to get a book. Bringing the book back, she showed us that it was filled with phrases and pictures on how to sign. Nichole and I spent over 2 hours watching and learning how to sign common, and some not so common, phrases. We also learned how to “sing” the hymns, “All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name” and “Great Is Thy Faithfulness.” When she saw that we were catching on and making the attempt to learn how to communicate with her, she said we could borrow her book to “try hard” and learn on our own time to better talk with her in the future.
I think I have recently been struggling to go deeper in my conversations with Jamaicans, and this time spent with Juliet has just opened my eyes to the fact that I shouldn’t take my time here for granted and that I should try to talk with Jamaicans about everything, God, life, and culture, and not be afraid to try and communicate with them, no matter what the circumstances might be.

(Hi Mom!!)

Summer Staff Profile #4

Name – Nichole Smith
Age - 21
Hometown – Lower Burrell, PA
High School – Burrell High School
College – Allegheny College
Major – Mathematics (with the goal of continuing into Secondary Education)
Hobbies – reading, singing, guitar, spending time with friends, laughing, all that good stuff…
Interests – drawing near to God and living out His will in my life
Favorite Color – I can never choose this kind of thing… I love all colors, especially bright ones, and I suppose I would have to say my top 2 at the moment would be orange and turquoise/any shade of that blue/greenish color
Favorite Sports Team – umm… I can name the Pittsburgh teams, but that’s about it… haha
Favorite Book – the Bible, Irresistible Revolution
Favorite TV Show – recently it’s been Lost, I also enjoy Dancing with the Stars
Favorite Food – chocolate milk, I don’t care that it’s not really a food
Favorite Jamaican Food – Jerk Chicken, bag juice, pumpkin soup
Favorite Music – anything but rap or the majority of country, I thoroughly enjoy anything with good words, or good sound, haha
Biggest Dream – to fulfill God’s purpose in my life… and less vaguely, see the world and visit Greece and/or Costa Rica and become fluent in Spanish
My job in Jamaica – Assistant to the Director (not to be confused with Assistant Director). I basically do all the little things that Josh and Loyd don’t want to do, like take soda pop inventory, take care of coffee orders, put the pictures online every day, etc…
Biggest thing I have learned lately – a few hours ago I learned how to roast and package Harmons Coffee… but I suppose on a deeper note, God’s been urging me to really put my trust in Him, with my own future as well as with the future of all the people He brings into my life this summer, Jamaicans and Americans.

Coffee, Coffee, Coffee!!!

Hello all! Nichole here :) Welcome to my first Jamaican blog! I hope you’re as excited as I am. So looking at our blogs so far, I feel like we need to add a little more information on our day to day life. And so, as you saw in my profile, earlier today I got the opportunity to learn how coffee down here is made. Every week as part of my job, I help take the coffee orders from the group and deliver the amount needed to Lenny, a.k.a. Coffee Man. Fortunately, today I had some down time and decided to actually go help out.

The process starts with the coffee growers. If there are any coffee lovers out there reading, you might be familiar with the fact that Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee is extremely expensive. Lucky for this coffee lover, it’s a lot cheaper down here. So Won by One would buy and sell the coffee to the teams at this cheaper rate. Recently, however, it was discovered that there were some farmers in Harmons growing coffee, but with no market in which to sell. So Harmony House Coffee was born.

Today Lenny informed me that every winter the coffee down here is harvested. The Harmony House will buy it in bulk from the local farmers and store it in a small coffee room off of the courtyard. The large bags have to be hanging so that the air can keep the coffee beans cool so they don’t sweat and get ruined. When the bags are hanging like this, the beans will last up to 2 years.

So, now that there are teams here, every week we give them the opportunity to buy the coffee and the process begins. First the beans are roasted on an open fire. For good roasted beans it takes about 45 minutes of slow roasting and stirring in a small pot. There are probably only about 8 or 9 pounds that are roasted at a time. I got the chance to do some stirring myself, and let me tell you, with the heat and smoke from the fire added to the hot temperature of Jamaica itself, it gets pretty darn hot. Lenny also showed off his arm muscles that he has accumulated from stirring coffee for so many years.

After the coffee is roasted (which smells wonderful by the way), the Jamaicans dump the hot beans onto a screen type contraption that has a large fan positioned underneath to start the cooling process. The beans only take about 10 to 15 minutes to cool. Then they are dumped into smaller bowls. Once there is a fair amount of beans ready, they are poured into small bags and measured to be one pound each. (Technically we made sure that the scale was 1.02 lbs to take into account the weight of the bag, so no worries, everyone gets exactly one pound of delicious caffeinated coffee). We take orders for both beans and ground coffee, so for the ground, we measured the coffee beans first to make sure we had enough, then put them into a big grinder, then scooped the grinds into the bags. At that time the bags are sealed closed with a heat pressure thing so no air can get in and they will stay fresh for at least a year. Next we took the bags and slipped them into our nice burlap Harmony House Coffee bags. Tomorrow some of the team members will help with sewing on the labels.

Voila! My coffee experience was complete.

I really enjoyed being able to watch and help with this part of Jamaica. I love coffee and now I can say that I actually prepared some from scratch. I am definitely planning on helping again next week! I hope you enjoyed reading about a small part of Jamaican culture.

Family Matters

Hey everyone, its Tayler. This is pretty exciting because it’s the first time I’ve ever blogged. Woo Hoo!

It being Fathers Day and all, I thought it would be appropriate for me to write about something that has been on my mind a lot lately: family. For me and my fellow staffers, coming to Harmons this summer meant saying goodbye to many close friends, loved ones, and family members. As hard as it was to say goodbye, surprisingly enough what we found upon arrival was a new kind of family made up of eight crazy college students chasing after God’s heart in Jamaica.

I’m not quite sure when it happened, but somewhere between the awkward introductions, endless card games, and walks around Harmons, the eight of us have fallen in step with each other in such a way that its almost hard to believe we have only known each other for three weeks. As I write this I can hear laughter drifting in from the staff meeting room, a sound that often fills the halls of the Harmony house when we all get together.

Like any other family, ours is not perfect and is actually quite odd at times. We have laughed, cried, prayed, cooked, sweat, cleaned, done laundry, played games, and even fought off killer (not actually) insects together. All these invaluable countless moments have brought us together and enabled us to live in such close proximity enjoyably. Not to say that every moment has been perfect, but at the end of the day it comes down to the fact that we are all here for the same reason, and that’s enough to get past any differences or difficulties we may have.

This past week in May Pen especially has brought us together even closer, and I loved being able to work alongside my family all week demonstrating God’s love and grace. Working together on Vanessa’s house got me thinking about the bigger picture of God’s family too. Before we even met each other, the eight of us were already part of the same family. God chose to bring the eight of us together this summer and build literal relationships and bonds, but even before that the bond of being a part of God’s family is one that we already shared. Being part of the staff this summer has taught me a lot about family, big and small picture. The gifts and abilities that each of us possess contributes to the value and functioning of the whole. That’s the same way it works in God’s family, which is something that we are trying to enlarge through our work here this summer. I guess this is just my way of publically thanking God for the blessing of family in my life, big and small : )

Summer Staff Profile #3 (Seth's First Blog Ever!)

Name – Seth Roush

Age - 20

Hometown – Selinsgrove, PA

High School – Selinsgrove Area High School

College – Geneva College

Major – Christian Ministry with a focus in Missions

Hobbies – Drumming, Freestyle Raps, long walks on the beach, and Making People Happy.

Interests – I am interested in discovering who I am going to be in the future after this summer and how God is going to use this puzzle piece of my life to shape me.
Favorite Color – I think I am a fan of most colors but if I had to choose it would be toss up between red and blue.

Favorite Sports Team – Jamaican Bobsled team, E.A.G.L.E.S. , I also am a PENS fan, and college BBall is UK, and College football is PENNSTATE

Favorite Book – The Bible

Favorite TV Show - Fresh Prince, Seinfeld, Aqua Teen, Flight of the Conchords

Favorite Food – Pizza, Tacos, Hoagies, Frito Burrito’s

Favorite Jamaican Food – Pork

Favorite Music – is this a legal question? : Coldplay, Tacking Back Sunday, David Crowder, Lecrea, S & G, Masta Inc, Brand New, Jimmy Eat World, Copeland, Ground Breaking Ceremony… the list could go on for days.

Biggest Dream – To have a huge crowd of people singing music that Justin writes with me while drumming on stage in Central Park. Pretty sweet, am i right?

My job in Jamaica – Courtyard Coordinator. My job is to help make the night life in Harmons a hip place to be with a comfortable atmosphere in the courtyard of the Harmony House.

Biggest thing I have learned lately – The biggest thing that I have learned while being in Harmons is that Love conquers all. Trusting in God to give me patience and strength to make it through the day is a must when being drained from unconditionally loving on every one including Americans that come down and Jamaicans. But I love it. And I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

Summer Staff Profile #2

Well I just wrote my first blog post this morning, so I figured a profile was in order. I look forward to sharing more about my experiences in Harmons as the summer goes on.

Name - Justin Harlan

Age - Just turned 22 while in Jamaica and never got floured.

Hometown - Overland Park, KS

High School - Blue Valley Northwest High School

College - The University of Tulsa

Major - Music, Arts Management, and Business Management

Hobbies - Singing, playing guitar, hanging out with my family and friends, sports

Interests - KC Chiefs (not so hot), KC Royals (not so hot), JAYHAWKS! (so hot right now)

Favorite Color - I have so many blue clothes my mom refuses to buy them for me anymore

Favorite Sports Team - Please refer to interests. And I enjoy the San Antonio Spurs.

Favorite Book - The Innocent Man by John Grisham, Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell

Favorite TV Show - American Idol, Prison Break, Full House, Fresh Prince of Bel Air, okay basically anything on late night on Nick at Nite

Favorite Food - Pizza and my mom's fajitas

Favorite Jamaican Food - Bag juice

Favorite Music - Oh wow... where to start... Dave, Jack Johnson, Citizen Cope, Jason Mraz, John Mayer, Dashboard, David Crowder, Switchfoot, Bayside... the list goes on.. and on...

Biggest Dream - To have a huge crowd of people singing music that I write with me while performing in on stage in Central Park. Dreaming big, right?

My job in Jamaica - Worship leader, morning devotional leader, and I make the videos on this blog

Biggest thing I have learned lately - What we see as a little in the US can go a long way elsewhere, so I have just been thinking about what I can eliminate out of my life financially and what I can do to help others who need it much more than I do.

Community

Hey everyone, this is Justin. You will find out more about me very soon as I am next to give my staff profile but I figured I would take a minute and just reflect on the past couple of weeks of my life. First of all, I can't believe I have almost been here for 3 weeks and my summer in Harmons is nearly a fourth of the way over. Time has flown by quicker than I can even explain and every day makes me feel closer and closer to the community of Harmons.

Last week, Olathe Bible Church and South Leawood Baptist Church came down to Harmons. What a way to start the summer. The group was very energetic, fun to be around, and made it very easy to wake up in the mornings. Whether it be Cheez-It running maul up the hills at worksites, Josh's ventriloquism skills, or Michelle's chipper attitude towards life, the group made us summer staff very excited about the summer to come. No pressure to future groups, but you have a lot to live up to. :)

Over the past three weeks here, yesterday was probably the highlight. The sense of community that is starting to be created between those who live in Harmons and the summer staff is incredible. This week, we are working on a house in May-Pen, which is about an hour drive from Harmons. It is for a pregnant lady that is due in August and didn't have much of a place to live at all. While we were working yesterday, a few boys walked by pushing a wheelbarrow and a big empty barrel, usually used for water. These two boys were clearly young enough to still be in school, so I asked them why they weren't at school today. The older boy went on to tell me that his mother didn't have enough money to send them to school. The saddest part about it is that it costs roughly $2 in US money to send a boy to school for a day. I asked them to take me to their house, where I met their mother, had a great conversation with her, received some candy (it was really good), and gave the oldest boy, Sheldon about $10 for school for the week. It really opened my eyes to the fact that $10 can go so far. In the States, we spend $10 on a pizza to fill us up for a few hours or buy a few gallons of gas so that we can drive our cars from place to place, when there are many kids like Sheldon who would love $10 so that they could get educated for the week. As someone who has been to Harmons 5 times before this summer, I feel like I have a pretty good sense of how fortunate I am to have the things that I have, but yesterday opened my eyes even more. If you feel the way I do, here is how you can get involved.

Last night, I went into John Robinson (a part of Harmons) and had dinner with a few of my Jamaican friends. I felt like I was in a scene of Cool Runnings or something, sitting at a bar, eating chicken and rice while everyone listened to the radio. The coolest part was that the people in John Robinson didn't make a big deal at all out of the fact that there was some random white dude walking around and eating with Jamaicans. I felt like the community knew who I was and accepted me for that. Later last night, Don the barber came and cut a few of the guys on staff hair. Again, just another example of being accepted in the community. When you are here for a week, Harmons feels like a trip, something that will end in a short matter of time. BUT, when you know you are going to be here for a summer, Harmons really does start to feel like home.

I am going to end with something that happened this morning. I have gotten into the habit of running a few miles every morning with my buddy McKenzie. Well we were getting to the end of our route this morning and came up on a group full of elementary schoolers walking to school. All of a sudden about ten young kids started running with us, smiling and laughing the whole way. I couldn't help but think, in my moment of extreme exhaustion, that this concept was nothing new. It was something I had been experiencing since I had been here. Very rarely do I do something in the community without having a Jamaican right there doing it beside me. When we are hauling maul, a Jamaican breaks it up for us. When we are building house, a few Jamaicans mix the concrete to put on the walls. When we are riding in a bus, a Jamaican is usually driving. And when I am out on a run and Jamaicans see me coming, they want to run with me. Some random white guy that they have accepted. Because lets be honest, life is something that is way to complex and difficult to do alone. You need multiple people running beside you. It is definitely something we lack in the States, but I am beginning to discover what true community could look like.

Week 1 Recap!

Hello Everybody!
Greetings from Harmons, Jamaica! Well, all is well here and we just got done with our first week with a team, which might I add, was a blast!

There were two groups down here teaming up. Both were youth groups from Kansas, one from Olathe Bible Church and the other from South Leawood Baptist Church. While they were here, they were able to build two houses, lay a foundation, and haul a ton of marl! Apart from all the grunt work, I know that I saw lives changed and people learning lessons that they will carry forever, which is what the ministry is all about…Changing Lives By Changing Lives. All in all, it was a very successful week and all of the staff would like to say THANK YOU to everybody involved and we hope that you all will come back to Harmons sometime soon.

Also last week, we were able to welcome full-time staffer Loyd Jacksons’ wife, Candy, who will be staying with us until the middle of the summer, and we are all very happy to have her here…she also brought us candy (which spawned a lot of dumb jokes because of her name) and that’s just awesome!

As for this week, the scheduled church from North Carolina dropped out so now we are hosting two people and we all (including the rest of the Summer Staff) are building a house outside of Harmons in a very rough area called May Pen. The house we are building is for a young, pregnant woman who is in need of shelter. It’s exciting to be able to do this for her and we all pray that God will bless this new house and her future in it.

In closing, I would like to ask you all to please keep me and the rest of the staff in your prayers. God has blessed us so far and we are anticipating the weeks to come!

Peace and Love,
Tim

Summer Staff Profile #1

Hello everybody and greetings from Harmons, Jamaica! Right now, the Staff is still preparing the Harmony House (and ourselves) for the first group, which will arrive in Harmons on Monday. So in the meantime, I would like myself to introduce...myself. My name is Tim and I will be primarily in charge of the blog for the summer. Although, I would like to add that I am not the only one you will be hearing from. The blog is an open forum not only for me, but also for the other seven Staff members who be in Harmons for the summer. So here is a little bit about me!

• Name - Timothy Rowand




• Age - 20




• Hometown - Smethport, PA




• High School - Smethport Area JR-SR High School "Go Hubs!"




• College - Jamestown Community College




• Major - Social Services




• Hobbies - Reading, Writing, BLOGGING, having fun, studying useless things, watching movies...




• Interest- Cultures, Geography, Religions, basically learning as much as I can about other people from around the world




• Favorite Color - Any hue of blue




• Favorite Sports Team - Newcastle United "Geordies Unite!"




• Favorite Book - Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller and Kiss Me Like a Stranger by Gene Wilder




• Favorite TV Show - The Office, The Riches, Hell's Kitchen, and Gordon Ramsey's Kitchen Nightmares




• Favorite Food - Pasta of any sorts




• Favorite Jamaican Food - I like anything with jerk and I have grown to love curry chicken




• Favorite Music - I really enjoy alternative rock and I listen to a lot of European music




• Biggest Dream - Well, I am one to dream big, so I would like to visit every country experience every culture...and in my biggest dream, learn every language




• My job in Jamaica - I am a co-work site coordinator with John and I also run the blog!
  



• Biggest thing I have learned lately - Well, I guess that would have to be that there are actually good and caring people out there besides my family. So far I have been really challenged to open up and to trust people I don't know, but I will happily report that it has been getting easier for me!
  


• Anything Else? - Well, I am really stoked to be doing God's work this summer and I feel very blessed to be part of such an amazing staff. I hope and pray that everybody back home is doing well too! I love and miss you all!