Early in the morning on January 15, our group awoke, each in our own home, to embark on a journey that would impact each and every one of us for the rest of our lives.  Our mission: to fly to Jamaica, take a two and a half hour ride over bumpy, curvy, and seemingly perilous roads to Maranatha School for the Deaf at Top Hill to help repair damage caused by Hurricane Ivan back in September.

Upon our arrival we were warmly greeted by Ed and Irene Schrock, who had come from Colorado to oversee the work being done by each of the work teams.  After spending Sunday going to church and getting to know some of the people on campus, we geared up for the work week ahead.

The entire week went exceptionally well.  We were able to put up new ceilings in most of Alice House.  Old screens were torn down and new screens put up.  Painting, wiring, installing new windows, and many other things filled our to-do list.  We were never lacking for something to do.

Between projects and in the evenings, we were able to interact with the kids.  We played a lot of basketball; J.B. made sure of that!  Many of the other kids made sure we learned sign language, too.  If you were willing to learn, they were more than happy to teach you.  During downtime, we were able to see some of the sights. 

We walked the beach at Little Ochie, ate fresh seafood, and played keep away in the water at Treasure Beach. Before we knew it, it was time to say goodbye.  It was then  we realized that though our stated mission had been to do repairs, we had done something far more lasting and rewarding.  We had made friends.  And though leaving them was difficult, they had made our service more fulfilling.

By Ben Powell