"...And the Sun Shines"

I went to the Childen's Home in Jamaica this past July again, my 4th trip. And I do plan to write about it here. I only just began transcribing my journal yesterday. The depth of my emotions surrounding the trip this year is stupendous. It has taken me a lot of time to even be able to begin to put it into words. Going back into the journal was almost like diving deep into an underwater city; there is still so much there that is yet untouched, much less brought up to the surface and the light.

To our partner church, it is a mission trip with A, B, C goals. Receipts are expected, measurable results demanded. To our church, it is a journey of the heart. We go to connect with people, to hug and hold and listen to children who are accustomed to being overlooked. I have real relationships happening there now, after 4 visits. My heart has opened and I have come to love in a way I never allow myself to love here, in the north. Hard to explain. There is an immediacy, a directness, an authenticity to the expression of the people I encounter there. Whereas here, people wear more masks, hide behind artifice and social forms. It is an elaborate dance of subterfuge. Not so there. And it is a relief and a joy.

I love Jamaica. I am at home there. I did a little experiment on the bus ride back down to Ochi after we had left the kids. The windows were open. I smiled at every man I saw, and every man I saw, regardless of age, looked right back at me and smiled in return. Openly, like sunshine.

Before I left, I found an explanation of the colors of the Jamaican flag, the yellow, green, and black. This is what I found: "Hardship there is, but the land is green, and the sun shines."

To be continued.

Until next time, I remain your friend, Rozenkraai