It is the
little things that count. In the last 10, er, 14 days (I started writing this days ago!) thislesson has been reiterated time and time again in the smallest
revelations of this Jamaican life. Each day brings something new, exciting, trying, challenging and reason to praise the Lord. And with every passing day there seems to be more and more I want to share . . . Let’s start with a big random glimpse, shall we?
Culturally, there is so so much that I continue to learn and observe. For starters, Miss Anna’s house, this big beautiful thing (pic will soon come, whoops) took 18 years to finish. 18 YEARS. There are no such things as home loans or mortgages around here. Thus, Jamaicans build one brick at a time as they can afford it.
It’s not what you know but who you know. Which makes the cultural saying “wah fa mi, ah fa you” (what’s mine is yours) true no matter what’s on the table. It also puts a new definition to the idea of community..
“Out of many come one people,” descending from all sorts of heritages and backgrounds which explains different skin tones and why I’m not called a ‘light skin’ but a full on ‘whitey’.Ok, ok, ok. And it may b/c of my lovely pastey skin. :)
Dresses and suits come out on Sundays. That includes walking a mile or two in heels on these roads! I tell you, these are some very very brave, persevering women.
There are more churches in Jamaica per square mile than in any other country. Yes, there are all types of denominations, but it is one of my favorite things when one person will start up a chorus and all the people around then join in—adults, kids, teens alike.
The other day Toots told me I speak fast English. Her patois is fast too, so we’re even—and both learning!! I’ve also been banned from reading our devotions before clinic as I speed read . . . and speed walk, and speed eat, and yes, I’m working on it! Ha ha.
Nothing goes to waste, as most things can be used again. I’m learning the value of empty bread bags, mayo jars, and the like. An old margarine container is holding our few leftovers from dinner right now, a pickle jar the sauce.
There is a fine balance between giving and enabling. It’s one that I’m having to discover and pray pray pray about every day. I want to give freely, but I don’t want it to be a burden on a person later on if they don’t take action for his/herself.
Although there may be a few versions to the tale of Lover’s Leap, it remains a sight to behold and quite a leap.
Falling on your face in front of most of the community, at Bible School, while racing with too short of crutches is rather humbling; however, it also breaks down a lot of unseen barriers.Oh, yes, God continues to stretch me.
Jamaican kids will walk all over you in chaos unless you have a firm voice and follow through with what you say—we learned that the first night of helping out with the 100+ person Bible School!
A person’s job, whether it be selling fruit outside of the market or driving our van to pickup patients one day a week, is their job and important. I love that our drivers, Michael and Shorti, show up in their slacks and polished black shoes every Tuesday to transport patients.
Our summer Reading Program that began this week is actually 4 weeks long (not 3). We constructed tents out of tarps and bamboo last weekend.
It was quite the process, probably pretty comical too. It all started with Brooke and I loading up 18+ pieces of 12+ft bamboo into the van. By ourselves, no less.
With it sticking out in at least 4 different directions, we drove on our back roads back to the community center collecting quite a few stares and comments—and reaffirming our crazy American status I’m sure! But it's serving a great purpose today!
We have over 80 kids registered in the Reading Program ranging from 5-14yo. I love the stories that are already coming out of it. It breaks my heart when you hear of a 13yo who doesn’t know an “a” from an “m”. Even more, though, I love when Miss Anna gets to share her faith. Like on the first day when a mom asked her why we are doing this. Why are we providing all of this (crafts, lessons, food) for the kids for four weeks? And Miss Anna, she say “Because we love the Lord and He’s blessed us with the ability and opportunity to serve some of His most precious gifts. Oh, praise de Lord.”
From a PT perspective, things are going really well too! Last week I got to act as a CI (clinical instructor) while our two students (Katie and Sarah) took the role of lead therapist in patient care.
This week has involved a bit more juggling as Toots, Brooke, and I take on our full case load. In stepping up to the plate, I’m learning and re-learning techniques and neuro rehabilitation necessities.
I officially have a Jamaican PT license as well. Woohoo. Only the multiple visa entry remains left to obtain!
Patient education remains one of the most beneficial and important things we do—1 in 4 Jamaicans has high blood pressure. Severe strokes in individuals in their early 30’s are extremely common!
The heart and perseverance our patients show, including the encouragement they give to each other and within families, moves me every day. Today, we had a wife come in praising God because her husband is doing so much better---this is of course after just one session of PT. She kept telling us that God is going to bless us with more and more patients b/c she’s proclaiming this good news and the work being done here. From a PT perspective, all I’d done was tell the man that it was okay to move his hands, pushed him to the limits with some tests and measures, and sent him home with two exercises. I didn’t expect too much either, to tell you the truth seeing as his is an arthritic condition. I love it when God shines through in big ways.
If I’m not sweating by 9am something is majorly wrong. I joke with my neuro patients especially that they’d better be sweating more than me or we not finish.
Our patient waiting list grows constantly, and this is despite the fact that Jamaica moved to a socialist health care system not too long ago. We seem to add to it every day! Word of mouth, mon. It’s like wild fire.
We have a lot of kids on our caseload right now. Unexpectedly, they make my day. Daniel is a 4yo boy with spastic CP. He still has many of the reflexes of a newborn, cannot roll, sit, or even hold his head up on his own. His feet are completely turned in as a result. However, this little guy is so intelligent. And he smiles, smiles, smiles. Even when I’m pulling and stretching on his foot, knowing that it likely hurts. Such a reason to love what I do.
In writing our documentation, I am now more concerned with saving paper than crossing every “t” and dotting every “i” for Medicare. Love it.
Next Friday we have lunch with the Bishop in Mandeville. Who knows where that will lead.
On a personal level, so much is happening and changing too.
I’ve never realized how much can be done in flipflops. I work in the clinic, wash clothes, layout grass to cover the garden, dig compost piles, chop weeds, run, go to church, etc in them. I’m even more amazed at what the kids are able to do in them.
Flexibility remains the name of the game. Especially when it comes to responding to emails, skyping, etc (so bear with me!). It also comes into play with a lot of “free” time and/or hours away from the clinic.
I put on bug spray like some people but on lotion. And still I average 4-5 bites per day. At least it’s slowing down!
I’m wiped at the end of the day, not making it much past 9pm each night. Even though it’s a good wiped, I love the filling up hours of our morning and our weekends.
I drove for the first time this Tuesday. Left-sided, pot holes, people on the road, trucks barreling down, and weeds/vegetation growing at you. It’s quite the exhilarating experience. The whole time I found myself repeating “left, left, left, left” in my head.
This little guy is Yaso,
which in patois means “right here”. He’s Anna’s newest little guy and so cute. His brother, now living with Toots, is called Deso, meaning “right there”. Pretty creative, eh? I’m working on teaching him how to fetch. It’s slow going as he’s more interested in snuggling up into my lap. On Monday he was so tired from all of the kids coming back and forth for the Reading Program that when I got there and sat to play he curled up in my lap instead falling right to sleep.
This community is so ripe for so many things. New “projects” pop into my head all the time and I’m constantly having to push aside that “American” mentality of doing everything right now or all at once. I just keep praying that doors will open and that I’ll stay focused on what God wants, one step at a time. It’s a matter of finding a balance I suppose.
My shopping adventures in Junction have moved beyond the grocery and cambio these days. Woohoo. I’ve been to the courier, farmstore, bookstore (to ask for cartridge paper no less), and Juici’s. If I’m with Brooke I’m amazed at either how many people she knows or how many people know of her. She has gained a lot of respect in this entire area for the work being done these last few years.
I’m meeting more and more of the community as well, daily putting faces to names. It gets somewhat confusing as everyone has two names—their given name and the name they go by. For instance, Puts is Romerio, Boops is Garth, Linton is Eric. Then there’s Veronica our post mistress, Tracy at the wholesale store and a part of our book club, Diane who runs Anna’s shoppe, Sister Dolores at the top of the hill who runs her sister’s shop some nights, and Kerry who does our car insurance just to name a few.
I do need to take a minute and recount some of the amazing food we’ve had over the last two weeks. The fruits and veggies are endless. I’m up to (at least) 9 different types of mango, but I tend to go back to my favorites of the aiden and juli. The sweet mango is growing on me as well. And then there’s mango cobbler (Thank You, Susan Tomlinson!!), which is pretty much the best dessert ever. Black raspberries, garden fresh tomatoes and corn, sweet sap, pomegranate, fresh bananas, coconut, calilu, pineapple, peas . . . Not to mention our very own pear from the pear tree out back
which would be an avocado, yes, but better. Homemade tortillas, jerk chicken, curry chicken, Anna’s pizza, banana porridge, sweet potato pudding, Jack fish, 'It's Really Great Yogurt' (yes, that's the name brand) . . . Pretty much I live from meal to meal. Food is really what I do. Ha.
I find myself unconsciously saying “tree” instead of “three,” “me” instead of “I”, “No, suh”, “Soon come”, “heap”, etc every so often these days. I’m catching onto the patois but most of it including the “mon” has yet to flow out easily. As long as I can be understood in some way shape or form I’m a-okay!!
Embracing this in the morning is making 5:30am easy. So incredible.
Welcome to the slow, simple life. Although not always slow or simple it is a drastic, welcoming change of pace. Today, Thursday, is the first day we haven’t had something after work in almost the entire time I’ve been here. The day is young yet, though!
Tomorrow we head up with the Nice’s (yes, I finally learned the missionary family’s last name too!) to YS Falls. It’s Christina’s b-day (one of our volunteers) and her and Norma’s last day on the island. From what I hear it’s a great place to swim and rope swing. It’ll also be my first time into part of the Blue Mountains . . . I think.
My love, thoughts, and prayers go with you as we all soon head into the weekend.
The rain a start. Woohoo! Praise de Lord. Our garden will grow and the ground be reap. Or something like that. Blessings!
