Thank You

Sitting at my desk in my office less than 48 hours after returning from Jamaica there are a lot of emotions…sadness (from missing the kids), joy (at not sweating profusely), regret (for not taking even more from my trip), peace (from knowing I have 16 team members supporting me), anger (for people who can't see what they are missing in life), and mostly love (for my team, the kids, and life). The transition from Jamaica to life in New York City is not an easy one yet each time I think it is hard I receive an email from a team member or a text message reliving some small moment from the past week. Life is not about where we are or what we have but about who we share it with and how we live it. If nothing else, my week in Jamaica has taught me that life is about living and about living to our highest potential. My challenge to myself and my team is to be the light every day for one person, to shine out into the world and be Akheim's smile. This past week and everything within it could not have happened without each and every person in our lives. From donations of diapers to prayers for safe travels, every single person in our lives has helped us have a once-in-a-lifetime experience that has changed us forever. We would like to say Thank You and so would all of the kids in Jamaica. So…THANK YOU!

~ Bridget (Co-Leader for 5 Successful Trips)

The Stuff We Left Behind

It's Sunday morning and I am supposed to be posting the blog for yesterday but my head is spinning. So much has happened in the past 24 hours and I'm trying to make sense of all of it.

Yesterday we woke up in Jamaica. The team was together...we sat around the kitchen table drinking our delicious Jamaican coffee....we laughed and joked...and we were only a few steps away from some of the most remarkable children in the world. Now that all seems so far away. How do we come back to our lives here in the US without thinking constantly about TyTy and Anthony at Sophie's Place; Brian and Tia at Dare to Care; Alexia and Dwight at My Father's House; and Ramon and Nicholas at Matthew 25:40? What do we do with all of those emotions that we experienced? How do we incorporate the person we became this week into our daily lives? These are all questions that this team is going to be struggling with over the next few days. And you know what? Even after five years leading this trip with Bridget, I am sure I still don't know the answers. But before I get too far down that road let me rewind and tell you about our last day in Jamaica.

For the first time all week we didn't wake up to an alarm. Still I found myself up earlier than I would be at home and full of an energy that's hard to describe. Slowly the team started to wake up and join the early risers at the kitchen table. We sat around enjoying our last taste of coffee in Jamaica. As I looked around the table I saw people that had been changed. I saw eyes that were opened to a whole new world. I saw hearts that were touched and minds that were racing to figure out what all of this would mean when we got back home.

We spent the morning cleaning up and getting ready to leave Sophie's Place. When we left Hoboken last weekend we left with 17 pieces of luggage, 17 bins of supplies, and 17 carry-on bags. As we started to gather our luggage as we left Sophie's it was funny to see so much less. A few people only had carry on bags while others also carried half-full suitcases. The "stuff" we left behind was more than the clothes we had worn all week that would now be donated for the kids. The "stuff" we left behind was the unimportant stuff that often weighs us down. It was the stuff that gets in the way of us being who we are called to be. It was the stuff that keeps us from laughing and smiling each day. It was the stuff that gets in the way of us loving everyone around us. It was the stuff that keeps us from taking the time to pray each day. It was the stuff that gets in the way of living like we lived this week- simply and lovingly.

After we cleaned up and packed our bags we got to enjoy one last devotion with the kids. I stood in the back and watched as the team held kids in their arms and sang songs of praise and I couldn't help but smile. This team had given so much of themselves and I found so much joy in watching them receive so much love in this moment. That image will stay with me.

Then it was time to load the van one last time. Down the mountain...through Papine...and back to where it all started. The people of Mustard Seed have become our family, and watching the goodbye from the outside would have looked like any family saying their goodbyes at an airport terminal. Their were tears and hugs and promises of being back next year. But most importantly their was respect. Respect, mon, respect.

--Michael

Our Jamaica

We have had many "snapshots" this week: making balloon animals, playing baseball, and horsing around with the boys of Matthew 25:40 who are stricken with HIV and AIDS; breaking up cement slabs and then moving tons--literally--of dirt to lay the groundwork for a new yard for the children displaced by the fire earlier this year; morning cups of Jamaican coffee as we got to know our fellow volunteers and prepare for the day with them; and feeding a lollipop to a boy who has no coordinated use of his hands and has never tasted one before.

It is very difficult to quantify the impact this trip has for us and all those we work with, play with, laugh with, sing with, pray with, hold, hug, touch, love. The beauty of these moments is that they will last much, much longer than the moment in time they took to actually occur. They leave an impression, a footprint, a memory of God. New friendships are created; old ones are strengthened; earth is moved; hearts are renewed; children are held; souls are refreshed.

And this *is* our week with Mustard Seed Communities in Kingston, Gordon Town, Spanish Town, and Ocho Rios, JAMAICA. "Is" -- not "was" -- because eight days pass, but the week lasts so much longer than that.

~ Andrew ("Sweetie Mon" and 3rd year mission tripper)

Early to Bed...?

How does that old saying go? Early to bed, early to rise? What happens if it is late to bed after a full days work and heartfelt reflection and then insanely early to rise? And by insanely early we mean 3:00 AM. Well, don't worry; I think you can probably tell by reading the other entries that Jamaican coffee is the solution to everything including a tired team.

After piling the sleepy team into the van we were off to My Father's House for adoration, mass, and rosary with the kids. The scene always amazes us. It is pitch dark and the outdoor chapel is dotted with smiling faces of kids excited to be there praising God. Most of them can't speak yet they have such a deep awareness of what is happening. The dark combined with the sleepiness can make you almost trance-like but in that trance you can truly focus on God. "Thank you, Lord" is repeated over and over. Simple, yet so profound. Thank you for the day. Thank you for the children of Mustard Seed...for the caregivers...for the very existence of this place. Thank you for the smiles, the hugs, the astounding experience of love. Thank you, Lord, for my life.

After adoration Fr. Benny celebrated mass with Msgr. Gregory (the founder of Mustard Seed). Then we got to say the rosary with the kids. Each year we watch the kids who can not speak find the ability to lead us in the prayers. Yet, I can't find time to pray everyday in my life back home? What an amazing way to start 'Thank You Thursday'.

Back in the van for the long journey to Jacob's Ladder and Ocho Rios. It's always an experience driving on roads wide enough for one car on the edge of the mountain in a 30 person van! Jacob's ladder is a home for the adults of Mustard Seed to go and live out the rest of their lives. It has been remarkable to see the growth of Jacob's Ladder starting five years ago with 4 cottages to the mass operation it has become. The goal is to grow and provide 95% of the food needed to run all of the apostolates and they are almost there. With three greenhouses the size of a basketball court, livestock, a soon to be pond, and their own cinder block making they are well on their way to sustaining Mustard Seed within the next 3-7 years.

After all of the hard work we have done this week, Mustard Seed treated us to an afternoon on the beach for rest and relaxation. It was a blessing to swim in the ocean as a team and enjoy good friends, good conversation, and amazing food (yay, festivals!). The simplicity of just being together and challenging each other to chicken fights (that may have never happened) was a great way to spend the afternoon.

After so many experiences this week where we have seen and experienced God we thought it would be nice to have the team share one of those experiences from today (Thursday) with you.

God is...
- love. God is in everyone and everything.
- Brandon praying the rosary, Fr. Benny's homily, and Msgr.'s prayer and reflection.
- good friends and good conversations.
- seeing a beaming smile and the bright eyes of an orphan despite their hardships.
- Mustard Seed Communities. He is here!
- in everyone and everything.
- the provider of our fellowship.
- a mirror allowing you to be stripped away from your normal every day life to look at yourself through both good and bad and see a beautiful reflection of peace, love, and hopefulness through the eyes of all of His people in Jamaica, the land we love.
- allowing a child to teach you how to be loving again.
- a cup of Jamaican coffee at 3:00 AM, children with nothing but smiles and hugs to give (who give them out readily), and a day of fellowship with our team.
- a young man with severely disabled limbs who uses a ducted tape skateboard for mobility at adoration and spoke the first works, "Thank you, Lord, thank you for life...".
- the children of Mustard Seed, who can't speak but are somehow able to lead us in songs of praise and the prayers of the rosary.
- little Brandon who looked up at me and smiled as I sat down next to him at My Father's House during adoration. A refreshing picture at 3:00 AM!
- children who you thought couldn't speak who see you and light up because they remember you from year's past...unconditional love.
- sitting with 16 new and old friends and some of the most beautiful children in the world watching the sun rise as you revel in the Glory of God and the amazing gifts He has given you this week.

~ 17 Mission Trippers who have been changed forever

Being Me

In a class I'm taking at Boston College, we've been talking a lot about our identities and what attributes or "jobs" in life define us. I love that here in Jamaica I'm none of those things. It doesn't matter at all what I do for work, how much money I have in my 401K, if my makeup is applied correctly (because it's been replaced by a dirt film covering my skin). None of that matters to the kids, nor our teammates here. It's the most freeing act to let go of the expectations of me. It's humbling and empowering. It's a simple yet stark realization to say, "I'm a full human without my job, apartment, dinners out, or particular brands of clothing." In Kingston, I'm charged to be emotional and make deep connections with people.

I'm not contained in a clean-cut, little box. I'm free to take direction from males, be a minority, and objectively see situations without judgement. For example, is it really "better" to have financial skills than know how to lay tile or what fruits to eat off a tree? Or on a more difficult level, is it "better" to live in a stark white, clean apartment than a shanti hut with no shower?

I'm no saint. Trust me, I'll be relieved to be mosquito-bite free and and be able to run a brush through my hair again. But here's what I'll be lacking: waking up with friends in the morning; making time for reflection on the day; watching the sky light up over the mountains; open arms from strangers, begging for hugs. I'll miss knowing that it's enough to just be me - without all the things I pile on to make me appear "better."

If you let yourself be open and vulnerable here, this is what you learn: you're enough. Just you. Bring nothing else except you, and it is better than enough - to make a little difference but more importantly, to be loved. I think that that's why I keep returning. I haven't gotten it perfect yet, but the act of letting it all go and letting yourself be loved - by your teammates, local guys in the field, or little Stefan - the newest addition to Sophie's Place, who just wants hugs all day and night. These simple acts become the essence of everything important. It's a compact week of truth and oneness to take home and keep in our pockets to pull out and distribute to others throughout the year.

~ Julie #1 (3rd Year Mission Tripper)

A Night on the Town

Six AM wake up. Somehow here I bounce out of bed ready for the day. It might be the Jamaican coffee, it might be the thought of spending time with the kids...whatever it is, it works! Still the bus ride was quiet as we prepared for another tough day at work.

Once at Jerusalem, we had morning prayer with the staff and jumped right into our work. Francesco, Christina, and Fr. Benny moved wheelbarrows full of soil to fill in the yard at Martha's House that we had cleared of concrete yesterday. Kevin, Michael, and I organized boxes of tile until the entire room looked like a warehouse - 683 boxes plus lots of grout. Man am I going to be sore tomorrow! Carla, Smidgen (Jordan), Teri, Suzanne, Nisha, and Julie painted the outside of what will become the offices for the new Martha's House.

At lunch we had an awesome test of strength when Cedric (from Jerusalem) faced off in an arm wrestling match with both Mr. Smith (our work-site supervisor) and Francesco. Cedric won both! After a much needed sweetie (Jamaican for candy) break, we headed back to work for the afternoon. I am always amazed at how much work we can get done each day! We revel in the tasks at hand. It may take a few water and advil breaks in the shade but then we get right back to it.

Later in the afternoon a couple of the ladies went over to Dare to Care to give out sweeties and hugs. I have never made so many balloon animals in my life. Everyone wanted a sword at first and then they wanted the swords transformed into puppies. I also had the rare privilege of carrying the 'Bag o Fun'. If you want to be the most popular person on the mission trip then I highly recommend carrying that bag! Kimone, Clayon, Shashonna, and I had a sword fight while Christina, Tia, Dian, and Samayah blew up balloon animals for the other kids. We watched the sheep wander by and continued to eat sweeties (are you catching the underlying theme here?!)

On the way home we saw another rainbow which made us hope for another rainstorm to shower in; however, when we got back to Sophie's Place there was no rain but there was a little bit of running water! The women took showers but the men did not. They claimed it was to save water because it is so limited but I think they just enjoyed being dirty! So we suggested they get their own table at dinner.

After my quick shower I went down to see the kids here at Sophie's. A terrible cough is making it's way among the kids; particularly with Ty-Ty, Anthony, and Akhiem. Ty-Ty broke my heart today, he barely had the energy to smile while normally all he does is laugh and "steal" people's noses and eat them. His laugh is infectious and when he isn't laughing I feel obligated to do everything in my power to try and make him start again. Akhiem also made me take multiple pictures of him - what a ham! He has the heart of every woman on this trip and I'm betting a few of the men's as well.

Before dinner Fr. Benny said a quick mass, then we hopped in the van for our annual dinner on the town in Kingston. We had some good camaraderie, excellent food, and even a couple Red Stripes or Tsunami Rum Punches (foo-foo drinks). A Red Stripe down here after a full day of hard work in the sun and a lot of playing with the kids tastes better than almost anything in the world! We shared a ton of laughs around the table and then treated the people of Kingston to a rousing version of "Build Me Up Buttercup" on the ride home. That was topped though by Leroy (our trip coordinator from Mustard Seed) belting out the Jamaican national anthem. Who knew he could sing so well?!

I can't believe how quickly yet how slowly this week is going. I feel like I have been here for weeks yet each day goes so fast. As always I am humbled by the children and their caregivers and honored to be part of their family if only for a brief moment.

Tomorrow is going to bring more tile, more wheelbarrows full of dirt, more smiles, more sweeties, and more joy for me, the team, and the kids!

~ Kasey (3rd year mission tripper)

Hard Work With a Purpose

After a couple of days of settling in and spending time with the kids at Sophie's place and Matthew 25:40, today was our first official work day at Jerusalem - another Mustard Seed home.

Jerusalem is a beautiful place in the middle of Spanish Town with a gorgeous chapel, cottages for the kids, and a school buzzing with energy from all the kids of "Dare to Care". There are also sheep, chickens, fish, and a garden that supply the community with food.

The staff at Jerusalem had plenty of challenging tasks lined up for us. Kevin, Michael, Andrew, Gretchen, Karen, Francesco, and Fr. Benny spent the morning chopping away at concrete in the ground to make way for a new lawn. While Suzanne, Teri, and Carla painted one of the newest cottages. I helped Bridget, Nisha, Kasey, Christina, and Julie clear away brush, scrap metal, and garbage around the area.

And then came the tile. Lots and lots of tile. Over 500 boxes of tile were donated for use in the newest cottages and we all helped unload them from trucks in preparation.

With the sun beating down and temperatures above 90 degrees, today was truly a challenging day. But getting to work alongside some of the older boys from Jerusalem and with frequent visits from the smiling kids of Dare to Care, we understood why the hard work was so important. The day was made more special by seeing members of our team reunited with their sponsor children and in delivering gifts and messages from sponsor parents who couldn't make it this year.

After a long day of work and playing with the kids we headed back to Sophie's for dinner and mass. On the bus ride home a rain shower appeared out of nowhere and delivered a beautiful rainbow and the unique opportunity to grab some soap, suds up, and use the rain as a natural shower. Once we were cleaned up, we celebrated mass for All Souls Day with Fr. Benny.

It's wonderful to be back on this trip for a second time and to see all the changes that have happened at Mustard Seed since we were last here. We all have something to learn from one another and we share a mutual sense of joy in being together. This is our Jamaica family, and families are all about love.

~ Melissa (2nd Year Mission Tripper)

Sunday Fun Day

Today started for many of us with our first sip of the famous Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee with sweet cream (sweetened condensed milk). For others it started with catching up on some sleep after yesterday's 4:00 AM wake up call. But for all of us, the day really began with Sunday mass in the local community.

The first thing that struck most of us when mass started was the clapping and singing. From the first moment, the way the community worshiped was passionate and engaged. Soon Michael was dancing in the aisle and Teri was moving to the beat, all before the end of the opening procession. Even Laura, Akiem, and Tekeisha- the kids from Sophie's Place that came along- were clapping and singing in their own way! Most of us agree the community felt like family and it was obvious they wanted to be there...they wanted to be praying...and they wanted to celebrate God. What an amazing way to start the day! And since tomorrow is All Souls Day, we even got to experience a really cool tradition at the church where they did a blessing of the graves in the cemetery on the hillside behind the church.

After mass we headed back to Sophie's to change out of our church clothes and a grab a quick bite to eat. Then it was off to Mary's Child- a home for teenage girls who are pregnant and have nowhere else to go. The average age of the girls at Mary's Child is 13. What a blessing that this place exists to not only give the girls a place to live, but also to teach them how to be mother's at such a young age. They learn how to care for their babies, but they also learn basic life skills like cooking, sewing, and how to use computers.

Despite the blessing of this place, the reality of its existence struck our group hard. It was a tough place to visit for most of us because the girls seemed unsure around us. Their babies have changed their lives forever and they are still processing that. And for most of us, it is a reality that we can't truly comprehend, and ours is a reality they don't know either. We live in two different worlds and one hour together is not enough time to bridge that distance. Still there were moments of connection like watching Nisha cradle one of the small babies while his mother looked on.

After Mary's Child, we got to go back and play with the boys at Matthew: 25:40. And believe it or not, they had even more energy than yesterday. This time we were armed with balloon animals, bubbles, and lots of sweeties! Some of the best moments were watching four of the boys attack Francesco with balloon swords, seeing Jordan and Kasey blow bubbles with Fabian, and watching Julie play the whole time with Oshane, who cannot walk. There were a lot of smiles and laughter ruled the day!

Our Sunday Fun Day even included an unexpected treat! We got to stop by the Devon House, Jamaica's famous ice cream shop, for some delicious ice cream. More smiles all around! And then it was back to Sophie's Place for a few more hours with the kids. By the time we got back the kids were very relaxed. It was truly awesome to watch Carla sit and hold Courtney while he stared up at her and then fell asleep. And to watch Suzanne rub the backs of the littlest ones while they slept reminded me how important those simple moments really are. When all is said and done it is all about love, and that is something we all experienced in a lot of ways today.

So Sunday Fun Day is coming to an end as we get ready for a week full of hard work. Tomorrow we head to Jerusalem to meet the kids from Dare to Care and to get started on helping to build the new Martha's House. Until tomorrow...

~ Michael (the co-leader known as mom)

Not a Typical First Day

Well it wasn't a typical first day but it was a great first day! We left JFK and all of our hectic lives behind around 8:00 this morning and landed in Jamaica around noon. Starting our time in Jamaica with a beef patty and ting soda on a patch of beach near the airport was probably the best start we could ask for and a whole lot better than our usual meals of rice and chicken.

Another pleasant change from years past was going directly to Matthew 25:40 and playing hide and seek (Jordan can testify it's hard to win when these kids know everything about their house), baseball (Phils versus Yanks), garden building (Karen is convinced the boys will be crushed when their leaf garden is dead in the morning but she's willing to help rebuild), and of course the all time favorite of 'human jungle gym' (Kevin and Andrew may need some icey hot in the morning). After an hour that went by way too fast we began the trek up the mountain to Sophie's Place, our home away from home.

It was so good to see the amazing progress made on the wall by the river after the demolition that we did last year. The kids are also doing so much better and seem really happy and adjusted to their renovated homes. Ty-Ty was of course stealing noses and Hakiem was very excited to see that our ratio of guys to girls leaned in favor of the girls!

It's been a long day but we are excited to be here and can't wait to go to sleep and see what tomorrow brings us. We never know what might happen but we do know that we are going to live in the moment and embrace each and every experience we can because these individual moments make up the beautiful love that we see in each and every child we meet here.

~ Bridget (Fearless Co-Leader)

Seventeen

17 alarm clocks set for 4am
17 suitcases (under 50 pounds!)
17 bins of supplies for mustard seed
17 cell phones turned off for the week
17 team members, on our way to Jamaica
17 hearts ready to be opened
17 lives about to be forever changed

A "Rookie" Mission Tripper Gets Ready

Here’s a chance for everyone to hear from a “rookie”. My name is Jordan and this year is my first year going on the trip. I summed up my feelings pretty well in a thank you note to a family friend. They always pick on me for getting myself into the craziest adventures whenever I leave my little hometown in Pennsylvania, in particular they like to mention that I ran off to Europe and jumped out of a helicopter (it’s really not as dramatic as it sounds, I was studying abroad and was in the extreme sports town of Interlaken, Switzerland). But I said to them in my note that my feelings are pretty similar to that day when I went skydiving because I am experiencing such a mix of emotions from minute to minute.

It seems a little surreal to me still. Through all of the preparations and countdowns it has become a sort of “thing” in my mind rather than an “experience” It seems like it’s already been a long road from when I first met the team, committed and turned my summer birthday party into a fundraiser. But now it’s just one day away and I am flooded with so many different emotions this is proving very hard to put together in any sort of logical way. But I feel so ready to jump in with both feet and experience what I have been hearing about for the past few months from the veterans on the team.

After procrastinating all week and filling my suitcase piece by piece and stopping into the same stores for just “one more thing” I feel like I’m almost packed, but I’m still worried I am forgetting something important. That’s one key emotion that keeps coming up in my head—worry; the what if’s keep going through my head. What if I get hurt or sick, what if I break down emotionally, what if I forget my passport, what if I can’t sleep, what if about a thousand other things. But just like before I jumped out of the helicopter the “what ifs” are all part of the experience and I trust that I am in good hands and that I am doing God’s work.

I think my overwhelming emotion that overpowers any of the others is that I feel so blessed. After such a short time I already feel so close to a team of great people. The team has welcomed this rookie with open arms and a funny nickname. The support that I have seen from people in my life has been truly uplifting and a reminder of what amazing people I am surrounded by. This feeling I know is about to multiply with the love from the children in Jamaica.

~ Jordan ("Rookie")

A Mission Tripper Returning

My name is Carla and in two days I will leave my cozy home in Hoboken, New Jersey for my second service trip with Hoboken Cares. I cannot think of a better way to welcome in the month of November, a month of giving thanks, than by being with the children of Mustard Seed and by working alongside the beautiful men and women who care for these children.

As I pack my suitcase and open my heart to the experience that awaits me in Kingston, I am feeling…

Excitement, that I get the privilege of learning from the children of Mustard Seed once again.
Fear, that children I met and loved last year will have gotten worse or may even be gone.
Joy, to see children so uninhibited and vibrant in their songs, hugs, and prayers.
Relief, at knowing and remembering what is truly important in my life and in the world.
Anger, that there are so many more children who need help and are not getting it.
Gratitude, for our team’s strong leaders, for the chance to be a part of this week, and for all of the blessings in my life.

I know at this moment that I need to pull myself out of my comfortable NYC bubble and throw myself headfirst into a week of emotions, challenges, joy, and love. The daily obstacles in my life are insignificant compared with the challenges that our children in Jamaica live with everyday. Their courage in the face of hardship, joy in spite of physical limitations, and their hope despite desperate conditions have helped me remember what is truly important for the last 365 days. I miss them and I need that reminder again.

~ Carla (2nd Trip)

Jamaica 2009

Welcome to Hoboken Cares' 5th annual service trip to Kingston, Jamaica. My name is Bridget and along with Michael we are the co-leaders of this trip. It is less than 72 hours until we load up the cars and head to JFK airport for our flight to Jamaica. Every year I'm always amazed at the group of people we take with us. They are completely selfless and give 100% with everything they do in the orphanages from singing with kids to building roofs to eating plates of rice and curry! I really hope that you can experience through our blog a small part of this amazing experience with our team. Please tune in every day after 10:00 PM to read our blog for that day. We are going to have pictures, videos, and short stories. Every day will be a glimpse of something different and from a different person's perspective (with maybe some narrating by me). After almost five months of planning we are excited and anxious to get down to Jamaica and start doing! Check in Thursday and Friday to see what a returning member and a new member are thinking about before the trip. And then on Saturday (October 31st) check in to see if we made it down there!

Welcome to the Hoboken Cares blog!

If you've landed here, you are probably aware of our group, and our work with Mustard Seed Communities (www.mustardseed.com). We are a group of adults from Hoboken NJ and the surrounding NY/NJ area who are committed to supporting the work of Mustard Seed Communities in Kingston, Jamaica - we do this through fundraising, awareness-raising, and community-building efforts throughout the year, and then travel each year to Kingston to lend our hands in service.

We will be using this blog to post thoughts, photos and video during our trip to Kingston, Jamaica from Oct 31-Nov. 7. Once you subscribe to the blog you can track us throughout the week and see where we are and what a Mustard Seed mission trip is like. For those who have supported us with donations, this blog will help you to see where your money is going, and feel connected to the wonderful work Mustard Seed does every day to support the many children who need their help so desperately.