We Had No Idea

Our journey as missionaries began in the early days of July 2005 when our family arrived in Kingston, Jamaica. Just a few sleeps in, a hurricane barreled its way toward the island. Stuart and I anticipated a week of training and orientation in the Blue Mountains of Jamaica, what we got were hammers and nails to board up the children’s home. A night of 100 mph winds shook more than the palm branches off the trees and the shingles off the roof.

Our little family had no idea what we got ourselves into.

As mudslides delayed our departure to our children’s home in Christiana, we kept company with the dozens of children, dedicated staff, young missionary associates, as well as veteran cross-cultural servants at the City of Refuge Children’s Home (with the added bonus of no electricity or hot water). Our daily ritual consisted of peering over our mountain vista to measure the progress of the work trucks as they made their way up washed-out roads and nature-made mud barriers.

Finally freed one mid-afternoon, we began our two and ½ hour turned five-hour trek to the center of the island to greet our children at New Vision Children’s Home. Arriving bleary-eyed and a bit shell-shocked, our small staff greeted us surrounded by a smattering of pajama-clad children and teenagers with a battery of inquiries. Our minds whirred from all the recent events and our newfound responsibilities. We desperately needed a good night’s sleep; more than we realized. In just a few days, another hurricane would hit the island.

Seriously, our little family had no idea what we got ourselves into.

We had no idea that in the next few years we’d face island-wide flooding that would close down schools and businesses, hear heart-rending stories of those we cared for, manage a chicken pox outbreak that would keep us knee-deep in Calamine lotion, and hunker down for a few (a lot) more hurricanes (all with the added bonus of intermittent electricity, water, and internet). And that’s just Jamaica.

But hear me now: that’s not the end of the story. That’s not all we faced. That’s not all we got. We also got an ear-full of laughter and a face-full of smiles. We got stories for days and friends for a lifetime. We got buckets of hope and oceans of love. And we got food, people. We got really good food.

Long ago when our journey began, our little family had no idea what we got ourselves into.

But we’re sure glad we did.