Before I arrived in Jamaica, I was nervous and overwhelmed. I wasn’t sure how I would fit in or how I could teach the kids anything because of the cultural differences. How could I understand their perspective? Needless to say, I was totally out of my comfort zone and didn’t know anyone who was going very well. Once I met the other members going, I was thankful to be part of a group (wearing the Youth Corps Shirts helped), but I was still wondering what I could offer. Once we arrived in Jamaica, driving down the road, I remember seeing a small hut/shack, where one side was metal, another was wood, and it was made of whatever they can find, with a sign that said “future Walmart,” that was no larger than my kitchen. This made me sad, because it made me begin to realize the poverty facing Jamaicans. Once we arrived at the camp and began to meet the campers, I had a difficult time understanding the patois, but the campers were kind enough to slow their speech so we would be able to understand them. My reaction at the end of the first day was still a feeling of being overwhelmed and somewhat grouchy (due to our having been awake for nearly 24 hours), so I had to take a look at myself and ask, “How was I going to be a good example for the rest of the week?” I kept thinking about sleep and feeling so tired already. Thankfully, that was just the first day.

The second day, Zach and I had our Christian Living class, which detailed "Making the Bible characters come alive.” Of course I was, again, nervous because I had never given a Christian living class before. Thankfully, it went well, and my relief kind of blurs out the rest of the day. Tuesday was the day I realized that these kids, people, and country, have nothing material, but the care that they showed for each other was indescribable. Skin color, age, body type, etc., didn’t matter. I saw the youngest camper, snuggling with the oldest camper, like siblings, though they were not related. Each camper took care of each other. This made me question why I was originally so worried about myself. If I had incorporated their attitude into my preparation for camp Jamaica, the first day would have been much less worrisome. On Wednesday, I began to bond further with the counselors, through talking with each one of them, both individually and in a group setting. We spent quality time together in a way that we never would have had the opportunity to do so if not for Youth Corps. This is when I decided that I should change my way of thinking and give people more chances than what I perceive they deserve. I had the habit of going off of first impressions and through this experience, I felt moved to be more merciful and compassionate. The example of the campers is what inspired this change in me.

Going home, I felt as though I needed to go out and meet others. I wanted to apply what I learned and to live what I had experienced at camp. I wanted to open up and get to know people more willingly. This experience has not only given me amazing new friends, it has broadened my horizons and inspired me to seek God and share His love through my example in a way that I hadn’t before. Camp Jamaica, the amazing staff, and the inspiring campers taught me more about God’s love than I had known before. I no longer felt like an outsider. Through this experience, my Jamaican Brethren are family.

On our final connecting flight, we watched a beautiful Sabbath sunset and all held hands on the plane and we all felt God’s spirit there, with us, like a beautiful reminder of the family we had been accepted into at camp. This capped everything off and it is something I will remember for the rest of my life. I hope to serve Youth Corps and Good Works again and strongly recommend that everyone with the opportunity to do so, does. It really will change your life.