Infirmary Visit and First Day on the Job

Anyone just looking on, I am on a mission trip with 24 friends from our church, Cornerstone and trying to write about our experiences.

The infirmary yesterday was intense. It was a state funded (I use that term loosely) facility for about 150 people with all kinds of mental and physical problems, mostly elderly. One woman was dropped off by her sister years ago, never to see her sister again. (Her sister kept the wheel chair when she left.) There were many difficult things for our American senses to take in which we will remember for years.

But positively, we sought to overcome our discomfort and share the love of Christ with them. Many of them gathered in their eating area to listen to us to sing. As with American nursing homes, some visibly appreciated this, and others sat still and rested. Many were not able to attend this, and we visited them in their rooms (large rooms lined with cot-like beds). We were most impacted by the contentment and happiness of them in these pitiful conditions; sometimes their only belongings consisting of a few personal hygiene items and a Bible verse on the wall.

While debriefing, we naturally talked about how blessed we are in the US. But we also flipped this around and considered how little people actually need to get by. As Paul says, “I have learned the secret of contentment in any and every situation, whether living in plenty or in want (writing this even from jail).

This morning we have learned flexibility and patience in two ways. First from the laid back Jamaican culture (most important is not efficiency, but relationships), and second from frequent downpours from a tropical depression. The men and boys were able to clean up, sand, and prime what was a messy room with cement walls and floor. Most of the women and girls painted the inside of the meeting room so it will look nice for the Jamaican students’ graduation next week.

Between small jobs we are having a wonderful time getting to know each other on the team, and also interacting with the Jamaican kids who crave physical touch and attention.