Tina Gerke has been volunteering and leading trips with ACE for 23 years now. After her latest trip in March, she shared the following story with our team.

My recent two weeks in Jamaica were another amazing time of watching God work. I never cease to be amazed at how He chooses the right people at the right time and weaves our stories together for a week or two.

I had the opportunity to work alongside the elite eight! A small group from Grand Valley only 2.5 hours from my house! We became fast friends through buckets, shovels, and rocks. It’s amazing how a good ole bucket line brings people together!

We talked about life, Jesus, and just about everything in between.

We had the chance to take the Edgehill students to the farm and had an awesome time watching their excitement as they got to hold and pet the baby pigs, and then walk up to the Great House! There, our staff set up several areas where everyone could just enjoy God‘s nature, realizing that we are all created by Him!

There was one particular moment that struck me, and made me stand in awe of what God wants to speak to all of us about. My friend, Kelley, was painting a warrior mask on a young man’s face and she looked at him and said, “God may ask you to do hard things but now you’re a warrior, and you’re gonna be able to say yes!”

He walked away saying, “I’m a warrior!”

Such a precious innocent kid spouting powerful words! It was amazing!

And the same week, I walked out of the lunch area and saw a white flower tucked into the arms of a cactus-like plant. A light bulb moment happened, and I realized that all of us have the same chance to declare that we are warriors, too! Our life may look a lot like the prickly pieces of a cactus, but with Jesus, we have the ultimate honor to bloom right there in the middle of it all! Declaring for everyone that HE is Lord and through Him all things are possible!

Tina Gerke