community | American-Caribbean Experience

Marla’s Minute: ACE Expands Another Notch

by American- Caribbean Experience | Sep 25, 2023 | Community

We have been so blessed to see another generation of our ACE family coming into the world. Earlier this month, D’Vaun and Saskia gave birth to a healthy baby boy named Christovaun Azhani! D’Vaun already gave him a pet name, Markhus. Whichever name you decide to call him, he probably won’t respond for a few months.

D’Vaun, as you all may know, came to ACE many years ago. We were officially his first job. He met Saskia who was our ACE Administrator at the time, and they soon fell in love. While ACE doesn’t claim to be in the match making business, we seem to be pretty good at introducing great people to each other. And we get to be a part of all the fun! In fact, just weeks ago, ACE provided the perfect spot for a baby shower at our lower ruins.

We are so happy for Saskia and D’Vaun on this new adventure! Welcome Markhus, and know you have many godparents praying for you always!

“Children are a gift from the Lord. They are a reward from Him.” Psalm 127:3

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And They’re Off!

by American- Caribbean Experience | Sep 25, 2023 | Community

“And we’re off” is what we say at ACE when we get ready to drive out of the office to begin our day, but in this case, it’s the students who are off, heading back to class. We have a lot of little sayings around ACE, like the abbreviation “BBD” – that might not mean anything to you (maybe Big Bad Dog?), but to us, it means Book Bag Distribution.

In Jamaica, classes begin on all different weeks and days in September, depending on the school. This may sound confusing, but for ACE, it gives us a chance to address the individual needs for each child being sponsored. This includes assessing items provided through regular sponsorship and team donations, and, if something else is needed, ACE adds to it. With our staff and Arlene being present this year, each day went very smoothly. After fifteen years of providing sponsorship for our children, perhaps we now have the system down, so the confusion stays at a minimum.

Enjoy our collage of pictures of our students getting ready for their first day of the next grade. We wish we had a video to give you the sound and the laughter of the day, as we all came together to see each other and prepare for the new school year.

Thank you all for supporting these students who are growing up fast! They are looking forward to seeing their friends again, prepared to read, write and learn with supplies in hand!

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A Word From Arlene – Gathering in Peace

by American- Caribbean Experience | Sep 25, 2023 | Community

Most of you know Arlene, whom we wrote about in last month’s newsletter. She is our long-time and frequent volunteer who always brings work ethic and words of wisdom with her on every trip. This was her take on our new happenings at the Peace House.

I’ve been here in Jamaica to witness all the ups and downs that have occurred while trying to get our Peace House built. It hasn’t been easy, but Marla never faltered in her determination to bring the message of God’s love to people who often do not attend church. It was all in God’s hands and His timing is always perfect!

Earlier this month, some of our sponsored families, farm staff, and ACE staff came together for our first Thursday gathering. It began with a time to get to know one another by playing games, engaging in ice-breaker conversations, and then to share a meal as families. After that, it was time to learn about God, by starting at the beginning of the Bible. Those present had many questions, and Pastor Omar was able to answer all of them with his usual good humor but, most importantly, with biblical truth. He never wavered in sharing what the Bible has to say in response to each question. Everyone is now looking forward to our weekly gatherings.

I also want to thank the Byrns for providing not only the plates and cups for the Peace House dinners, but also the incredible books for our children when we conduct our reading “out loud” book time. Please pray that God will continue to be honored each week and that all will come to accept God’s gift of love — salvation through Christ’s death for their sins.

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Many Hands Make Light Work

by American-Caribbean Experience | Mar 29, 2023 | Book A Trip, Community, Outreach

Many hands make light work

This old saying portrays a picture of what ACE has experienced this spring on the ground. For the first time in years, we have been blessed with many incredible volunteer teams in a row! Ranging from families, high school students, college teams, and a great mix of young adults, they came to help us get caught up on our many outreach programs. They worked tirelessly around St. Mary at the schools, on our farm, and even preparing for some new businesses and items coming online later this year. We’d love to highlight some of the many projects they worked on.

For those of you have contributed to many aspects of the Peace House, the update is that it’s almost complete! Yes, you have heard this before, but it’s true; we just had no idea how much back and forth it takes to complete a building like this. The final touch this week was the addition of the front doors. Thanks to some friends and donors of ACE, our doors were purchased and ready for painting. Granted, we still need a door opener and glass on the side, but just looking at these doors makes all of us swell with pride.

While all that was going on the Peace House, some of our volunteers focused on the Campus right next door, where our interns and long-term volunteers stay. It has been challenged for years with popping floor tiles and cracking in the main hall and the dining room. We decided to commission a group to chop it up and remove the tile, and what we found underneath was a beautiful terrazzo floor. It’s been there since the early 90s when the house was built. Anyone know how to make it come alive again? It’s dull but has potential. Every time we get this kind of help, we are pleasantly surprised at what our teams uncover. Thank you for making the old new again.

In the last few busy months, it’s been fun to see how our Jamaican ACE staff pulled together in such a great way to work with them and each other. Ms. Foster, our Executive Director, has done an excellent job training, teaching, and coaching all of us to work as a team. Charity and Brian Zalk and family have continually increased their availability on the ground with the ACE crew. Things are going so smoothly that Allen and Marla sit back and smile, pleased at how everyone is beginning to own their own lane. Keep all of us in your prayers as everyone is learning how to operate as a team.

Teamwork makes the dream work, another old saying… and in this case, we are so grateful for such a successful and fun start to the year!

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A New Dawn, A New Day in Child Sponsorship

by American-Caribbean Experience | Jan 30, 2023 | Community, Education, Outreach

Most of you know or have heard us mention Dawn, our Child Sponsorship Stateside Coordinator. She has worked diligently for nine years with our Jamaican staff via email and phone calls, coordinating sponsor/child relationships, home visits, and learning about the needs of the children in our program.

What’s amazing about Dawn is that you can mention a student’s name and she will know every detail about that child and his or her sponsorship. She’s a walking Child Sponsorship encyclopedia. Marla mentioned in a previous newsletter, how, even during a hospital stay, she had her computer open, keeping the sponsorship program current, without missing a beat. She has taken this role into her heart and truly makes this impact area of ACE shine.

So, we are so sad to announce that she is retiring in the next few weeks. While we know many great things await her and her husband as they plan their own adventures, we will miss her deeply. Transition is hard, but, in this case, the job is staying in the family in the best possible way — not just our ACE family but Dawn’s family!

Remember Amber, or rather Ms. Amba? She is Dawn’s niece and an integral part of ACE’s history. Seventeen years ago, she came to ACE on a short mission trip, came back as an intern, worked on our Stateside staff, then volunteered full-time with ACE in Jamaica for five years, leading the iQuest program, teams and education initiatives. Amber has seen and done just about everything ACE-related, even helped with the initial setup of the Child Sponsorship program, as she saw the needs of kids and families through her interactions at the schools, even sometimes taking a child into her home.

The Child Sponsorship program and its processes have been streamlined over the years by all who have had a hand in it, both in Jamaica and in the states. How fitting it is for Dawn to hand the baton back over to Amber, now a mom herself, well-versed in the needs of the children of St. Mary and the workings of our ACE ministry. Welcome back, Amber, and best of luck, Dawn! We love you both!

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