Jamaica | American-Caribbean Experience

Marla’s Minute: A Container of Patience

by American-Caribbean Experience | Jun 23, 2025 | Community

Almost one year ago to the month, ACE was investing funds to see the next microbusiness come to fruition through GLF – Green Life Fresh. This microbusiness features a greenhouse with 132 9-foot aeroponic growing towers in order to produce real, fresh food.

We endured many delays, such as a freak hurricane (Beryl) that only impacted certain areas of Jamaica. The hurricane completely collapsed our greenhouse structure. Then, we encountered an issue with renting the container for shipping on the rails from Memphis, TN — the location where the towers are manufactured — to the ship, and ultimately to the dock in Kingston. Praying for patience was a never-ending exercise for all of us.

When we received word from our broker in Kingston that the container was ready to be delivered to our farm last Friday, we thought we had all of our bases covered. A forklift truck was to come with the containers to offload everything so that the rental could turn around and head back to Kingston. We were even using a reliable company that we have used in the past to transport everything to us in St. Mary.

When the big Mack Truck drove in, we were all smiles. The task at hand was to offload the entire 40-foot container and place it in our own 40-foot container to hold until it was time to set up the towers. After a few hours with customs sitting in the shade waiting with us as well, our smiles started drooping as we learned that the forklift truck wasn’t coming. We cannot open the container until customs cuts the seal, so Allen and I looked at each other and said, “Well, it looks like we have to unload this ourselves.”

With Allen on the John Deere, and our three strong men (Redman, Bulla, and Sheldon), we all started pushing and sliding the pallets to Allen. Of course, I supervised, and at critical moments, I helped push a pallet to the mouth of the container that otherwise the men couldn’t have handled on their own.

As 4 PM approached and the customs officials were coming off work for the weekend, we made it. One hundred percent of all towers were safely moved into our own container. Customs smiled and left for a glorious weekend at home, while the five of us sat and took a breather. Patience drove off the farm lot heading back to Kingston.

Was it worth it? We think so. But stay tuned for the next chapter as the experts will be arriving from Spain soon to show us how to install them and start our growing season for the winter (right in the middle of Jamaica’s hurricane season).

Maybe we should start praying again…

Blessings,
Marla

Storm Damage to a Greenhouse after Hurricane Beryl

Man Using a John Deere to Haul Aeroponic Growing Towers

Man using a John Deere tractor to move aeroponic growing towers out of a shipping container

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New Life Has Begun!

by American-Caribbean Experience | Jun 22, 2025 | Book A Trip, Community

BY COURTNEY SIMMONS

Once again, this past month, I had the blessing of taking a group of families and students to Port Maria to serve with ACE. This was our eighth trip as a school (Sugar Hill Christian Academy), and what an amazing week we had. There were 17 people on our team who were returning with 13 additional, wide-eyed, and super excited first-timers. I absolutely love getting to share my favorite place with all my students and their families.

As a school, we sponsor 10 students. So, we had the opportunity to reconnect with them just after arrival by inviting them all to lunch and a time of swimming at the hotel on Sunday. Monday and Tuesday allowed us the opportunity to get in a great workout slinging concrete at two different schools. We timed our lunch with each school’s lunch to allow us the opportunity to spend time with the students. When they went back to class, we got back to work. Some of us mixed more concrete while others focused on untangling our hair…if you’ve been there, you know.

On Wednesday, we painted the new duplex in the Children’s Village, and on Thursday, we found the Lord working on us as we received blessing after blessing out on AMI (Ace Mobile Infirmary) visits. You always step into those moments thinking that you are there to bless someone in need, and you leave realizing that you are actually the one in need, having received the blessing for that day. Isn’t that always how the Lord works?

Speaking of the Lord’s work. As we ended our day on Thursday down at the river helping to clear it out for the benefit of the farm’s water pump, I had a first-time experience myself. After serving ACE for over 30 years and leading countless teams, I got the opportunity to baptize four of our team members in the river. I have heard of other teams doing it, but I have never personally had the privilege. We spent time on the bank sharing testimonies before wading into the river and obeying the Lord. As we did so, I noticed ACE staff and Farm staff had gathered around and mingled with our team to be blessed by this honored sacrament of The Church. In this moment, I was reminded again that we Americans always end up being blessed more than we bless. The Lord has a way of taking our time and our efforts to bless everyone involved just as He promised Abraham in Genesis 12:2: “I will bless you…and you will be a blessing.”

May His work of blessing continue at ACE as we honor them and Him by simply showing up to the work that HE has already begun (Ephesians 2:10).

The team from Sugar Hill Christian Academy

AMI Visits with Sugar Hill Christian Academy

Slinging concrete at Edgehill School of Special Education

Slinging concrete at a local school in Jamaica

Jamaican Students Playing with a Missionary's Hair

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Marla’s Minute: Finding Your Purpose or Calling

by American-Caribbean Experience | May 19, 2025 | Book A Trip, Discipleship

While enjoying my first cup of coffee the other day, I began rereading the book of Jeremiah. It’s interesting how the New and Old Testaments go hand in hand if you analyze the verses a little deeper than normal. I’m sure God knew that when He wrote it.

Jeremiah was a priest who noticed one day that his community was overthrown and enslaved by another group of people. I don’t know about you, but this is very apropos for today. While we don’t exactly have that type of event so blatantly happening in our “yaad” as they say in Jamaica, many cultural thoughts and practices have moved into our communities, some subtle and some bold.

However, what struck me were the next verses where God described to Jeremiah who he is and what his next career move was. God then spoke to Jeremiah about how he was born for this time and given what I would call a “special coat of protection” to be a spokesman to all the world. Jeremiah was told to warn the people to “get it together” or there would be consequences. I don’t know about you, but there is no doubt that Jeremiah had a purpose/calling by God to do something radical and not to be afraid that something might happen to him.

You should read the book yourself to follow the ending, because it’s incredible to see how Jeremiah did whatever God told him to do each day. Yes, he was afraid, but he “did it afraid,” as we say at ACE.

We at ACE run into a lot of young adults trying to figure out who they are, how they can make an impact, what decisions they should make in life, and how they can find their purpose. My advice is to start by asking God to show you where you can make a difference in someone’s life within your own “yaad”. It’s easy to pray if you don’t have to follow prayer with action, which leads me to the challenging part…

The best exercise to find your purpose in life is to begin to do things that you would normally be opposed to. This may sound funny, but remember after every holiday when you want to lose weight? You join a gym or make a promise to yourself that you will give up sweets? Well, that might last a month, and then your flesh cries out that it wants something sweet. Before long, you are right back where you started.

So, if you want to know what God has for you as a purpose or calling, you have to allow the Holy Spirit to speak to your mind and bypass the comforts of the body. I’m no expert at this, but over the past 30-something years, I’ve seen young adults who were serious about finding their purpose begin the journey of curbing their flesh feedings. They start to curb these feedings by doing things they wouldn’t normally, such as giving back or volunteering their time.

It’s easy find time to go on vacations and retire comfortably, yet we seldom think to schedule time in our busy lives to give a few hours a week to something that offers little to no benefit to our natural flesh. And, then to try and keep your volunteering a secret from family or friends, so you won’t get a pat on the back.

This month, before our busy season hits, we’d like to highlight a few of the incredible volunteers who gave us time to serve without pay. They had to pay for their tickets and sacrifice their personal work time to give back. They spent quite a bit of money to just get to us, and then they also covered all of their expenses while at ACE. These people are the heroes who discovered a long time ago that true purpose is living outside of your own needs and putting others first. Even when you could have seemingly better options. We at ACE rarely think of ourselves as heroes, if at all. But we know that what we do each day counts for Kingdom growth and helps people find their purpose in life by finding their spirit walk and then moving out from there.

Do you feel like you’re too busy to give back? Be grateful God didn’t show up and tell you what your career would look like, as in the day of Jeremiah. Yet Jeremiah did it afraid and grew in his faith and wisdom. His availability and willingness led to him seeing a great movement happen.

Pray for ACE as we start our wonderful, busy summer. We cannot express our gratitude to each of you who is coming to serve along us in St. Mary.

For those of you still seeking your purpose, I encourage you to just start somewhere and ask God to direct your path. We can help with that part as well. We love welcoming people to ACE who are seeking God and want to make their lives count.

I hope to see you soon,
Marla

David designed and built a pizza oven at Buccaneers

John and Brandon replacing tuck shop roof at Galina Breeze Hotel

Don and John replacing tuck shop roof at Galina Breeze Hotel

Dr. Drew serving at ACE through medical missions

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Faithful with the Tasks at Hand

by American-Caribbean Experience | May 18, 2025 | Community, Outreach

When God closes the door to something that has been very special to many people, there are emotions that surface: sadness and frustration, as well as some anger and asking God why He chose to close that door! This is what many of us experienced when the gate to the entrance of the Port Maria Infirmary was shut to outsiders, leaving all of us wondering about the well-being of our infirmary friends. There was also the concern that they would experience abandonment and not understand why we no longer came to visit them.

But God! He knew this was going to happen, and He already had a plan ordained for ACE to embrace. He knew there were many elderly and infirm who desperately needed help within the communities where our sponsored children live. We were already visiting some of these dear people on a limited basis, but as we dug deeper into these communities, we found people who were often starving and living alone in deteriorating homes abandoned by family members. Many were in deep despair because they live in remote areas and there didn’t seem to be anyone who cared about what was happening to them.

As we became more aware of these dire situations, ACE Mobile Infirmary (AMI) was born to meet the physical and spiritual needs of these dear people. Our compassionate staff visit them regularly, and teams that come down to Jamaica also get to visit them, helping take care of their homes and property, sharing Scripture, singing, and praying for them.

Since lack of food is an issue for many, our staff provides them with a hot meal and a grocery bag of food that is easy for them to prepare. As an example of how desperately many of them need food, let me tell you about Pauline.

When we recently stopped by her house, Pauline greeted us with a huge smile and told us she had been praying that we would visit her that day. She had also prayed that God would provide food for her, since she had no food in her house! As we prayed for her before we left, she also prayed for us that God would keep us safe on the road.

Another one of our AMI regulars is Ricardo, a pleasant young man who is paralyzed from the waist down due to falling from a second-story roof while on a construction site. He needed a new home that didn’t have decaying walls or leak when it rained. With the help of four teams and our ACE staff, we spent several weeks building and painting his new home, complete with a ramp for accessibility. Teams were also able to build a small, one room home for Clive, an elderly gentleman who lives in a remote area. When we recently visited Clive, we could see that he is taking great pride in his new home by keeping it neat and tidy.

Verna was also delighted that we came to visit and was thankful for the food we brought. As Latoya combed and braided her hair, Verna sang one hymn after another and continually thanked God for how good He has been to her. Yes, we sang along with her! We also prayed for her, and she prayed for us in return.

Of course, we still would love to return to the infirmary, but we know that is in God’s hands. In the meantime, we will be faithful to the task He has given us to be Christ’s ambassadors, helping our AMI friends in any way that we can and knowing the joy and delight it brings to their lives—and to ours. God is faithful and so, so good!

In Christ,
Arlene, Long-Time ACE Volunteer

Pauline in the ACE Mobile Infirmary Program

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Marla’s Minute: New Life & Freshness

by American-Caribbean Experience | Apr 17, 2025 | Community

Easter brings life and freshness to old things.

As most of you know, this is Holy Week. In most of our books, it’s just like any other week. We have our daily jobs to go to in town, in the country, or on the farm. And with spring break happening at the same time, Holy Week can also look like family time together at the beach or the mountains.

For ACE, it’s all about giving back and being thankful that we get the opportunity to accomplish the many “to-dos” for our community in St. Mary through our friends and donors.

With this season of gratitude in mind, Allen and I had a chance last week to reflect on why Easter matters so much during a trip to Virginia near the DC area with some dear friends and ACE board members. We visited the Bible Museum for the first time. And as we went from floor to floor reading the facts about the thousands of translated versions throughout history in different languages, it was very apparent that God’s Word isn’t just a book. It is the Living Word of God speaking through many passages to ALL the people He created throughout the Earth.

Allen and I enjoyed watching people from every walk of life and every nation walk through the museum, thrilled to see their nation’s Bible under the glass and their rich history of how Jesus touched their country throughout time. We may not have seen a lot of rabbits and Easter eggs on display, but we did see many of Christ’s sayings and promises that He gave us as He ascended to His Father.

Matthew 28:20: “…And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

John 10:10: “…I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”

Not just Americans… Not just Europeans… Not just Africans… But everyone!

Seeing families of all colors and sizes made us smile. Easter really is all about our risen Savior who died so that ALL may have eternal life — a new and fresh abundant life. As you prepare for Easter, whether you attend church once a year, you attend every Sunday without fail, or you sit on the beach as the sun comes up on Easter, ask God to touch your heart as to why Easter is so important to all mankind.

Here’s one final verse to ponder as you reflect on that: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” (Matthew 24:35)

Happy Easter,
Marla