ministry | American-Caribbean Experience

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

Bibles stacked on Galina Breeze's dining table before church

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Althia’s Angle: Kindness Never Goes Unnoticed

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

At just 13 years old, a girl in ACE’s Child Sponsorship program got pregnant and had a baby. Typically, ACE doesn’t sponsor girls with children because we are not equipped to meet the needs of pregnant women or young mothers with babies.

But God found a way!

In this specific scenario, ACE was given the opportunity to show this young lady grace and keep her in the program because of her incredible sponsors, who already know and love her. They know she hasn’t had the easiest childhood and has often been taken care of by other people in her community. And they wanted to help her as much as they could.

Thanks to her sponsors who chose to show her the abundant love and grace of Jesus Christ, this student is able to not only continue to go to school, but also receive monthly groceries for herself and her baby, as well as her mother, sister, and grandpa.

What a blessing!

If you’ve ever wondered if you can make real connections with your sponsor children and truly make a difference in their lives with your monthly donation, may this story bless you and encourage you. And may you remember that your kindness matters and never goes unnoticed.

Just look at the message below that I received from the young lady in response to everything that’s happened recently.

If you know me, you know these kind words mean so much more than any tangible gift of gratitude. We pray that ACE’s continued support, alongside the outstanding generosity of her sponsors, can help her continue to seek and love God and follow in His footsteps. We pray that she will continue to see the good in everything He does in her life and hold onto the hope He offers.

Blessings,
Athia Foster

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ACE’s Four Impact Buckets Unite for Spring!

by American-Caribbean Experience | Mar 26, 2025 | Community, Discipleship, Education, Outreach

What a fantastic start to our 2025 outreach year in St. Mary, Jamaica! In February, our medical and dental teams served the community, providing exams, cleanings, fillings, and other essential wellness services.

This month, our ACE team, along with volunteers from the States, helped feed and care for many elderly and special needs neighbors who lack support. They also helped clean their homes. It was inspiring to see college and high school students make such a significant impact in the lives of the lonely and hungry. In just four days, we received an overwhelmingly positive response to our staff and volunteers’ loving hospitality.

The Ricardo Ranch

While love, care, and support are essential, nothing compares to the impact of a dedicated team like the one from Ringgold Baptist in Ringgold, GA. Each year, they generously offer their construction skills to address a critical need: providing safe, dry housing for those in need.

This year, they supported Ricardo, a construction worker who suffered a life-changing accident when he fell from a roof and broke his neck. Despite being paralyzed from the waist down, Ricardo’s spirit and hope inspire everyone around him, making it hard for anyone to complain.

Thanks to ACE’s commitment and the many hands that joined in, we built Ricardo a new home. Just today, Ricardo moved in and can finally call this place home, all thanks to the generosity of those who dedicated their time to make a difference in his life.

Education & Edgehill

Many of you may remember that ACE is the primary sponsor for helping Edgehill School of Special Education meet its specific needs outside the classroom. This year, we aimed to transform a large closet into a computer lab, where 13 donated computers and a whiteboard will enable special needs students to access the world beyond their reach.

Construction began one day and was completed by noon the next. All that remains is for the electrician to install the electrical outlets, and then we’ll be ready for the students to embark on their journey to explore the “safe web.”

Our volunteers enjoyed reading, singing, and interacting with the classes during construction. It’s hard to say who had more fun at Edgehill—us or the students.

Help for Hampstead

Volunteers can’t discuss ACE without mentioning the “bucket brigade.” It’s true—ACE is known for tackling challenging projects in just a few days.

This week, Hampstead Primary School, one of our sponsored schools, requested our help to finish their multi-purpose court, which will be used for sports events and general assemblies. This month, we began constructing the seating for attendees.

This will be a full summer program, as it takes more than just a few days to complete. ACE is committed to our students and schools. If you’ve never participated in a “bucket brigade,” there’s still plenty of time to sign up. Many hands make the work light!

Hampstead Elementary School Construction Project

Fun and Discipleship during the Hampstead Elementary School Construction Project

Bucket Brigades at Hampstead Elementary School

Pigs & Microbusinesses

What do pigs and microbusinesses have in common? In some businesses, the answer might be a lot of fat. But not with ACE! The Green Life Farm pig pen business is thriving at Buccaneers, where Jamaicans flock to enjoy delicious jerk pork sandwiches and ribs.

Our pigs have outgrown their pens. So this month, with the help of volunteers from Kansas City Christian School, we tore down the old pens and constructed new ones—all in one day! This is what happens when you have seniors in tip-top shape doing the work. Our farm staff truly appreciated the assistance.

While most of the work is completed, we still have a few posts and some painting left. The pens almost look nice enough to spend a little time with the pigs… almost!

In other great news, we recently received a call from a couple we’ve come to love, Marty and Christa Bevel from Kentucky. They asked if they could assist on the farm for a month. Our answer was a resounding YES! We met Marty and Christa years ago and invited them to visit ACE about four years back. This time, they felt called by God to help us, and we couldn’t be more grateful. God always brings us the most incredible help!

Spiritual Development

Marty and Christa are knowledgeable about pigs, chickens, cows, and all things farming. More importantly, they have an incredible love for Jesus, which shines through in everything they do.

The Jamaican staff at the farm has fallen in love with them and even asked them to stay longer. Marty leads daily staff devotions to start the day, while Christa invests in the ladies on the farm and our ACE staff. We have all come to love them and will miss them when they return to Kentucky. But we’re keeping the lights on for them and expect a return visit. Please pray for a longer stay!

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God’s Miracles at Long Road Clinic

by American-Caribbean Experience | Feb 24, 2025 | Outreach

It had been a full year since any medical or dental team had been able to make the hour-and-half-long journey to the Long Road Clinic in St. Mary.

So when our ACE providers recently made the trip, they were met with many grateful smiles and sighs of relief. We were told that ACE has been the only professional medical team willing to take on the washed-out roads, trekking for miles to serve our little community.

Thanks to the gracious hospitality of the local Catholic Church, we were able to set up in our usual spot and provide much-needed medical, dental, and spiritual care to those who had been waiting for so long.

And then—just after we left—the road gave way. A complete collapse.

Had it washed away before we arrived, we would have never reached all of the wonderful people who needed our help. Had it collapsed while we were there, well… we might still be there!

But God’s timing is never early or late—He’s always on time. He held up the road just long enough for us to get back to Galina Breeze Hotel and, more importantly, to ensure every person in the community received the care they needed.

Thank you to all who make these clinics possible.

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Marla’s Minute: Unto the Least of These

by American-Caribbean Experience | Feb 24, 2025 | Book A Trip, Community, Outreach

The heart of ACE has always been and will always be focused on people. We call Jamaicans “our people,” “our seniors,” and “our extended families.” When you come to Jamaica to volunteer, you can rest assured that one of the days, if not two, will be spent in our community with one of “our people,” through our AMI visits.

This month made the top of the list compared to all of our previous Februarys for reaching out and helping our elderly and those in need. Friends bought food for distribution and helped clean up individuals and their living spaces. We even had friends assist our ACE staff by singing and reading to our elders. They were also treated to a gardening lesson or two from local yards.

Does it feel good to leave a home seeing smiles on our seniors’ faces? You bet it does! I just pray and hope someone will come visit me when it’s my time to rest. And hopefully have a garden of something to show or a song to sing.

Thank you, friends, for never growing tired of doing good for the least of these.

Blessings,
Marla