New Life Has Begun!

New Life Has Begun!

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).

ACE’s Four Impact Buckets Unite for Spring!

ACE’s Four Impact Buckets Unite for Spring!

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!

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!

God’s Miracles at Long Road Clinic

God’s Miracles at Long Road Clinic

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.

Marla’s Minute: Unto the Least of These

Marla’s Minute: Unto the Least of These

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

It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

So many miraculous things have happened at ACE in 2024 that listing them all would turn this last newsletter of the year into a novel. Instead, we decided to share highlights with pictures below, since photos tell a thousand words.

Starting with the most recent highlight, we hosted a fantastic Christmas party at the ACE office for all of our sponsor children and their families. We even had some ACE friends/donors volunteer for two weeks to help provide a lot of fun and act as Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus.

Throughout the year, we’ve seen the hand of God answer prayers that we’ve asked for and provided help from our ACE family like you. Our 840-acre farm, where our micro-businesses begin, was paid in full. This allows ACE to focus on impacting more families and giving individuals who are within walking distance a chance to earn and provide for their families.  

Another prayer answered: The ACE Mobile Infirmary program has located and started helping over 100 senior citizens around our community in great need of housing, food, love, and tender attention.

Our leadership has been growing in leaps and bounds as Marla and Allen take more of a back seat on the ground with ACE to focus on developing and promoting ACE. Mr. and Mrs. Foster have everyone on the move, cross-utilizing jobs and introducing our hotel staff to the real “why” of service by taking them out with our ACE team to visit those neglected and needy in our community. 

While the economy continues to suffer here in Jamaica, ACE is doing our best to stay ahead of the price increases with prayers of wisdom on how to spend what we receive. That is very important to us, and we never want to forget that it’s because of your generosity that we are able to make such a big difference in the lives of the families God sends our way.

Our motto at ACE is “Love God, Love People.” We at ACE believe it’s the only way to live life. We hope you feel the same way and remember that the main reason for Christmas is always about celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. Christmas won’t be complete without the story of why God sent His only Son to get us back to where God created us to be, and that’s to be free to live and love a God and Savior that has never left us hanging. 

We wish all of you a happy Christmas and one in which you impact someone in your family or community with the good news of Jesus. The “why” behind the true holiday.