Marla’s Minute: Finally, a Breath of Fresh Air!

Marla’s Minute: Finally, a Breath of Fresh Air!

It’s been a breath of fresh air this summer with so many volunteers! There is just something about seeing people you admire and love buying into the same vision that God has been giving us for 30 plus years.

We love the photos of friends smiling, especially when we are in them! Allen and I personally needed to experience this summer with everyone to confirm we are all still in this wonderful journey of ACE together! It’s been a good month, a good year so far; thank you for believing in ACE all this time.

We are praying those who haven’t come down will visit us soon. After next week, we don’t have anyone scheduled to visit us for a while and we could sure use your help. We miss you! We have lots of needs that keep us from moving forward until have helping hands on the ground. We hope to see you in St Mary soon. Look at your schedule and make time for us between now and December. ACE can’t work alone. It takes teamwork to make the dream work!

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Families & Friends

Families & Friends

July tends to be a very dry and hot month in Jamaica. This year is no different. However, as friends and families begin to come back down to serve with us, we only feel the warmth of returning (and new) friends everywhere!  We – your ACE family on the ground – are so happy to see you all.

A few of our recent volunteers were so kind to tell us some of their favorite parts about their trip, and we hope this will encourage more friends (old and new!) to plan a trip to St. Mary!

Graduation, VBS, and Sponsorship

Graduation, VBS, and Sponsorship

It’s mid-summer, and while that may not seem like Spring to you, we have felt the subtle changes that normally come with the new growth the season of Spring offers.  You’ve heard of Christmas in July? Well, we had Spring in Summer!

Spring is normally the time for graduation. Instead, Covid pushed things a little. This month, ACE was invited to attend one of the primary school’s 6th grade graduations. We had helped provide funds to build a stage inside their general assembly room where graduation was held.

Marla arrived in time to witness the Enfield Primary’s Class of 2020 walking in their caps and gowns into the hall to receive their diplomas. As each student, all 23 of them, walked into the hall, they had a spring in their step that let everyone know this wasn’t the end; it was just the beginning for them, moving into the next season of their education and life.

For the younger kids in our program, ACE held its first VBS since 2019 and a first at our new facility at Green Life Llanrumney Farms. Each sponsored child that attended came alive as our college volunteers reminded them they are loved and highly favored by God. The theme this year was “Destination Dig” and that’s exactly what happened – our students dug into the Bible, their faith and God’s love for them through activities, songs, and stories! The verse of the week was “You will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13)

The Big Finish event for VBS was taking our students on a hike to the historic Ruins on our property where they got to see “old digs” and how ACE was revitalizing the old into the new. Students loved it! We even had a farm moment where the children got to love on horses, donkeys and cows, and even a few puppies! Many of them had never seen such large animals before or experienced the signs of life on a farm!

This summer brought us all the renewed faith and hope of spring, having our volunteers back as our sponsored children experienced new adventures, and we look forward to the changes and new growth yet to come.

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Final Good-bye to Pastor Watson

Final Good-bye to Pastor Watson

After years of service to his community and touching the lives of countless people along the way, Pastor Winston Watson transitioned to Heaven on May 13 after a battle with cancer. Winston served on our ACE Board of Directors for a season before moving on to new adventures in 2017.

For volunteers who served with ACE prior to that, they may have had the opportunity to spend time with him and will remember his great smile and encouraging words.  He was truly a missionary at heart, responsible for bringing Jesus to the hearts of so many – which should be everyone’s ultimate goal! May God bless him for that! As they say in Jamaica, “it’s never goodbye, but ‘see you later.’” Pastor Watson, we know you are at peace now.

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Our Patrene Exits, Stage Right

Our Patrene Exits, Stage Right

Patrene, our wonderful administrator for ACE, is leaving for a season to take a position in the work-abroad program that the Jamaican Government offers adults to work in the states.

Patrene will be gone for at least six months. We gave her a party at our own bamboo oasis by the river. We wish her well and she promises to stay in touch. In the meantime, we all will be handling her admin work one topic at a time! She leaves big shoes to fill! All the best, Patrene!

 

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