Friday, July 13

We woke up at about 7 today, had breakfast, and headed out to work.  Pastor Earl drove us and half the plants down to the bottom of the hill, before some people went back for a second trip of more plants.  Rachel S, Sara, and I worked with Earl to line out spots for the new plants, Ezra and Dan dug with the pick axes and the rest carried the plants. 

We worked for about an hour before men started to show up.  Some Methodist showed up today to help us.  There were about 40 people to help us.  Earl and whoever was helping him, usually Rachel B, but also Sara, Rachel S, and I, worked hard on very very steep and rocky terrain to finish lining out the planting.  Everyone else worked to carry the plants way up, dig the holes, and plant.  We also had to bring up chicken manure to plant with them and some dirt to take the place of the rocks we pulled out. 

After working for about three hours, most people were down at the bottom ready for lunch.  Earl and Rachel B. were still up at the top, working near the fires where it was very hot.  When they got down, about 10 minutes after everyone else, Rachel B. had to sit for a while and relax and cool off in the shade.  Eventually, we all made it to lunch, and after lunch, Rachel B and Gary went back up to the manse while the rest of us and the other people there to help went back up the mountain to bring back down the 70 plants that we did not have a place for because we ran out of cleared land.  We piled into the truck with all the plants, thanked the others for their help, and headed back to the manse.

At about 3, when everyone was done with their showers, we loaded up the truck again and headed to the local market to explore.  We split into two groups: Gary, Rachel B, Rachel S, Kenzie, Carl, and Ezra; and Michelle, Sara, Madeline, Dan and I.  We found a couple different fruits to buy; a new variety of mango, some bananas, and Michelle got a sour sap, a fruit we tried after dinner.  It had an interesting taste but a terrible mushy texture that no one really liked.  We also got some Jamaican soda; Ting and Ginger Beer.  The market was pretty crazy with everyone asking us multiple times to buy what they had to sell and telling us how we needed what they had.  It was a very cool experience.

We got back to the manse just as it started to rain, which was very much needed for the avocado trees. Everyone relaxed and played games with Earl’s son, Andrew, had a light dinner and are now ready to relax and go to bed.  In all, we had a very productive, fun day.   

-Nik

We have finished with the avocado trees with the help of the 40 folks from Methodist Churches from around Jamaica that Nik mentioned above. Today it was like climbing a pyramid in Egypt, this is especially appropriate since the land we are planting on the Methodist call Egypt. The team feels we have accomplished a lot in the short time we have been here. All together there were 3 acres of avocado trees planted. Tomorrow we go shopping and to the beach. Next week we will be landscaping the yard of a church not to far from Brown’s Town and beginning the work of putting in a playground for a “basic” school, or as we would call it a “Pre-School.” The team rallied around Rachel B. we she was not feeling well, somehow Pastor Earl took a liking to working with him and he has the stamina of a mountain goat. She is sitting next to me doing fine now.

We will get back too late to post on the blog so don’t look for anything until Sunday.

Gary