Oh My Oh My!  We are not in Iowa anymore!  I have never worked harder, sweated more, or endured such conditions as today!  First, when told we would be planting avocado trees on a plantation on a hill, I envisioned planting on something like the gentle hills of a Minnesota ski slope in the summer.  Instead, it looked more like a war zone where a CNN reporter should be telling us about how bad it really is.   The slope is something like a black diamond ski slope in Colorado.  There are loose boulders, loose logs, a tangle of vegetation, vines that grab your legs to trip you, brush, 5-20 foot deep crevasses covered with vines that must be avoided, cold ash piles, smoldering ash piles, and fires complete with enough smoke in your face to choke and blind you.  (And we thought working in the Iowa flood houses was tough!)  While we navigate our way through the war zone in the 95 degree heat, trying to avoid the smoldering embers and fires, we must carry the precious avocado trees (without breaking them), maintain balance, find the planting marker, dig a hole with a pick axe (standard shovel won’t get though the rock), plant the tree, add a little cow poo, and hope it grows! 

The kids return covered with gallons of sweat, dirt, ash, plant matter, and an occasional lizard, bug or in Kenzie’s case, a 12 inch worm.   The kids eat, and then collapse on the tile floor to sleep.  That was the morning!  Then we go out and do it all again in the afternoon.  Amazingly, as was the case in Iowa, and South Dakota, I am the only one complaining!  The kids are working tirelessly with no complaints.  They have accomplished impressive amounts of hard labor that will someday turn into a $ making cash crop with a factory and local jobs.

Rev Earl is one impressive farmer/minister! He out-works us all.  As we carefully pick our way through the war zone, he seems to skip effortlessly over the burned out debris and rocks.  He then waits for us to catch up with him to show us where the next stake goes.  He seems to need minimal water, no breaks, and has endless energy.  There are other local Jamaicans working on the project helping to clear land.  They too are amazingly hard workers, clearing the slopes by hand with machetes.  We have all changed our idea of the Jamaican work ethic.  These people are like machines!

The project is Rev Earl’s vision.  He feels that the church has spent 200 years focusing on education in Jamaica.  Now we need to focus on economic development and creating jobs.  It is rewarding to be a part of a project that has a promising future for Browns Town.

Gary continues to provide mission trip leadership and guidance.  We all take turns making sure he doesn’t lose his $, passport, or luggage!

Michelle Bratager

We are working at setting up a slide show so you can see as well as read about the tremendous things the team is doing on behalf of Peace.

Gary