September in Jamaica!

The past few weeks have been very busy and the start of a few new things for me. I have been spending a couple days a week in the basic school at Mount Friendship (MF). I love these little 3-5 year olds! In Jamaica, the students all wear uniforms according to what school they attend, and it makes them 100% adorable. There are two teachers in the basic school, Mr. Anderson for the younger ones and Miss Green for the older ones. I help out the teachers with whatever they may need, especially with students that are having difficulty with a lesson. The students at the school are very diverse in their abilities to read and write. It is easy for the students to fall behind when the teachers don’t have someone to help them with the students. This has become very evident to me during my short time at the school, so I try to help by working with those students to understand and complete an assignment.

I have already started some health teaching in the basic school! I decided to concentrate on the importance of hand washing as my first topic. So, I asked the basic schoolteachers to have them line up at the sink outside to wash their hands before snack time and lunch. I taught them this cute song, which they have become completely obsessed with! It is to the tune of Frere Jaques:
Tops and bottoms, tops and bottoms,
In between, in between,
All around your hands, all around your hands,
Makes them clean, makes them clean!

Although I had to start hiding the soap during class time, I am very happy that they enjoy the song and now love to wash their hands. I think some kids are starting to go to the bathroom just so we can wash our hands together after and sing the song. I also have them say, “Bye Germs!” when they’re done washing. It’s so cute! I will eventually do teaching about hand washing in the primary school as well. Can you tell I’m a little excited?

After school, I typically walk some kids home and make some home visits. Some of my regulars are Mr. Brooks in Mt. James (just a short walk from Mt. Friendship), Ms. Doris, and Ms. Hylton. Walking from one house to the other, can take about 2 hours after I stop and talk to people I see on the way. I am getting to know more and more people in the area each week. It’s so enjoyable and I can’t tell you how much I love it.

I started helping at another clinic in New Kingston called, “Our Lady of the Poor.” My paperwork is nowhere near done going through the Ministry of Health here, so there is limited nursing things I can do at this clinic for the time being. The head RN there is hilarious, nice, and takes great care of me there. I think I’m the only other RN there, but I haven’t met everyone yet, so I’m not sure. This past week, there was a group of students from Miami who are in LPN (Licensed Practical Nurse) school. They had to come to Jamaica and do 2 weeks of clinical time because their program is mainly based in Jamaica. So for the majority of my time there this week, I assisted them in their learning about various things and helped them feel more comfortable with some nursing tasks. They were immigrants from Cuba and their life stories were incredible.

Other than my time at the clinics and in Mt. Friendship, we have experience our first “9 night” here. My fellow volunteer Sarah had a death in her mission of Devon Pen. Their process after death here is much more of a celebration of that person’s life than in the States. “9 nights,” happens on the 9th night after that person’s death and the day before the funeral. The family of the deceased holds a giant party that starts around 7 and goes until the early morning. There is tons of food, music, dancing, games, and just sitting around talking on a 9 night from my experience. It was a great way to celebrate that person’s life and the fact that he or she is no longer suffering and with God in a better place. Considering how many people come to a “9 night” and the expectations put on the family to provide food for everyone, I can only imagine how difficult it must be on a poor family. Honestly, I see a lot of poor families in the missions and I don’t understand how a family can always uphold this expectation. Hopefully, it is because of the kindness of family and friends that this can happen.

Walking the Roads of Mt. Friendship

On the 10th, it will have been a month since I first came to Jamaica. The time has been a mix of emotions, as one would expect. My source of happiness comes first from my mission, Mt. Friendship. School started this week, so for two days, I explored the area and introduced myself to the principal, Miss Rufus, the guidance counselor who I will be working very closely with, Mr. Hamilton, and the other 9 teachers of the primary school and the educators of the basic school for the little ones. There is an area of the school called sick bay, where the principal wishes to set up a little nurses station for me, considering they have never had a nurse in the school. So this year looks to be an experience in school nursing! I am most excited to be working with the students and teaching about different health related topics. But right now, my main concern is getting to know the students and their families.

Still, I am eager to explore the different areas of Mt. Friendship. So, yesterday I took a road I have not traveled before. This road is called Lime Edge. I walked along, meeting new people who were friendly as always. “Whitey!” was called to me from the side of a large hill. I reply back, “Good Morning!” I talked to people who were outside and soon came across this tiny dirt path. I really wanted to know where it would lead, so I followed it in my Old Navy flip-flops. I have never been so rustic in my entire life! It took me to the middle of the “bush,” as they call it. It’s a really woodsy area and it came with some beautiful scenery when I went as far as I could go. I layed down under a burnt palm tree for a few minutes. I heard voices coming from close by, but because of the plants and trees, I couldn’t see that far away. Tracking the voices, I found two farmers picking coffee! They were surprised to see me and tried to figure out why I was out in the middle of nowhere. The farmer gave me a piece of sugarcane and we talked for a while as I bit into the hard, juicy stick. I offered to help him pick some coffee and he gladly accepted.

Heading back to where the trail met the main road, I saw elderly gentleman who was walking. I waved and made my way over to see who he was. His name was Mr. Ellis, and he let me walk with him to his house and point me in the right direction of the river. However, instead of finding the river, I walked him to his home and met the family that lived in his house. An elderly lady and her 29-year old physically and mentally disabled inhabitant were sitting outside the small house. I learned that this woman had taken this man in when he was 9-months old, when his parents abandoned him after they found out he was disabled. I was struck by her desire to care for someone in this situation! What a genuine heart and representative of how we should take care of others who are in need. The man is wheel-chaired bound and is probably not able to leave the house, which is down a long, rocky road. I cannot wait to go visit them again.

With every intention of calling it a day and catching a taxi home, I ran into two children that I see at church every week. They were walking home from school and greeted me with hugs and by shouting, “Miss, Miss!” They took my hand and invited me to their home. We walked down a beautiful hidden trail that leads to their house. There are five children in this family and very loving, and devoted mother. This family was very close to the former volunteer, Betsy. I can only imagine how close they must have been. The six of us went to the river and swam for a while. I was so hot and so sweaty that I just went in fully dressed! I was quite a site on the bus back home, but it was worth it. They gave me two pears (we call them avocados at home) and sent me on my way to make it home before dark. I had the most wonderful time with this family.

It seems crazy I know, to walk around all day and meet people, take roads I do not know, and visit with total strangers, but that is what is so great about Jamaica. You can do these things here in the mountains. I wouldn’t dream of doing this back home, but here, there is a safeness in what we do. However, I know when I should not go off with someone I do not know and when to terminate a relationship. It is like taking a step back in time here in Mt. Friendship. Everybody knows everyone, and people will be glad to just talk for a few minutes or have a visitor. It’s important that you do not ignore someone as you pass him or her on the roads. It is sign of disrespect and rudeness.

Next week I plan to spend Monday and Tuesday at the school and I cannot wait to start my nursing and teaching there! I will do what I can for the school and with the supplies I have available to me.

The rainy season is definitely here! It rains for a while almost everyday. One of my biggest challenges of the rainy season so far is learning to live in community with the mosquitoes. Who am I kidding, I have never felt so good about killing a small insect in my entire life as I do now.