Jamaica, Land We Love.

  Eternal Father, Bless our Land,

Guard us with thy mighty hand,

Keep us free from evil powers,

Be our light through countless hours,

To our leaders, great defender,

Grant true wisdom from above,

Justice, truth be ours forever,

Jamaica, land we love,

Jamaica, Jamaica, Jamaica, land we love

Teach us true respect for all,

Stir response to duty's call,

Strengthen us the weak to cherish,

Give us vision lest we perish,

Knowledge send us Heavenly Father,

Grant true wisdom from above,

Justice, truth be ours forever,

Jamaica, land we love,

Jamaica, Jamaica, Jamaica, land we love

we were welcomed to Marigold today with the sounds of the school children singing their National Anthem (above). the lyrics seem especially fitting for the time, calling for the kind of solace the people here crave so desperately. and to hear it from the children of Marigold was so poignant. because they have always craved this. their very lives are a prayer for solid ground, for love, for hope. they ask for these things every time they raise their arms to be held. every time they cry for attention. and it is so strange to see the society around them mirror this hunger that i have only seen at Marigold before. and, interestingly, we've seen a similar response in both places to the suffering. at Marigold, the children still laugh. today Aryana giggled until she was gasping for air as she walked around the kitchen on her newly-operated-upon club foot. she has a brace that has completely freed her. although it would seem a limited one to almost anyone  else, Aryana's life right now is a string of gifts. she can stand. she can walk. she can fall. she can get back up. she can feel the tile rather than stare at it from the bars of a crib. she can walk to the door and look outside. she can playfully bat our hands away when we try to pick her up because-finally-she can do it on her own.

and outside the yellow and orange walls of Marigold, the people of Jamaica are celebrating similar moments of joy. Tara's Godmother is welcoming her first grandchild into the world. today we gave blood and sat in a room filled with people who were there simply because they care. an article in the Daily Observer today quoted locals' perspectives on the situation, asking what they believe the country needs to do to pull themselves out of their current situation, and one man said that he believes the country needs to embrace unity again. that they need to really love one another.

but i am not trying to be trite. i am not blind to the hurt going on all around us. it is too raw for that. we went to sleep last night listening to the echoes of guns shooting ten kilometers away. this conflict is piercing the calm of night. it is hurting people. it is killing people. but love persists. and love has poured into our hearts from every possible source—our families are here with us; our friends send us dozens of news stories every day, watching for any signs of danger for us; strangers in the grocery stop and offer advice on how to ripen papaya; the Mullallys’ family friends have us over for dinner without pretense or show, welcoming us into their homes as family; when sharing news with us, locals ask to make sure we are not scared. so here we are, encircled by conflict but embraced by compassion.

the night before i left my sweet friend Ella gave me a huge hug said: “now that is not all for you. share it with our friends” i have been so compelled by her words today. we have not been given all of this love for our own comfort. our plans for the trip have worked out in a way that has made His purposes for our even being here so humbling. we’re here to pour that love out. we just hope to be really good funnels. 


love.ing.you.
eeb