Over 20 years ago, I experienced what it was like to live and teach on the south shore of Jamaica. At 22 years old, this experience had an impact on my life. The experience ultimately taught me the meaning of sacrificial love and lead to my career as a physical therapist, which eventually morphed into teaching physical therapy at the University of Dayton.
My wife Bethany and I met in physical therapy school and always shared a common passion for mission and travel. One year after marriage, I decided it was time to share my experience in Jamaica with Bethany, volunteering as physical therapists. During the visit, we met Brooke, another physical therapist volunteering in Jamaica, and by God’s grace, we were able to keep in touch with her over the last 15 years.
Today, Bethany and I have been blessed with four biological children and one foster child. We recently decided it was time to pass on our passion for mission and travel to our children. With our experience and contacts in Jamaica, we reasoned that this would be the perfect opportunity. Our children would be old enough to endure the inconveniences in an area of the world that is economically challenged. Besides, this would be a possible opportunity for my PT students at the University of Dayton in the future.
Foreshadowing a bumpy journey
I knew this trip was going to be special when I discovered that Pentecost Sunday was celebrated the day before our departure. As if planned all along, we received the gift of the Holy Spirit at Mass immediately before traveling as a family into a relatively unfamiliar territory, sent on mission by God. Being sent on mission or pilgrimage is certainly not without hardships and challenges, and the unexpected prevailed on this trip. However, we discovered that the unexpected would also yield some joyful surprises that I am still uncovering even as I write.
Being a careful planner by nature, I had the children apply for their passports about six months prior to departure. We also held early Zoom discussions with Brooke and her husband so as to make sure that we would have patients to see and work to do. Then, our plans began to go awry. My youngest’s passport got lost in the mail, and we received it only one week before our departure. In other pre-departure news, Brooke and her husband informed us that they would need to return to the United States for medical care just days before our departure. Their testing and appointments were not complete in the United States until our last day in Jamaica. Without Brooke present, we were legally not allowed to see patients as physical therapists in Jamaica. Still, we decided to go, and Brooke and her husband found a way to make our trip one to remember.
The Finding in the Temple
We were met with a two-hour flight delay traveling from Columbus, Ohio, to Newark, New Jersey. Upon landing in Newark, we had 10 minutes to board our final flight to Jamaica. My 14-year-old son desperately ran ahead to our next gate inquiring if United would hold the flight for us. My 11-year-old daughter decided to run ahead with him and she could not keep up. Apparently, she went to the wrong gate and was lost in the Newark airport for 15 minutes. The United flight attendant from our Jamaica flight reassured us that we would find her and held the plane for us. Miraculously, we eventually found her with the added bonus of not missing our original flight. In retrospect, I could see God’s image in the flight attendant’s confidence and reassurance. All of this occurred immediately after I prayed and meditated on the Fifth Joyful Mystery, the Finding in the Temple.
The Visitation
God’s beauty showed vibrantly through our Jamaican hosts. Peter, Paula, Kareen and Dwayne kept us busy with work, took us on multiple outings and cooked for us on several occasions. Their kindness and patience continuously reflected the heart of Jesus. One specific service task was to visit a woman who had a stroke, Miss Susie, and clean her yard. The next day as I meditated on the Mystery of the Visitation, the Holy Spirit reminded me that Mary brought Christ to her cousin Elizabeth and John. I also hope we brought Christ to our Jamaican hosts and Susie. Like Elizabeth’s and John’s joyful responses, there was never a doubt that our new Jamaican friends reflected Christ back to us.
Carrying of crosses
Our crosses during the journey were certainly light as compared to what others across the globe frequently endure. Our crosses came in the form of inconveniences, humbling situations and unexpected downtime. Upon arrival, we discovered that one of our checked luggage items did not make it to Montego Bay, Jamaica. This would leave Bethany and the three girls without clean clothes for the next 2 ½ days as we were nearly 3 ½ hours from the airport, coupled with challenging mountainous roads. Bethany and the girls did not complain, carrying the first major cross.
We endured some hot and humid conditions for the first day while painting ceilings and removing old ceiling paneling. To my surprise, the old ceiling paneling was supporting mouse droppings, which began to cover my head and shoulder during the removal process. The work was a humbling reminder that I was not above any type of work. I was thinking, why am I doing this and not helping someone with physical therapy? Looking at ceilings for two straight days, perhaps, God was telling me to keep my eyes up and fixed on him.
The weather went from hot to cool fairly quickly as a mild tropical depression set up over the island. Being accustomed to continuous work, electronics, a car and busy kids’ schedules, I began to feel uneasy about the downtime. Was I wasting time? God was teaching us a lesson in patience and trust, and he used this extra time to unite us as a family.
Ironically, during this rainy period, we depleted the water tank to our apartment. It was over 24 hours when we discovered how to fix the problem, enduring the inconveniences of transporting water from one building to our apartment in order to wash dishes, periodically flush the toilet, and pour water over our heads to bathe. Thunderstorms, several days later, knocked out our electricity for another 24 hours while also dampening the floors and beds in our apartment. The modern conveniences of reading at night, having a fan to ward off mosquitoes and a refrigerator to keep food were gone temporarily.
Some days later, Bethany and Stella also experienced variations of minor sickness but thankfully, both recovered quickly. Through all of these crosses, I asked myself, “Was God still with us?”
Descent of the Holy Spirit
Despite the many crosses, I felt God’s true presence in a profound way on the roof of our apartment. Daily morning prayer and looking at the mountains and sea was enough for anyone to feel drawn to God. As if being sent out on Pentecost Sunday was not enough, God sent me an unmistakable reminder that the Holy Spirit was indeed present. One morning I was meditating on the descent of the Holy spirit upon the apostles. A dense fog covered my surroundings and later a white bird circled over my head. The experience let me know that Holy Spirit was with our family even though we had fallen on some bad luck and were asked to carry multiple crosses. More importantly, God would continue to be with us as we completed our journey.
Baptism of Our Lord
The south coast of Jamaica is a hidden gem, beautiful with many treasures. One of those hidden treasures is YS Falls in Saint Elizabeth. Swimming in YS Falls brought about a sense of cleansing near the end of our trip. The challenge of keeping things clean and dry in a tropical environment, left us with a sense of constant uncleanliness. Swimming in the falls and pools at YS brought about a sense of being baptized in clean, fresh running water.
The Institution of the Eucharist
Providentially, the seventh day of the trip was the most memorable day of our journey, which also happened to be Sunday. The day’s itinerary included Mass, a tour of St. Vincent Strambi School, where I taught science over 20 years ago, followed by a breathtaking hike and view at Lover’s Leap with the family. We ended the day playing soccer with the local Jamaican children, as well as enjoying a good Jamaican meal. Family prayer was vibrant that night as we introduced lectio divina to our children. The meal and the family time on Sunday reflected the Eucharistic communion of the family in a new way to me.
One week later, we arrived home from our travels. The next day was the feast of Corpus Christi. As close as I felt to God during the trip, I was suddenly reminded of the Real Presence of the Eucharist. For the last five years, I have been given the opportunity to attend daily Mass, but for the last two weeks, I had been unable to attend daily Mass. I have discovered that it is easier to be close to the Lord on the days that I receive the Eucharist. The undervalued true presence and availability of the Eucharist was the most profound lesson for me during these two weeks. The true presence of the Eucharist is the culmination of our beliefs as Catholics and celebrating Corpus Christi was fitting for the end of our sojourn.
Bring God’s presence to others
I mentioned in the beginning that I discovered what sacrificial love meant during my first visit to Jamaica. It is apparent that Jesus desired to continue to build on my understanding of love during this trip. Venerable Louise Margaret Claret de La Touche wrote: “To love is to wish to be perpetually present to the person loved: that is the Blessed Eucharist, the Real Presence, the altar. To love is to give oneself to each of those whom one loves; that is Holy Communion, The Last Supper.”
When I visit Jamaica, it seems I learn something more about love. This time, it was the deep meaning of God’s true presence and love in the Eucharist. It is time to bring Christ’s presence through the Rosary and Eucharist to the world. During this time of Eucharistic Revival, let us challenge ourselves to be an active participant in bringing Christ’s presence to our homes, community and world.
The love of the Eucharist and Rosary touched my heart in a profound way during this journey, and I hope this column assists in spreading their devotion. Although I could have never imagined that God was going to reveal himself to me in an amazing way, I would be remiss to tell you that I am not without some disappointment for the trip. By the standards of the world, outcomes of this experience don’t seem to add up. There was no use of our physical therapy skills as originally planned and Brooke and her husband were not able to be on the island. Secondarily, I had hoped the visit would solidify a clinical partner with our University of Dayton physical therapy program, but I am not sure that there will be any career gains from this journey.
So, what am I to make of this experience? I have come to the conclusion that it is OK not to know. As to trials and circumstances of this experience, like Mary, I try to keep these things in my heart. Still, I am hopeful that God will do something with the experience. Perhaps it was to help spread devotion to the Eucharist and Rosary. Perhaps it is just to plant seeds in my children for the future. Perhaps it will not bear fruit in my life, but I am confident it will bear fruit in the future.
Jesus, I trust in you!
