today i am back at work, and i currently have 1455 e-mails in my inbox. life moves so fast in the silicon valley, and i was relating to ryan today that it's interesting to have an outsider's view of the American rat race. i wonder how long it will take me to get fully back into it.

before i left for jamaica, i was zooming around the halls of the SCU business school on my way to class. i heard someone say something & then heard again my name yelled out clearly. i had walked right by one of my study buddies and not seen him at all. he lectured me on how we are all so focused on getting from point a to b. "everyone is a to b, a to b, all the time," he said as he gave a stir to his coffee and sauntered off to his class. i found his casual pace annoying.

in harmons, our trip leader, josh, drove us to the infirmary a couple of the days. we all knew that when josh said we would leave at 8:30, that meant we'd leave maybe by 9, probably closer to 9:30. but this isn't because josh is spending extra time checking his e-mail or primping, he's talking to jamaicans about what medicine they need, or giving them clothes, or making sure some of them have a job for the day. and when he drove us, the drive took ten times longer because we would stop constantly. josh would hand off a bag of supplies and clothes to a young woman, he'd talk to some of the guys that work for him, he'd give a honk to his friends, and he'd stop to let some cute jamaican boys hop in the back for a ride to school. and, when we dropped them off, they wouldn't go down to the school without waving goodbye to josh and making sure he gave them a wave back.

so i realize it's like this in my life - i am constantly "a to b" here at home in the states. and i'd like to be more like i was in harmons, where i was completely content to sit and color on the urine stained floor at the infirmary with my new friends who have no schedule. i'm "a to b" not just in the halls of the b-school but with my co-workers and my neighbors and with the rest of the world. i'm literally and figuratively walking by people and not seeing them each and every day. one of my favorite prayers says "let me not mistake busyness for freedom." so this week, one of the many things i am praying is that God messes up all my a to b plans and that i'll remember first and foremost His great love and that i'll learn the best way to live life from His amazing sons and daughters in jamaica who are grateful for those that take time to stop, who let their schedules get messed up, and who remember.



~Becky Blevins

We're IN Jamaica! Today is Monday November 20th.

We had a first great day at the Infirmary and our team is doing well. We are encouraged by the laughter and singing of the residents once we were able to break the ice. Patience can be difficult to endure, but we got to reap the benefits.

We are all well - good food, new friends, lots of sleep in the midst of a jungle.

We hope to post more when we get a chance.

Thank you for your many prayers and thoughts!

JamaicaNow Team

We're packed and ready for pickup! Tomorrow morning at 4:00 AM our Jamaican Journey will begin. We have one quick stop in Atlanta and then we'll find ourselves in Montego Bay.

This has been a week of packing for all of us, while we still have to pack our personal gear and solidify tiny details tonight, we have our group donations ready to go! With team members scrambling to get updated vaccines, notarize forms, and organize their donated supplies, we have all been busy. Here are a few shots from the Boston packing party last night:

Nate and Mary Frances loading suitcases

Our surprise guest helper, Ryan Green from the band ryanhood helped us gage the weight of containers (50lbs is the limit) .

We don't anticipate having internet access during our trip, but we have heard there is a webcam pointed on the Harmony House courtyard which is updated ever 60 seconds. You can visit the webcam at: http://wonbyonejamaica.com/

Who knows....you may just catch sight of one of us as we unload our luggage, make our way to the bus that we'll use to visit the infirmary each day, or perhaps one the famous "courtyard gatherings" when we hang out with the local Jamaicans over music and sno cones!

Many thanks to all of our friends and family for continued support, encouragement and prayers. I spoke (Elizabeth) with the Head Matron this afternoon and she is so thrilled that we'll be spending our time at the infirmary. She was especially encouraged that we'd raised so many funds to purchase the large appliances they need. This is thanks to you!

We are ready for take off and hope that your thoughts and prayers will continue over the coming week.

All the Best,
JamaicaNow Team 2006

Becky Blevins, Silvia De la Guardia, Mary Frances Giles,
Ryan and Elizabeth Lincoln, and Nate Pelsma

8 days and counting!

We are very excited about our final countdown to our team's departure for Jamaica. With 8 days remaining we are finalizing donations, collecting items that need to be taken with us to the infirmary for craft activities and tying up loose ends.

We've decided to take down some recreational items such as items for a bean bag toss and a ring toss that will help residents with movement while still having fun . We decided to make the bean bags instead of buying them, which wasn't best for our stress levels, but it was certainly better for the budget! A $2.99 outdoor tablecloth from Kmart, 3 bags of dry canelini beans and a sewing machine did the trick.

Other "loose ends" that are being tied up in Boston have taken a very colorful and fanciful shape. A few weeks ago, Ryan recalled that back in 2003 one of the team members decided to bring his "arsenal" of balloons along so that each of the residents could have a "balloon animal" made for them. Ryan had never seen such delight and wonder expressed by the residents, so he has decided to learn these tricks and techniques for our trip! The Lincoln apartment and Mary Frances' apartment have recently been home to some of the practice shapes:

rabbit
parrot

giraffe
poodle

We're really excited about our upcoming work and thank you again for your continued support with funding, encouragement, and fresh ideas.

JamaicaNow Team 2006
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PLEASE NOTE: All payments through our website are managed by Ryan Lincoln. You will see his name appear throughout the transaction. Please indicate (during your transaction) if your payment should be assigned to a specific team member. You may also contact Ryan at ryanlincoln@post.harvard.edu if you have any questions about your payment.

Over the last few weeks Ryan and I have been talking about what it's like when you first land in Jamaica. We'll be doing just that in15 days.

What to expect when you travel to Jamaica...

1) A half dozen locals dressed in traditional garb singing a welcome as you wait at immigration.

2) The nicest immigration agents you can imagine, tired, but friendly.

3) The most confusing customs process you will ever experience. The bags of 30+ Americans overloaded with medications, donated clothes, and supplies are rushed past multiple officers as quickly as possible. We don't want hassle, just a brief inspection and out the doors to the airport lobby.

4) More offers to carry your luggage to your car or someone's cab than you care to respond to. Best just to haul your own stuff anyhow.

5) A comfy bus with a brief stop at McDonald's for dinner where the burgers seem frightfully expensive. Don't worry that $30 value meal is Jamaican dollars - it will only cost you $5.

6) Driving past some of the most gorgeous scenery, but those ocean views and resorts will slowly give way to "real" Jamaica. Cement houses, others made of found objects and tin. Children, mothers, fathers walking the roads from one place to another.

7) As you ascend the mountains the sun will set, the road will become more bumpy, and those small villages will come alive with the congregation of locals. It's Saturday night after all, so it's time to crank the music.

8) After hours of driving in the dark you'll arrive in Harmons where a few Won by One staff and soon-to-be friends will greet you. Everyone pitches in to bring the 90+ pieces of luggage into the Harmony House courtyard.

9) Then after you think you can stay awake no more, sleeping....in the dark, in the silence. The only light being fireflies that twinkle briefly near the ceiling. Darkness, silence.

10) A brightly lit sky to wake you, the sound of a farmer singing with contentment as he walks past the Harmony House with his pig through the grass and trees, his day starting much earlier than yours.

These are the things that come to mind when I think about my first hours in Jamaica. I'm hoping to find things much the same two weeks from now. What calm these memories bring to me as I sit in an office building with the traffic, construction, and pedestrians swirling past my window. Jackhammer anyone?

No thanks, I'm dreaming of Jamaica.

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PLEASE NOTE: All payments through our website are managed by Ryan Lincoln. You will see his name appear throughout the transaction. Please indicate (during your transaction) if your payment should be assigned to a specific team member. You may also contact Ryan at ryanlincoln@post.harvard.edu if you have any questions about your payment.