by Connor Schmidt
Archdiocese of Baltimore
3rd College, St. John Paul II Seminary
When it was announced that the seminary would be going on a mission trip to serve the Mustard Seed Communities in Jamaica over spring break, I thought to myself:
Well, I’ve never been out of the country, and I’ve never done a mission trip. It would be cool to kill two birds with one stone!While I very much wanted to go, I couldn’t have predicted the experience the Lord was preparing for me. I didn’t know what I was getting myself into.
Fast forward five months. I’m now in Jacob’s Ladder, the residence for adults with mental and physical disabilities in Jamaica run by Mustard Seed. Because the government of the island is very poor and the disabled are stigmatized, Jacob’s Ladder serves as a refuge for people who have nowhere else to go. Not only were we there to spend time with these people, but we were also there to do manual labor for the community. At that time, there were about 150 residents—the goal was to house over 500!
We were excited to do what we could. As the first day of work arrived, our guide led us to the worksite and informed us we were going to make a sidewalk. We would mix the cement, make the molds for the sidewalk, and then pour the cement into the molds. It was hard work! The workers at Mustard Seed dumped the limestone, water, and gravel on the ground and gave us shovels for mixing. For hours we carried the concrete in buckets from the mixing station to the place of the future sidewalk. We were exhausted at the end of each day.
But the tiring work was more than worth it. The sidewalk served as the only paved walkway between the homes of the residents and the laundry facility. Before the sidewalk was built, nurses had to walk through depths of mud just to get to the laundry. It was a small contribution, but we were happy to help.
The trip was filled with joy. The most beautiful part of the Mustard Seed community is the chapel at its center where the Blessed Sacrament is reserved. Going to Mass, praying the Liturgy of the Hours, and celebrating the Stations of the Cross with these residents was a true blessing. These men and women may carry heavy crosses, but the reverence they had in the presence of our Lord and the enthusiasm with which they prayed was absolutely inspiring. Their hearts were on fire with the love of Christ.
So when it was announced a couple months ago that we would be going back to Jacob’s Ladder, I jumped at the opportunity. The Lord clearly wants to show me the depths of His love again through the residents of Jacob’s Ladder and I am excited to experience it anew!
Last time we went, we were blessed to have so many people support us in our mission! Not only were we blessed to have many people pray for us, we were also thankful for the many people who chose to give monetarily to the trip. We ask you humbly to support us as well through prayer and monetary support, according to your current situation. If you are able, please follow this link to our main page for the trip:
bit.ly/sjpiims2020