Until We Meet Again: A Blessed Assurance

Friday was our last day at Mustard Seed and the day was divided into two parts. The first consisted of completing our work project, which entailed erecting a 38-foot-long wall from scratch. We were uncertain if we would manage to complete the wall, for we had but four hours to build, but we continued with high hopes. 

We got straight to work after Mass and breakfast, and split ourselves into our three work teams. I got into the trench to dig with my team, while another team mixed cement, and others collected stones from the dried up riverbed to assemble the wall. Despite our fatigue and lack of sleep, not an ounce of doubt could be detected in our confidence of completing the wall. The noonday sun beamed on our backs, blisters began to form on our palms, and sweat streamed down our faces as we raced against the clock. We persevered, working diligently, for we knew our toil would bring about a good for the children we had grown to love over the course of the week. One o’clock rolled around and the wall that was not, suddenly was, and it was glorious. We cheered as the last stone was set in its place, "We did it, we built the wall!" 

After the wall was complete we showered, had lunch, and prepared for our second half of the day with the kids. Since it was our last day, the workers at Blessed Assurance had asked us to lead the children in a prayer service under the gazebo. We decided to lead them in a chanted Divine Mercy Chaplet along with other praise and worship songs. The decision to sing with the kids was a no-brainer, for we had noticed throughout the week that the kids would respond well to music. As we began to pray and sing, the space was filled with the presence of God and the purity of the moment was palpable. Every face, from the kids, to the workers, to us the seminarians, beamed with joy as we entered into prayer.  

The prayer service ended but the joy continued. Two of the children, Jevon and Abigail, performed a dance they had prepared for a festival, and we clapped and sang along as they hit every mark of their choreography. One of the workers asked me if I knew the Cha-Cha Slide (to which I assured her I did) and a dance party ensued. To cool off, we partook in some ice cream and the kids rejoiced at the sight of the cold treat, especially my friend Donovan who begged me for seconds and thirds!

After the prayer and all the fun, it was time to put the kids down for their naps. The workers began to sing a song all too familiar to us after a week of working along side them. The lyrics echoed through the room and our hearts as we sang, “So long farewell, to you my friends. Goodbye, for now, until we meet again.” As I listened to the lyrics, and as we wheeled the kids to their dormitories one last time, I wasn’t all too sure if I would ever meet these children again in that beautiful sanctuary in Jamaica, but I was filled with a blessed assurance that we would certainly meet again in eternity, in that sanctuary of our heavenly home. 

Check out other great moments from our mission trip to Jamaica on social media by searching for our hashtag #SemsOnMission