My Jamaican way of Life

So this time I want to give y'all some details on what camp life is like for me as Nel's assistant and what I get to do besides interacting with the campers. It's really fun but I'm kept very busy. 

I start my days pretty early, sometimes leaving to pick up the cooks at 6:00 so (believe it or not) Im up and awake before then. As soon as the cooks arrive I join them in the kitchen to assist with meal prep for the day, or if Nel picks them up I go down and start getting ready before they arrive! 

Now this may seam un-glamorous, but anyone who knows about my past experiences in Jamaica knows that Mrs. Barbara, the main cook is top notch and my kitchen idol!

Spending time working under Mrs Barbara is possibly one of the best things of being here. She is wise and just a blessing to be around. Being in her kitchen is always a Mary moment because its constant absorption and building up! I've learned many new things to make and ways of doing things to take home from her in these short weeks, and it is so valuable in every sense of the word!!! 

My favorite things to do in the kitchen are make all of the traditional Jamaican meals like dumplings and fritters and calaloo with salt fish, stewpeas with turkey neck, and all f the fresh fruits and veggies we use! Mrs Barbara even grows her own pumpkins here at camp and she is so proud of them! Lots of vegetables are common at home like sweet potatoes, tomatoes, yams and carrots, but some are native to Jamaica like cho cho, a sticky, green thing that leaves a glue over your hands that you spend the rest of the afternoon peeling off. 

My least favorite thing in the kitchen is peeling papayas at breakfast. Not only does it taste horrible, in my opinion but it smells absolutely awful! Basically it smells rotten and I can't see how they eat it and love it so much.. As for fruits I love the mangos and oranges, which aren't actually orange on the outside here. Also bananas and plantains are so plentiful here. We have many banana trees at the campsite. 

I also do a lot of driving for Nel, going into town to the supermarket or wholesale, hardware store or the market to pick up this and that. Driving on the wrong (left) side of the road and car isn't so bad and I'm used to it. The worst thing is I'm just slow compared to everyone else and they're always passing me (overtaking as they say here) and the road to camp is horrible so it takes about 10-15 minutes to travel the 2.5 miles up from the main road. 

Sometimes I'll go to Salem or Priory or St. Ann's Bay or Ocho Rios to pick up this or that and I am amazingly so comfortable remembering where to go and how to do what I need to. I don't feel one bit foreign. Today I picked up a staff member from the bus stop in Ochie and not only did he say I fit in perfectly as a Jamaican driver, apparently I'm a natural, but he also said I don't even drive like a woman! This is said to be a sincerely high complement!!!! 

One thing about driving that I don't get though, is that nobody takes one-way streets seriously. Even Aunty Nel, occasionally defies the warning if it looks all clear. I guess its just another way of life on the island! 

That's all for now!! Love and miss you all!!! 

In Grace's Amazing Hands, 

Katelyn

my Jamaican birthday post

Greetings y’all! Sorry it’s been so long, but finding time to actually sit and write is difficult and getting to the internet that’s sufficient for posting is just the same!

To fill you in, Tomorrow ends children’s camp and begins the last week and 4^th and final New Generation Children’s/Teen camp. Then during the month of August we at the campsite will host various other groups who rent out the site for their own camps.

The groups have been so wonderful. Each so unique and fun, very adventurous and highly entertaining! This trip has been so stretching and different than any of my previous visits here and putting it into words isn’t just cake like you may think!

Although I was most involved in the Ultimate Series Camp for the oldest teens 14-17 years old, and it was a super incredible time to watch them learn and develop spiritually and just to mature as young individuals, I have to say that my favorite group so far has been the Leadership Group the very first session.

These kids are essentially a pre-counselor training group. They do deep leadership and team-building sessions. It was a small group of only 12 youth and they had 2 counselors, I also got to participate with them a lot and definitely related to most of them.

Ultimate was fun too, at first we weren’t sure how many youth we’d have committed to camp, but God provided good numbers and it was a wonderful week. We ended with a trip to Mystic Mountain and I had an incredible outlook on the island, and got my first Jamaican sunburn of my 4 visits to the place. But all is well now.

The Great Adventure (Kid’s Camp) has been fun just because I really love the young children. They’re so loving and absorbent and just eager to learn and be poured into!

All of the children I have met this summer, as well as the peers I have been blessed to work with have been an incredible blessing thus far.

It’s also been wonderful to celebrate my 23^rd birthday today in this place. I’ve been fortunate to celebrate my birth in many different places, communities and cultures and this is definitely my favorite so far, just by the love that I feel here, though I am so distant from my home.

Aunty Nel took me to Scotchie’s for Jerk food for lunch and we had Devon House I-Scream afterwards in Ocho Rios. Judith also brought me a piece of Cheesecake when she came in from Kingston for the day. The biggest disappointment of the day is I’ve really wanted a plain Coca Cola and never did get my hands on one. Oh the little things! Oh well, there’s always tomorrow for another small treat!

Missing everyone at home, my family, friends and precious puppy. But I’m still confident that I’m right where I need to be! Loving y’all and hoping that you’re all glad for the update! I’ll be back with you shortly as soon as I can!! Hoping for wonderful adventures in the final week of camp!

If there’s anything you’d really like to know, please feel free to email me at kate.paige.hukill@gmail.com and I’m glad to answer questions and communicate in that way as best I can!!

Please also continue to keep me and New Generation Camp in your prayers!!

In Grace’s Amazing Hands,

Katelyn

I'm In Jamaica, Mon...

So I just wanted to check in with y’all from beautiful Jamaica! I arrived this past Thursday, on the 4^th of July after an early morning flight out of DFW and being bumped to the second flight out in Atlanta and upgraded to first class, it was quite nice. Only my bags were delayed but not for long and there was no hassle with customs or immigration at all!

Friday the staff arrived in the evening for staff training camp, so that morning, Nel and I went to St. Ann’s Bay for the market and things and so I could remember where everything is. Amazingly, in a place that is quite unfamiliar, nothing seems too foreign to me. Friday night, quite late, the staff arrived and had dinner, then we all had a quick get to know you moment and went to bed for an early morning on Saturday.

Saturday morning began with everyone breaking up into camp groups and acquainting us and sharing our testimonies. Most of my time here will be working as the facilities assistant and doing various projects for Nel around camp, but I will be serving as a counselor for a week during the Ultimate Adventure camp from July 11-20!

We’ll work with the oldest group of students, age 14-17 and it will be the first official group through for the summer! The other staff for this camp were an amazing group of people and I can’t wait to continue to get to know them and work along side of them!

As Saturday progressed, we had some general orientation and training from Nel and different bonding types of experiences and we ended the day with an evening of prayer and worship at the cross on the top lawn. It was an experience truly unlike any I’ve ever had.

In all of my past trips to Jamaica, we’ve been here as an American team, but this time, I’m totally immersed in this culture and experiencing something completely different and stretching. After only a few days, I honestly miss little, aside from my family and friends at home. But I've literally told EVERYONE here about my dog, I miss him A LOT! He really is special to me and my own little prize! :) (Don't worry mom, dad and Emily, I've shown y'all off too, and Jamaica says I look like daddy and thinks Emily is my twin!)

Today we had our final session of staff training and then the majority of staff traveled home to Kingston. In the morning, Nel and I will also go to Kingston until Wednesday to take care of some administrative things and for final preparations before the long month of non-stop camps begin!

I can’t wait to experience it all and share with you as I’m growing!!!

Until next time, In Grace’s Amazing Hands,

Katelyn