Do you want to report "I'll be going to Jamaica for a mission trip this summer and it will be my first time out of the country. What should I know before I go?"
You should know that Jamaica doesn’t need missionaries or mission trips. The country is more developed than you might be assuming. The people are more clever and educated than you may have been told by your organizers. Jamaica is already one of the most Christian countries in the world. You will NOT be held in high regard as a great American hero or savior for doing mission work.
I know that Jamaica isn’t entirely impoverished, but even in the United States where I’m from there are plenty of places where mission trips go to. I’m not expecting to be hailed as a hero and we’re not there to convert people, it’s more of just helping a community. I’m sorry it seems you don’t think highly of mission trips but just as I don’t know about Jamaica it seems you don’t know everything about mission trips.
You haven’t done any research about where you are going and you are here on social media asking strangers for info about this place you’re going to mission to. Why are you going to Jamaica for a mission trip if you “don’t know about Jamaica”? What are the names of the communities you’ll be helping? What are the unique needs of this individual communities? Why aren’t you listening to people FROM Jamaica who are telling you it’s not needed? Why are you trying to support colonization? If you plan to be having any services, speak to people about why they need to accept God, or handing out religious text you’re going to convert people. Missionary work comes with an assumption that you know more than the people and need to go fix them.
There are wrong ways and right ways to be in mission to others. The right way includes respecting the culture of the island and the people. The wrong way is by having a white savior complex and doing things that create dependency. Be mindful that you are the visitor to someone else’s home. Give respect.
I think you need to know travel basics which anybody who is traveling internationally should know: don’t wander away from your group, use common sense, there are good and bad ppl, don’t disrespect the culture, you should be good overall. One of my friends in the US went on a mission trip there and he loved it. Dude came back with his eyes opened about culture outside of the US. It was cute lol. In the end you won’t know everything, but basic travel common sense should get u by
What you need to know depends a bit on why you’re going, which part of the island you’ll be visiting, and what you hope to accomplish.
So maybe you could start by explaining what a mission trip is, and where in Jamaica you’ll be going.
My god how many of you are there? I’m not trying to be rude but don’t you guys have missions you could do at home? I really do feel that mission trips are just weird and useless here. Jamaica is already right-leaning, and we already have one of the highest churches per capita in the English speaking world. I don’t really get why y’all keep coming. It’s just weird.
Don’t trust everybody. Common sense is a virtue. Don’t divert from the mission. Temptation is everywhere. Don’t bite the hand that feeds you. Don’t smoke anything already rolled up by a stranger. Watch out for the hagglers outside of the airport, everybody’s a hustler. Sin looks you right in the eye. Charter a car, a regular taxi might be crowded (social distance) - just a few things…
Awful how? First of all, it was meant from a humorous standpoint but at the same time, I only gave facts of how it is most places you travel to, Jamaica is not the exception. I’ll assume you have not traveled very much. You seem to be one of those “judgmental” people who probably come from uptown and think you are higher than everybody else, eh eh no sorry, instead of critiquing my advice that I contributed , why didn’t you contribute some advice for the inquirer and describe how the country is a paradise full of white puffy clouds and champagne dreams? Next time you see my comment, remember this, if you don’t have anything good to say, try nuh sey nothing at all because ah people like you dem really need fi watch out fa, di fake highty tighty one dem.
Wow. You have issues. I’m simply saying weh yuh seh never called for. You could have put it in a better way. The energy you tek ah try trace me you could have used it to give better, more useful advice. “Everybody is a hustler”??? Are you serious??? Don’t group me into dat! Group yuhself and yuh family dem and yuh fren dem. Dis MUST be a reflection of the company YOU decide to keep. To the OP reading this, please remember that Jamaica has good and pleasant people too, yere?! Dont follow this person and think all of us are wicked swindlers out to get everything you own and send you back home with nothing or even worse, kill you. My advice is to step out of your comfort zone and go make some Jamaican friends across the island if possible.
Now back to YOU, mumma lashy! First of all, “Not traveled very much” I’m literally responding to you from Europe right now. “Uptown”??? Well, unless the MP made some changes since October when I was there I dont think my area is “uptown”, my darling. Try going to where I come from with this attitude and see if dem nuh limb off piece ah yuh send back to yuh people dem.
Also, If you check the thread, I’ve left very detailed and useful responses for what this person can do to make their presence in Jamaica useful to the people they say they’re coming to help.
Have a nice day.
I have issues? Lol 😂 first of all dog matta you don’t know me nor do I believe you have any capacity to diagnose someone else with anything so again you confirmed what I said before, you’re obviously one of those judgmental people who can stfu because nobody wants your negative energy. All you had to do was make your comments and keep your filthy little nose out of mine.
Furthermore, the “everybody is a hustler” comment was for the people who stand outside the airport doing just that “hustling” and from the way you talk, I can tell you could never have what it takes to be a hustler anyway so trust me, I won’t group you in anything except di guhsucuma group yu hear?! Mine how yu chat bout my family and fren dem because you have no idea about them and as far as your area, weh it deh? Because I would like to visit when I reach down and ask about dog sh.t like you and see how much time you ever return and bring back anything fi di likkle community weh yu a praise wid “limb off piece ah yuh and send yuh back to yuh people dem” - again, you confirmed what I originally said “don’t trust everybody” “temptation is everywhere” “ don’t divert from the mission” but mi can see seh yuh a crosses and you deserve fi get di fire bun pon yuh. Di only lashy yuh a guh know ah di one from one cutlass because yuh mouth too nuff.
Furthermore, I did not have to check the thread for any “useful” responses from you, I only had to check you, for trying to come for me so again guhsucumadda and low me and mind yuh own damn business and stay outta fi mi because yuh chat tuff but mi sure seh di likkle eediat area weh yuh ah praise nah mek di rifle sing like piana so ah betta yuh gwaan jam ah Europe where it is safe fi people like you.
Jamaica is a nice beautiful island paradise and I love my country but I am a truth teller and misguiding someone by ignoring the bad or the consequences that naive actions can lead to is wrong. I was simply giving sayings that have been told by elders for years. Other people were intelligent enough to find the humor and truth in it and obviously agreed. I didn’t see any arrows up on your reply 🤔. You were the only co.ksucker to want to not mind dem own damn business, which already tells me a lot about di type of eediat you are.
Now mi done wid yuh. Nuh seh nothing to me until yuh guh sucumadda now “yere” 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 smh some people… can you imagine 🧐 the audacity 🤔
Bring sun tan lotion if you are gonna do work on the outside, do not go in the water with it, bad for the coral and creatures of the sea. Also mosquitos love new blood, so bring something like off or deet (not so bad all year round, mainly during rainy season which is may/ June. Lots of water as well, temperature can get really hot at times but it does get chilly if there’s a cold front. Don’t walk alone at night…..id recommend this anywhere. The average conversation rate is 1 USD to 150 JMD. Everyone takes USD but you may get better deals if you pay in JMD for items like fruits and local food. They drive on the Left side of the road, so if you want to drive keep that in mind. Tips are greatly appreciated by locals. Have a good trip. Lots of natural places to visit depending on where you will be staying. Have a great trip!! Any other questions, happy to answer : )
please leave the religion behind and bring material possessions for the people. That is more useful than the gospel right now. The gospel can’t eat. We can’t eat a Bible. Bring some tablets and smartphones for the children to attend online classes and laptops so they can do their school work and have something for recreation to keep them off the streets when they shouldn’t be out there.
Bring money to donate to young Jamaican businesses/entrepreneurs so that they can grow and help the economy of the island.
Actually GO to the poorer areas and see for yourselves how people live there and write letters to the members of parliament in charge of that area about what’s wrong with it from an outsider’s perspective and how disgraceful the place looks, in an effort to get them to invest in these places so the people there can have better lives.
Have your organization donate solar panels to schools to help them save money on electricity which can allow them to lower school fees. Same for medical centres and pharmacies.
Bring down barrels of used clothes and other useful items to be donated to our LOCAL charities and organizations. These things MUST benefit someone! We have Food For the Poor and Red Cross here. Work WITH them, not in competition with them for them to help you better serve the communities they’re already so familiar with.
When you buy food for charity organizations buy them locally from vendors downtown and other market areas to support the economy in Jamaica. YES some of them take US dollars.
Start community clean up projects to encourage the people to work on their community. They WILL do it. They only need the materials and because they’re so expensive they’re unable to get the materials on their own to work on it themselves. If you come with materials to for example fix the roads, people will turn out in very large numbers to put the materials to good use.
You can also donate building materials to people with visibly unfinished houses. Or organize a community “fix up” to get other members of the community to come help finish their house for them (under professional guidance) to make the place look more presentable.
You can also send down barrels of books to donate to local libraries, especially the smaller libraries so they have more options for their visitors. The same thing about solar panels and even computer donations can apply here to better help the library to serve the local people better and for cheaper rates.
And the list goes on. I’m happy you asked the PEOPLE what you can do instead of just coming to do what you feel like. This way your efforts will be put to better use and won’t be wasted.
