WATSONTOWN -- A 10-day midwinter trip to Montego Bay, Jamaica, was anything but a vacation for eight juniors and seniors at Watsontown Christian Academy. In fact, they managed only one trip to the beach, instead spending their time visiting schools and orphanages in the poverty-stricken Caribbean nation.
They delivered pencils, notebooks and other school supplies to several elementary schools, where they were greeted by children singing songs such as "Jesus Love" and "Have a Nice Day."
Cameron Yarger, of White Deer, was moved by how excited the Jamaican students were to meet them.
"Their school was a very rickety building," he said. "It was surrounded by barbed wire, and when it was time for school, the gate was locked. If they were late, they couldn't get in."
At one school, the WCA students saw a new corrugated metal roof on one classroom, which WCA had paid for, he said.
The Watsontown students and their chaperones stayed in a villa and traveled around in a van. The poor condition of roads, which they described as "potholes here, potholes there, no pavement" surprised them. The homes they saw were often two-room shacks, covered with corrugated sheet metal, with walls topped by barbed wire.
On several days, they visited orphanages, where they played with children. They played for hours, they said, holding the younger ones and reading to them and pushing the swings for the older children.
"They were very excited to see us," recalled Mark Summers, of Turbotville.
The orphanages typically had hundreds of children, some of whom had been abandoned.
"They lacked the human touch, compassion, prayer and love," said Tabitha Beaver, of Milton. "It was heartbreaking."
Beaver, who is the school's "School Counts" adviser, is the Central Pennsylvania Chamber of Commerce's business and education coordinator. She said she was honored that the WCA students invited her on the trip.
"It wasn't unusual for the van to be surrounded by kids before it even stopped, and they would run along side us, crying as we left," she said.
"The younger children stay in cribs except to be fed and changed until they're 18 months old," said Jalyssa Russel, of Turbotville. "They didn't get any other attention."
The group also helped improve the Zion Evangelical Friends Church. They moved wheelbarrow-loads of stone and sand to a patio area, where they mixed it and then added bags of cement and water to make concrete. They then formed a bucket brigade to transport buckets of concrete into the building to cover the dirt floors in two rooms, the pastor's office and a restroom.
James Brown, a student from Muncy, still had blisters from that job, he said.
In addition to the concrete work, students also painted walls and helped lay a tile floor.
The students also volunteered with a group of visiting doctors, assisting by measuring and bagging foodstuffs and counting, bagging and labelling medications.
It wasn't all work, however. One night, they visited Glistening Waters, a bay where microorganisms in the water glow so brightly the bay is visible from space.
"It was almost like neon," said Yarger. "It's one of just three places in the world where this happens."
They also visited the Straw Market, where Jamaicans sell craft items to tourists.
"They expected you to try to bargain for what they had," said Brittany Snyder, of Watsontown.
At the end of their stay, they were pleased with what they had accomplished, but they realized there is much more to be done.
"We hoped to do more than we did," said Mark Summers of Turbotville.
All agreed the trip was an eye-opener and a life-changing experience. They gained a better understanding of how fortunate they are to live in this country, while also understanding how much their efforts meant to the people they met.
William Wilhelm, administrator of WCA, said students from WCA have made the trip to Jamaica for eight years.
"It's important for students to learn about other countries and cultures," said Wilhelm. "The experience helps them understand how fortunate they are and how an experience like this can make a difference in the world."
News
Related Photos
-
Photo provided
Discussion
Student spend 10 days among Jamaica's poor
Students spend 10 day among Jamaica's poor
- News
-
-
2 Valley schools in top 5.5% in nation
LEWISBURG — U.S. News & World Report magazine has ranked Lewisburg Area as the 15th-best academic high school in Pennsylvania and the 803rd best in the nation, according to a report released earlier this month.
-
Northumberland opts to build sewage plant
NORTHUMBERLAND — Ending months of speculation, the Northumberland Sewer Authority has voted to build a water treatment plant, at an estimated cost of $9 million, to replace the 40-year-old sewage plant at 100 Water St.
-
Mifflinburg school board OKs millage increase
MIFFLINBURG — The Mifflinburg school board Tuesday night approved raising the property tax rate to the maximum allowed under the index, equaling about a $30 increase a year for the average taxpayer.
-
Support grows for city garden
SUNBURY— More than a month after several Bucknell University students resurrected an empty city lot by transforming the land into a full-size garden, neighbors, nearby residents and now business leaders from outside Sunbury have decided to chip in by donating seeds and planting tools in order to spruce up the corner lot.
-
Stat of the Day: 21,776
Stat of the day: 21,776. That's the number of high schools evaluated nationwide by U.S. News & World Report, after which the magazine determined that Lewisburg Area High was the 803rd best in the U.S., and Selinsgrove Area, 1,187th.
-
State House approves sales-tax exemption for airplanes
HARRISBURG — A bill to exempt the purchase and maintenance of airplanes from Pennsylvania's 6 percent sales tax won a strong vote of confidence in the state House of Representatives.
-
State lawmakers consider takeover of struggling school districts
HARRISBURG — A Republican-penned bill that would pave the way for state takeovers of Pennsylvania school districts veering toward financial collapse has the support of Gov. Tom Corbett and is advancing in the Legislature.
-
Take Me Home: Yip
Yip is a young dog, best guess is Bichon/Daschund. He is friendly and loves everyone, especially anyone who will rub his belly or let him on their lap for some doggie kisses. He enjoys car rides, has done well around other dogs, cats, and kids. Housebreaking and crate training are in the works.
-
Joe Paterno earned $13.4 million pension at Penn State
STATE COLLEGE — Joe Paterno earned a state pension of $13.4 million for his 61-year coaching career at Penn State.
-
Police Log 05.22.12
A roundup of police news reported by departments across the Central Susquehanna Valley.
-
Montour County judge dismisses flooding lawsuit
DANVILLE — A Montour County judge has dismissed a case brought against Mahoning Township by residents of the Gaytowne subdivision.
-
Shamokin man who abused puppy gets house arrest
SUNBURY — A Shamokin man entered the courtroom expecting probation for his role in dumping Harper, a 15-week-old pit bull puppy, down a 30-foot bank near a Coal Township cemetery, but Northumberland County President Judge Robert Sacavage put those thoughts to rest when he and delivered a stiff sentence.
- More News Headlines
-
2 Valley schools in top 5.5% in nation
