This music, paired with the natural beauty, picturesque beaches, and, in more modern times, utopian resorts and cruise packages, has only aided in the country’s sustained popularity. But, like many things in life, if you’re willing to take a moment to pull back the veil and peer deeper into the reality of the situation, what you will find behind the fabricated commercial image of this undeniably beautiful country are regular everyday people, fighting tooth and nail against an often unjust system in an attempt to earn a living wage to provide for their families.
This is the Jamaica that we had the honor of stepping foot into.
In May, our small team of four led by our brother Jeremiah Tindell had the opportunity to spend a week in Kingston, Bull Bay, and Papine. One of the beautiful aspects about visiting a foreign country and not spending the entirety of your time in some billboard resort bubble is that it opens you up to opportunities to sit in the homes of real people, break bread, have meaningful conversations, and taste a bite-size sample of what life truly looks like. The smells, the pace, the language, the smiles, the struggles, it's all laid out before if you’re willing to move with presence and intention. Praise the Lord; that’s exactly what we were able to do.
Our schedule consisted of sunrise alarms, coffee, and a short devo before heading out for the day. And without fail, each day would present its adventure - like Coronation Market, one of the largest open-air markets in the Caribbean. I can honestly say I’ve never experienced anything quite like it. The electric, bustling, bartering and mesmerizing chaos unfolding every second lays the foundation for a truly unique and somewhat addictive experience.
We sat in homes and shared meals with incredible God-loving souls like Mrs. Blake, who, despite not having much based on “American standards,” still possesses one of the most infectious and joy-filled laughs you’ll ever hear.
Upon hearing it, you instantly know that such a noise can only come from a genuine relationship with the Most High.
The overarching purpose of our time in Jamaica was to visit the locations and people Jeremiah has been pouring into and building relationships with for nearly two decades. Our specific prayer within that broader objective was to uncover opportunities for us to utilize our resources as a ministry to be an added blessing not just during our time in country but for years to come, specifically within the relatively new but rapidly growing skate community. This objective would, in turn, lead us to Freedom Skatepark, located in Bull Bay, about a 15-minute walk from where we were staying.
There, we had the opportunity to sponsor and host a Skate Jam and Best Trick Contest. The contest was organized for multiple age groups and skill levels and, like countless times before, allowed us to build cultural bridges through a wooden board and four wheels. When we first arrived at Freedom, we were stoked to see how nice the park was but quickly realized only a handful of kids were in attendance. To our delight, that quickly changed, and before we knew it, the park was full of kids of all ages and a variety of skill levels, and our plans to host a skate jam were well underway!
Witnessing some of the young girls fearlessly hop on a board and send it barefoot in an attempt to keep up with the boys without the slightest hesitation about getting hurt was so rad, and such a fresh reminder of the child-like spirit we're all called to embrace.
The contest proved to be a great success. We handed out a bunch of much-needed boards, shoes, shirts, and socks to those who attended and competed. And in typical Ride Nature fashion, we wrapped up the event with the greatest gift we could ever share: the Good News of the Gospel. Seeing so many youths engaged and receiving Silas’s message with open hearts and minds was beyond encouraging. We recognize that it is not always within our power or even responsibility to see immediate fruit come forth from our efforts but that we are indeed called to plant the seeds, pray, and have faith that the Lord will bring more along to continue to water them.
We returned to Freedom Skate Park the following day to drop off some additional resources like the Skate Church Movement (a 52-week devotional made by skaters for skaters) and The Pursuit Collective Journal that will hopefully continue to be leveraged to share and inspire the local youth more about what it looks like to walk with Christ. When we arrived to drop off the resources, we were hyped to see almost every kid there rocking their new RN shirts, fresh vans, and breaking in their new boards that they had slapped with globe logos. Before we left, they thanked us again for spending time with them, for the new gear, and for hosting the event the night before. There’s nothing quite like the joy and sincerity that flows from a child's heart.
Moments like these constantly remind us of why we do what we do. We pray they don’t just see a material object whenever they pick up those new boards or wear their new shoes. Instead, they are reminded that much like the fact that they did nothing to receive the grace of those items, there is a God in Heaven who loves every one of them so much that He laid down His life so that they could experience an eternal relationship with Him, one which they could never earn on their own accord.
We look forward to returning to Jamaica with hopeful anticipation, praying for continued opportunities to pour into the surf and skate communities all across the island. Please join us in praying for the people of Jamaica and the youth coming up in the action sports community. Our hope is that while they live, grow, and enjoy the waves and boards they ride, they become ever more aware of the One who gives them the breath and ability to do so.
