Bolingbrook Students Take Jamaican Mission Trip

Submitted by Valley View School District 365U

As they prepare for the start of classes, three Valley View School District 365U honor students are not only reflecting on a mission trip they took to Jamaica, but also looking forward to doing it again.

Bolingbrook High School junior Jaylin Murry and his sisters, Jayla (Humphrey Middle School 7th grader) and Jada (BHS freshman), spent a week on a family mission trip to the Kingston area, living and working with youngsters whose home is basically a tent city in a garbage dump. They were joined by their grandmother, longtime VVSD School Board member Liz Campbell, their mom and dad and five other relatives.

“It was sad to see kids living in a garbage dump,” said Jaylin. “I felt blessed.”

“I wanted to take some of them back home with me,” added Jayla. “We have a lot more than they have.”

The primary purpose of the mission trip was to provide support for the Mamby Park Baptist Church Vacation Bible School. Campbell and her husband, Ron, generally try to make one mission trip a year, heading to Jamaica 13 times since 1988 and traveling to other areas such as West Africa, Guatemala and Jerusalem. This is the first time they have taken family members with them.

“It was pretty hard on them because of the conditions they had to live in. They drank water out of hoses and the water was turned off every night at 8. They used outhouses. Every day garbage trucks came in and emptied out,” Campbell said. “The team was grateful to get back to inside toilets, air conditioning, eating three meals a day and taking showers every day.”

Jayla, who worked with kids who were 7 to 9 years old, admitted it was difficult at first and she said she was just a bit nervous.

“We taught them (Bible) lessons, made crafts and sang songs,” she said. “But because we were outside in a tent, they really didn’t pay attention because they would gaze off. After a while, I got used to it.”

“They loved to play games. Every day we did activities that would connect with the lesson we were teaching,” added Jaylin, who taught 10 to 12 year olds. “I was glad that I was able to share the Gospel with the kids.”

Volunteering is nothing new for both Jaylin and Jada who have spent time at the Meadowbrook Manor Nursing Home, Pacific Garden Mission, Hesed House and Feed My Starving Children. For Jayla, it was her first time on a mission trip but she says “I think I’ll do this again.”

The entire family has adopted their new friends in Kingston. In addition to leaving behind all but the clothing they wore home, each younger child made a commitment to donate $2 per month from his or her allowance to the children they visited. Older children made a $3 a month commitment and adults are adding $5 a month to the donation to help feed and clothe the children and send them to school.

Plus Jaylin hopes to start a shoe and fundraising drive this fall in Bolingbrook. (Watch for more on that at a later date.)

“They’ve heard all sorts of grandma’s stories about her mission trips,” Campbell said. “It’s good now that they’ve been on one.”

The trip was made possible thanks to Hope4Children, a 501c3 non-profit organization.