Sweet Home Jamaica: Real Simple

Hi Friends & Family,

In our short time in Jamaica, one of the things that has surprised us the most is how ignorant we were to the luxuries of our life back home. We’ve always considered ourselves grateful people, keenly aware of God’s blessings and goodness in our lives. However, being away from our “normal” made us realize how much we took for granted in our daily lives. There were so many comforts we deemed necessities – air conditioning, a dishwasher, high speed internet, two vehicles. There were other comforts that didn’t necessarily qualify as necessities, but certainly things we’d rather not live without – Starbucks, DVR, a 24 hour gym, I-Phones, etc. We strived to live simply and avoid the slippery slope of consumerism, but without even realizing it, we became dependent (or at least accustomed to) comforts of the world. Not that enjoying worldly comforts is wrong…it was our attitudes that needed to be checked. It’s crazy how quietly entitlement creeps into your heart, often leaving you ungrateful, unpleasant and unsatisfied.

In a sense, our move to Jamaica has taken us back to the basics. The Western culture urges us to live for the next big thing: The newest gadget, the next smart phone upgrade, the bigger house, the nicer car. In Jamaica, most of the people are simply focused on surviving the day: Feeding their children, making a few dollars, having money for the bus fare home. Here, no one has the luxury of living for “the next big thing.” Because of this, we’ve found people aren’t looking to “things” for fulfillment. Instead, they look to invaluable treasures that bring lasting, soul-satisfying joy. They look to faith, family and friends. Being surrounded by this mentality made us realize how far we’d gone astray from our desire to live with an eternal perspective. It has certainly been a humbling and refining process, and something we continue to work on daily.

They say a picture paints a thousand words. Included below are several photos reflecting how our lives have changed the past few months. We hope they bring a smile to your face (and don’t deter you from booking your flight to visit!)

With Love,

Kevin & Cass