To the editor:

If you have lost faith in the current generation of young Americans, or if you have simply lost touch with them I have a suggestion for you. Come with us to Jamaica and live and work for a week with a local group of teenagers (juniors and seniors from Barrington High School and Bay View) at Blessed Assurance, an apostolate of the Mustard Seed Communities.

It has been my distinct honor to serve with two groups from our community at the mission in Jamaica. Over the past 11 years, members of the Saint Luke’s parish here have sent ambassadors from our community 12 times to serve the children of Blessed Assurance. 

The children who live in this mission are afflicted with any number of physical and mental challenges. Over the years the representatives from Saint Luke’s have built chicken coops, a long set of stairs, concrete pads for the water tanks used to provide water to the community, painted buildings, built drainage ditches, replaced sink bases and other things that have surrendered to the elements in Jamaica. 

The most impressive thing that our students do in Jamaica, in my opinion, is the way they relate to the children who live at the orphanage. This caring attitude towards the children, the care givers and their fellow missionaries is inspirational on many levels. 

It is life-affirming to watch our young men and women grow in faith, compassion and friendship as they prepare for the trip and they experience Blessed Assurance. One young man made the following statement at our daily reflection, “It is great to be able to get to know the people I thought I knew” what an interesting take on the trip — we can spend years with others in a community and because of our busy schedules and commitments we still never get to know them. 

In Jamaica no TV, no cell phone, no video games, no distractions and not only did the lack of these items not present a problem, rather, the absence of these things led to conversations, cribbage games, catch phrase, more time with the orphans — real social media.

I know most of you won’t be coming to Jamaica to work at a mission, but I hope you appreciate that the hard work of these young men and women has provided a very positive example of how much our young people care and how willing they are to give. 

We thank you also for dropping money into the collection bins at Shaw's, buying pastry at a bake sale, having your cars washed at Center Hardware, having your leaves raked by the missionaries and the emotional support you have provided over the many years this trip has taken place. I would hope that all of you would take the opportunity to work side by side with the young people of our community. Together not only can we accomplish tasks, but we can come to a greater appreciation of one another.

Thanks to the young people, Abby, Camille, Charles, Courtney, Ellen, Eric, Ethan, Grace, Jacqueline, John, Jonny, Julia, Marc, Megan, Mike, Parker, Rachael, Samantha and Sophia for being part of this experience and all the hard work you put in to make the trip possible. Thanks also to Fr. Bob, Fr. Brian, Michele, Marie, Jeff and Amanda for their leadership to get all the efforts coordinated. In addition, special thanks to the parents of the students for their time and contributions and to the members of the community and the support that we could not do without.

Chuck Arneson

Barrington