Women’s Soccer Jamaica Blog
Blog no. 1 posted by Corrine Roberts
JAMAICA - Allow me to first say it is hard to believe that this is actually happening. After months of preparation, fundraising, and prayer we are finally in Jamaica. I feel blessed to have been given this sort of an opportunity and I am sure the rest of the girls would vouch for how awesome it has been in the first day alone. Just so you (you being whoever happens to read this) are aware, my faith is the lens through which I view my life and so that will definitely play a major part in how I interpret this trip. However, I will do my best to speak for the entire team.
Sophomore Corrine Roberts provided this blog...
Our travel began yesterday when we departed Mars Hill at 8 a.m. on a charter bus bound for Biltmore Baptist and then on to Atlanta, Ga. However, I would say our journey truly began when we arrived at MHC. We were literally the only students on campus, not even the other athletes had arrived yet for their preseason training. We quickly formed connections with the new players and came together as we endured fitness tests and training sessions. Coach Ken also prepared devotionals for us to participate in as a team. We read through Philippians together, delved into issues of faith and what it means to serve others. As a team we certainly do not all have the same beliefs, but many of the questions raised could apply to anyone, no matter their viewpoints or background. With that week of preparation under our belts we finally started the journey. During the morning service at Biltmore Baptist we were lifted up in prayer and many people came up to wish us luck. Bus rides can certainly take a lot out of you, but we finally arrived at our hotel and after taking over a nearby Cracker Barrel for a few hours we passed out knowing that the morning was going to come all too soon.
After a precious few hours of sleep we corralled back onto the bus at 4:45 a.m. so that we could catch our flight to Miami. We were certainly a spectacle as we stumbled through the airport, barely awake, in our matching travel gear. Stamping passports, checking baggage, finding our gate, and snapping pictures all flew by together in a blur. Our layover in Miami was fairly short, but we managed to make a friend (a flight attendant who asked to take a planking picture with us in the terminal) and before we knew it we were back on a plane headed to Jamaica! I am sure everyone could tell we were tourists/Americans because we turned almost every moment into a photo op as we entered Kingston. They sure know how to pack a group into a vehicle in Jamaica; I have never seen seats placed so close together on the bus we rode to our hotel, The Altamont Court Hotel. After dropping off our bags we jumped back on the bus to grab some food in a nearby mall. Yes, they do have food courts, and interestingly enough when we asked one of our new Jamaican friends what the most traditional Jamaican meal would be he confidently answered, "KFC!"
We then headed back to the hotel and transitioned back into soccer mode as we had our first training session on Jamaican soil. A nearby high school allowed us to share their field. In fact they gave us almost the entire space and moved into a small corner to practice. Looking around I was struck for the first time with how fortunate we truly are. We take for granted a turf or well manicured field. We forget about how lucky we are that we have uniforms and equipment that are in good condition. We definitely gloss over the simple blessing of safety and security in our own homes and neighborhoods. I know this was only the beginning and more reality checks are sure to come. After practice was over we headed back to the mall to grab some food and now I am sitting in my room looking forward to some much needed rest.
My greatest prayer for this trip is that we will all keep an open mind and truly experience what is going on around us. I think this week has the potential to affect us all as deeply as we will allow it to. Well, that is all for now, thanks for following along with our journey!