Kingston, Jamaica Brings New Friends and Insights

Keri Sherman had an amazing opportunity to serve as part of the Missionaries of the Poor, an international religious institute dedicated to serving the poorest of the poor. Keri is the social service coordinator of United Methodist Communities at Wesley by the Bay.

Keri traveled with a team of nurses, doctors and social workers to Kingston, Jamaica, where each day she visited one of several shelters run by Missionaries of the Poor.

Each shelter serves a specific population: children, men, women, and older adults. She assisted residents with dressing, applying lotion, brushing teeth, and feeding at mealtime. In the afternoons, she had time to relax with the residents, playing games, telling stories and singing songs.

One of Keri’s most memorable experiences was getting the residents dressed and ready for the Sunday church service. They walked to the community church and along the way, met with the residents from each of the other nearby shelters. In keeping with the group’s Sunday custom, everyone spent the morning together worshiping in church. She feels she gained many friends on this trip and left with countless warm memories.

The biggest lesson she learned — not to take anything for granted! The trip opened her eyes to realize how fortunate we are to have so many luxuries that everyone takes for granted every day. The experience taught her that there is no better feeling than volunteering your time to help those truly in need.