Christian Faith and Spirituality, Inspirational
Date Published: December 1, 2020
Inspiring true stories of young people who have significantly influenced their worlds. Each story shows how age is not a factor in one’s ability to make a profound contribution to our world. Read and be amazed and inspired by these young ambassadors of faith, hope and love.
Excerpt:
“In
the summer of 1993, I traveled with three Marist Brothers and three college
students on a mission trip for five weeks to work at the Alpha school and
orphanage on the island of Jamaica, West Indies. Earlier that year, a hurricane
had devastated much of the island and had caused serious damage to a number of
the buildings on the property of the orphanage. Six of the buildings needed to
have their roofs replaced. The roofs were a relatively simple design of wood
with sheets of galvanized metal as covering.
We arrived on July 1ST
and quickly experienced extreme heat and high humidity that most of us had
never known. The two older brothers stayed in a small house on the property
which we would all gather in for our meals and prayer each day. Br. Todd, I and
our three college volunteers shared a small makeshift room in one of the dorms.
Our room had one small window, no fans and a room temperature usually above
ninety-five degrees. Needless to say, sleeping was difficult and often
uncomfortable.
There were 185 children living at
Alpha. They ranged in age from about four up to eighteen. All the children not
only went to school, but also were required to learn a trade so that they might
gain employment when they graduated at the age of eighteen. There were a number
of options for them to choose from in regard to learning a trade. Some would
learn carpentry, others automotive work, while many would focus on learning a
musical instrument. The school had a long tradition of producing a great band
and many of the school’s graduates went on to prominent musical careers. Most
of Bob Marley’s band were former Alpha Boys as was Bob Marley’s own brother.
The children lived very simple
lives. Each child owned two pairs of shorts, two t-shirts, a change of
underwear and a toothbrush. Three times a day they received a bowl full of
food. Breakfast was always oatmeal, lunch and dinner were mostly rice with some
vegetables and spices added. Everyone drank water. I quickly realized the
extent of their poverty as I watched a number of them play soccer on a rocky
grassless field that was their soccer pitch. I was amazed at their skill level
and their ability to not seem affected by the brutal heat and even more
surprised to find out that the reason they were playing with a coconut was that
the orphanage could not afford real soccer balls.
We actually arrived on the day of
Alpha’s graduation and watched as the seniors received their certificates and
would move out and onto the next stage of their lives. After the ceremony, we
were introduced to Newton, who had just graduated as the school’s first
culinary arts graduate. We were told that he would be cooking all of our
dinners for us so that we would not get malnourished during our stay. To say
that we ate like kings was an understatement. Our dinners were often simple but
each more delicious than the previous one. Thanks to Newton, we all came to
savor Jerk Fish, Jamaican beef patties and vegetable curries.
The biggest struggle I had over
the first week, apart from the oppressive heat, was that I was going through
caffeine withdrawal as a result of not having access to diet coke. At that
time, I was very addicted to diet coke and would normally have one or two for
breakfast each morning to get my biological engine running for the day ahead.
By the end of the first week, I woke one morning with a bad headache and began
bartering with God. I told him how I’m not complaining about getting little to
no sleep due to the heat or almost getting dehydrated while working on the
roofs during the hottest part of the day but I wondered if having a simple diet coke once a day was too
much to ask for out of life. I then walked outside and was warmly greeted by a
group of the children who anxiously waited for us every morning to come out and
play with them for a while before we started work. It then hit me like a ton of
bricks. These children didn’t own a pair of pants or even shoes and they were
the happiest young people I had ever met. I woke up miserable because I
couldn’t have a diet coke. God has a way of answering prayers and my selfish
one was answered loudly that morning in a lesson I will never forget. Who was I
to complain about not having a diet coke while surrounded by children who had
nothing and were always incredibly grateful for the little, they did have in
life?
As the days turned into weeks,
the children of Alpha quickly captured our hearts by their continuous smiles
and laughing. Each Sunday after church their band and choir would perform a
special concert for us and each evening after supper, we would have “World Cup”
soccer matches between the U.S. and Jamaica. Happily, our U.S. team never could
beat those kids from Jamaica.
I was fortunate that summer to
spend a good bit of time with Newton, our chef, and over time came to know his
life story and how he came to live at Alpha. His mother died while giving birth
to him and his father, sadly, was a bad alcoholic. When he was about four years
old, his dad went off on a drinking binge and left Newton in the shack on his
own for days. When his dad finally returned, he realized that Newton had eaten
all the food in their cupboard. He went into a drunken rage and decided he
needed to punish Newton for not saving him some food. He took Newton outside
and wrapped his two arms in towels and rags, dipped them into kerosene and lit
Newton’s arms on fire. Newton's right hand was completely burned off and his
left hand had severe damage as well. He was moved to Alpha that afternoon.
When Newton arrived, he was
obviously very traumatized. Sr. Susan, who ran the orphanage, took him under
her wing. He quickly grew to love her like a mother and especially enjoyed when
she would allow him to help her in the kitchen. As the years moved on, Sr.
Susan realized that she needed to find a way to offer Culinary Arts as a trade
option. It was the only profession that Newton had any interest in and one that
he was passionate about pursuing. Sr. Susan arranged for a number of surgeries
for Newton’s arms through the great organization, Doctors without Borders. He became the first graduate of Alpha’s
culinary class and we were his first clients.
In the months that followed after
we left, Newton began a catering business located at Don Bosco orphanage up in
Mandeville, which was also operated by the Sisters. Over the years, his
catering business has grown into one of the most successful on the island and
all of the employees are graduates from the orphanages. In recent years, he has
also opened a restaurant which likewise is successful and staffed by graduates
of the Don Bisco orphanage.
I have worked with many young
people in my life, but few faced as much trauma and difficulties in life as
Newton. Yet, he remains one of the most positive and thankful people I have
ever met. He has taught me much about forgiveness and letting go of one’s
hurts, and how it is more important to focus on those people in our life who
have graced and helped us to succeed than hanging on to bitter memories of the
past. Newton had every reason in life to be angry and resentful, yet he
overcame his disabilities and became successful. He continues to be a model and
inspiration to other young people who grow up in a similar fashion to what he
knew. He will always be one of my heroes in life. As our time in Jamaica grew
to a close, we knew that our lives were forever impacted by the joy and love
shown to us by each of the children we had spent that summer with at Alpha.”
He has served as a teacher, coach, counselor and campus minister at numerous Marist High Schools around the USA. He also served his Province as their Vocation Director and Vice-Provincial.
He has coordinated more than one hundred mission service trips allowing many young people the opportunity to serve the least favored in many communities. He has also led numerous pilgrimages for young people and continues to be a featured speaker on youth retreats and youth gatherings, where he encourages young people to find ways to answer God’s call and use their gifts and talents in responding to the many needs of our world.
Contact Links
Blog: Coming soon on website
LinkedIn: Brother Dan O’Riordan
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