Traveling With a Purpose: A Jamaican Experience in Giving Through Two Sets of Eyes

Last summer, my husband, Matt, and I were seeking new experiences to present the kids. As a full-time RV family, we never want them to feel like their world has shrunk to this 37’ rig. It would completely negate our entire reason for going nomad. A new door opened when a dear friend of ours introduced us to Traveling With a Purpose. We mentioned it to the kids, and Rosewood’s ears perked right up.

Traveling With a Purpose (TAP) is a 501 (C)(3) non-profit volunteer organization created by Tonja and Troy Lesmeister. Their mission is to connect volunteers with global partners “to support sustainable improvements in the communities they serve.” Their next trip would take a group of volunteers to serve alongside three of their partners in Montego Bay, Jamaica: Robin’s Nest Children’s Home, Montego Bay Autism Center, and Melody House Montego Bay Community Home for Girls.

Since we’ve set out on the road in our RV, we’ve found really great opportunities to give back to the communities we’ve visited, like through Lasagna Love deliveries and seRV volunteer events or less organized ways like picking up trash on the beach. So, Traveling With a Purpose felt like a natural next step for Rosewood, who would celebrate their twentieth birthday just before the trip. But, we’d never experienced our oldest going out of the country on their own before, and to say my heart was charging through my chest like a bullet train is an understatement.

Both Matt and I went on similar volunteer trips at Rosewood’s age, and we know how transformative it can be to step way outside of one’s comfort zone to go serve others. But we were in need of some reassurance that our kid would be safe and protected — especially since it would be so difficult to get there in an emergency.

Tonja and the TAP team set our minds at ease. First, Tonja met with Matt and me to talk through trip logistics and the precautions TAP takes during travel. Then, she gave us time, listened to our concerns, and answered our questions. By the end of our conversation, I knew my kid would not just be part of a very knowledgeable team but a team prepared for any situation.

Rosewood’s entire volunteer team met virtually every week to prepare for a few months leading up to their trip. Tonja, Troy, and their team spent time teaching the volunteers about traveling internationally, Jamaican culture, processing sensory overload, and appropriate interactions with the kids they would be serving, including photography ethics. They got to know each other, learned where and how they would each serve, discussed how to handle stress, and learned basic first aid. TAP helped the volunteers identify the right travel insurance to get and what forms of identification to bring. We knew that when Rosewood stepped on the plane to Jamaica, the TAP team had done everything they could to make sure our kid was ready. And while they were there, the photos and stories that came in on Facebook and on our evening phone calls confirmed that going on this trip was a great decision for Rosewood.

Jamaica was a very new experience for me. I had never been out of the country for more than day trips with my family. The last time I’d been on a truly long trip without them, I’d been with my youth group back in junior high just a few states away. Even when I’d gone to film camp back in high school, I had the comfort of knowing my mom was in the city. The thought of customs itself scared me, and I was also scared of leaving that comfortable familiarity that comes with living at home with your parents. I was scared, but by pushing through that fear, I ended up having a trip I would never forget.

I worked at Melody House during our trip. At Melody House, there was something for everyone to help with. I personally spent the week organizing the house’s supplies. Some volunteers helped with house maintenance, and others helped sew or worked with the girls directly. There were even a few who created sensory pads for the kids at the autism center and Robin’s Nest, where the rest of our group was working. There was always a way to help out.

The supplies we brought to Jamaica for the children were almost entirely gained through the kind donations from people in the team’s lives. An Amazon wish list was made of what was needed, and people bought them. Even if people didn’t come on the trip, they were able to contribute to the cause; and it really was such an amazing and important one.

On our last day at Melody House, I struggled with some minor health problems, but the entire team was extremely patient and allowed me time to rest. Yes, we were there to help the girls, but it was never expected of us to overdo ourselves. We were encouraged to take breaks when we wanted or needed to. Water and rest were important, after all!

I still remember flying in and marveling at the blue water. I’d never seen anything quite like it, not even in the Keys. I remember seeing just how clear it truly was when we went to Doctor’s Cave Beach with the girls from Melody House: completely clear and bright blue with coarse sand that didn’t fog up the water. I remember marveling at it all, at how a place so beautiful just existed. Of course, it wasn’t the main reason why we were there, but it was one of the amazing experiences that added to my trip as a whole.

For me, at least, the best part was coming together with people from all over to help others. If I had the resources and ability to spare, I would definitely go again, and I’d personally recommend the trip to everyone who would want to go and can afford to. And, even if you don’t think you can be any help or can’t go on the trip itself, there are plenty of ways to help from home.