Many times we have no idea of the true impact of simple words and deeds done in Jesus’ name. But sometimes—God gives us a glimpse.

Back in June of 2023, Pastor Isaac and I led a team of 13 BGF students and 7 adults to Jamaica. Our mission was to partner with Jamaica Link Ministries and Redemption Chapel in advancing the gospel through both word and works.

It was a wonderful trip.

We visited West Haven, an orphanage for disabled children. We held hands, gave hugs, helped feed, played, and laughed with kids whose bodies may have been broken, but whose spirits were strong.

We ran a 3-day after-school program in Canterbury—one of the poorest communities in Montego Bay. There, we worked alongside Pastor Danny Thomas and the incredible folks at Redemption Chapel. One team replaced windows and repainted the ceiling of the church sanctuary.

We even shared the gospel during an elementary school assembly—because in Jamaica, that’s still allowed!

We also tackled a major house rehab project in Canterbury for a widow and her granddaughter. Her small home, clinging to the side of a steep hill, had become dangerously unsafe. She’d taken a fall down the old rickety wooden steps a few months earlier. Pastor Danny saw this as an opportunity to show that Redemption Chapel wasn’t just about preaching—but about showing up with paintbrushes and plywood too. So we re-sided and painted the outside of the home and replaced the decayed wooden steps with concrete, making it safe again.

That’s when I met the homeowner, Eulalee Gayle (Bea). Bea was kind and friendly—but faith wasn’t really on her radar. She smiled, thanked us, and seemed genuinely grateful. But spiritually? It felt like we were scattering seed on rocky ground.

And wow, was it hot. I’ve been on trips all over the world—Uganda, Mexico, even up near the Amazon in Brazil—and this was hotter than all of them. Mind-meltingly hot.

I still remember the sweat-soaked shirts and the growing tower of empty water bottles. During lunch breaks, the teens would collapse like they’d been hit with tranquilizer darts.

Jonathan Myer led the house project with a group of those brave, overheated teens. I remember us talking mid-week and saying, “We may have bitten off more than we could chew.”

But they stuck with it. They pushed through. And in the end, they got it done. (see pics at bottom)

At the time, it didn’t feel profound. It just felt like hard, sweaty work. Obedience. Showing up and doing what was in front of us.

And sometimes, that’s all we get—just a nudge to keep going, even when we can’t see the fruit. That’s what it means to walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).

Fast forward two years.

About a month ago, Pastor Isaac and I got a message from Pastor Danny. The woman whose house we repaired—Bea—had continued to stay connected. Her granddaughter, Akayla, had already started coming to Sunday School and outreach events at Redemption Chapel. What we didn’t know is that shortly after we left, in August of 2023, Akayla made a profession of faith and was baptized.

That alone would have been enough.

But then, two weeks ago on Sunday, May 25th—only days before her 76th birthday, Bea herself was baptized. She had placed her faith in Jesus, too.

Here’s what Pastor Danny shared with us on WhatsApp:

“Good evening Isaac, as a matter of testimony. The older lady whose house you and your team repaired 2 years ago will be getting baptized the last Sunday in May. Her remark at the time was, ‘Mi ole house look new again.’ The fact that God showed His grace to her in such a way, plus she suffered a minor stroke recently, helped her to make that commitment. Praise the Lord.”

And this year, Pastor Isaac’s bringing Bea a large print Bible as a gift.

It reminded me of Jesus’ words in Luke 16:10: “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much…” You never know what God might do with paintbrushes and plywood in the hands of people willing to serve Him.

A fresh coat of paint. A new set of stairs. A bucket of sweat. And behind it all—a Savior who sees, who saves, works his plan in his perfect timing.

We all want to make a difference. We want our lives to matter. But we have to trust that God is weaving every task, every word—great or small—into His redemptive plan. If we don’t, we’ll quickly lose heart. The seeds we plant may take years to bloom. Some we may never see. But Galatians 6:9 reminds us: “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

This Saturday, Pastor Isaac will lead our youth on a return trip to Jamaica. A new team. A new mission. A new opportunity to sweat through shirts and plant eternal seeds.

Pray for the team. I can’t wait to see what God does this year.

But the lesson for all of us- keep showing up. Keep planting seeds. Keep sweating in the heat. Keep trusting that the Way Maker is at work—even when we can’t see it.

Because sometimes… we do.

And when we do— it makes all that sweat worth it.