Foreign life not a bed of roses

Dear Pastor,

I live in the USA, but I am stuck in Jamaica. I could tell that many young people live and work in Jamaica, because they do not have to leave.

Many have friends and families who can help them get a start by giving them a piece of land. All they have to do is work and save and start building their own homes. While they are building a life, they are enjoying all that Jamaica has to offer.

I am 71 years old and I left Jamaica when I was 12. I spent 17 years in England, then I went to the US; I have been living there for 41 years. Most Jamaicans who could afford it sent their children abroad to be educated. Only, some Jamaicans wish for what they think is the 'American dream'. But most of us who were taken away from our parents have died, and never got their Jamaican dream.

If my father could have afforded to look after six children when my mom died, I would have preferred to stay, live and work in Jamaica.

Most people behave like they have it all in foreign lands. They don't tell the truth about the struggle of life in the cold. People who do not have to leave Jamaica in order to get a job should not leave Jamaica.

These young people who have found jobs in Jamaica do not have to leave, because life in Jamaica is sweeter.

H.

Dear H.,

Thank you for your thoughts today. I think what I wish to say is that there are more opportunities abroad, in North America, and in some other places than in Jamaica.

Some people have done very well living and working abroad. But others have failed.

Most Jamaicans, however, are resilient and hard-working. They generally do well, and wherever they go they excel, and we hear that every day.

You can't stop ambitious Jamaicans, regardless of where they lives abroad. Great opportunities are here in Jamaica for young people, also.

I always encourage people to get the best education they can receive, whether it is in Jamaica or in a foreign land, because education is the best way forward.

I trust that while you are in Jamaica, you will be able to encourage many to do their best and not to waste time.

Pastor