Jamaican native Grace Karen Henry, who runs Warriors for Christ Youth Summer time Camp along with her sister Arlene Henry, in Glen Drive, Kingston, Jamaica.
Photograph courtesy Grace Karen Henry
Grace Karen Henry was born on the gorgeous island of Jamaica. She grew up in a house stuffed with love in a household of seven kids. She has three sisters and two brothers, and her eldest brother, Roger, died 14 years in the past.
She has lived in East Flatbush on the 300 E. twenty fifth block, between Clarendon Avenue and Avenue D, for greater than 40 years.
“My block was predominantly Caribbean from Jamaica, Barbados, Haiti, Guyana, Grenada, and Trinidad. The block is now re-gentrification of my block; it has remained a real household block. When all our new households moved in, they understood that we’re a household block with a powerful block affiliation the place we love and share with all our neighbors, together with the love of gardening. I’m blessed and proud to be a part of this superb neighborhood,” she stated.
One thing that will shock folks about her is that she earned a yellow belt in karate.
Henry says probably the most important affect within the lifetime of her and her siblings was their mother, Zena Henry, “She taught us all of the true that means of affection and compassion, which is loving the Lord Jesus with all our coronary heart and with all our soul. Secondly, in training, she all the time stated, ‘Nobody can take away what you might have discovered, so it is very important study and study it effectively.’”
Henry remembered witnessing an act of kindness whereas rising up in Jamaica: her dad migrated to the USA in December 1969, and her mother needed to discover a solution to survive and maintain her and her siblings in darkish occasions.
“She needed to reinvent herself from a housewife to turn out to be an entrepreneur. She began promoting oranges, cookies, and candies till she may open her little grocery store. Many individuals in our neighborhood had been poor and couldn’t afford to purchase a complete loaf of bread, so she would lower the bread in response to how a lot cash they’d,” she defined.
She and her older sister Arlene have been touring again to the neighborhood they grew up in, Glen Drive, Kingston, Jamaica, to run Warriors for Christ Youth Camp each summer season for much less lucky youngsters between eight and 13 years previous.
Henry states the mission assertion for the camp: “The Phrase of God is life, and with Him, we will do all issues. Constructing a relationship with Jesus Christ by studying His Phrase. Due to this fact, it’s our obligation to arm our youngsters with the instruments they should be robust and resilient.”
Henry, sharing particulars of how the camp was established, stated, “As a household, we had been raised all the time to offer again. In 2016, Arlene grew to become a profitable physician. She was praying for a solution to give again. One morning, the Lord spoke to her about beginning a youth camp in Jamaica, ‘The Warriors,’ to empower and plant the phrase of GOD in our youngsters. As a baby, she additionally watched my mom accomplish many outstanding issues. She all the time put the wants of others above her personal. Whether or not it was a cooked meal, giving the shirt off her again, somebody to speak to, or shelter. Our residence was a haven for any and everybody.”
Henry added that the need for a youth program was additionally positioned in each her coronary heart and her youthful sister Andrea’s coronary heart, which confirmed this was what the Lord wished them to do as a household. Every year, we meet as a gaggle to wish and ask God for route and his plan and theme for annually.
Her hobbies rising up had been studying, taking part in hopscotch, netball, and gardening since she liked taking part in within the filth. She is now an authorized horticulturist ( somebody who cultivates and manages gardens).
Actions supplied in the course of the camp embody arts and crafts, music and dance classes, swimming, profession workshops in drugs, engineering, aviation, and regulation enforcement, and every day worship.
Henry acknowledged, “The profit for the kids is to have per week of assembly new pals, video games, items, studying how you can talk with adults and friends, and being accountable for his or her actions, assignments given, and their dwell efficiency throughout our avenue outreach live performance.”
She says the camp’s influence on the neighborhood through the years has been constructive.
“We’ve introduced the neighborhood collectively via their kids: kids who the neighborhood deemed unredeemable have made them remorse their phrases; kids who received’t go to highschool begin going as a result of they wish to be in camp annually. The second they turn out to be Warriors, we’re a part of their lives till Christ returns. Most significantly, we’ve taught them that after they give their lives to Christ, He won’t ever go away or forsake them it doesn’t matter what life tossed their method,” she defined.
Discussing legacy, one of many issues Henry and her sister Arlene are most happy with is that via the camp, the camp group has supported all of the Warriors via the years, supplying issues wanted, together with lab tops, assist with college charges, and lunch cash from their very own pockets.
In keeping with Henry, the group can also be proud to announce that in 2024, the camp had its first recipient for our “Warriors for Christ Scholarship Fund,” Phillisa Jada, who was a part of the primary group of Warriors and is now one among our youth leaders.
This 12 months, the second recipient of the Warriors for Christ Scholarship is Yackkeni McDermott, from Holy Childhood Excessive Faculty, who was accepted to the College of West Indies (UWI) to check Writing, Literature & Publishing. The objective is to boost $5,000 or extra this 12 months.
“Our important function is that younger lives are impacted via love and kindness by sharing God’s love grounded in His Phrase. Lastly, ensuring that they’ve an opportunity via a very good training,” Henry continued.
