Tell Me Pastor

Longing for home

Dear Pastor,

I am a Jamaican in the United States. I am 22 and have been here since age four. My problem is that I am unhappy in America and want to return to Jamaica to live. I don't want to stay in this country anymore. It is not a bed of roses like many people think. I am miserable here.

When I go to Jamaica to visit, I cry when I go to the airport to return to America. I don't want to leave Jamaica. But I don't know what I should do if I were to live in Jamaica. I know I can find work, but I am afraid of the crime out there.

Pastor, please pray for me. I am hoping that the crime rate in Jamaica goes down, because many Jamaicans abroad want to go home but are afraid due to the violence.

Thank you, pastor.

S.D., Queens, New York

Dear S.D.,

Most Jamaicans are concerned about the crime rate in Jamaica. I am convinced that those in authority are trying their best to bring the rate down. But the truth is, everybody has to do their part. It is not a government thing or a party thing, it is everybody's business.

Remember, however, that crime is everywhere. The perpetrators of crime strike anywhere and at any time. Many Jamaicans are being killed abroad and many have been killed at home. So, nowhere is totally safe.

If you would love to return to your homeland to live, try your very best to get a good education before doing so. In that way, you would be equipped to make a very good contribution to your country.

Pastor