After completing our week in Jamaica I would like to report to you what was accomplished with the funds contributed to IAS68. Let me add here that in the past we have been remiss in not letting you know what was accomplished after returning from our missions projects.1. In talking with the people who helped us to determine who would be helped and what would be bought for Christmas in the Port Morant area we found and documented that over 400 people where served. The basics of rice, flour , sugar, cooking oil and household items where bought and distributed. In some instances where small children were in the family a small toys was purchased and given to them. At Murtions Boys home pants , shirts, socks and underwear where purchase for about 26 boys. For some of the older boys an inexpensive disk player was given to them. I believe there where no more than 3 of these given.
2. During the week ISA68 was able to make an impact on 4 families in the 5 days of work. For one family we completely built a 16' x 16' house in which 4 people live. During the August hurricane,Delroy Dyer's house was completely blown off a hill into the road below leaving only a concrete pad in place. They were able to salvage some of their belonging but for the most part everything was lost. Since August they have been squatting in an old block building near to where their old house was. I have been in it and it is extremely tight for the number of people living in it. To make matters worse the heat during the day and night makes staying inside uncomfortable. While we where building the new house we where able to stop work on occasion to share the Word with them. Delroy says he is about 1/2 Rasta, what that means I don't quite comprehend, and his common law wife is a believer but doesn't go to church and her daughter never stated what she believes. We felt led to share the Word and we did. On Friday, we went back and took them a Bible as a house warming gift and did a dedication of the house for them. We wrote in the front of the Bible what it was for and we all signed our names for them to remember our names. This was quite a time. It is my belief that Hormone, the common law wife was touched by the Holy Spirit. As we where all standing in a circle during the dedication she walked into the center of our circle and sang a song about the hand of God reaching out and when she finished her song she broke out in a moving prayer thanking God for the miracle that He brought to their family. It was more than moving, you had to be there. After we left Delroy found us on another work sight and told us that he and Hormone had talked and decided it was time for them to get married and quit living the way they where. I am glad we listened to God telling us to help this family.
The next family we helped had 3 women (2 were sisters) one man( a brother to the 2 sisters) and 14 children. They all are living in a house about 18" above sea level and the surge took a good portion of their house away. The house is 3 rooms. The kitchens on the back of the house were what was destroyed. They have been cooking outside when it isn't raining. This past November and December it has done nothing but rain so it has been difficult for them. We where able to replace a lot of zinc on their roof so the rain would not come in . We also added 2 kitchens to the house that were lost in the hurricane. We shared the Word with these folks also. On Friday we gave a Bible and did a dedication for them. I know they were thankful but the situation is so desperate for them with so many in the house that the joy was hard for them to show. I pray for God's mercy and grace for these folks.
The next family we helped was an older woman and her 6 year old grandson. This is by far the most difficult situation I have ever experienced in trying to help some one. To make matters worse this woman spoke mostly Patwa and she could not understand anything we said to her. She has a terrible problem with a good portion of her roof leaking. Leaking BAD. A big part of the house is dangerous and needs to be torn down before someone gets hurt. We were going to put a new roof on the house but could not risk getting on top of it because we might fall through. Yes is was that bad. The only thing, I say only thing but a good thing, we could do was build a roof over the existing roof that was leaking. We had to dig three holes and cement 3 each 4" x 4" post into the ground and build off of this to get a roof over the existing roof without disturbing the existing roof. We did get the house dry. There is a flock of pigeons living in the house with this lady and we have instructed our contact that works with us and can communicate with her that she has got to get those pigeons out of the house for her and her grandson's health. When we return in July we are going to tear down a big part of this house and build it back for them. It is already on our list.
The next project we did was an elderly lady living by herself in 10' x 10' (one room) house. This woman is actually living on a dirt (mud) floor. Her roof was leaking and she could not stay dry. We took the old zinc roof off and installed new rough cut and zinc roofing. For the door she was using a piece of zinc roofing that she would roll back when she needed to go out. So we built a door and put hardware on it so she could lock herself in at night. All of her windows leaked so she had all those boarded up with plywood. We removed that and installed new plywood windows and hardware. She as extremely thankful and relieved.
I want to say thank you. Without the church, which Christ is the head, ISA68 could not do the things we are called to do. It means so much to us to have the support and the gifts which you have entrusted to us to accomplish our mission. ISA68 would like to share with the entire church what has been accomplished and will do so in a timely manner. ISA68 has impacted many lives in Jamaica, and Jamaica has in turn impacted many of the lives of those who go with us and see the need. ISA68 has many more things to share with you but this email would be to long so I will save those things for another time
Peace
Terry
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