Together Beyond the Storm

I visited Jamaica in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa, a solidarity visit with the United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands (UCJCI) in my role as President of the World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC) along with the Interim General Secretary. This visit was welcomed by these partners at a time when they are contending with the devastation on the island following the impact of Hurricane Melissa. This was a time of prayer and listening, hearing the stories of communities where people are living in a new reality as relief is being brought to those still struggling to meet the basic needs for themselves, for their families, and for their communities.

On October 28th, Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica as a Category 5 hurricane, with winds up to 252 miles per hour as it approached the island. Many were concerned, rightly so, Melissa was one of the strongest hurricanes ever witnessed in the Atlantic basin. Melissa hit Jamaica on the southwest coast at 185 miles per hour in New Hope, Westmoreland and bulldozed her way across the island leaving behind devastation in her wake. That devastation has impacted people and the environment.

Sunday morning worship was in Brompton, St. Elizabeth with the congregation at Cambridge United Church. This was the first time the congregation gathered for worship after the hurricane. The windows of the church were covered with blue tarp as were the roofs of many homes we passed on the way into the community. The colored glass in the grass, along with pieces of the roof and mortar, was itself a story, the remnant of the windows blown out and the roof destroyed. Yet, the floors were clean, a generator was brought in, and the people gathered in the church buzzing with the conversations and the joy of seeing and holding each other after Melissa.

The manse next door which is owned by the church was destroyed. The house across the street had no roof. Zinc was everywhere, even wrapped around branches – a strange bird in the trees – a sign of the failure of many roofs and structures. And, the cemetery was the host of the new dead – dead trees, and useless items sent adrift by the winds.

The worship service was attended by members of five congregations in the area. All gathering for the first time. It was “A Service of Reflection, Renewal and Hope” crafted with hymns and songs of praise, scriptures, and the stories of survival brought by the people. It was also a time of thanksgiving for God’s presence with the people through the destruction, and the hope for what was ahead for them all.

The stories of the people reflected the trauma and challenges experienced by many. People in their homes listening as the roofs tore off their homes or roofs collapsed. Others told of the fear of watching the water rise in their homes. The stories were told with humor and yet conveyed the intensity and severity of the hurricane. Melissa will not be forgotten.

The experiences in the stories also told of the ways people are caring for each other. In many conversations shared was the remark: “For the first time in this community, there is none to help the other.” And yet, people have taken others into their homes. People are checking on each other, sharing from what they have, and giving from what they get. There are the utterances of thanksgiving, the acknowledgement of God present, and the response to the needs that are being identified. There is much to be done.

This weekend as the United States celebrates Thanksgiving Day, Jamaicans will mark one month since Melissa visited and changed their lives. They have a long way to go – relief is only the beginning of this journey and the accompaniment of partners like the WCRC and its member churches including the United Church of Christ will be necessary for full recovery of people and communities.

UCJCI has accounted for over 50 churches and schools damaged and 7 churches destroyed. Leaders shared plans for assisting people and communities in partnership with RG CARES Foundation and other partners. Care packages are being assembled and distributed to those in need. Mental health needs are being addressed. Housing is being provided. Churches are operating as shelters. Churches are hosting organizations providing meals. Churches are conducting assessments to learn of the needs of their members and those in the communities in which they live with an awareness and intention that the needs of the community are the needs of the church. Ministers are conducting pastoral visits in communities where electricity and means of communication are in disrepair.

UCJCI is one of many churches and organizations along with overseas partners in ministry together to rebuild lives beyond the storm. Pray for the people. Give to recovery efforts as you can. The news cycle has moved on to cover other things, these stories are yet emerging. We are in this together, loving our neighbors as ourselves, living with love and compassion.

To support our efforts in the recovery following the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa, CLICK HERE.

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