Dear brothers and sisters, I received the following letter from the Compassionate Franciscan Sisters of the Poor in Montego Bay who are led by Sister Joy, Mother Superior. I have decided to share it to demonstrate the importance of giving to and serving the less fortunate.

The news went out to the surrounding communities that Fr Richard Ho Lung and Friends and the Missionaries of the Poor brothers were travelling to Montego Bay from Kingston to deliver food packages at the Good Shepherd Foundation Medical Centre which is run by the amazing, compassionate Franciscan Sisters of the Poor.

These religious nuns are the spiritual daughters of Father Ho Lung, who founded the group. The happy nuns in brown habits are a beloved group that follow the same charism and rules of the Missionaries of the Poor, offering joyful service towards the least of our poorest brothers and sisters with Christ on the cross.

Hearing of the vast devastation at the convent where the nuns lived, the unfathomable havoc and losses doled out by Category 5 Hurricane Melissa three weeks prior, and as well as it being the third week of no water nor lights, Father Ho Lung summoned his team together to head off from the capital, Kingston, to the second city to deploy emergency relief. He was determined to ease the burden on his children as well as the residents in the surrounding areas. What he also found on his arrival was an amazing sight of orderly people spilling into the street waiting to be served.

Greeting him as he drove in was head of the order, Mother Joy, the small ever-smiling woman with the soft kindness and gentle spirit, whose clinical mornings begin with devotional prayer before even the first patient can see a doctor, the woman who missions searched out to offer help.

From as early as 7:00 am on November 21, scores of people lined up, while some were offered seating under tents. The caravan from Kingston was expected to arrive in the early afternoon.

With great excitement we welcomed our guests. The missionaries came with a bus load of helpers, who, it was clear, had come to serve the people of Montego Bay. First the elderly, then women and children, followed by everyone else were invited in to receive their gifts of love. There was excitement, eagerness, and great appreciation from the crowd. He brought food packages and clothing for the people. 500 packages were shared with the people.

Father Ho Lung’s desire in the aftermath of the pain, loss, and uncertainty of the terrible, natural disaster was to encourage the people. The Missionaries of the Poor came to give entertainment, but the uncertainty with electrical power made that not possible. The Jamaica Defence Force was a welcomed contributor as they kept order and seemed to enjoy seeing the crowd being fed by Mother Joy, ladies giving clothing along with the gift bags distributed by the Missionaries of the Poor.

The group definitely brought a whirlwind of joy to the clinic and the hundreds of recipients voiced their sincere appreciation, as most found it hard to carry out their bounty of goodies, the bags being so well laden.

As one looked up one could see Father Ho Lung sitting at the side like a satisfied father whose children were happy and anointed by the Holy Spirit, as he would later say, “The spirit of the Lord was here!”

Father Richard Ho Lung is founder of Missionaries of the Poor.

E-mail: mopfounder81@gmail.com

Web: www.missionariesofthepoor.org