WE were surprised! They came to our performance in Florida. They were late but nevertheless, they came. Thank God! We even had to turn back people at the last show.

I recently completed a one-week return trip with Brother Nowell and Wynton Williams, a Baptist minister and our music director. We made appointments and visited many different denominations of Christian churches.

Here in Jamaica we were struggling, but just able to get by. Though people are very kind in Jamaica, Hurricane Melissa created a disaster in the western part of the island. We emptied our storerooms at all our homeless centres and had four mission trips to Montego bay, Savanna-la-Mar, Westmoreland, and Lambs River in Hanover. People received us warmly in these beaten-up areas.

Along with the brothers, associates lay people, doctors, and Jamaica Defence Force soldiers accompanied us. Thousands of people received packages filled with food, toiletries, and clothes. We did not solve any problems — for instance, creating housing for our people — but we did bring about faith, hope, and love to our people. People sang praise and thanks for our missions and dedication to them.

Thank God for the kindness of overseas friends and wealthy business people who come to restore permanent help and utility for our hurricane victims in this island Jamaica, land that we love.

Though we gave away much of what we had for the service of our eight Missionaries of the Poor homes for the homeless and destitute, our recent trip to Florida helped us to continue serving the poorest of the poor in eight homes in Jamaica, and gave us realistic hope that we will be able to restore what we need to continue serving God’s people in Jamaica with diapers, food, toiletries, medicines, and clothing.

Having these centres for the poorest of the poor, and having the brothers on a permanent basis in our 14 countries, has been like living in a permanent state of hurricane damage. We live in a permanent state of dependence on Divine providence. The churches, whether they be Presbyterian, Baptist, Seventh-day Adventist, Pentecostal, or Anglican, have that mark of fellowship, with faith in Christ and the Kingdom of the Lord.

We were surprised, delighted, and moved by their love for the suffering and wounded Christ. I will always remember our brothers’ and sisters’ kindness in response to those who are in the greatest need. Thus, we accept those who are the poorest of the poor, whether they be Christians or not. Everybody is our brother and sister.

When we are visited by fellow Christians, or even non-believers, we find in them the same love of Christ for the poor. We love the poor. We find that all our visitors love the poor, and we find they respect the work and the poor. Christ is the greatest and most perfect example. He has shown us, by His actions, love of the blind, the deaf, the cripple, the hungry, the naked — and even sinners like ourselves.

Love of the Lord will lead us to love of the most rejected. Thousands followed Christ to the hills, to the country side, to the seaside. All of us imperfect men and women were sinners, and if you love Christ and the poorest of people, you are the most blessed of people.

Jamaicans, please continue to love people, especially the poor, wherever you are; and teach the next generation.

See you at our next musical production.

Fr Richard Ho Lung is founder of Missionaries of the Poor, 87 Hanover Street, PO Box 8525, Kingston CSO, Jamaica.

Tel: (876) 550-8987. Email: mopfounder81@gmail.com

Web: www.missionariesofthepoor.org