In the wake of Hurricane Melissa’s damage across Jamaica and the wider Caribbean, On Mission Network is working with partners including the Jamaica Baptist Convention and Texans on Mission to provide support, relief and assessments on the ground.

OMN partner, Texans on Mission, has deployed a four-person team who is working primarily with the Jamaica Baptist Union to assess immediate needs, develop recovery plans and implement actionable strategies for long-term community resilience. More than planning though, they are responding to local needs by providing food and hygiene kits sourced on the island nation.

TXM volunteer and chaplaincy coordinator Melanie Howington said the team has been building relationships with on-the-ground partners and will move north toward the most affected areas near Montego Bay tomorrow, but they also are responding to requests from the JBU to provide immediate aid to families.

“Their big need is to get some kind of a kit to some of their people in areas where the churches have had bad damage or were destroyed,” she said. “And so we spent yesterday and today going to multiple stores. We had to divide up and buy canvas bags because you can't have plastic here, then piece out kits for 250 people.”

The team worked with JBU members to assemble the bags with food staples like flour and rice, plus hygiene items needed by affected families.

Howington said the group’s efforts were slowed by some food and hygiene item shortages that forced them to source from several locations over two days, she acknowledged, “God does provide. God is good.”

Recently, the team visited three churches near Montego Bay to meet with pastors, provide immediate aid to families and be a listening ear to those in need.

“Every Jamaican we’ve met has been very kind and gracious to us,” Robert Howington, TXM volunteer said, but added, “We’re not seeing very many relief groups.

The TXM team scoured local stores to create 250 aid kits in canvas bags, full of food and hygiene necessities. But putting the kits together was no easy feat – store shelves are quickly becoming bare.

The kits were then distributed to churches to disperse among those in their community. 

While visiting these churches to drop off kits, Melanie and Robert had the chance to spend time with Jamaicans facing life after the storm.

 
Melanie sat down with Nadine and Madine, sisters local to Montego Bay, who are not only trying to piece together life following Hurricane Melissa, but also honor their grandmother who recently passed away. While she didn’t pass due to the hurricane, the timing makes it hard to grapple with all the tragedy at once.



“Nadine was in the church we were visiting to ask the pastor to please let her have her grandmother’s funeral there. It was her church home.” Melanie shared. “But the pastor told her it’s just too damaged.”

This church currently has water damage, broken windows and roof damage – making it unsafe to host a service. 

“I reminded Nadine, ‘You are the church. You lost a building, you didn’t lose the church. So wherever you go, have your church to have your service,’” Melanie said.

“She had such a sweet spirit, but was facing a lot of tragedy all at once.”



The TXM team was able to distribute aid kits to these two women and offer a glimpse of hope in a very challenging time. 
 

Keisha, a proud mother and grandmother, was sitting quietly in a damaged church. Melanie saw her and knew she needed someone to hear her story.

 When Hurricane Melissa rushed into Jamaica, Keisha was sitting outside – she knew the storm was coming, but was enjoying the beautiful breeze during a season that’s typically hot and humid. She was home with her children and grandchildren. 



“But then she said it turned into a not-so-beautiful breeze,” shared Melanie. “The windows started shaking, things started flying around. She was trying to hold her things down so she wouldn’t lose them – putting her body weight on them.”



Her 2-year-old grandson was outside with her when a window flew past them and then a tree flew by and struck him in the back. While the hit could’ve been life-threatening, a doctor cleared her grandson.



“It took years to get it [her home], and in one minute, it’s gone,” Keisha explained.



Keisha is like many in the Montego Bay area and across Jamaica. Entire homes and livelihoods washed away with nothing but silt and receding waters left behind. Not only will it take time to rebuild, but it will take time to heal.

OMN and OMN partners are continuing to assess needs in the storm’s aftermath and develop response strategies in the Caribbean island nation.


Following a storm, nothing brings hope and healing like the power of prayer.

There are a few ways you can pray for the teams on the ground in Jamaica as well as the locals now:

• The teams would meet the right people, at the right time, and share the right message.
• For the right doors to be opened for ministry now and in future days.
• That God’s presence would be felt by both those in need and those serving.

“Based on the few people I’ve been able to talk to, they’re all just still in crisis mode. They’re still reeling from it [the storm],” Melanie shared. “The prayer need for them is just that they’d feel God’s presence, know God is there and that they’re not alone. God is walking through this with them.”