​Isaiah 9:2 
The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,
on them has light shone. (ESV)
 
The light stands for God’s blessings, presence, and revelation. Then, in Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5:14-16), Jesus tells us we are the light and let out light shine before others.
 
Eastern Jamaica has been in great darkness. The severe Covid-19 restrictions, churches not meeting, no in-person school for 20 months, inadequate Internet for remote learning, poverty prohibiting ownership of tools for remote learning, loss of jobs, and hunger all contribute greatly to this darkness. 
 
Thanks to the donors of Isaiahsixeight, we are letting our lights shine into this darkness! How? Well, all along these twenty-plus months, we have been helping feed people, helping the poor, and helping some of the teachers with Internet capabilities.  But, starting in December 2021 and continuing today, we really started to shine. So, what is different this time?
 
As our usual practice in December, we aided the soup kitchens as they made Christmas meals and also distributed groceries to the poor.  In November, we got an extra boost from the Riverchase United Methodist Church’s Angel Tree. This was very timely because we had just learned that in-person schools were restarting in December (part-time). So, not only were we able to buy a small present for the children, but we were able to send groceries to their parents and help with school uniforms for the children. 
 
As you can imagine, after 20 months, no one would have school uniforms that fit. 
 
If you have ever been with us to Jamaica, you will know that much of our efforts center in and around Port Morant; however, the school uniform purchases are being spread beyond Port Morant to Old Pera, Stokes Hall, Wheelerfield, and even Johnson Mountain. 
 
See the photos below for the elderly and sick getting bags of groceries, children getting a Christmas toy and a bag of food, and some of the uniforms. 
 
 Click on photos below to enlarge and see captions. 
 
 
 
 
 

Churches have not fared well in Jamaica because of Covid restrictions. Also, the economic difficulties have greatly affected the operation of their soup kitchens. We have helped even more with two soup kitchens in Port Morant.  The larger one, operated by the Wesleyan Holiness Church, cooks in the front yard of Ms. Patsy Lindsay (aka Evadney Richards), a great Christian friend for over 18 years. While 3 men and about 6 women each week do the cooking, serving, and delivery of these meals, we have played a major part in supplying the food for this effort. 
 
On January 16, 2021, Patsy was recognized in her church for her service to this soup kitchen. You can also be proud of this because we are partners in this effort. 
 
See Patsy’s award and most recent cook day below:
​

Most years, we take a family vacation to the Alabama or Florida Gulf Coast. We see many beaches, a lot of ditches, some swamps, but the land is very flat yet there is little flooding after hard rains. The highest point in Florida is Britton Hill, which is 345 ft above sea level. Britton Hill is about 2 mi, southeast of Florala, AL. The straight line distance from Britton Hill, to the nearest beach (Destin area), is over 42 miles. Also, the soil in much of Florida and the Alabama Gulf Coast is very sanding and water settles into it very easily.

Jamaica does have some sandy beaches, but much of the soil in Jamaica is a very thick clay-like soil. It is also much more tropical with a lot more vegetation which changes the soil. I can remember many times walking in Jamaica after a rain and you get up to an inch or so taller as layers of mud clings to your shoes. I also say only an inch or so taller because any more and I was sure to slip and fall. (Yes, I have done this many times).

Jamaica's highest point is Blue Mountain Peak, at 7,401 ft at a place where the North to South breadth of the island is only 20 miles. From Blue Mountain Peak to the nearest beach (sea level) is 9.5 miles at a place called Bulls Bay. We travel through Bulls Bay coming from the airport.
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The average rainfall on the northern and eastern slopes of the Blue Mountains is over 200 inches per year. When a hurricane or tropical storm is near this part of the island, the mountains cause the uplift of the clouds and greatly intensifies the rain even on the southern and western sides. We would suspect rain then would exceed 20 inches per day. That rain has to run downhill 7,401 ft. in a space of approximately 9.5 miles. With that, you get tremendous flooding, landslides, and erosion. (*Note - click on images below to enlarge and for captions)

In the last two years, our Jamaican associate Audrey, and her daughter Tamaula, have needed help with their soup kitchen. This started many years ago as a ministry to what they call the "sick and shut-ins". This group of about 30 people is predominantly the very elderly, some who are blind or nearly blind, some who are amputees, some with mental difficulties, some of the special needs’ families, etc. None of these families have transportation. Many are living on less than a dollar a day of subsistence made available by the government (like our Social Security).

Again, when this soup ministry started, the Methodist church supported it and they had 4 teams of cooks who would rotate Saturdays to make the soup. Over time, the teams became individuals, then it became only two individuals. At the same time, the church dwindled and, except for some support from an ex-pat, the cooks had to fund the food themselves. Audrey is one of those ladies and she cooks every other week. We have given some assistance to her for this over the years, but Audrey and Tamaula no longer have the income to support it. So, we supply most of the financial support for this.
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Then, across the street from Audrey is Ms. Patsy Lindsay, a fine Christian lady who was once our landlord. Patsy's church, the Port Morant Wesleyan Church is bigger and more vibrant (pre-Covid). They have a soup kitchen team that cooks every Tuesday in her front yard. This team serves approximately 100 people which includes almost everyone in Ms. Audrey's group plus many more. In the past, the church has provided most of their support, but over the last two years, we have been helping some. Now, with the churches not meeting, there is no offering so they had to stop the soup kitchen. Once, when we heard this, Isaiahsixeight stepped in. This is a vital service to many extremely poor people in the area. By our calculation, they are buying the food, cooking it, boxing it, and delivering it at a cost of about $1.34 US per meal. So, effective the third week of August, Isaiahsixeight is now funding all the money for this soup kitchen until the church can start meeting again. Even then, we suspect we may need to help some until the economy recovers.

So, your financial gifts are being used to feed some very needy people in an extremely financially, efficient manner. So, as you, our partners are being a blessing to others, so you are blessed!