​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:
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