JAMAICA –In a place where as much as 30 percent of the economy relies on tourism, events like last year’s Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica are devastating.
Melissa slammed into southwestern Jamaica Oct. 28, 2025, bringing sustained winds of 185mph and nearly 2 feet of rainfall.
Missouri Baptist Disaster Relief has sent two teams to the island so far this year to work alongside other Southern Baptist DR teams to bring help, hope and healing to the area.
“We started with plenty of ups and downs,” admitted Richard Brummitt, who led the first team to a rural area southwest of Montego Bay. “We had no electricity, but we did have one generator that charged tool batteries, provided light for dinner and charged the cell phones. Fortunately, the energy company was working overtime to get the electricity restored.”
One of the early focal points was Elderslie Baptist Church, built in 1872. In addition damaging the church building, Hurricane Melissa destroyed the roof on the church’s preschool, leaving twisted steel beams and an exposed structure where children once learned, sang and worshiped.
“For four months, the teacher, Mrs. Kenni, believed the children would never return to their classroom,” Brummit said, “until the gold shirts came.”
A team from Florida had already rebuilt the steel beams when the Missouri team arrived to install a new metal roof.
“However, God had more in mind than construction,” Brummit said.
While the team was working, Mrs. Kenni made a simple request – would the team teach the children a Bible lesson?
“The opportunity to teach a classroom of 4-, 5- and 6-year-olds about Jesus and help them talk a little about what they experienced in the hurricane was one of the greatest blessings of the trip,” said Rebecca Kramer, who traveled to Jamaica with her husband Ben as part of Brummitt’s team. “One little girl told us that when her house was destroyed by the hurricane, her family went to shelter at their neighbor’s house, which was also soon destroyed. As a result, they all had to weather the rest of the storm outside.
“Another young boy told of his house being torn from its foundation and his father holding him tightly as the wind roared around them. Every student had a similar story, and yet they laughed, played and interacted with us. These children blessed us so much, because they showed us how God can strengthen believers even through the toughest storms of life.”
Ben Kramer said the team was surprised at the scope of Melissa’s destruction.
“Many homes and businesses were in disrepair, with many communities and whole parishes still without power months later,” he said.
Diane Combs, who traveled to Jamaica with her husband Don, added, “We have done relief work in Romania and Turkey, but the response from the brothers and sisters in Christ in Jamaica, who gave all praise to God, was inspiring! Everywhere we went, the local people spoke about God’s blessing on us even when they were in such a hard situation and needed God’s blessing themselves.”
The Elderslie church wasn’t the only Baptist church that was repaired by Missouri Baptist Disaster Relief. Nearly 40 miles southwest of Montego Bay, Steve Russell led a second team in rebuilding Townhead Baptist Church.
“Due to the weather when we left Missouri, we were a day later than planned to get here,” Russell said. “So, we were only able to work Tuesday through Friday. Still, we were able to get a roof back on the building and make a lot of much-needed repairs.”
The bad weather prevented some of the team from traveling at all, taking Russell’s team down to six people.
“We see people in America argue about the music or what color the new carpet should be,” Russell said. “The people we met were so appreciative of our help and literally excited to get back in the church with wooden benches with only a two-by-four board for a backrest, just so they could praise God in their own building.”
After all the families had been through, it seemed only fitting that the first song the children at Elderslie sang when they had their Bible lesson was “The wise man built his house upon the rock …”
This article originally appeared in The Pathway.
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