Richard Ho Lung, Contributor
Residents of a hurricane-hit community band together to start repairs.
Living in the ghetto, there are immense surprises. As men of God, the Missionaries of the Poor are steady and constant - through shooting, death and martyrdom, political warfare, diabolical music; and the opposite - joyful celebrations, extraordinary sweetness and beauty, jokes and laughter, community projects and fellowship.
Hurricane Dean was merciful to Missionaries of the Poor and our homeless residents. Damage to our buildings was minimal, though the terrible winds and rain threatened us throughout an eight-hour period
Structures badly damaged
Our neighbours in the Spoilers (PNP) and Southside (JLP) areas fared badly. Roofs were ripped off, side walls blown down, toilets torn out. Trees crashed into houses, utility poles and cables were felled, and roads were blocked by heavy loads of garbage, piled up with zinc and tree limbs.
It was desolate when we visited the streets next morning. I went from yard to yard. I was deeply touched and hurt by the damage and feeling of hopelessness among the people. The roads were filthy; dogs whimpered and roamed the streets; adults and children seemed dazed and inert. No food, no house, no clothes - everything literally had crashed.
The brothers and myself prayed. We remembered the Beatitudes. The figure and the words of Christ emerged out the darkness like a newly-lit candle and slowly emerged to the forefront of our minds as we prayed.
"This is an opportunity," the Lord seemed to say, "Overwhelm the poor with your love." I didn't know where the funds or the materials would come from. Brother John bought some food and stripped our cupboards bare - 3,000 parcels of food, substantial packages of rice, beans, pasta, lentils, flour, sugar, cornmeal and even salmon were given out from our centres in the Spoilers, Southside and Tel-Aviv areas which have different political allegiances.
Where was all this food coming from? I still didn't know. Then the banana board sent us three trucks of bananas. We drove through the ghettos and gave them out.
What about clothes? We gave to about 2,000 people, mostly children, school clothes and uniforms, books and school bags. (I don't know what we would do without Food For the Poor).
The destruction of the homes, the rain coming through the roofs, the children and adults in soaked clothes. Those images haunted us.
I called a few friends, a few friends called me. Sue Cobb, former United States ambassador, Brenda LaGrange Johnson, the current ambassador, and Glenn Holden, U.S. ambassador to Jamaica some 20 years ago, each pledged to fix 100 houses. Friends from the United States pledged to help with the roof and wall project.
I had no idea what we would do. But I know I had my beloved young MOP brothers and sons behind me.
How do we conceptualise and present to the public the need of our desperately broken poor people whose lives were shattered by Hurricane Dean?
The Lord led me to promise four pieces of zinc, and four pieces of plywood to 1,000 people. Anything else would be too complicated.
It has been very complicated, but we have got the project midway. Working in rain, hot sunlight, surrounded by the resilient people of the ghetto, we built.
And then miracle of miracles, the people began to rally around the brothers, and kindness, goodwill and self-sacrifice spread like a blazing fire of love.
The lazy wet bodies came alive, the men began to work. To our amazement, not even a nail or piece of wood has been stolen so far. The poor became selfless, pointing to other more desperate cases than theirs, lifting wood and zinc, pounding nails, sawing wood to help their neighbours.
They exhorted each other to be fair, not to steal or take anything, to do no wrong. They offered praise and thanksgiving to the brothers.
At this moment, I am a fulfilled man. I am so proud of Missionaries of the Poor, my sons, and the poor people, neighbours and residents of the inner city who have proven to me that by working and obeying the will of God - and, by lighting a candle - God and His goodness, and love can spread and overcome darkness, and the most disastrous of events.
This effort we dedicate to our two martyrs, brothers Suresh and Marco, who were murdered and who entered heaven on October 28, 2005.
Father Richard Ho Lung is founder and leader of the Missionaries of the Poor charity.
Brothers and residents work together in an outpouring of generosity and community spirit after the storm. - contributed photos
The Brothers help to repair one of the structures in the downtown area which lost its roof. - Contributed Photos
