Jamaica (MNN)–Jamaica, regarded by many as a paradise and key vacation spot.
But away from the resorts, it’s a different story. Poverty is the norm, not the exception.
The country is divided into 14 parishes, each functioning similarly to a state. St. Thomas is one of the poorest, at roughly 50-percent unemployment. The unskilled workforce is often can not find appropriate housing.
Food For The Poor’s Syndey Henry, speaking from Jamaica, says that’s the perfect place for them to build ministry. “We are working there with the churches first of all to try to begin the process of change with housing. So, we’re building houses across the parish. Hopefully, this year, we will build in excess of 500 houses. That’s with the help of our partners in the U-S.”
Unemployment with few job opportunities, insufficient access to adequate food supplies and clean water, unsafe housing, lack of sanitation and extremely limited healthcare make day to day life a challenge.
Ministry demand is also on the rise. There are 15,000 families waiting for a new Food For The Poor house. Henry says because they’re helping a largely illiterate population, sharing their hope takes time.
“One has to communicate the Gospel with patience. One has to communicate this work of compassion clearly through almost assimilating yourself into the circumstances of the people to whom we seek to minister”, says Henry. The benefits are many fold. “With patience, and spending time building relationships with these families, it gives us a chance to make the Gospel come alive.”
