FSOP and Our Supporters Involved with Hurricane Relief

By Brian R. Kenyon

On October 28, 2025, Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica and left a path of devastation, especially on the western side of the island. From November 22-28, by God’s grace, a team supported by the South Florida Avenue church of Christ (including FSOP students and staff) was blessed with “opportunity” to go to Jamaica and “do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith” (Galatians 6:10). Our work mainly consisted of delivering food, water, and tarps; purchasing materials (and labor where needed) for churches of Christ to repair and/or rebuild their buildings; clearing fallen trees and debris; and passing out nearly a thousand tracts about Jesus and His church (Matthew 16:13-19), with a few Bible studies along the way. Although we visited with two Montego Bay churches of Christ on the way from the airport, most of our work was confined to Westmoreland Parish, the western end of the island.

Grange Hill

Grange Hill served as our “home base.” This is where the Medley family has lived since the early 1990s. George and Jemima are a great example of “distributing to the necessity of saints” and being “given to hospitality” (Romans 12:13). Here we slept, shared most meals, and enjoyed great fellowship. George built the house and the church building (with plenty of rebar and concrete poured into the block walls). Though the walls and foundation are solid, there was roof damage and flooding from rain. We helped repair the roof and cleaned debris from the property. There is also a house across the street that was blown off its block foundation. We are actively looking to have it set back.

Amity Community

Amity Community is about 30 minutes away from Grange Hill. George preached for the church there years ago. We could not contact any members, but we assessed the damage as best we could without being able to enter the building. We could tell there was little to no roof remaining and there were fallen trees touching the building. That same day, we distributed food, water, and tarps to that community. God provides food, drink, and clothing, and sometimes He supplies these through His church (cf. Matthew 6:25-34; 25:34-40). We came back early morning on our last full day (which happened to be Thanksgiving Day in the USA) to cut and clear fallen trees. Andre, by God’s grace, worked wonders with the chain saw.

Negril

Negril is right on the coast, and the church building there was completely demolished. We met brother Swaby, the preacher, our first full day in Jamaica, and we made several trips there throughout the week to line up building materials and arrange a contractor and his crew. By God’s grace and generous supporters from local churches, we were able to rebuild that church building. The devastation in Negril exemplifies the importance of physical buildings being constructed on solid foundations, and even more importantly, it illustrates the need to build our lives on the solid foundation of Christ, so that when the rain descends, and the floods come, and the winds blow, and beat upon the house, it will not fall, “for it was founded upon a rock” (Matthew 7:24-27).

We thank God for the opportunity to make a difference among the people and brethren in Jamaica. God has opened doors and allowed us to close leaking or non-existent roofs. Please continue to pray for the people of Jamaica and the gospel seed we have planted that it “bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty” (Matthew 13:23)!