‘We always come with Jesus first’

IN LESS than 48 hours after Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica as a Category 5 storm, Samaritan’s Purse airlifted the first members of a Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) and tons of aid. Samaritan’s Purse is a non-denominational faith-based international relief organisation operating from the United States.

Its 757 and DC-8 flights to Jamaica on October 30 and 31 carried DART personnel, along with water filtration systems, shelter materials, medical supplies, and other relief’. More than 75,000 pounds of relief were delivered on the first two flights.

Its 767 left the Airlift Response Center in Greensboro, North Carolina, on November 2, bound for Jamaica with an emergency field hospital, which hospital has been fully operational since – receiving patients with a variety of complaints, and offering a variety of services including minor surgeries and in-patient services. Airlifts have brought tons of relief to the island to provide much-needed medical care.

“Samaritan’s Purse stands ready to respond at a moment’s notice whenever and wherever disaster strikes. We specialise in international disaster relief, meeting critical needs for victims of conflict, disaster, famine, and epidemics throughout the world, often working through ministry partners on the ground. We provide food, water, shelter, medicine, and other assistance in the name of Jesus Christ,” its website says.

“You have to remember, the biggest thing we want to bring in is Jesus, that is what we bring … So when we come we always come with Jesus first, and we know that he is the one … He had compassion on the people, and that is what we want, to be able to show compassion on those that are sick, those are in need, we know that he’s the one that gives us hope, he is the one that gives us healing. Yes, we bring healing, and we have all these doctors and nurses, but with that comes Jesus,” lead nurse, Cheryl Kaufman, told Family and Religion.

“It’s that Good Samaritan story. He didn’t pass, you know, when two other people walked on by. But, the Samaritan, he stopped, he bandaged up the wounds of that man that was sick, put him on his own donkey. He took him to the inn and he paid to have the innkeeper take care of him. That’s what we want to be, that person to be able to stop, and reach out and help, and care for those that are sick.”

And, some people might ask, why did Jesus not stop Melissa from coming to this God-blessed country? “Jesus is sovereign over all … We just have to trust him, and, there is sin in this world, and, if this world were perfect, everything would be wonderful,” Kaufman replied. “But, it is not. These kinds of things can happen anywhere.”

Thus, Samaritan’s Purse has also brought a chaplain service to attend to the spiritual needs of patients. “We do have a chaplain service here on the property … the Evangelical Association, they’re here with us. We pray with patients, multiple times, and we, you know, talk to them about Jesus, share the Gospel with them. We try to give them scripture to give them hope. If they ask for more information, we’re happy to share. We know that this is a Christian country, we all can grow in our faith and when things are hard and we’re suffering, that’s when we need someone to come along beside us to say, Jesus is with you,” Kaufman shared.

She said the patients loved and accepted the encouragement, “soaking it all up”. And, Rachel Boyd chimed in, “They encourage us, and they quote the scriptures right back to us”. Kaufman mentioned a particular patient who hugs, prays, quotes scriptures, etc. “She is encouraging the good Samaritans,” she said laughing. Boyd is a news reporter, and communications coordinator with Samaritan’s Purse.

“Thank you to everyone who supported us in prayer, thank you Ministry of Health, along with the incredible doctors and nurses from Black River Hospital, even as they are cleaning up what they’ve lost, they are willing to come here and serve their patients, to serve their community, so this is a team effort, it’s not Samaritan’s Purse. … This is by the grace of God,” She told Family and Religion.

For her final words, Kaufman said, “It’s such a privilege to be here, it just does my heart so much … but we just ask for people that are reading, that are watching, whatever, to continue to pray for Jamaica, to pray for us, and that we are just blessed to have this opportunity to be here.”