March was off to an incredibly challenging start. We, like many of you, were ushered into the month with COVID-19 restrictions and mandates. The presence of the virus brought chaos here on our island. Many people have been overwhelmed as they have tried to navigate through this pandemic. This has been an unperceived blessing, however, as many persons, who would have normally been too religious or too indifferent to hear the Gospel, have suddenly found new interest in the subject. This opened to us the door of opportunity to minister with more liberty.
Thanks to your giving, we were able to aid in our community by providing, what we called, COVID Relief Packages (CRPs). These packages consisted of food items and Gospel tracts. The ones we sent to some of our church folks included music CDs, preaching CDs/DVDs, and other reading materials. Our country’s economy revolves around tourism, and that industry has been at a complete standstill since March. So many folks have fallen on challenging times as a result. They were incredibly happy and grateful to receive the help.
The aid supplied gave us an open door to go back and minister to some of the recipients. As a result, we have seen some people trust Christ as Saviour! One of those opportunities allowed my oldest son Daniel and me to visit Miguel. After realizing who we were, he at once welcomed us into his home and offered us seats. As we sat with him, he began telling us his story.
One morning as he was on his way to work, the bus he was traveling in met with an accident and caught fire. He was seated close to the exit, so when the bus rolled over, he was pinned in the passageway. In the chaotic rush to escape the burning bus, the other passengers trampled him in the stampede. He said he was stepped on by at least 30 different people! This left Miguel crippled from his waist down. He continued to tell us how that before his accident, he was independent and never saw the need for God in his life, but he confessed that he was now so broken about his situation and longed for eternal peace. I gladly seized the opportunity to share with him the Gospel. Miguel listened with anticipation, and afterwards he trusted Christ as His Saviour!
Miguel will still have bad days when his circumstances and his physical pain seem overwhelming, but now he has a new perspective on life. He knows that in this life he will suffer, but he is assured that in the life to come, God has promised him peace and comfort from all suffering.
This is the same promise we hold to despite our level of afflictions in this world. I am so thankful that we serve a God Who uses some of the worst experiences of our lives to bring us closer to Him.
Prayer Needs
• A church van/bus
• Roof for our Sunday school facility
• Purchase of property for the church
• Growth and development of our music ministry
• Returning to normalcy after the COVID-19 pandemic
• Hurricane season
Thank you for your faithful prayers and continued support.
The Oral Anderson Family
PS. We are looking to grow our music ministry, so we need musical instruments and musical teaching talents. If you have any of these and would like to donate to the Lord’s service here in Jamaica, please let us know.
