I am always joyful when I get the opportunity to help someone in need, especially when I know what I do will be just what that person needs. When I heard about how hard Jamaica was hit by Hurricane Melissa, I started looking for opportunities to help through one of our church members who is from Jamaica. When the right opportunity came along, I jumped into action.
On Oct. 28, 2025, Hurricane Melissa hit Jamaica, becoming the strongest recorded hurricane to hit the island. It damaged more than 150,000 buildings and killed more than 100 people. Many were left without power for months, and some still don’t have power today.
Our church was given the opportunity to go with a group of people from around the world to build houses for people who had lost their homes.
Our group of about 40 people consisted of 10 from Morgan Hill, along with people from Texas, Tennessee, Georgia, Utah, Argentina, Mexico and Romania. We were able to build four homes in four days, which blessed the people who needed the houses. But the blessings we received were amazing as well.
The first blessing was getting to see people from so many different backgrounds come together with a common goal and accomplish something together. Most of us didn’t know each other before the trip. But we all showed up with the desire to help others, and that desire was enough for us to join together and work hard.
It didn’t matter what political views we had or what kind of church we attended. We were all there with one goal in mind—build houses for people who needed them. That goal united us in a powerful way.
The second blessing has continued to stay with me on a daily basis since we returned on Feb. 20. I had the goal of showing up to spread some hope to people who needed it. I was surprised to have so much hope spread to me and our team. I talked a lot with the Jamaican people, hearing their stories and how the hurricane has impacted their lives.
When I asked one man where he found his hope, he said, “I trust in the Lord.” In the midst of devastating adversity, he put all his trust in God. The fact that he can trust in the Lord in this situation gives me hope. It gives me the hope that no matter what comes my way, I can continue to trust in the Lord.
I encourage you to find places where you see a need, grab others who see the same need and jump into action together. You will find that your common goals and desires will unite you. You will get to spread hope to those in need. And, most importantly, you will receive hope and joy in the process.
Ben Palm is the outreach pastor at Morgan Hill Bible Church and a member of the Interfaith Clergy Alliance. He is also a chaplain for the Morgan Hill Police Department. Ben can be reached at be*@*****le.org.
