When God closes the door to something that has been very special to many people, there are emotions that surface: sadness and frustration, as well as some anger and asking God why He chose to close that door! This is what many of us experienced when the gate to the entrance of the Port Maria Infirmary was shut to outsiders, leaving all of us wondering about the well-being of our infirmary friends. There was also the concern that they would experience abandonment and not understand why we no longer came to visit them.
But God! He knew this was going to happen, and He already had a plan ordained for ACE to embrace. He knew there were many elderly and infirm who desperately needed help within the communities where our sponsored children live. We were already visiting some of these dear people on a limited basis, but as we dug deeper into these communities, we found people who were often starving and living alone in deteriorating homes abandoned by family members. Many were in deep despair because they live in remote areas and there didn’t seem to be anyone who cared about what was happening to them.
As we became more aware of these dire situations, ACE Mobile Infirmary (AMI) was born to meet the physical and spiritual needs of these dear people. Our compassionate staff visit them regularly, and teams that come down to Jamaica also get to visit them, helping take care of their homes and property, sharing Scripture, singing, and praying for them.
Since lack of food is an issue for many, our staff provides them with a hot meal and a grocery bag of food that is easy for them to prepare. As an example of how desperately many of them need food, let me tell you about Pauline.
When we recently stopped by her house, Pauline greeted us with a huge smile and told us she had been praying that we would visit her that day. She had also prayed that God would provide food for her, since she had no food in her house! As we prayed for her before we left, she also prayed for us that God would keep us safe on the road.
Another one of our AMI regulars is Ricardo, a pleasant young man who is paralyzed from the waist down due to falling from a second-story roof while on a construction site. He needed a new home that didn’t have decaying walls or leak when it rained. With the help of four teams and our ACE staff, we spent several weeks building and painting his new home, complete with a ramp for accessibility. Teams were also able to build a small, one room home for Clive, an elderly gentleman who lives in a remote area. When we recently visited Clive, we could see that he is taking great pride in his new home by keeping it neat and tidy.
Verna was also delighted that we came to visit and was thankful for the food we brought. As Latoya combed and braided her hair, Verna sang one hymn after another and continually thanked God for how good He has been to her. Yes, we sang along with her! We also prayed for her, and she prayed for us in return.
Of course, we still would love to return to the infirmary, but we know that is in God’s hands. In the meantime, we will be faithful to the task He has given us to be Christ’s ambassadors, helping our AMI friends in any way that we can and knowing the joy and delight it brings to their lives—and to ours. God is faithful and so, so good!
In Christ,
Arlene, Long-Time ACE Volunteer
TRIP COST
There is an old proverb, “If you give a man a fish, he’ll eat for a day, but if you teach a man to fish, he’ll eat for a lifetime.” History proves that lasting change in a poverty culture is achieved by empowering the people to reach their full potential and become self-sustaining. ACE is invested in our community long-term and in conjunction with our partners in the US, we are identifying the circumstances of those around us in order to find real solutions for their unique needs.