Acts of Kindness Soften the Blows of Hurricane Gilbert
DURING the early morning hours of September 14, 1988, hurricane Gilbert hit the Caribbean coast of Mexico. It slammed into the states of Quintana Roo and Yucatán. On the 15th and 16th, the northern states of Tamaulipas and Nuevo León took the battering. All along its path, Gilbert cut a swath of destruction. Strong winds and torrential rains caused heavy flooding. In the southeast, 50,000 families were left homeless. In the north, 30,000 lost their homes. Some 250 people died as the hurricane ran its course of 1,000 miles [1,600 km].
Immediately, the branch office of Jehovah’s Witnesses moved into action. By Saturday, September 17, the first trucks loaded with food, clothing, and roofing materials were on their way to the Yucatán Peninsula. Two representatives from the branch traveled there to make an inspection and set up local committees to distribute the relief supplies. Quickly, more truckloads were dispatched with food and roofing materials. Government authorities also acted to provide much-appreciated assistance.
First to arrive on the scene, however, were the shipments from Jehovah’s Witnesses in Mexico City. This gave the Witnesses great comfort and joy. Other than the roofing materials trucked in by the Witnesses, there were none available locally, and there would be none for more than a month. It was thrilling to see how rapidly the brothers’ homes were rebuilt. The place of worship for Jehovah’s Witnesses in Colony Yucatán was the first structure that got its roof restored. In Mérida the building used for the circuit assemblies and district conventions of the Witnesses was flattened, and arrangements for the construction of a new place of assembly were quickly set in motion.
Damage was great in the states of Nuevo León and Tamaulipas. Local Witnesses received immediate relief through the committee set up in Monterrey. Basic furnishings, such as beds, tables, chairs, stoves, and cooking utensils, were provided. In Monterrey itself, 32 families of Jehovah’s Witnesses had lost everything they had, including their homes. With the near-zero temperatures of winter approaching, something had to be done quickly.
Two Witnesses, one an architect, flew in from Mexico City. They met with elders and traveling representatives. Soon, building operations were launched to provide new homes for the 32 families. This included the purchase of property and equipment to prefabricate the needed homes. When food, clothing, and beds were quickly provided for the Witnesses, the neighbors were very impressed with the love and generosity shown by other Witnesses to their needy brothers. How much more so will they be when they see the 32 families move into their new two-bedroom homes!
This is typical of the worldwide brotherhood of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Not only did Witnesses in Mexico respond with materials, labor, and money to aid their brothers but so did Witnesses in other parts of the world. As soon as TV newscasts showed the devastation caused by hurricane Gilbert, contributions began coming to the world headquarters of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Brooklyn, New York. A small sampling follows:
“Please use this small contribution to help make our brothers comfortable who were stricken by the hurricane. I would like to send more, but I had to have engine work done on my wife’s car this week. I will try to send more when my next paycheck clears.”
“We contribute this to help our brothers in the hurricane area. We want them to know our love and concern. As Peter said: ‘Have intense love for one another.’”—1 Peter 4:8.
“As a small contribution to the relief efforts, please accept this check for $1,000. I wish it could be more, but what Jehovah has allowed me to have I wish to share.”
“Please accept this money order for $20. I needed all of my check and could not afford to help until I realized some of our brothers lost everything.”
“Enclosed is a check for $25. We would like to contribute it to the disaster fund. The gift is small, but our whole heart goes out to our dear sisters and brothers in this area.”
Can you imagine lending to Jehovah, the Owner of the entire universe? Nevertheless, that is what such contributors are doing, for Proverbs 19:17 says: “He that is showing favor to the lowly one is lending to Jehovah, and his treatment He will repay to him.”