Mother Jamamma | Liberia
The rains came like thunder — angry, unrelenting, and uninvited.
In Paynesville, Liberia, more than 10 homes belonging to members of New Hope Congregation were destroyed in a single night. Walls collapsed, roofs were torn away, and families lost nearly everything.
But the church did not close its doors.
Pastor G.A. Anderson, upon hearing what had happened, instructed that the church building be opened as a shelter. That night, pews became beds. The altar where prayers had been offered now echoed with the breathing of sleeping children and the prayers of weary parents.
For weeks, the church became more than a place of worship. It became home.
And then something extraordinary happened.
During worship one Sunday, a woman named Mother Jamamma stood and said:
I have nothing… but I’ll give 2,000 Liberian dollars to begin the reconstruction.
It was only about $10 USD, but it was everything she could give.
Her gift opened something in the congregation. Teenagers offered what little money they had. A shoemaker gave all he had earned that week. Children gave up their lunches to feed the workers. A market woman sold cloth to buy roofing materials. Men, women, and youth volunteered their time to rebuild.
Within two months, all 10 homes had been rebuilt — not with wealth, but with love, prayer, unity, and generosity. When people asked Pastor Anderson how it happened, he simply said, “We gave what we didn’t have… and God gave us more than we needed.”
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