People all over the Caribbean have suffered immensely during the track of the monster hurricane Irma. This has been also the case with the Islands of St. Maarten, Saba, and St. Eustatius. Hurricane Irma struck the islands on 6th of September 2017.

As Bible Society which serves the peoples of the former Netherlands Antilles, in what is now called the Dutch Caribbean, we want to present the consoling and healing words of the Bible as a contribution to the spiritual need of our co-citizens in the Dutch Kingdom.

St Maarten, Saba and St. Eustatius are part of the SSS islands within the "Windward Islands". They are located east of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
Our main focus is the island of St Maarten because Hurricane Irma have hit the shared Dutch and French Caribbean island as a Category 5 hurricane with winds in excess of 200 miles an hour, turning the picturesque tourist haven into a sweltering trash heap.

Residents were still struggling with the question: Should they cling to an island that can barely support life or start over elsewhere? However, the peoples of St. Maarten have always been a resilient people. It has been a place where foreigners and island born citizens have proudly put their hands together to push the island forward. For a resilient people who are fighters and have shown time and time again that they are talented and creative, this portion of Bible texts offers the consolation of God's Word. It is also a palpable sign of the commitment of the global fellowship of the United Bible Societies to pray for the people of St. Maarten and to support the churches, residents, and evacuees.