The Prime Minister of St. Maarten the Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams joined with the community in giving thanks not only for the passing of a quiet hurricane season, but for all what there is to be thankful for at the National Thanksgiving Service on the Clem Labega Square on Sunday afternoon.
The Prime Minister stated that it is good to know that in 1996 the Government of St. Maarten decided to pick up a tradition where church groups, the community and government have come together on the first Sunday in December to give God thanks for his many blessings at the close of the Hurricane Season. "This year again we should give thanks for the passing of yet another quiet hurricane season and we should be grateful of the blessings we receive having been spared from a major storm. While it is good to be here again I don’t think that those who were here will ever forget the spontaneous service of thanksgiving, which we had in 1995 after the passing of hurricane Luis. We should always remember what that hurricane did to St Maarten and its people," stated the Prime Minister.
"Personally I remember six years ago when the community celebrated this same service. At that time my husband was close to death yet I still could have found it within myself to pause and elect on all of the blessings my country and myself have received in life. In the midst of all of that turmoil I still realized that God still knows best," continued the PM.
The Prime Minister also specifically singled out those men and women who joined together to help the Chinese National who was found unclad and in a destitute condition at the Philipsburg Police Station. "I want to stand still a moment to go deeper in who we are, what we are and where we are. Over the last few days there happened an event in the community where we were appalled by the pictures in the media of a fellow human being here on St Maarten at the police station where he ended up because of different circumstances. Many persons questioned why others where not helping. Many had things to say regarding why that person was where he was and why others were not helping. But how many have asked themselves what could they do to help that fellow human being in need. I therefore want to single out those police and VKS Officers who went beyond the call of duty to help a person in need. During this Thanksgiving service I want to commend those men and women who clothed, fed and bathed that gentlemen in order to for him to regain his strength. They are all an example to us so I mention them despite them probably not wanting me to do so; Mr. Ricardo Henson, Ms. Keturah Brown, Mr. Albert Thomas, Ms. Andrea De Jong, Ms. Sharetti Hooi, Ms. Ignees Van Beek, Ms. Patricia Richardson and Mr. Leroy Brooks and Ms. Judy Mok who supplied the gentlemen in question with food to eat. They are an example to our community.
The PM closed by citing the words of the English pioneer Baptist Missionary William Ward who once said that God has given man the gift of 86400 seconds; "have you used a single one of them to say thank you?" asked the Prime Minister.
"On behalf of the Government of St. Maarten I would like to thank you for being here to lift join us in lifting our hands in prayer to give thanks for our country. For the blessings we had and have and the blessings to come. Let us thank God for blessing us with one more year free of disaster and let us be thankful for where we are in our lives," concluded Prime Minister Wescot-Williams.