HONDURAS HURRICANE RELIEF FUND • #PrayForHonduras • DONATE TODAY
In 1998, Hurricane Mitch launched our Heart for Honduras dental/medical/vision Missions of Mercy. Now, after 20+ years of partnering with Honduran churches, schools, and local governments, we have friends all over Honduras. While many of the communities we serve regularly battle physical needs, they are now facing unprecedented challenges due to Covid-19 and two major hurricanes in the same month. Entire villages have been swept away in these storms leaving a devastating humanitarian crisis. This will be a long recovery process, much like the last 20+ years following Hurricane Mitch. We are committed to walking with our brothers and sisters in Honduras as long as it takes to recover and are working our US friends and partners as well as other relief organizations to send financial assistance to our people in Honduras who will begin the rebuilding process after the storm.
Please take a few minutes to read this letter from one of our partners in Honduras
Good morning my dear brothers and sisters in Christ, I share with you communication from my brother Javier Soler who is pastor in San Pedro Sula:
The spreading of Covid-19 here in Honduras continues on the rise. Churches have not yet given the authorization by the government to resume services. Our church continues the live stream of our services on Saturday and several other activities via different platforms using the internet, including youth, children and missions training.
We continue to help the members of our church who have lost their jobs because of the pandemic, and have extended that help to some others through members of our church. And Hurricane Eta hits Honduras! This last week has been extremely busy trying to help in every possible way the church can.
Although the hurricane reached level 5 at some point, by the moment it reached Honduras it was a tropical storm, but since our country is bast in rivers that is exactly where it can make the most damage. The heavy rains during 4 days left greater damage in flooding than Hurricane Mitch (which was the last big Hurricane reaching Honduras). To give you an idea, during hurricane Mitch some families waited for the storm to pass in the second floor of their houses; this time with Hurricane Eta those same houses were flooded up to the window levels of the second floor or in some cases cover the complete house. All the north coast of Honduras is the most heavily impacted.
We continue to help the members of our church who have lost their jobs because of the pandemic, and have extended that help to some others through members of our church. And Hurricane Eta hits Honduras! This last week has been extremely busy trying to help in every possible way the church can.
Although the hurricane reached level 5 at some point, by the moment it reached Honduras it was a tropical storm, but since our country is bast in rivers that is exactly where it can make the most damage. The heavy rains during 4 days left greater damage in flooding than Hurricane Mitch (which was the last big Hurricane reaching Honduras). To give you an idea, during hurricane Mitch some families waited for the storm to pass in the second floor of their houses; this time with Hurricane Eta those same houses were flooded up to the window levels of the second floor or in some cases cover the complete house. All the north coast of Honduras is the most heavily impacted.
There has been substantial damage to the roads, bridges, houses, crops, etc. Leaving an yet unidentifiable number of victims. The government is estimating 2 million people impacted, 21 bridges destroyed and 25 damaged, This time thankfully the number of deaths is far less than the previous catastrophes in our country, but is still to be determined since several people are still missing. As I write this note, still rescue teams are hard at work trying to rescue people from different parts of the cities. Near San Pedro Sula, the city of La Lima and surroundings was completely flooded, some communities in San Pedro Sula, and Choloma (just a few miles north form our church) are completely flooded also. I hear the same is happening all along the north coast.
Every church, every person, the private sector, the government, everyone is doing what they can to help the people in need. Many places have been opened as shelters. In our church, some families opened their homes to shelter their relatives and, in some cases, friends, coworkers and their families. Everyone is doing a bit to help. The need is huge, the victims are many. Even the stress is felt, as I mentioned first , we are still in the middle of a pandemic! And this can only trigger the spreading of the virus.
Every church, every person, the private sector, the government, everyone is doing what they can to help the people in need. Many places have been opened as shelters. In our church, some families opened their homes to shelter their relatives and, in some cases, friends, coworkers and their families. Everyone is doing a bit to help. The need is huge, the victims are many. Even the stress is felt, as I mentioned first , we are still in the middle of a pandemic! And this can only trigger the spreading of the virus.
Prayer points:
- Pray for the overall recovery of the country
- For the agriculture of our country - that the land heals so it can be fertile again and that famine is not experienced in Honduras.
- For our government - clarity as to how to proceed with the overwhelming work they are facing
- For the people of Honduras - That we can all experience the shelter of our Lord JesusFor the church in Honduras - that we are provided for, to be able to help in every way possible all the members of our church and our communities
- Please continue to pray for jobs and opportunities for those who have lost or lowered their income.
Our church is helping in several shelters providing personal hygiene articles as well as disinfecting products and mosquito repellents. We know the Mennonite Church in San Pedro Sula is sheltering members of another church and we keep in touch with them to provide some of the needs they are having.
Help is needed and every help you can send will be welcomed. I think the opportunities where we can help the most will come in the next week or month. As people are able to return to their homes, they will need help fixing roofs, walls, electrical; They will need help with beds, stoves, refrigerators, furniture, and everything we know a house needs. We have members of our church who have lost everything in their houses. As the water levels go down we will be able to identify the different needs for each family. Some members of our church have families who have lost everything and are asking if the church could also help them. These needs are also found around neighbors and in every neighborhood affected.We are doing, and will continue to do, everything we can with what we have. Keep us in your prayers! Serving Him along with you,
Javier Soler
Javier Soler
Live Steaming
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