As our readers know, earlier this year, the Honduran government took strong measures to prevent the Covid-19 pandemic from spreading throughout the country. While these measures were quite effective in reducing the number of Covid deaths, they also caused widespread food shortages, the permanent closing of many businesses, and the loss of tens of thousands of jobs. Nevertheless, by the first of November, our country was finally climbing back economically—although many people were still out of work.
But then, during the first week of November, Hurricane Eta hit our country. It was the strongest storm to ravage Honduras since Hurricane Mitch in 1998. Between the winds and the torrential rains, thousands of homes were washed away or severely damaged. Even when homes were not destroyed, the rising flood waters have often ruined everything in those homes. Furthermore, all across the country, crops have been severely damaged.
Nancy Barahona, the secretary for the Society of the Good Shepherd in Honduras, has a cousin who lives in a low-lying area. Her cousin thought she would be able to ride out the rains in her home, but the flood waters soon reached her home. The water rose so swiftly that by the time she realized she was in danger, she had to wade out of her house in waist-deep waters. This cousin finally did reach safety, but she saw her neighbor being swept away in the flood waters. The neighbor is still missing.
Our main director in Honduras, Luis Vega, has been working with local pastors in various places to bring relief to those areas hardest hit by the hurricane. One of these places is the small town of San Juan de Oriente, which has a population of about 10,000. This town received such heavy destruction from Eta that it is hard to fathom. This week Luis and others were able to transport medicine, a doctor, and a nursing team to the town to attend to various medical needs. Over the last two weeks over 600 food bags have been distributed, and this coming week we are planning on distributing 600-700 more food bags. Luis has worked closely with pastor Jesus Correa, a local pastor in San Juan de Oriente, who has marshaled various church leaders to help distribute the food and clothing the Society brought. Many members of the Mennonite church in Siguatepeque have helped in this endeavor, and they have also worked to begin cleaning up the town from the mud and other debris.
Another area where Luis and his teams have been working is the Indian village of Guayaquira. In the June newsletter, I discussed our work in that village of helping the Indians to market their blackberry crop. Just when the people there were recovering from the economic problems brought on by the pandemic, they were hit by Eta. The rains caused several mud slides, which closed one of the roads to the village. The high winds destroyed 60% to 70% of the corn and bean crops and roughly 50% of the blackberry plants. Thinking they were safe from any further storms this season, the villagers began replanting the blackberry bushes last week.
However, as I write this newsletter, Hurricane Iota has now struck Honduras. This marks the first time on record that two major Atlantic hurricanes have developed during the month of November. The national police report that new flooding is already occurring in Honduras from the rains that Iota has dumped. Please pray for us! Though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we will not fear. Again, thank you for your giving and your prayers. May God use these back-to-back disasters as opportunities to bring His people closer together.
Julie Nyhoff de Valladares
The Society of the Good Shepherd, P. O. Box 122, Amberson, PA 17210 • (717) 349-7033
Click on the following link if you would care to make a donation to the work in Honduras: Honduras Donations