Newsletter - November, 2009

The Least of These My Brethren

November, 2009

Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me." Matt. 25:40

Published by the Society of the Good Shepherd, P. O. Box 122, Amberson, PA 17210. (717) 349-7033

They Escaped with Just the Clothes on Their Backs

Here in the United States, most of us probably read about Hurricane Ida that hit Central America and the Gulf Coast of the U. S. about a week ago. For most of us, it was just a small news item. We were relieved that it didn’t do any great damage to the Gulf Coast. However, it’s easy for us to forget the devastating impact that Ida had on many families in Central America. As is usually true with hurricanes, most of the devastation was not from the high winds, but from the huge amount of rain it dumped on Nicaragua and El Salvador. As it turns out, our main director in Honduras, Luis Vega, along with his family, were in El Salvador visiting relatives when Hurricane Ida hit. The Vega family and their relatives came close to losing their lives from the flooding and mud slides. They all escaped with just the clothes on their backs. I’ll let Luis relate the situation in his own words:

On November 6, all of our family made a trip to El Salvador to visit friends and relatives. We were staying with my brother-in-law in a small town. At 1:00 a.m. on Sunday the 8th, we all awoke from the sound of heavy rain. The rain started pouring harder than before, and we soon discovered that the street in front of the house had turned into a river, with rocks and debris being carried along in the current. Realizing we were in danger, our family moved from our house to the family van, which was on higher ground. However, our brother-in-law felt that he and his family were safer in the house. Within a few minutes after we left the house, there was a loud trembling followed by a huge mudslide, which destroyed the wall around the house and turned the backyard into a river of mud, rocks and debris. A few seconds later, we heard screaming and realized that it was my brother-in-law, his wife, their 18-day-old baby, and their two young children. There were also screams from a man and a girl we didn’t know. Thankfully, we were able to rescue them, and all of us climbed to safety on higher ground, where we spent the night in some large trucks parked there.
We waited there until sunrise. At dawn, people started yelling for loved ones. Some of us climbed down from where we were to assess what had happened to my brother-in-law’s house and to help neighbors dig out bodies. We discovered that our van was totally destroyed in the mudslide. In the afternoon, my other brother-in-law came to our rescue to get us out of the town and move us to the capital city. We are grateful to our God because He has a plan for us. The phrase, GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME, takes on a whole new meaning.

The Vega family is ok; we have some material losses but nothing serious. My brother-in-law’s family, on the other hand, have lost all their things. They have no bed, no shoes, no clothes, no car, nowhere to cook, and little food. As I write this newsletter, Luis Vega is back in Siguatepeque, Honduras, organizing a relief team. They plan on returning to El Salvador on Tuesday, November 17, with a truck- load of rice, beans, and other food—along with clothing, bedding, shovels, pick-axes, wheelbarrows and other items needed to help the survivors and to clear the rocks and other debris. Thousands of people have lost everything. They literally have nothing left but the clothes they were wearing that night. Knowing the hearts of our readers, the Society has already forwarded funds in advance to Luis, to help him to purchase the items needed immediately. If you would like to help in this relief effort, please send donations to the Society of the Good Shepherd, P. O. Box 122, Amberson, PA 17210. Or donations can be made on our website at: www.scrollpublishing.com/store/donations.html. Please indicate that the donation is for El Salvador. Thank you and God be with you. DAVID BERCOT

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