Surviving Alma
I received an email this morning from Linda in our “Link Group” at Seacoast asking about how we’re doing after Tropical Storm Alma. I realized that I never updated you on the direct impact of the storm on us here in Managua. (Thank you, Linda, for the reminder!)
The CFCI missionaries here were not affected. We just got a lot of rain (no wind to speak of — at least not compared to the hurricanes we’ve lived through in the Carolinas). I guess Amber and I were the “unlucky ones” of the base. We were without power for about 30 hours (but that’s not all that uncommon in Nicaragua even in calm weather). We got by with our “homemade power system” (picture below) and went without showering for a day (the water was out for awhile too). Everything is back on now and there was no damage to our property.
Here’s our power source during blackouts:
I snapped this picture of Amber, about to head out into the storm:
Unfortunately, the storm did impact the poor of our city (and undoubtedly the poor in low-lying coastal areas).
Amber serves with another ministry called “Nueva Imagen” (New Image) reaching out to women on the streets of Managua. They have a weekly Bible study with about six ladies. Some of the women were profoundly affected by the storm. Several families lost their tin roofs and suffered major flooding. Everything was soaked with rain — including their beds — and many of the women and their kids do not have dry clothes to wear.
We’re trying to gather some donations of clothes to give to the women and their families. We’d really appreciate your prayers for these dear people as they recover. (And we’re grateful for your ongoing prayers for the “Nueva Imagen” ministry in general.)
Fabricio and Claudia’s families live in the northwestern city of Chinandega. The storm hit that area hard. Fabricio’s aunt lost fifty plantain trees in the storm and they are still without power and phone service. Please pray for them this week!
Beyond these personal accounts, we understand that three people died in the storm (praise God that there were no more) and over 25,000 were evacuated from the coast. This BBC story explains. And the untold story — Nicaragua’s poor, like the women of “Nueva Imagen,” living in flooded makeshift shacks — continues.
Thank you for your prayers and support for the people of Nicaragua. We’ll update you as we learn more about Alma’s impact on the country.
