Puerto Rico
Hurricane Maria entered Puerto Rico’s southeast side on Wednesday, September 20, with category 4 winds of 155 miles per hour. This is the worst storm the island has experienced in eighty years. The entire island, home to 63 Alliance churches, is without power. CNN reports that 3 million people will be without power for four to six months.
A video taken in the city of Manati, where five Alliance churches are located, shows a home with its roof blown off and several downed trees. Many Alliance people have reported they are safe. Gabriella Martinez, children’s director at La Cumbre, said, “We are fine. We have no water or electricity and hardly any connection, but God is faithful and good.”
The National Office received news from the C&MA Puerto Rico District on Thursday that Superintendent Javier Gomez has designated Pastor John E. Sierra as the disaster relief coordinator. We will provide additional updates as they become available. Meanwhile, please pray for the people of Puerto Rico to have hope and peace in the midst of their current circumstances.
Mexico
According to a September 20, 2017, report from The Christian and Missionary Alliance in Canada, an Alliance church in Juchitan, Mexico, was severely damaged from recent earthquakes and condemned as a result. The church hopes to rebuild not only a church building but also a refuge center that can serve as a multipurpose space.
Immense restoration work throughout the region is needed. There are approximately 200,000 living on the streets in the affected areas, with a majority of homes being damaged as well as having the risk of collapsing as a result of the aftershocks. “The towns outside of the city are not receiving much assistance, and the need is overwhelming,” the report said.
Florida
Four churches that previously reported little to no damage have now found roofing and A/C unit damage that will require serious repairs. Matt Perrotto, site coordinator for Envision Miami, is helping Tim Bechtol, a volunteer from Pennsylvania, send a 56-foot truck down to the Florida Keys with water, MREs (Meal, Ready-to-Eat), personal hygiene products, and clean-up supplies.
Texas
CAMA workers and C&MA church members have started phase two of the recovery process for victims of Hurricane Harvey. Now that houses have been stripped down, teams can begin the sanitation process (phase two), which includes cleaning, drying, and throwing away precious possessions that have now become trash.
Phase three (reconstruction) has also begun for many families. This includes checking electrical systems, rehanging exterior and interior doors, and installing temporary cabinets to hold sinks in the kitchen and bathrooms. The goal is to make each house minimally functional for each family before full recovery can be realized.
If you’d like more information about volunteering to help in Texas, visit camaservices.org/volunteer