In Guatemala, hundreds of people still missing. They are buried under the ashes of volcano. A small town located a few kilometers from the volcano survived the terrible destruction and is now covered with debris. The Christian Church and the volunteers assist the weary rescue workers and grieving families.
The volcano De Fuego threw hot lava on the hillside and the cloud of ash on surrounding villages. This woman said that 20 of her relatives were missing. She prayed for the help of the President: “Mr. President, my family was gone. Send a helicopter to dump water because they burn”. The whole village was buried under volcanic ash. Many survivors fled to shelters. Missionary Kim Weiler said that most people are still in shock.
“Almost all the inhabitants of this village are dead. People saw how their families were dying. They don’t know how many people died for sure, but there are dozens of families, and only a little escaped. Now we pray with them, so pray with us,” says the missionary.
Many of the survivors suffered burns. Among them children. One of the worst stories happened to a woman who lost 40 relatives. She and her daughter survived because heard the commotion and went outside.
“This woman saw with my own eyes, how her family took mud flow. It was in the afternoon. They were sitting at home when suddenly the eruption began. It was a shock to everyone. They didn’t even have a chance to survive,” says the translator.
“Operation blessing” si-bi-EN arrived on the scene to help volunteers and victims of the tragedy. Geraldine Motta — Director of “Operation blessing” of Guatemala.
Due to the ongoing eruptions of the Guatemalan army were asked to “Operation blessing” to evacuate to a safer area. Volunteers focused on helping the three thousand people who moved to shelters, providing them food and medicines, as well as praying and serving others.
“We brought food for the rescuers and masks, so they were protected during the work, says Geraldine Mott, Director of “Operation blessing”, Guatemala. — We have toiletries, like toothpaste and brushes. In addition, we give a complete cereals for children, because we know how much they love it. We want you to be comfortable in shelters”.
Missionary Kim Weiler says that now the victims need love, comfort and prayers. But soon they will need housing.
“We will help them rebuild homes and lives. And for that we need finances, we need the help of other people. And in this matter the United States and the American Church can help us in an amazing way,” urged the missionary.