Thursday, August 23, 2007
Hurricane Dean Report
Hurricane Dean,
I just wanted to thank all the people that prayed for Belize because of your prayers I believe the people were spared. There has been no report of loss of life in this country!! The eye of Hurricane Dean hit about 30 miles from us. At San Lazaro Mission we only lost about 4 coconut trees, the mayflower at the front door may pull through but most of the limbs are gone and a large tree in the back also a few flowers. Other than that we had no damage. The thatch building the men had built for the teams leans a bit but that can be fixed but other than that it survived. We got no water in the house at all. When the front porch was fixed that helped with the water. It was a long hot night with all the windows boarded up and not knowing what was going on. While it was still storming Don was out in it trying to save the thatch building and checking on all the things to see the damage. We were relieved there was no roof damage! The village people some lost roofs and a lot of trees are down, the crops are ruined but the young cane may come back. Mr. Hillie lost all his corn and fruit trees the corn was on the ground he was here this morning he said maybe he could pick it up when it dried and still salvage some of it. Armando the man that is a day helper lost most of his roof. A lot of people are suffering in the north end of the country. There are several houses in the village that have no roof at all. It is so sad. People here before the storm hit you could hear them way into the night trying to nail the wooden shutters closed and board up the best they could. Some tried to get tin from us but there was none to be had anywhere even at ten and eleven o’clock they were still out looking for something to cover there windows. No one stayed here they were trying to protect what they had in most cases that is very little. The fruit crops in this end are destroyed and that will mean there is no work for a lot of people. We are only 5 miles from Mexico. We got power back yesterday afternoon and water it is from a generator from Orange Walk at first they said it would be only a hour a day to fill to water tank but so far it has held out I hope it does until the power can be restored from Mexico. There were trees all on the roads and we couldn’t get into Progresso. The radio said the government would help but so far we have only seen one helicopter fly over and some men in trucks. The army made some of the people leave their homes in low areas and go to shelters in the schools and churches. The next day though they told them to go home! I am sure they will declare this end a disaster area and they may get some money from other countries but I don’t know when or if the people will see it! There needs are now what I heard on the radio was asking there family’s to help them. They were asking for food and tin for the roofs. Before the storm hit you couldn’t buy it and what you could was priced ten times what it should have been! There were people from the south however offering tin and food and wanted to come to help so I guess they did. There are needs everywhere. They were wanting to know who was in charge.
Brother Don got a call last night from Progresso and Brother Mauricio Sadausie (the pastor) house blew down and he, his wife and nine children are in the small parsonage that Tony and Kenny’s team rebuilt this summer. They have no toilet or kitchen. Theresa the church leaders’ kitchen blew away but the house stood. The church part of the front tin blew away. Don has gone to Progresso to check on the damage and see what we can do for them. We haven’t heard from Guinea Grass as yet but when Don leaves Progresso he will go there. Brother Santos never was able to finish his house so he lives in a little stick house with cardboard covering the holes. I am sure they went to the church for shelter. They have a large family. We also haven’t heard from Fireburn. The churches in Sand Hill and Hattieville were not hurt by the storm as it went north thank goodness. Don was down there yesterday checking there was no damage. We are trying to do all we can to help, as soon as the rain-stopped people were trying to beat out old tin and put it back up and clean as much as they could. They are doing all they can to get things going again and helping one another. I will post more later when Don returns on the amount of damage to our people and churches. Continue to pray for us and thanks again for the prayers.
I just wanted to thank all the people that prayed for Belize because of your prayers I believe the people were spared. There has been no report of loss of life in this country!! The eye of Hurricane Dean hit about 30 miles from us. At San Lazaro Mission we only lost about 4 coconut trees, the mayflower at the front door may pull through but most of the limbs are gone and a large tree in the back also a few flowers. Other than that we had no damage. The thatch building the men had built for the teams leans a bit but that can be fixed but other than that it survived. We got no water in the house at all. When the front porch was fixed that helped with the water. It was a long hot night with all the windows boarded up and not knowing what was going on. While it was still storming Don was out in it trying to save the thatch building and checking on all the things to see the damage. We were relieved there was no roof damage! The village people some lost roofs and a lot of trees are down, the crops are ruined but the young cane may come back. Mr. Hillie lost all his corn and fruit trees the corn was on the ground he was here this morning he said maybe he could pick it up when it dried and still salvage some of it. Armando the man that is a day helper lost most of his roof. A lot of people are suffering in the north end of the country. There are several houses in the village that have no roof at all. It is so sad. People here before the storm hit you could hear them way into the night trying to nail the wooden shutters closed and board up the best they could. Some tried to get tin from us but there was none to be had anywhere even at ten and eleven o’clock they were still out looking for something to cover there windows. No one stayed here they were trying to protect what they had in most cases that is very little. The fruit crops in this end are destroyed and that will mean there is no work for a lot of people. We are only 5 miles from Mexico. We got power back yesterday afternoon and water it is from a generator from Orange Walk at first they said it would be only a hour a day to fill to water tank but so far it has held out I hope it does until the power can be restored from Mexico. There were trees all on the roads and we couldn’t get into Progresso. The radio said the government would help but so far we have only seen one helicopter fly over and some men in trucks. The army made some of the people leave their homes in low areas and go to shelters in the schools and churches. The next day though they told them to go home! I am sure they will declare this end a disaster area and they may get some money from other countries but I don’t know when or if the people will see it! There needs are now what I heard on the radio was asking there family’s to help them. They were asking for food and tin for the roofs. Before the storm hit you couldn’t buy it and what you could was priced ten times what it should have been! There were people from the south however offering tin and food and wanted to come to help so I guess they did. There are needs everywhere. They were wanting to know who was in charge.
Brother Don got a call last night from Progresso and Brother Mauricio Sadausie (the pastor) house blew down and he, his wife and nine children are in the small parsonage that Tony and Kenny’s team rebuilt this summer. They have no toilet or kitchen. Theresa the church leaders’ kitchen blew away but the house stood. The church part of the front tin blew away. Don has gone to Progresso to check on the damage and see what we can do for them. We haven’t heard from Guinea Grass as yet but when Don leaves Progresso he will go there. Brother Santos never was able to finish his house so he lives in a little stick house with cardboard covering the holes. I am sure they went to the church for shelter. They have a large family. We also haven’t heard from Fireburn. The churches in Sand Hill and Hattieville were not hurt by the storm as it went north thank goodness. Don was down there yesterday checking there was no damage. We are trying to do all we can to help, as soon as the rain-stopped people were trying to beat out old tin and put it back up and clean as much as they could. They are doing all they can to get things going again and helping one another. I will post more later when Don returns on the amount of damage to our people and churches. Continue to pray for us and thanks again for the prayers.
# posted by Don & Pat @ 9:52 AM 
