wfn.org | Church response to Mitch

["Curt Miller"<wshuffit@oc.disciples.org>]

Disciples leaders travelling in Nicaragua, Honduras and El Salvador
are finding horrific hurricane damage.

Right now, David Vargas, Division of Overseas Ministries executive 
for
Latin America and the Caribbean, and Ed Taylor, Director of
Stewardship Services, Church Finance Council, are leading a
study\mission group of several Disciples pastors in Central America.
Although the trip was planned long before Hurricane Mitch, the storm
has given it new meaning.

In a phone call Nov. 4, Vargas said damage in Nicaragua is "as bad 
or
worse as shown on American television news." He urged Disciples to
contact government officials and ask them to send helicopters to
Nicaragua immediately. People are still hanging in trees or sitting 
on
rooftops as the flooding continues. Washed out bridges have made
travel by land nearly impossible, which means rescue aid and food is
not getting to those in need.

Vargas also asked Disciples to encourage U.S. government officials 
to
bring pressure on the Nicaraguan government so that taxes would not 
be
charged on humanitarian shipments.

The death toll now stands at more than 7,000 and is may exceed 
10,000.
Devastation to homes, schools, basic infrastructure, farms, shops, 
etc
is enormous. Entire communities have been destroyed. Vargas said the
main road from Managua, the Nicaraguan capital, to Leone is 
impassible
because six or seven bridges are destroyed. The fate of many 
Atlantic
Coast villages is still unknown.

Week of Compassion is receiving regular reports from Church World
Service and Action by Churches Together as well as from partners in
the region. CWS and ACT issued a joint appeal for $250,000, but that
appeal is now being revised and updated as extent of damage and
suffering continues to grow.

WOC has already rushed $15,000 in emergency grants to the CCD (the
Christian Commission for Development) in Honduras; AIEH (the service
arm of the Evangelical and Reformed Church in Honduras); and
Salvadoran Lutheran Relief (the relief arm of the Lutheran Synod in
El Salvador. WOC anticipates receiving requests today from the
Christian Mission in Nicaragua, our Nicaraguan partner church and 
from
CEPAD and CIEETS, two other Disciples partners in the country. In 
the
meanwhile, WOC is preparing a response to the CWS\ACT appeal. 

Needs are simply enormous. The countries affected also have limited
resources with which to respond. Churches and their related services
agencies are the only source of help and hope for many communities.
Contributions to Week of Compassion for Hurricane Mitch are needed,
appreciated and will be used in their entirety to assist storm 
victims
and support the relief and recovery efforts of our church partners.
Contributions can also be routed through the Division of Overseas
Ministries. And your prayers for the people affected and for our
partners who are responding are also greatly needed and appreciated. 

For several years Disciples mission groups have worked in Honduras,
Nicaragua, El Salvador and Guatemala. WOC will try to post regular
updates from our partner churches and agencies there.

Additional news
can be found at: Week of Compassion updates:
http://www.disciples.org/woc Global Ministries:
http://www.disciples.org/dom Disaster News Network:
http://www.disasternews.net