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Missionaries provide aid to Hondurans, Nicaraguans

Nov. 18, 1998        Contact: Linda Bloom*(212)870-3803*New York
{680}

By Connie Nelson*

United Methodist missionaries based in Honduras and Nicaragua are
organizing both spiritual and material aid to survivors of Hurricane
Mitch.

In Honduras, the Rev. Lyda Pierce and the Rev. Paul Jeffrey have
assisted the Christian Commission for Development with its relief
efforts throughout the country. Pierce and Jeffrey are Board of Global
Ministries personnel assigned to the commission, the country's primary
Protestant development organization based in the capital city of
Tegucigalpa.

In addition to coordinating emergency shelters during the initial chaos,
Pierce is organizing a program of pastoral care for victims suffering
from post-traumatic shock syndrome.  She also is designing one-day
seminars for pastors responding to the spiritual and psychological needs
of survivors.

"The church in Honduras faces an immediate task of helping people find
hope somewhere amidst the mud and struggle, wherever that hope may be --
in some vision, in a symbol, in a relationship," Pierce said via e-mail.
  
"It is essential that people have a safe space to share their grieving
and confusion and sadness, and in the church we've got to help people
refrain from offering easy answers about what has happened here," she
said.

Jeffrey, her husband, is a professional photojournalist and has served
as communication officer for the commission. He briefs international
news media on the relief efforts of religious organizations and writes
daily news items to the commission's partner organizations.

The international response to the commission's emergency ministries has
been "rapid and generous," Jeffrey said. He also said he was "impressed
with the commitment of Honduran church workers to respond selflessly to
the disaster."

"I've seen people who've lost their homes out in the rain taking other
people to shelter, helping comfort those who mourn, and feeding the
hungry," he explained. "In addition to the suffering, the storm has
produced thousands of stories of personal heroism and sacrifice."

Andres Thomas Conteris, in the United States at the time of the
hurricane, is organizing a Washington, D.C.,-based international network
of individuals and organizations through the Washington Committee for
Honduras.  

According to Conteris, a  missionary also assigned to the commission,
the emphasis of the networking efforts is to focus on the calamity in
Honduras through raising funds and material aid, which will be channeled
to people most in need.

Armando and Alida Rodriguez, assigned to the Board of Global Ministries'
Honduras Mission Initiative in Tegucigalpa, are currently in the United
States, where they are expected to remain temporarily to help coordinate
aid.	

Other mission personnel based in Honduras include Amparo and Angel
(Gary) Garay, assigned to the Honduras Mission Initiative in Danli, and
Jessica Culley, a mission intern based in Quimistan and assigned to the
commission. They will continue to be active in relief efforts within
their local communities in cooperation with the commission.

In Nicaragua, where 4,000 people were killed by Mitch and 1,300 are
listed as missing, board missionaries assigned to CEPAD (Council of
Evangelical Churches of Nicaragua) have been in constant communication
with partner organizations, supporting churches and friends by e-mail,
providing updates on the catastrophe and coordinating relief requests.

Nan McCurdy and Miguel Mairena, based in the capital city of Managua,
continue to coordinate emergency relief donated to CEPAD from agencies
around the world, including the United Methodist Committee on Relief
(UMCOR).

In the community of San Francisco Libre, north of Managua and across
Lake Managua, the couple - with a team of psychologists - delivered
supplies Nov. 12 and listened to the stories of people whose lives have
been permanently changed by the flooding there.

"There are 223 completely destroyed or disappeared houses just in San
Francisco Libre, and dozens partially destroyed," McCurdy said. 
	
"The lake, which used to be about a kilometer from the main street,
continues to rise. We pulled up the boat and started unloading supplies
right onto the main street - strange to say the least!" she reported via
e-mail.
 
"The groups we work with have been able to deliver an incredible amount
of priority aid in the first two weeks after the initial disaster,"
McCurdy said. "UMCOR sent a disaster specialist (Larry Powell), who said
that by acting quickly to get the emergency aid in ... we contributed to
saving many lives."

Dr. Belinda Forbes, based in Managua, has traveled to neighboring
communities to assess needs, and has consulted with the relief agencies,
including UMCOR.

During a meeting of religious relief organizations, Forbes heard reports
of both devastation and hope amid the chaos.

"One fireman talked of moving through the affected areas in San
Francisco Libre in a 'panga' (small motorboat) and coming across a woman
who was giving birth to her son in a tree," she said. "A very brave
rescuer made a risky attempt to reach the woman, and they managed to get
her and her live son to safety, wrapping the newborn in a jacket and
showing (the baby) around town when they got back."
	
Forbes is working with the Association of Iglesias de Cristo (AICN), a
group of Protestant churches in Nicaragua, in the distribution of
medicine, food, and financial aid. 
 
"The tears are flowing," Forbes said, "but God is present with small
signs of grace in the midst of tragedy."

Missionary Daniel Heiner, also assigned to Nicaragua, is based in the
southern part of the country. That area was not affected by Hurricane
Mitch.

Donations for relief work should be designated to UMCOR and earmarked
for "Hurricanes '98," Advance No. 982515-0. Checks can be left in church
collection plates or mailed directly to UMCOR at 475 Riverside Drive,
Room 330, New York, NY 10115.

# # # 

*Nelson is an executive with the Board of Global Ministries' Mission
Resource Center in Atlanta.	

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United Methodist News Service
(615)742-5470
Releases and photos also available at
http://www.umc.org/umns/

United Methodist News Service
(615)742-5470
Releases and photos also available at
http://www.umc.org/umns/