GUATEMALA – Panabaj is a community of around 75 families at the edge of Lake Atitlan. At least 40 of these families were affected when a mudslide completely buried their homes. Roads were blocked because of the mudslides and aid could not get into the community. (more…)

GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala – Because of the Mt. Pacaya eruption on May 27 and Tropical Storm Agatha’s landfall only a few days later, many people in Guatemala are struggling. According to the national disaster authority, CONRED, 152,488 people have been affected and 142,959 people displaced. In several villages, houses were seriously damaged and there is little access to channels of communication.

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GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala—Tropical Storm Agatha was a catastrophic tropical storm that produced torrential rain and caused widespread flooding in much of Guatemala. (more…)

TALCAHUANO, Chile – Talcahuano was hurt badly by the tsunami that hit Chile’s coast. The naval port was completely swept away and the water system collapsed. Those who lost their homes are being housed in schools and the Chilean government is helping to take care of their needs as well as providing water in the city. (more…)

SAN VICENTE, El Salvador- We arrived to the center of San Vicente where donations were being brought in from several organizations and dozens of El Salvadorians were working hard to bring relief to their fellow victims.

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BEAUMONT, Texas – On Sunday, our motor convoy of disaster relief staff, mobile command center, mobile kitchen, 20-ton crane, skid steer loader, construction trailer and truckloads of roofing supplies, food, water and relief supplies, left the staging area near Dallas at 5:30 a.m. for what should have been a 5 hour drive to Beaumont, Texas. (more…)

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras – It’s hard to imagine that a bump to the elbow could land you in the hospital – but such was the case for 11-year-old Eric Vargas of Honduras. (more…)

While waiting for the DHL flight to arrive with our shipment of water purification systems, Dorca, a DHL representative, read me the day’s newspaper report: 1,500 acres of crops, bananas, rice and corn worth $6.5 million had been destroyed. People have left their homes for temporary shelters in fear of snakes and electrical poles falling into the water. In many places, there are no drainage systems and the wells have become contaminated leaving residents without a supply of clean water. (more…)

I can’t get online this morning here at the hotel. I called the front desk and the man said, “Sorry, the internet is down.”

Today is a big day. We’re meeting the First Lady of Honduras and an array of media, government, medical, education and church leaders in a gala celebration marking the launch of Operation Blessing’s nationwide anti-parasite campaign. (more…)