Nicaraguan Hurricane Refugee Relief Project

Southern California District Assemblies of God

Refugio Betesda

Bethesda Refugee Camp

In the last days of October 1998, Hurricane Mitch was bringing pounding rains to the small villages that dotted the slopes of the active Casita Volcano in Western Nicaragua. It rained for nine days straight before the mountain collapsed under the weight of the storm, sending a ten foot high wall of geothermally-heated water, mud, and volcanic rock tumbling down on the residents below.

At the refugee camp the memories are still very painful, but the community struggles to find meaning in the life that remains. Committed individuals from the group have risen to the challenge of leadership, organizing the distribution of relief supplies and setting up a school. One man who lost his entire family summarized the situation well: "I don't know why I'm still alive, but I'm alive because God has a reason. I will keep living to find that reason."

The Memories they Live With

Survivors have lost everything. Only half a house remained where there were a handful of villages. Not only have they lost all their earthly possessions, but most of their families as well. Some are the only survivors of close-knit extended families of sixty or more. Many can tell you stories of loved ones being ripped from their arms by the crush of mud. The man mentioned above tells the chilling tale of his unsuccessful efforts to save his young sons as the waters washed him over a mile from where his house once stood.

Their Needs and Our Mission

Now, new homes have been built and CARE has installed a clean water supply, so our project is focussed on their community facilities and land limitations. Our dream is to see a complete school and community gathering facility erected to replace the tents and tarps they set up after the disaster, to help them aquire additional property, and perhaps even to help provide resources for the establishment of crops and or livestock food sources. Latin America ChildCare is helping with a new school with meals & medical care and churches and HonorBound leaders here in Southern California are raising funds for any further purchases of land, the funding of the school's construction and initial two years' operating costs, and to send construction teams to work alongside the camp residents and erect the buildings. As one Nicaraguan pastor puts it: with a little bit of resources, committed people can do a lot in the Lord. (Click here to hear the 99k WAV recorded in Nicaragua.)

How Others Can Help

Prayer: The survivors and their leaders, our team leadership, and the entire project need great amounts of prayer.

One-Time Startup Donations: We need to try to raise the $50,000 needed to ensure that the school will have the funds required to remain in operation for the first few years (that includes amounts in the monthly giving below).

Monthly School Pledges: A Special Project fund has been established through Latin America ChildCare to provide ongoing funding for student sponsorship and staffing at the school.

Work Crews: HonorBound Sectional Representatives will be preparing work teams to go to Nicaragua and assist in the construction of the new community facilities. We will need hard-working volunteers and a handful of expert construction leaders for each team.

Work Crew Sponsors: Some of those who will be most available and qualified for these work teams will not have the resources to pay for the costs of travel to the camp.

For the most up-to-date information on how to help, see our news page.

If you might be able to help with any of these areas,or have suggestions for other ways to assist our efforts, please contact us. If you represent a church or other organization, one of our representatives may be able to come and give a presentation. We are also have a promotional video which you can use as well. Let us know how we can help you to help us to help these wonderful people!