The Eye of the Hurricane
October 14, 2022
He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.
Matthew 8:26
Dear Friends,
This will be a short but urgent update. We returned to Nicaragua just in time to experience Hurricane Julia, in fact we arrived at our home in Pearl Lagoon only the day before Julia, a category 1 hurricane slammed into the Caribbean Coast of Nicaragua with maximum sustained winds of 85 miles per hour.
The night the hurricane arrived we spent mopping the floor and moving items away from windows in case they broke. Around 2 in the morning, all of a sudden, the winds died down and stopped and all was quiet and peaceful for ½ an hour until the eye of the storm passed. It was amazing to experience such a calm when only a few minutes before we were in the middle of the chaos of a hurricane. After about 20 minutes we could begin to hear an approaching storm that was increasing in strength by the second. Then with even stronger winds we were engulfed in the eyewall and the winds had reversed 180 degrees. From our previous experience with cyclones we knew that the winds are stronger as the storm is moving away and Julia was no different. Thankfully we were able to stay ahead of the water coming in and no windows broke. A tree in our yard fell over but thankfully our truck wasn’t parked under it as was usually the case. During the storm Nancy quoted Bible passages and sang hymns. We could clearly see God's hand protecting us.
The next day around noon when the winds began to subside we ventured out to assess the damage. Lots of blown over trees, some broken windows and a few roofs damaged or gone but in general most homes had survived. One of the reasons for this is that Pearl Lagoon sits about a mile back from the Atlantic Ocean on a lagoon and as a result there is not much storm surge and the winds begin to reduce once the storm makes landfall. Unfortunately the communities that are right on the coast did not fare so well.
As the storm moved inland it dumped a large amount of rain in some areas. All this rain ended up flooding many communities including Rama which is about an hour away. Unbelievably the container with over 6,000 Christian books and Bibles had arrived about 24 hours before Julia did so we were very concerned that they too would be destroyed. We are praising God though as yesterday we learned that most of the full containers we stacked on empty containers so they would be less likely to flood. It sure does make you realize though that we have an enemy that doesn’t want these books distributed to the people. Please pray for God’s continued protection as we are to receive the books this coming week.
The past few days we have been gearing up to help the communities as much as possible. Several days ago Steven travelled with a group of church members to the village of Tasbapauni. They delivered food for 30 families, sufficient for a few days while additional help arrives. Nancy and Norman purchased rice, flour, sugar, salt and oil for an additional 20 families and would like to purchase enough for an additional 30 as the community of Set Net Point is still in great need. There are so many needs right now but this is where we would like to begin. Any help you can give will be appreciated and will help some of the most needy in this area.
Ways you can help
The most important support you can give us is to pray for the people of Central America. This is the third hurricane the region has experienced in the last two years. Also pray for us as we determine the best way we can assist the people around us.
MiracleAir has been putting together food packages consisting of rice, flour, salt, oil and sugar. With two hundred US dollars we can make up 20 packages that will give each family a 20 pounds of food. We are also considering purchasing our own motor boat that would allow us to access these areas more frequently and go to some of the areas that have not yet been visited. Donating is tax deductible and easy.
Don't forget that MiracleAir plans to support local missionaries for an initial 6 month period. These missionaries will work in the communities surrounding Pearl Lagoon, many of which have just suffered this devastating hurricane. The missionary would receive a small stipend and we would budget an additional amount that can be used for travel and conducting evangelism. Our goal is to raise $10,000 for this outreach project that will cover the cost of shipping the study guides, books and Bibles along with the local salaries for the missionaries. These resources are expected to arrive this week and we still need approximately $6,500 to complete the budget for this project.
In addition to funding our special projects we still need funds to cover our family expenses. If you're not already doing so, please consider giving even a small donation on a monthly basis. Even $10 or $20 each month will make a significant difference. Setup a Monthly Donation
Prayer Requests & Praises
We praise God for:
Allowing us to return to Nicaragua before the storm arrived.
Safety during the hurricane and that there was no loss of life in the communities around us.
Please pray for:
Those severely effected by the storm and the many homes, crops and livelihoods that were damaged.
Our evangelism outreach project along the coast of Nicaragua and the local missionaries that will be working in these areas.
Flight permissions to be granted in Nicaragua. Now more than ever this float plane is needed here. We are eager to see our Bush Hawk arrive soon
Our children Melanie and Andie as they continue their university studies in the US & Canada
Thank you, once again, to each one of you who love and care for us. We are honored to be working with you in God’s mission field.
Nancy, Norman & Steven Hansen