June 2018 – Give Me Shelter Ministries

June 18, 2018

Guatemala Mission Trip – June 15, 2018

Today is a day of reflection on what we have encountered. I guess words can’t really express how cruel and beautiful nature can be. The true crime to humanity is if we don’t respond to the cards that we’ve been dealt. Only God knows why things like this happens and only God knows who will respond. All I know is that His timing is perfect.

We were one of the first foreign response teams to arrive besides the rescue workers from Guatemala and Mexico, news agencies and gawkers. I don’t know where this goes but our willingness to work under the authority of CONRED has opened a door that not many can go through. The relocation process will start soon and we have to be ready to mobilize. I think our initial goal will be to build 10 houses. At the request of CONRED we are working on an architectural drawing with house specifications. This will be presented before CONRED for approval. There will be details to work out but I am confident that we will get the green light. I think we can accomplish the construction of one house for $5000.00, possibly less. I met with the architect again this morning who is donating his talents to finalize some details for our house project. After our meeting I spent the rest of the day with Russ and Vicky. Jim took some alone time. I leave in the morning back to the states. We will start our plea for open hearts and minds to help us get this much needed project off the ground. Praise God from whom all blessings flow.
Kenny

June 15, 2018June 18, 2018

Guatemala Mission Trip – June 14, 2018

We headed out at 5:00 this morning to make sure we were at the red zone by 7:00 am. On the way we stopped by a local bakery to pick up some pastries to hand out to the officials at the road block. Sometimes to reach someone’s heart you gotta go through their stomach. I’m not saying that this really helped but they were stoked to get sweet bread and they put our name on the list to enter with the rescue workers.

We were able to walk in to Los Lotes a small town that has been on the news as one of the hardest hit areas. Most of the town is covered with ash, lava and mud. Many lives were lost and there is a large number of people missing. At least 300 is a number I keep hearing. The relief workers are working from dawn to dusk digging out the homes looking for bodies. At this point I do not believe they are expecting to find survivors. The flow looks to me like it was about a quarter of a mile wide.

Once we came back down I met with CONRED to discuss our plan of shelter once the relocation process starts. We are working with a local architect to draw up a simple, indigenous permanent structure. CONRED will submit the plan for approval. We will certainly need financial gifts for this project. Our goal is 10 homes to start the project. The homes will cost between 3500.00- 5500.00 per house. These homes will have concrete footer, floor, block walls and metal roofs. We will use local labor but teams are welcome to join our efforts. Our readers can make this possible. Praise God from whom all blessings flow.

Kenny

We interviewed this family. They told us of their horrific escape and of the family members who did not survive.

Two displaced girls with no home and surely left with family members who did not survive.

Jim giving an aid worker a much needed mask. Our clothes were covered in ash so the masks are very important.

These are two story buildings and I’m standing in the top of the trees. The whole village is covered with 10-15 feet at least of the flow.

Digging out. The process is slow and tedious.

This building was one of the first to get hit in this village.

Los Lotes was right in the path of the flow.

Russ giving a pastry to one of the officials at the road block. I think the conversation was “I’ll give you a pastry for 4 names on the list”. It worked.

June 14, 2018June 14, 2018

Guatemala Mission Trip – June 13, 2018

After a great night of sleep, Russ and his brother in law picked us up and we headed back towards Escuintla. Today’s agenda was to hopefully get close to ground zero. We stopped by Clinicas Vida and Doctor Kenny came along to help us try and get permission to enter the red zone. Once we got our merry band of gypsies together we headed to COMRED.

COMRED is the government agency in Guatemala that oversees all relief efforts in time of crisis. We did have a fruitful talk with them and they gave us their blessings. But, it’s really up to the police. Soooo, here we go down the trail of red tape. We arrived at the road that goes up towards the volcano Fuego and sure enough the road was blocked. The military and police are present and after telling them our desire to go up the mountain they just smiled and said no. Mostly because it was raining and the rain compounds the problem. What they did say was, be here at 7:00 in the morning and they would let us in with the rescue workers. It was getting late in the afternoon so we decided to go find ice cream. Which we did. Tomorrow is another day. Praise God from whom all blessings flow.

Kenny

Up this road is where so many people became homeless and lost many loved ones.

June 13, 2018June 13, 2018

Guatemala Mission Trip – June 12, 2018

I met Jim Jennings with Conscience International in Atlanta and headed to Guatemala City to begin an assessment on the Fuego eruption. This is the first time Jim and I have worked in the field together. I am very excited about this opportunity. I’m usually solo. We met Russ and Vickie who are missionaries here at a hospital about 10 hours from the city. They will be working with us while here. Once we left the airport we headed to Escuintla a small town where there are staging areas for shelter, food, clothing and medical assistance. Russ introduced us to a doctor named Kenny who runs a social clinic for the desperate called Clinicas Vida. He took us to the distribution areas, a field clinic and a shelter of 1200 displaced people. Tomorrow we will try to approach ground zero. Praise God from whom all blessings flow.

Kenny