A New Hope is Born

GOOD SAMARITAN REPORT 2005

In regard to natural disasters, the year 2005 marked a historical record. Twenty-seven hurricanes have kept the inhabitants of the Caribbean, Central America and the United States in check, and caused great devastations worsening the living conditions of those people a great deal.

From 15 November to 13 December, sister Santina Mascerà, responsible for the Work of the Good Samaritan, together with the representative of the German Union, Gustavo Castellanos, visited the southern part of Mexico and certain regions in some Central American countries that have been affected by the hurricane, Stan. The visiting program included the development of certain humanitarian projects in some countries in Central America.

The purpose of the trip, in the first place, was that of assisting the rescuing team to help the brothers and sisters in the faith who had been affected by the hurricane and giving them spiritual and moral support. In these countries, plans were made to sustain the Good Samaritan Work and offerings and basic commodities were given out. The beneficiaries received donations amounting to 24,183,72 euros. This modest sum has given new hope and trust in the future. This was made possible thanks to the offerings coming from Germany, Austria, Italy, Switzerland and Spain.

Honduras: A Stormy Welcome

On 17 November, hurricane Gama welcomed us in Honduras. At night, before the terrible flood made the main roads impassable, we managed to reach the city San Pedro Sula, on the Atlantic coast. Later on, for four days, innumerable storms lashed the western and southern part of the country causing much damage.

On Friday 18 November, the leader of the community in Honduras, Inocencio Guardado, told us by phone that it would not be possible for him to meet us, as it had been previously agreed, because the innumerable storms in the south of the country prevented him from coming. He added that many persons were trying to rescue the few things they had left by hanging them from the ceiling of their homes, and that the area was full of poisonous snakes that due to the flood had left their hiding place.

On that Friday we wanted to evacuate many people and our brethren from the area where bananas are grown, around the city of Lima, to a place near San Pedro Sula, in order to protect them from the alluvium.

Our attempt failed because the roads were impassable due to the heavy rain. Therefore, on Saturday, at four o’clock in the morning, we decided to try again, but the whole area was completely flooded.

In Honduras, hurricane Gama left 30,000 homeless people, 34 dead and many scattered. According to the report we received, there were no victims among the members of our community. 1000 dollars were immediately handed out to the social work of the Good Samaritan in Honduras, and thanks to the help of a regional private television channel an appeal was made asking for clothes.

We thank the Lord for stretching His protective and merciful hand upon the brethren and their co-workers.

The Work of the Good Samaritan sponsors a primary school in Honduras. From the 53 pupils who attend the different classes, 22 children have been sponsored by Italy in the year 2005 and this year they are being sponsored by Germany by means of school adoption at a distance. These children come from very poor families who live in indigent conditions. The increasing number of pupils calls for the school building to be enlarged.

The sponsoring of schoolchildren is based on a selection done by the head of the Good Samaritan department, Estela de Núñez, who follows a very precise criteria and interviews the poor families.

Guatemala And El Salvador-Assistance To The Poorest

On October 2005, when hurricane Stan lashed across Guatemala and El Salvador leaving thousands dead, especially in Guatemala, and causing innumerable material damages, the Work of the Good Samaritan donated 3,000 dollars to buy and distribute basic commodities among those affected. Enrique de León, honorary leader of the Work of the Good Samaritan, together with a team of volunteers, started a rescue campaign on the Pacific coast and the high plateau of Guatemala.

In the location Las Trochas, the Work of the Good Samaritan, together with the American foundation “Fraternidad Guatemalteca” – with its seat in Washington D.C., took care of 600 families affected by hurricane Stan, by providing them with food and potable water. Besides, a mill to grind maize, indispensable in making tortillas–the staple food of the population, was donated to the community. The Good Samaritan, for 150 dollars, had a room built to lodge the mill and for people to go to grind their grain.

In Las Trochas, the Good Samaritan of Guatemala is planning to buy a plot of land to build a settlement for some families who, because of the disasters or for social reasons are homeless and live in extreme poverty. The approximate cost of this project is of 5000 dollars.

The earth thundered and shook.

Hurricane Stan also left its imprint in Salinas, a village in the north of the high plateau of Guatemala where seven houses were buried by an earth alluvium. An inhabitant of this little village woke up at 5 a.m. and when he realized that the earth was making a noise like thunder, rushed out of his house. When he noticed that an enormous earth slide was about to raze the village to the ground, he did everything possible to alert the inhabitants to escape from the imminent disaster.

The Work of the Good Samaritan started a fund, with 2000 dollars, to buy a plot of land for the people who lost their home in Salinas. Those who live in dangerous areas must be evacuated before the rainy season starts (in May 2006) since the mountain may slide again. 3000 dollars are needed so that every brother or sister affected by the disaster in Salinas may receive a plot to build a home.

In spite of all their needs, these brothers in the faith are thankful to the Lord who kept them alive in a miraculous way. Another believer in the village told us that the night that the disaster took place, God assured him in a dream than nothing would happen to him.

In the location Tecún Umán, near the border with Mexico, the chapel was completely covered by the waters and cannot be used. The waters reached a height of a meter and a half and left a deposit of mud of 50 cm. The church members, who have also suffered great material loss, need contributions to restore their church. For this purpose, about 2000 dollars are needed.

In many places, the mass of water left behind a desert of stones and sand. The crop was lost and humidity destroyed the provisions of maize and beans. The Good Samaritan distributed food thus supplying the needs of the people until the coming harvest time.

On the road that goes from Guatemala City to Mexico, the Good Samaritan team met a large and very poor family that had lost everything due to the hurricane. This family is periodically being helped either with basic commodities or medicine.

Besides the places mentioned, many other ?locations were visited and social assistance was provided.

The assistance was not only limited to the people affected by the catastrophes.

In all the countries of Central America, the Good Samaritan helps not only those who were affected by the natural disasters, but also extremely poor people and particularly the sick, old, and handicapped. Request of help for such people are constantlyreceived.

One of these cases is the one of Enrique, a child in Sonsonate, El Salvador, who is an orphan and paralytic since the age of seven due to a street accident. His grandmother, who also needs assistance, takes care of him. In view of his needs, the Good Samaritan has provided a wheel chair that enables him to attend school. What in Europe is taken for granted by a person with such problems, is not at all in countries like El Salvador.

In Sansonate, plans have been made to build a school for poor children. A brother donated the plot but there is need of funds to start the construction. The Good Samaritan left 1000 dollars to start with the project and another 2000 can be obtained locally, from donations, but there are still 15,000 needed to reach the total sum.

In the case of handicapped people, the Good Samaritan buys wheel chairs. Besides, in order to make it easier for the handicapped to move, the local team has helped pave the street. This has also contributed to the hygiene and the attention of the patients.

In Totonicapán, a Maya-Quiché town in Guatemala, which is 2500 meters high, we are sponsoring a primary school for poor children. During our visit we had a meeting with the teachers and some parents, and at that very moment three women came to ask for their children to be accepted in the school. One of them, a mother of three, who cannot read or write, told us that her oldest daughter, aged 11, had never attended school and was absolutely illiterate. Such cases can be solved with school adoption at a distance. Besides the already mentioned cases, humanitarian projects and plans to develop the area have been made in Las Minas and Tierra Caliente.

Nicaragua, 2nd Poorest In Latin America

The inhabitants of Laurel Galán, in the north of Managua–the capital of Nicaragua–have suffered because of the floods and consequent periods of drought. Now, in spite of the many difficulties that the country is facing, they are relieved thanks to the use of five wells that have been put to work with the help of the Good Samaritan. In such a way the whole village is being provided with water which before they had to fetch from a river six kilometers away.

In Posoltega, a city that seven years ago was destroyed by a huge alluvium of mud caused by the hurricane, Mitch, the Work of the Good Samaritan bought a plot of land for 1500 dollars, that was divided among 24 poor families. Before that, these poor souls did not have a fixed place to live. They would pitch a plastic tent in different places belonging to other people, and were soon sent away by the owners of the land. Three of these families belong to our denomination, three persons were recently baptized and seven are takingbaptismal lessons. Some of the families are growing bananas and papayas which will soon be harvested. The village was named after the Good Samaritan.

Similar projects have been made for homeless families in the villages of Piedra Luna and Bijao, in the province of Matagalpa, in the north of Nicaragua.

The co-workers of the Good Samaritan living in Bijao, have a little shop with natural products and give advice on natural medicine.

“In Nicaragua we want to help people to be financially independent,” says Brother Víctor Talavera, honorary minister and José Abel, leader of the Work of the Good Samaritan in that country.

In order to promote the sale of the crops, they are planning to get a more appropriate market place than the one they have. In these rural areas it is also necessary to build mills for grinding maize. The accomplishment of these projects requires a total sum of 10,000 dollars.

A New Hope Is Born In Mexico

The river took away everything: houses, furniture, bridges and the precious life of many people. The survivors had not
yet overcome the shock when theyfound out that theywould get no help from the state because they did not have a way to prove that they lived near the river, in the flooded areas; neither did they have any document to prove that they owned the property they had lost. These poor people depend totally on the help of benefactors.

The waters of the Coatán River, which runs in the southern part of the Chiapas region, overflowed the banks of the river and extended for hundreds of meters leaving a desert of pebbles and sand. The inhabitants of that area cannot do anything because it is forbidden to build.

The first means donated by our European brothers and sisters, which amounted to 2000 dollars and the offerings from the believers in Mexico were used to buy 14 tons of food.

In the city Tapachula, the Good Samaritan contributed with 5000 dollars to buy a plot where the friends and brethren in the faith may build their homes.

A pastor and his wife, who lost everything, are assisting the persons affected by the catastrophe and are now in charge of a soup kitchen where 500 persons eat daily. Hope is renewed when there is mutual help and the Lord is honored when we care for others.

It is hard to find the proper words to describe the suffering, poverty and even misery of the people in Mexico and Central America. It is difficult as well to find words to express the hope, gratitude and joy of those people, thanks to your support.

In behalf of those who were affected by the natural disasters in those countries, we thank you for your open and generous heart and for your hands ready to help.
Amen

Santina Mascerà, Gustavo Castellano