First Things First

My day started at 3 am so I'm ready for bed (in a makeshift storage room for spare air mattresses, linens and pillows, with the door cracked open), but I also don't want to forget all I experienced and learned today, so here goes. My St. Louis and Belize posts can sit in the Drafts folder a liiiiiiitle longer...it's fine. 

Our hour-long flight touched down around 9:30 am. By 11, we were at Costco filling our cart with a printer, printer paper, the aforementioned air mattresses and sheets, and snacks before grabbing lunch to-go and making our way to Ponce and "Base Camp" at the home of James & Christel Neuendorf. 

A WhatsApp group kept us in touch with the entire team, up to speed on new needs as they arose, and in the know as far as the latest media reports. Three apartment complexes (16, 12, and 10 floors, respectively) have been condemned, and eight more are in danger of meeting the same fate. I wasn't sure exactly what that meant, but it's what I suspected: authorities have cautioned that those who choose to enter do so at their own risk, so many lost anything that wasn't on their person when they fled. The official refugee camp tally was at 1,800+. 

The letras de PONCE welcomed us to town. 

They've also welcomed numerous refugees who are afraid to stay at home but have for whatever reason elected not to stay at one of five government sanctioned shelters. 

Others, included the Neuendorfs' neighbors, are simply sleeping in their yards. 

It was hugs all around when we pulled up. It's always good to see colleagues - friends! - you don't see often, and even more so when you know they've run themselves ragged over the past week and they know you're fresh and ready to step in where the outgoing assessment team left off. 

Then, before even going inside, safety orientation: 


Inside, we went over the rules in a bit more detail and learned where the cities we keep hearing mentioned in the news are located. 

Once the Mayaguez contingent arrived (more hugs!), our briefing continued with updates from team members who have been heading up different areas of the relief effort as well as a road map for where we're headed. 

My domain will be Base Camp: helping keep track of who went where and when; sorting donations and setting up an assembly line to stuff 500 relief bags with things like baby wipes, TP, Vienna sausages, water, granola bars, fruit cups, toothpaste, and toothbrushes; and meal planning, grocery shopping, and cooking so as to keep everyone fed. 

I was basically a kid in a candy store. 

The kitchen got tackled early on, though. I can't work in a cluttered kitchen!


It's still a work in progress, but things looked a bit different by the time the majority of the team that had headed out all afternoon returned. I also had numerous invitations to come to Mayaguez... ;)


This evening after a clean-out-the-fridge kind of dinner, I had the chance to tag along on a visit to one of the five official refugee camps, set up in a local vocational school. Apparently the population is waaaaaay down from a few days prior; those who remain anticipate being moved to a new camp later this week. A dry erase board behind the registration desks reported (as of 5:20 pm) that there were 976 individuals staying there, more than half of whom are between 22 and 65. It further detailed how many families, singles, pets, diabetics, pregnant and nursing woman, etc. that tally included. 

Christel and I sat chatting with some ladies she knew from having held outreach activities at the senior living facility they formerly called home and passing out Ensure. Spiritual care exactly as we went about it - high-energy, head-banging Christian concerts may not be the best idea right now - is the greatest need amongst those displaced. The LCMS was the first church to respond, and the only one for a time, but myriad other agencies have gotten involved now (the ladies were wearing  new AT&T T-shirts and reported that a chef had prepared paella for dinner). Most agencies are in and out by 5 pm, though, so our M.O. has become to spend time at this and other camps in the evenings, when things are quieter and anxiety levels escalate. James led us ladies and a few others in a devotion on Jesus's exhortation not to worry in Matthew 6. If our Lord knows ALL of our needs yet encourages us to seek His Kingdom first, what does that say about where it falls in order of importance? Lots! We ended our day with a visit to the new camp, just down the street. A National Guardsman graciously gave us a tour of the as yet empty facility, which will house 1,500. Most activities will take place outside the main gates, but he seemed keen on letting us do our thing inside. 

I'm pretty confident I can scrap together breakfast tomorrow, but it's time to sit down and make a plan. Among the other things on my radar are helping create an electronic database of community contacts and writing an explanatory paragraph to accompany some of the professional photos that our regional Communications team is working furiously to edit and share.

The general vibe I'm getting around Base Camp is positive. Morale seems strong. We have most needed items on hand or have the means to get them. The team is motivated and encouraging of one another, and rapport with municipal leaders, agency contacts, and first responders remains strong. While the earthquake app I downloaded a couple days ago was dinging all day, I haven't felt any tremors. "They" say there's a 75% chance that the aftershocks will continue but in a diminishing fashion until they taper off and a 25% chance we'll get another 6.0 or higher quake. 

I can't promise a play-by-play every day, but there's certainly more where this came from about my very much NOT average week. Your prayers were keenly felt by all today - keep 'em coming!

Until next time, blessings!

Comments

Unknown said…
Thanks for all of the information, Erin. We will be keeping all of you in our prayers. Please let us know if there are any specific needs!
Saludos, Martha Dubke
Debbie Hofmann said…
Wow Erin - interesting read and while I know you have many projects on your plate - these posts are awe inspiring please keep them coming - God has certainly placed you in the right place and at the right time - take care as you take care of those in this area. Prayers for all of your team and their efforts.