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Dear Friends,
Greetings from Guatemala. As you may have heard, we have experienced terrible destruction from Tropical Storm Agatha, which came just days after the eruption of the Volcano Pacaya. Recent reports indicate 172 are dead, 42 bridges damaged, 7,597 homes destroyed, and 98,339 persons are in shelters. There is no estimate yet on the cost of damage to agriculture and infrastructure. This is a critical time for us to work together to respond to this crisis. I am writing to share my experience and to ask for your help.
On Saturday a group from the Presbytery of Greater Atlanta arrived, and several of us from Cedepca accompanied them on a visit to two small shelters in Guatemala City and then to one of the affected areas near Antigua. In the shelters we saw women  and children who had lost their homes. The shelters were very minimal with no water and everyone sleeping on the floor, but at least they had a place to stay. The church and the municipality are working together to help, thanks be to God. That night we served a hot dinner to 75 children and 50 adults, watching them enjoy beans and eggs and a very sweet cup of coffee. We knew that God was with us!
On Sunday we went to Cuidad Vieja, just outside Antigua, where we saw terrible destructionmud, ashes, and big rocks covering houses and the streets. We worked on cleaning three houses where the water and mud had reached two meters. In this area, livestock have been destroyed and many people killed.
Looking at this destruction, I remembered my years of working with Church World Service (1976-82). I learned from them the importance of transparency and the good use of resources in the work of disaster relief. From my family and church, I learned the value of hard work and honesty. Since 1982, I have been privileged to serve with Cedepca. In our new Crisis Ministry we work to embody the good news of the gospel. Our goal is to offer pastoral and social care to those affected by trauma and to bring hope in the midst of disaster. However, we also need to provide economic support for immediate needs. With a holistic approach we can help women, men, and children to recover from this tragedy. We at Cedepca are committed to using every resource with complete transparency and to the best of our ability to help those in need.
This weekend I saw destruction, pain, and hopelessness in many people, but I also experienced the presence of the Holy Spirit working through the many volunteers, both from Guatemala and the U.S., and from many different churches all working together.
 For the next several days we will be in Quetzaltenango, in one community where over 500 people were affected by Agatha. Many homes were filled with mud and many have lost everything. Cedepca is working with the Episcopal Church, and our psychologist, Ana Paxtor, is leading the post trauma recovery process.
This is an opportunity for those of us who were not directly affected to share our love and resources. Your gifts will help us to respond to those in need. You can give to Cedepca online at www.cedepca.us or through the ECO number 864600 of the Presbyterian Church (USA). Let us not miss this time to bless others in need.
In Christs love,
Judith Castaeda
Coordinadora Genera
Cedepca
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