Guatemala needs help immediately! This country continues to suffer from the effects of Tropical Storm Agatha. And to make matters worse, the rainy season has arrived in full force, making rescue and relief work almost impossible. Our Guatemalan partner Carlos Vargas is in constant contact with us, and we received this update yesterday:

I know it will take a long time to help these people return their lives to some normalcy we will do whatever is within our reach to help them. The rains continue to come and the rivers subside during the day and rise at night. There are thousands of people living in shelters throughout our region and no room for more families. With the help of local churches we are serving meals to approx. 8,000 people. The number of people coming to our feeding centers in need of a hot meal has almost doubled due to the rain.

Vernon, we need to purchase food now, here in Guatemala. Our warehouses are totally empty. We need food desperately also other supplies such as medicine, sheet metal for roofing, mattresses and containers to store clean water.

Without your support and prayers we will not be able to continue our relief efforts and we will begin lose lives. We are truly desperate and I know that you and World Help will be an answer to our prayers.

I can feel the desperation in his words. He is working from morning to night to help his people. Supplies are gone, and there is so much more they must do.

Thousands are without homes. If they can’t get to a shelter, they must live in open fields or under what trees might be left standing. Children are sleeping on the wet ground or, if they are fortunate, a piece of damp cardboard. Carlos and his team are building makeshift shelters until they have the resources to rebuild. Many of the kids are very sick, and they have been sending doctors and nurses out to do what they can to help.

This is a very tragic and desperate situation. Carlos is asking for our help. I can’t imagine seeing these men, women, boys, and girls every single day with literally nothing . . . and at the moment, he can do very little to help. But we can!

They need funds now to restock their warehouses with food, water, medicine, and building supplies to help these people survive. You can provide hope in the middle of so much despair. Please give a generous gift today.

Vernon Brewer President