Problems in Mexico

I'm writing to ask you all to please, please pray for everything happening down here. As I told you yesterday, teams are leaving every day to help the devastated areas, but tomorrow some of our high school guys are going with one of the teachers who grew up in the Chiapus, Mr. Smith. I'm so frustrated and I'm sorry to spill my frustration onto you all but I can't help it. Thousands of people continue to die but yet the government here does little to nothing.

Last night at missionary fellowship my friend Eric's dad told us how he was stuck in one of the flooded towns for 5 days with his two small children. He said that in the few villages he was able to visit, thousands were dead and many villages were completely covered with no one escaping. I can't help but be overwhelmed, those people most likely didn't know Christ and now the opportunity for them has passed. Ed Aulie, Eric's dad, was helping an elderly Indian woman move her belongings out of her home when he heard the water coming. He grabbed her and ran to higher ground just in time to watch the river rise 15 feet and take not only her house but countless others in unwarned villages below. There is no confirmation yet, but it is believed that possibly the dam above the villages was opened. The Mexican government isn't allowing international aid to come in, so those of us who are here are the only help those villages will receive. At this point, teams leaving are still having to hike at least 7 hours into the villages to get supplies in as the roads no longer exist. If conditions improve, there is a possibility I may be able to go in either this weekend or early next week.

Jonathan Smith is taking the few high school guys into a town called, San Andreas. Just this past summer, this town raised money for Bibles to send to Cuba. The poverty there is unimaginable, but penny by penny they raised the money. Whenever the money was counted, there wasn't a coin over a peso, that's 10 cents in the States. I know that's why Jonathan is heading there first. Also, there used to be a Bible church with a Christian clinic and doctors there. They are hoping to discover if it still exists.

Those of you in the States, please pray. God can work awesome and powerful miracles but those miracles need fuel, prayer. UDLA gang, any clothes, blankets, or food you know that anyone would like to donate can be brought here to the school. Actually, just let me know and someone will come pick it up.

I normally would apologize for sounding so pathetic but, right now, I don't really mind how I sound. I can't sit back and not do anything. This is the little I can do right now. Well, other than put my amazing Betty Crocker skills to good use by making cookies for the teams going out. :)

Please pray. I can't emphasize that enough. I'm so thankful that I know I have so many people I can ask to do that for me.

In His Hands,
Anna

"I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go." -- Abraham Lincoln

Thank you so much for responding! You have no idea how much it means to me just to hear from someone at home regarding the flooding. It's frustrating because people at home can't understand everything going on down here, our lives aren't the same they were a week ago.

I would love for you to post my letter on the web sites. That would be awesome. Anything anyone would be willing to do would be much appreciated. Basically, our funds ran out today to buy supplies to take out and we have trucks that want to go. This morning our chapel focused on flood/mudslide relief. Mr. Morack, a teacher here, just got back late last night and he told us all about his experience today. Everywhere it's the same thing, all the crops are lost, thousands of people are dead, and there's no food. Everywhere he went his truck was surrounded by literally hundreds of people begging for relief for their particular villages. He told them we are doing all we can but right now it's just not enough. The awesome thing is that people are coming to the Lord all throughout these villages. Their government isn't helping and so they are finally turning to the only One who can make the miracles happen. There are already so many stories of how the Lord has provided and I trust He will continue to do so even if I don't know how. It's exciting but frustrating.

Rick, I feel like the letters I sent out make it sound like I just want pity. That's not true. Words truly cannot express how so many of us feel down here right now. It's crazy. It's just so strange to me that people in the States are living life no differently today, life is continuing as usual but here it's just hectic. I'm not expressing myself very well, am I? :) I want to be able to but its like when you go on a missions trip and try to explain to everyone at home how wonderful it was and what you experienced. They never really understand because they weren't there. If everyone from home could, for ten minutes, see what we see and hear what we hear I know they would understand why I've written so passionately.

Thank you again for writing. It really does mean a lot to me to know that at least one person read my e-mail. :)

In Him,
Anna