The hurricane reached us as 05:00 in the afternoon on Friday, October 23, said the pastor of the Church of the Nazarene in Melaque Jalisco State, part of the Western District of Mexico. “After the first gusts of wind, there was a half hour when it became clear and the winds ceased, after that the winds started back with more fury. We watched as the tree branches were uprooted and sheets of roofing flew off “. The members of the Church of the Nazarene in Melaque are people who live from tourism. Most of the congregation sells crafts and food at the seashore. When visiting Melaque, we found the congregation assembled in the temple, since Sunday School had just finished. They greeted us with love. We prayed and delivered crisis care kits and bottled water. We told them that the Church of the Nazarene globally was praying and interceding for their integrity and protection.
We also had the opportunity to visit the Church of the Nazarene in Barra Navidad in Jalisco, where we met the pastor and his family. Their sanctuary is very small and some sheets of asbestos were damaged. The pastor told us that there were no casualties, some the houses suffered roof damage. There is lack of basic food and water. The companies that sell bottled water have taken advantage of the need, increasing the water to twice its price.
On Monday October 26 we had the opportunity to talk with Jose Manuel Zavala Pastor of the Church of the Nazarene in Puerto Vallarta. He tells us that on Friday, October 23, all the brothers and sisters were in shelters and security zones. Pastor Zavala says “The news said that Hurricane Patricia would make landfall here with us, but an hour before, the hurricane turned and went further south. God delivered us and stayed with us.”
We believe in a God who calms the winds and storms obey Him. Without a doubt, God is still the same yesterday, today and forever. Mexico has witnessed the power of God, We were expecting catastrophic damage and indeed the hurricane made landfall in all of its strength, but an hour after touching down in Puerto Vallarta in Jalisco, Hurricane Patricia turned and changed direction, moving to a mountainous area on the coast, making it lose strength until it disappeared. During this tour we have seeing the havoc and damage, but we also see an open sky, sun light at full strength and the thick clouds have scattered, The verse of Hymn Master, The Tempest Is Raging comes to mind.
Master, the terror is over,
The elements sweetly rest;
Earth’s sun in the calm lake is mirrored,
And heaven’s within my breast;
Linger, O blessed Redeemer!
Leave me alone no more;
And with joy I shall make the blest harbor,
And rest on the blissful shore.
God bless you, we will continue along the coast of Jalisco, helping the Nazarene family. Please, continue to pray for the victims of Hurricane Patricia.
By: Edi Montejo – Cutberto Tenorio, Mexico Compassion
