The state of Tabasco, Mexico has been affected by flooding as a result of constant rain as hurricane Eta has passed through. Also they have had hydroelectric dams overflowing and a series of cold fronts.
In midst of these adversities the Church of the Nazarene on the Olmeca district began to mobilize themselves together with Nazarene Missions International and Nazarene Compassionate Ministries (NCM). In the local churches they began collecting clothes, shoes, non perishable food and basic medical supplies.
They began with small local support and took supplies to affected zones. On Nov 11th the team visited the community of Chopas, Veracruz where they distributed to a few family’s plates with a prepared meal, bags with food and articles of essential necessitiesAt this time, they have 3 collection centers. One is in the office of the South District, another in Oaxaca District and the 3rd in Olmeca District where they have suffered the most damage.
Ana Candy Contreras, district president of NCM tells of a man that was coming towards where she was with the NCM team. This was an elderly man who was walking in water being careful not to slip. The man said “the situation is complicated. We have lost many possessions from our home and don’t have sufficient food. We don’t want to go stay in the shelters for fear of losing everything that we have worked so hard to have. We have heard that in some communities they have started looting the commercial stores and the home storefronts have run out of food.” This said Ana Candy is the situation of many families that live where water have come up into the homes and they go out by boat looking for help and transporting the sick.
In Matthew 10:42 the Bible declares, “And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward”. Ana Contreras said “With a cup of water we can help our neighbor and truthfully purified water is scarce in the flooded zones”
Ana Contreras also asked for prayer of those who have suffered damages in southern Mexico and thanked all the Nazarene churches that have contributed food and offerings. She finished by saying “this is living compassion as a lifestyle, remember that compassion is the Church in action”.
Let’s continue to pray for the affected areas in Mexico and for the Church which is serving. For more information about Mexico go to: https//www.facebook.com/MNCmexico/
To join in the efforts to help go to: ncm.org/2020stormresponse
