Using expertise gained through bringing relief to victims of the Tsunami (India and Sri Lanka) as well as victims of Hurricane Stan and other disasters, Bernie Pennings has been heavily involved in overseeing Word and Deed's relief efforts in Nicaragua in partnership with MINTS (Miami International Seminary). The highest priority following a disaster, according to Bernie, is clean water followed by food. Bernie has been working closely with Rev. Eric Pennings of MINTS (Miami International Seminary) to bring food and clean water to victims of Hurricane Felix via students enrolled in the MINTS program in Nicaragua. Rev. Eric Pennings, who is fluent in Spanish and just recently returned to Canada from a trip to Nicaragua, provides another update on the work below - $23,000 has been sent to Nicaragua in two weeks with more likely in the near future with the hope that churches and individuals will respond with loving generosity as they have for previous disasters.
Rick Postma
Hurricane Felix Disaster Relief Update – September 17, 2007
First Project of Emergency Phase Ready to Go - This morning the local relief coordinator reported that everything is prepared for the first project of the emergency phase. The only thing they are waiting for is the three pumps which are expected to come in today from Managua (the capital of Nicaragua). When the pumps come in, the three volunteers will initiate the first project. They have a government sponsored engineer who will train the three volunteers in the specific details of the pumps. The community wells currently are contaminated with debris, dead animals, etc. The pumps will be used to "drain" the contaminated water. When the wells fill up, they will be treated with the appropriate chemicals. Each of the community wells services a group of 10-20 families. The three volunteers have an appointment with a government official of the Ministry of Health who will be training them in how to treat the water. These three volunteers will in turn be training community leaders of each group of families as to exactly how to treat the wells on a regular basis. They will be left with the instructions and the treatment products.
Second Project of Emergency Phase Being Planned – An additional $13,000 has been wired to Nicaragua for a total of $23,000 so far. The local relief coordinator reports that there are others who have volunteered to duplicate the first project. There are about 35 communities that need to receive the same "relief project". In the second project, the additional volunteers will travel by land to the communities with 200 packets as with the first project. They will distribute them to the pastors of the affected communities and have the pastors distribute the food in each packet through the deacons of their local churches. They believe they can reach each of the other 35 communities with the prepared packets of food within ten days. The “well-cleaning” crew will follow up in these communities after they have come back from their first project.
Rev. Eric Pennings
