On December 9th and 10th, our team from Pan De Vida went back to the coast to provide food, hygiene, diaper, and clothes kits to families in six different communities who were affected by the April Earthquake. It’s been almost 9 months since the earthquake and all the people in the communities most affected are still recovering from the damages. A lot of the families we visited are still living in tent shelters, and with the rainy season beginning and lasting for 4-5 months, pray that God will provide and bless them all with houses.
41 Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. 42 But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents.
43 Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others.44 They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.” (Mark 12:41-44)
At every shelter, we passed out supplies, passed out Gospel tracts, and prayed for every single person who came through the line. The children all played games, had their faces painted and received candy bags.
The most impacting experience was a shelter we weren’t even scheduled to attend. It’s amazing how the Holy Spirit works! We were already running an hour and a half late and the leader at the second shelter we were scheduled to arrive at, wasn’t answering her phone, so we ended up going to a shelter only 5 minutes from that location, which Pan De Vida distributed supplies to in previous relief trips.
These refugees were all living in tent shelters lined up in front of a church. They were the most in need of all the shelters. Across the street from their tents lay the ruins of their once existent houses. And yet a lot of the people we met still trusted that God will provide for them. One lady we talked to at this shelter said, “thank you for remembering we exist, and not forgetting about us”. That’s impacting, because though the rest of the world may forget what has happened, Jesus never will, He is with them all and loves them.
These scriptures came to mind throughout the last two days at the Coast.
10 sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything. (2 Corinthians 6:10)
7 But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.8 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in[a] Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. (Philippians 3:7-9)
“The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing.” ( Psalm 23:1)
You are blessed, therefore be a blessing to others. We lack nothing! In Christ we have and possess all things!!
Love you all!! Feliz Navidad!
