Hurricane Eta Update: Walakitang – Nov. 5

Update from the Weather Channel…it has a very good video of a general report.

UPDATE Nov5: We have been able to speak with Pastor Victor in Walakitang over the last two days and there has been no loss of life or serious injuries in Walakitang. Praise the Lord. As they expected the main concern now is the river rising, and the damage that will do. As of this morning the river is 10 yards away from the first houses of the village. So, please keep praying that the river rises no more!!!

Victor and his family have their house in that first line of houses so they are very concerned. They have moved all of their belongings out of their house over the last two days and moved their family to higher ground with other church members. They have not been able to cook over fire for the last few days so they are surviving on crackers and mixed juices and that sort of thing. It is harder on the kids than it is on the adults, is what Victor told me. We should also be praying the storm passes quicker so that the sun comes back out!

Victor has been making trips on the river with the church’s motor and church’s boat. Yesterday he went up river to help retrieve a harvest of rice and rescue the people stranded there with it. Everyone and the forty five sacks of rice made it safely. Walakitang has already been in a bit of a rice famine and this was to save what they had left. It was successful. Today he will go out again to rescue a brother from the church who is stranded in a dangerous spot further up the river. The military sent calls down river today that they are expecting it to rise. So again, please pray for Victor as he leads these trips with other men from the village, that the Lord would guide them and keep them safe. And again lets pray that the river rises no more!!!

We told him take whatever is needed on loan from village store and we will make sure to pay it all back once the storm passes, food, gasoline, tools etc…whatever is needed. We don’t want them to not save someone or not do something needed just because of lack of funds…our God is bigger than that and His people need to move when there is need…amen!!!

Our family is fine today in Managua and all of our friends and ministry workers are fine. We are having heavier rain today and last night, so we would ask the Lord for that to stop so that no major damage is done. We are concerned for our friends in Puerta Cabezas, which is the town at the point of major impact from the storm. We have not been able to communicate with Pastor Earl yet, but know that things are probably much more difficult there because that is where Eta hit at full force. Please pray for Earl and the people in Puerta Cabezas.

This is a video from another town in the path of the storm. It was sent by a friend here in Managua, but I just want to share it so that you have a view of what the houses are like along the Rio Coco and in Walakitang. They are not Hurricane proof.

Thank you for your continued prayers!

This is the image of Eta as it apprached Nicaragua two days ago as a Category 4 Hurricanes….