We recently received some news from our partners in Guatemala (AJPU) who produce the water filters, VIP latrines and fuel-efficient stoves for us. On the morning of Ash Wednesday at 11:45 am, strong tornado-like winds downed two enormous fir trees onto their workshop. Four men were working inside, fulfilling a recent order placed by the Association of Mam Christian Women for Development using funds provided by New Castle Presbytery. By the grace of God, the men were not injured, but very shaken.
The building was significantly damaged, and there is no insurance money or emergency funds set aside for such disasters. But true to form, within 24 hours, there were seven men on-site, cleaning up the damage and assessing how to rebuild. We plan to assist them in any way that we can. Stay tuned for more details.
The partnership between New Castle Presbytery, the Association, and AJPU has been moving forward beautifully. This is certainly a setback to our success, but we are confident we will be back on track soon. The most important thing is that no one was seriously injured or even killed.
We will keep everyone updated on this situation as we receive news.
The fast action to restore the operation as soon as possible shows the typical Guatemalan resilience!