Here is the latest update from Javier Gómez, superintendent of the C&MA Puerto Rico District.
To our Alliance Family,
Greetings dear brothers and sisters. We are so thankful you are there praying for us and caring.
It is redundant to say that Puerto Rico was badly hit by Hurricane María. But we want to assure you once more that we have never experienced such destruction before. Puerto Rico looks like a war zone. The infrastructure (including electrical power, aqueducts, airports, dams, communication, streets and avenues, houses, and buildings) was severely damaged. There is almost no fuel, at least for now; so we have to conserve what is in the tank. The towns in the mountains are isolated from the rest of the island because streets and bridges have collapsed.
We have no means to communicate with our pastors (nor some of our family); but we did manage to contact a few; those are doing well. There are 63 Alliance churches on the island, and yesterday I could barely visit 10 of them. Some were damaged (from lightly to severely), and some were miraculously spared. I’m planning to keep trying to reach them, but some remain completely out of reach.
Please pray:
– For those who have lost everything
– For those most vulnerable (elderly, children, and those hospitalized)
– For those who are helping one another
– For the church—that we can leverage this opportunity to be the church for God’s glory
– For those outside of the island who are gathering resources to help
– For quick reestablishment of communication
– For good weather
– For wisdom for our leaders (in government, church, and industry)
– For the safety and courage for our pastors and elders as they reach out to serve their communities
– For healing miracles
– For spiritual discernment, empowerment and physical stamina for the long haul
– For Puerto Rico as a whole–that with God’s help we will persevere through this catastrophe and emerge stronger
Thank you, Alliance family. Knowing you are there for us is such an encouragement.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Javier Gómez
