Nicaragua (MNN)–Nicaragua’s government says recovery from Hurricane Stan is underway, but refugees are still living in shelters after the hurricane swept everything away in October 2005.
Operation Blessing’s Kristin Vischer says they’re helping a town called La Barra. “Operation Blessing began providing disaster relief in the form of food, medical supplies and clothing to the townspeople in need.”
Once the emergency was answered, there came another problem. Rebuilding the area would be impossible without economic support. “Their main source of income was their rice fields. Partnering with the Peace and Hope Trust, we focused our primary efforts on rebuilding the village’s economy and food supply by constructing a 450-square foot rice mill.”
The new mill is a concrete structure which is more resistant to severe weather and is fully equipped with new machinery to harvest and process the rice.
Once the mill was built, Vischer says outreach followed. “If there are questions of ‘why is Operation Blessing helping us?’, we tell them because it’s the love of God and we want to make sure that you’re taken care of. Pray that the rice crop actually has a good harvest, and that these people’s hearts will be turned towards the Lord.”
Future projects for the village also include the construction of a multi-purpose community center. The center will hold emergency food rations and medical supplies, serve as a shelter and stand as the town worship center.
