By Charles Fleming
FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida--Here is an update on Caribbean members affected by hurricanes Luis and Marilyn.
No Festival sites were affected by the hurricane.
Hurricane Luis hit a number of the Leeward Islands. Among the worst hit were St. Marten, St. Kitts and Antigua. We have one member on St. Marten, and I m unable to contact her. We have four members in St. Kitts. One family lost a part of their roof. Overall, damage in St. Kitts was not as bad as in Antigua.
In Antigua up to 90 percent of the homes and 40 percent of the businesses were damaged. Roads are blocked, telephone poles down and the main hospital has lost a part of its roof.
We are thankful that none of our members in Antigua were hurt, although some suffered serious damage to their homes. Deacon Gary Anthony lost the roof of his home, and many of his family s belongings were destroyed by the rain. Two other families also suffered some damage to their roofs as well.
Members in Guadeloupe are hanging in there and looking forward to the Feast of Tabernacles, according to pastor Gilbert Carbonnel.
The big challenge for brethren is living with inconveniences as they try to recover from the losses. Typically there are two stages to dealing with a hurricane. First, there is the "hunkering down" stage, where you brace yourself for the onslaught. This is frightening, but relatively short lived--a matter of a day or two.
The second part can be just as bad--that is, living for weeks or even months with the shambles left behind. Food shortages, together with the lack of electricity and running water, can make life difficult.
Life was made even more difficult for the Antiguans when, a few days later, hurricane Marilyn passed close enough to unleash heavy rains and 55 mile per hour winds on them.
Marilyn saved her worst for the U.S. Virgin Islands. Estimates are that 80 percent of the homes on St. Thomas have been damaged. Several businesses were demolished, roads are blocked and lines are down.
We have 20 members on St. Croix and two on St. Thomas. Two members sent messages through friends with cellular phones that they are all right. We have no word on the other brethren because it is impossible to call the islands.
Fred Lopez, pastor in Puerto Rico, will try to go to the Virgin Islands when that is possible, to do an assessment of our members' needs.
In addition, a member from Vermont who works for the Federal government was to be sent in by the government on the first commercial flight Sept. 22. He lived in St. Croix and knows the brethren. He has promised to visit some of our members and send us a report. We are standing by to help meet their needs.
The prayers of the brethren would be appreciated. There is a need for the international community to help the local governments to restore basic services as early as possible.
For our part, the churches in South Florida collected and airfreighted to Antigua more than 2,000 pounds of food and other basics.
Two weeks ago the area pastors, Craig Bacheller and Larry Hinkle, activated their hotline services and asked members to bring nonperishable food items and other basics to the Sabbath service.
Airjet International flew the shipment in free. The food and supplies have been distributed to members in Antigua.
Clifton Charles, who lives in Barbados and pastors the Antigua and St. Kitts churches, flew in to Antigua last Sunday, Sept. 17, to take in supplies donated by the brethren in Barbados. Mr. Charles reports that the brethren are in positive spirits in spite of their difficult circumstances.
The Barbados church is also sending a donation of 150 sheets of galvanized roofing to help members in Antigua.
While in Antigua Mr. Charles met the government officer who coordinates the education arm of the island s disaster preparedness and recovery agency. She asked for help in counseling and encouraging people who are living in shelters.
Mr. Charles and Victor Simpson, previous pastor of Antigua who now serves in Trinidad, will go to Antigua to meet with government officials to see what we can do to help.
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