Seal beach part 2

 

 

 

 

Seal Beach

Last month we took a drive down to "seal beach" with some friends. We had heard about it but really didn't know what to expect. We didn't come away dissapointed. We were able to watch seals, climb on wierd sand dunes and explore the beautifully strange coastline.

It was a little hard on my nerves as I envisioned all the ways my children could plummet into the surging depths below but we managed to all survive our afternoon of exploring.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Agua de vida

 

 

 

 

Despensas

After our morning outing it was decided we would return to that same community in a few hours with pots of soup and loaves of bread that were already being prepared. I convinced my husband to keep up the role swap at home so I could go out in the afternoon and help with the makeshift soup kitchen. At 2pm we packed a couple vehicles full of people, blankets and food and set out for a return trip.

 

 

 

 

We had plenty of food and we even had bread left over to send home with people. The elderly lady holding the garbage bag kindly offered to gather up the bowls and spoons for us.

It was such a joy to work along side other staff providing encouragment,hope and a hot meal.

Alcance

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to go out with a few others from "Alcance" (our outreach ministry)while my husband held down the fort at home. It was a much needed break from my normal routine and it was SO nice to be involved in some of the post-flood efforts. I rode along with Olga, Pancho and Isreal in the morning as they visited different homes and looked for the worst hit communities. The highway is open now and we are able to venture out further. The trip was good practice for my struggling spanish skills.

I was shocked at one low lying community that we found. There were still big lakes of water and the mud was everywhere, including inside peoples houses. Lines on the walls of the homes showed how high the water had risen during last weeks flooding. One mother explained how the water in her house had been up to her waist. She had to hold her kids up out of the water as she tried to find a way out.

This same mother had been meticulously washing all the filthy mud drenched blankets and clothes when we arrived. She had been hard at work scrubbing each item by hand until she had run out of water.

In Vicente Guerrero the towns water supply has been cut off because the wells were all in the dry river bed along with the pumps and pipes. Those have all been destroyed and will need to be replaced. Most people don't have running water but pay a truck to fill their water barrels. In the community we visited clean usable water was also scarce.

Food and animals were also been washed away or destroyed leaving people without even basic neccessities.