October - November 1998

Dear Brethren,

I imagine you already know Hurricane Mitch hit us pretty hard at the end of October.
It did a lot of damage and it will be a long time before things are back to normal. I praise the Lord Sandra was in the States when it hit. My son bought her a round trip ticket for her birthday and she had some minor health problems that needed checking out. The hurricane hit about a week after she left and she couldn't get back into the country until Dec. 4th. Things were so bad here during and after the hurricane that I am thankful she wasn't here.

I spent one night evacuating the village of Delisia before the bridge went out and one night helping to deliver a baby. There was no water and no electricity for over 2 weeks. We still only get water certain times a day but then it never has been dependable. I collected rain water for house use and went out in the back yard when it rained and took a shower. I had to get up at five in the mornings to stand in the bread line, the water line, the gas line etc. Everything was rationed and we had a 9 PM curfew. All the bridges were washed out and some of the roads washed away so we were cut off for a while but the Canadians and Germans have been working on repairing the bridges so I can now get to some of the villages.

So many people were drowned when the water sweep them away or are buried in the mud slides in the mountains. Those that survived are dying of disease and starvation. We lost a little girl in Delisia to disease but I was able to borrow a doctor from the Southern Baptist Church to treat the rest of the village. I took food and medicine to Piedra Amarillo and checked on the church there. The gareta did not get damaged but we all the trees on the land I bought behind the church were pulled up. I will have to go cut all the trees up when I get the time. One of the ladies of our church was swept away in the river. She left behind a husband and 3 little ones. I was able to get him some food and milk. They are farmers up there and they lost all their crops and have no food or way to make money right now. The week before the hurricane hit, I had started a Bible Class at the school in the village on Wednesdays. Because of the damage, the school will be closed until next year but I should be able to start the classes again then.

I was asked to start churches in two villages before Mitch came and I got word that one of them was in desperate need of food and medicine. The people were very sick with Malaria, Yellow Fever, Dysentery, and what they called Pestilence because the river is contaminated. They have sores on their bodies and the babies are dying. I bought some food and medicine and got another man to go with me. Here the police have stations along the main roads to stop and check you and your papers when they want to. We aren't suppose to travel but the police know me and they let me go through. We had to walk part of the way because the roads were gone. I stepped on what looked like solid ground but what turned out to be mud. Thank the Lord it only went to my waist and the man who was with me managed to get me out. I had to rinse off the best I could in the river and just pray I didn't get sick. We couldn't go any further because of the mud but we met two men on mules that agreed to take the supplies to the village. As we were going back, two men from the village came down to thank us for the supplies and said they would pass them out that night. When I got back to La Ceiba, I went to the Canadian Red Cross and told them about the village and they agreed to take a helicopter of supplies to them.

The Bible Classes at the prison are on hold right now because 250 of the inmates escaped and they will not allow the classes to start until all have been accounted for. Pray the Lord will work this problem out soon.

During the hurricane, the authorities came to our section to evacuate because the waters were about reach us. I refused to go and ate supper, prayed and went to sleep. In the morning, the water had stopped rising and the worse was over. The water and rain forced termites into our storage room and I had to burn some of our clothes. It forced scorpions into our yard and giant spiders into the house. I was really thankful my wife wasn't here then. I was stung my a scorpion but it didn't make me sick. I have cleaned and sprayed everything so I think it is safe for Sandra to return. I am really exhausted because I have been trying to feed and doctor the people and I am preaching about six times a week. I have lost about 25 lbs. in the last month and I have diarrhea and a sore on my leg so I would really appreciate your prayers for my health.

After Mitch hit, I was preaching in some churches here in La Ceiba and I was preaching on sin and why God sent Mitch our way. After I finished, there was a thirty minute prayer meeting with people crying and getting right with God so maybe something good will come out of these trials.

Please pray for the people here. So many have lost family, homes and means of making a living.
I thank all of you who have sent money to help me buy food and medical supplies. I don't know what we would have done without it. The government hasn't helped. All they do if you ask for help is send someone to ask you questions and then they go back and have meeting to discuss the possibility of helping you. I thank the churches who sent food and medical supplies with us when we first moved here in February. I had enough left to feed some of the people here until I could get money to buy some more.

Some of you have asked about sending supplies to us but I know of no way for you to send it that would not cost a small fortune. That is why I asked for money instead. I can buy some supplies here and even if I pay a little more for them, it is still cheaper than paying to have it shipped. My wife will be bringing some supplies back with her. It is cheaper paying for extra luggage than for shipping.

The Howells, missionaries on the Island of Utila, are receiving a shipment of rice, bean, flour and oil that churches in South Florida are sending them and they are going to share some with us. I praise the Lord for their generosity. There is also medical missionary who is a male nurse flying down of Dec. 6th and he will be staying about a month. He will be bringing medical supplies and working part of the time with me and part of the time with the Howells. We praise the Lord for his willingness to give of his time and talent to help us.

Please keep praying for us. I really believe that is what has kept me from injury and sickness. If you can help provide for food and medical supplies, it would be appreciated.

Pray for the new church we are starting in one of the villages. We are going to start having services on Wednesdays.

Thanks for your faithfulness in your prayers and support. That is the reason we are still here on the field.

Your missionaries to Honduras,

Santos and Sandra Ortiz