Thank you so much for the support that has been coming in. I will try and answer as many emails as quickly as I can.
We have been very busy with giving out food. Today we packed 500 bags of food with rice, beans, oil, coffee , sugar, incaparina, and oatmeal.
This is going to an area called Maria Tecun above Solola where more than 383 families have lost their homes. These families have large families, up to fifteen in one family, so it is a lot of people. This is an area where the people left their homes because they were scared there would be mudslides. They left carrying what they could on their back, headed for a rocky mountain area and watched as the mudslides destroyed their homes. But at least their lives were spared.
Not like in San Antonio Palopo ....where many people were trapped, they could'nt escape the mudslides because the only escape was a raging flooded river which they couldn't cross. I cannot imagine the terror these people went through knowing the mudslides were coming and that there was no escape. My friend, David, visited me today . He lives in San Antonio and spent Saturday night up to his thighs in mud trying to dig people out. He said the screams of the people trying to dig for their families was just horrendous.
He asked us what help we would be able to give, I said if he could find a location we could do all we could to open a feeding program for the children.We could do a pre-school in the morning and after school program for older children.... ..even though the school has been damaged beyond repair and there is no school right now...but the children need consistent food daily. There are so many devastated families in San Antonio. We have lots of supplies that we could use to open this center...we just need money for the food....we estimate $2 US per day per child which would include paying for the teacher,the gas for the stove, an assistant to help, electricity etc. We don't know if this would be a permanent center .....but the need is very great right now . We would be able to give them two meals a day, vitamin tablets, teeth brushing etc .
The Mayan Families crew and the volunteers who have been here are fantastic.
We had a group of 10 American pre-med students come from Xela on Friday, they helped pack food bags, dig out a house here in Panajachel and then went over to San Antonio to dig out a house there. While they were there with Mayan Families staff, Susie, Vicente,and volunteer, Vanessa, the President and First Lady arrived to visit the village. Vanessa and Susie were quick to go and talk to them and tell them the needs that the village had. They also had their photo taken with them. Susie told me that she had given the First Lady my phone number in case she wanted to call. I thought that will never happen! Then this morning I was shocked to get a call from the First Lady's Office ! Not the First Lady herself but a secretary who wanted to know Susie's last name and to let us know that they were aware of the needs and would do what they could to help us.
So that is encouraging! I don't know if anything will come of it but I thought it was very kind of them to call when they must have so much going on.

We have given out all the shoes and nearly all the clothing we have. I have been told that there is a shipment with 1100 shoes on the way! That is great news and we can't wait to get them!

The situation is desperate here for many people.....we can't thank you enough for the help that you have given. Today we found housing for the Xurek family.....this is the widow with 7 children. She cannot return to the house that we had rented for her previously as it is considered to be in danger of mud slides.
There is much to be done and we couldn't do it without you.
Sorry this is so long.....I am so excited to have the internet back!!
Sharon