Tabasco to become a CAM focus

Yesterday I received a call from Sandy Jenkins, director of Stewardship for CAM, asking me to write something up to get the word out about Tabasco. It will soon be featured in a mission publication. Here's what I wrote:

______________

We have become accustomed to hearing about tragedies and natural disasters worldwide. We can view huge storm systems from the air days before landfall, and images of broken bridges and snarled steel hours after a major earthquake.

Mexico is not a stranger to natural disasters. Every year Mexico City soberly remembers the massive 8.0 earthquake that destroyed whole neighborhoods in 1985, and hurricanes buffet both the Pacific and Gulf coasts every year.

The flooding in Tabasco happened gradually. The rains began October 28 and continued non-stop for 5 days. At risk of being washed away floodwater, a dam upstream of Villahermosa released a huge quantity of storm water into an already saturated ecosystem. All of this happened gradually, over several days. Maybe this is why this natural disaster didn’t make the headlines worldwide. But it certainly should have.

Tabasco has a history of major floods, the last occurring only 8 years ago, in 1999. I spoke with Javier, one of Tabasco’s long-term residents. “It’s cyclical,” he told me. Every 7 years or so. We had flooding in 1999, in 1991, in 1984. But this one was the worst.” In Villahermosa, Tabasco’s capital city, three large rivers meet.

This was my first opportunity to view a major disaster up close and personal. Our guide, pastor Moisés (Moses) Morales, took us to one of the worst hit areas…the neighborhood of Gaviotas, (Seagulls in English). Moses had shown us video of the flooding at its peak the night before. I remembered seeing a bridge with cars parked on it, with the water almost reaching the bridge. As we entered the neighborhood I barely recognized the bridge, because the water had now returned to its normal level…at least 40 ft. from the bridge crest. All of the area that we were about to enter was totally covered with water. Only boats entered for several days.

What we saw was apocalyptic in nature. The water in this neighborhood totally covered the first floor of the concrete houses. Although the flooding had already begun, residents told us that between 10 p.m. and 1 a.m. one night the water level rose 5-10 ft. Although the government has only reported several deaths due to alligator attacks, other sources talk of a significant loss of life.

I navigated the van through streets that had been converted into giant garbage dumps, with mattresses, refrigerators, furniture, CDs and family albums thrown out into the street. Lime covered some of the mountains of trash, but the latent threat of disease was palpable.

In the middle of the chaos we were encouraged to find fellow believers. A work and film crew from Samaritan’s Purse had rented a large front-end loader and dump truck, and was cleaning out a portion of the neighborhood. The stench was unbearable. We all wore face masks.

More than 1 million people impacted by the flooding in two states, with 360,000 people displaced from their homes. 125,000 people sought refuge in shelters right after the disaster. Many of these families have since sought moved in with family members in other cities and states. Thousands of people abandoned the city shortly after the disaster in search of food, and looting was extensive, especially in the poorer, more densely populated (and hardest hit) neighborhoods. 23,000 cars were seriously damaged or completely submerged in flood waters. 70% of the banana crop was lost. Tabasco is Mexico’s leading producer of bananas.

What is CAM doing? Although there are no CAM-affiliated churches in Tabasco, a small amount of aid has been channeled through the Mexican National Presbyterian church, which is the largest evangelical denomination in Tabasco. Another trip is scheduled for December 15. There is still ample time to help. The mayor of Villahermosa, Tabasco recently has stated that the reconstruction of the city will take at least 5 years.

Many of Villahermosa’s large retail stores have recovered quickly and are back doing business. Walmarts and Sams Clubs are restocking their shelves. Nearly everything most families need can now be purchased in Tabasco.

Your gift will help us purchase needed non-perishable food, as well as essential items such as clothing, mattresses, towels, paint and other cleaning supplies. CAM missionaries will purchase and distribute these materials on site, through an extensive network of Presbyterian churches, many of which are located in the area hardest hit by the flooding. Such assistance will be needed for the next three months at least. It is our desire that many people may glorify our Father as we seek to do good works in His name!