1 year after Fuego's eruption...

August 2019 Newsletter

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Do you ever find yourself wondering about the passage of time and asking yourself how it's possible that something happened that long ago?

While you may find it hard to believe that it's been more than a year since the major eruption of the Fuego Volcano eruption on June 3, 2018, that event is still part of the daily reality of our staff here at CEDEPCA. This month's e-newsletter focuses on the Disaster Ministry program of CEDEPCA with a beautiful poem written by Ana Paxtor (Disaster Ministry team member), as well as first-hand testimonials from persons impacted by the eruption.

We are grateful for our visiting groups and to each of you for supporting the ongoing work of our Disaster Ministry and our other programs.

To donate, look here

In Christ,

The CEDEPCA Staff

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Asleep and Awake ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Commemorating 1 year after the eruption of the Fuego Volcano on

June 3, 2018

By Ana Paxtor

Translation by Marcia Towers

Alive, radiant, strong, unique

That's you, Fuego Volcano, stratovolcano,

I see how your internal strength comes out in smoke

In columns of ash you lift yourself up to be seen

I hear your volcanic thunder and my heart races

Surely every day you remind me that you are right there.

With pain I saw the other side of your beauty,

Unexpectedly you presented it

You appeared enveloped in a black cloud and you covered us

Your ashes and lava flows enveloped us

You ran through streets and down hillsides

At your pace you swept away everything

Swept away all of us

You too, memories, dreams, hopes

The other side of your beauty was made present.

Embracing fire, that consumed all in its path

You leave pain, sadness, weeping, uncertainty

Orphans of my family, my house,

My hopes. You changed my future.

Now you are incorporated in my life, and

You push me forward.

I reflect and I say that nature is strong

But it touched me because of the injustice of living in this place.

A year has passed and you are still there in majestic beauty,

I hear your volcanic thunder and my heart continues to race,

Impressive is your presence, I see that smoke and red lava

And I tell you that I am still here, strong, radiant, unique and alive just like you.

OVERCOMING TRAGEDY
AFTER THE FUEGO VOLCANO ERUPTION

On Sunday June 3, 2018, the Fuego volcano located 27 miles southeast of Guatemala City experienced its largest eruption in 44 years, generating desolation, uncertainty and death. Now a year later, the volcano continues to emit small and stronger eruptions that elevate columns of ash and gas that then disperse. Learn more.

~ ~ Participants tell their Stories of the eruption and

CEDEPCA's Intervention ~ ~

Teresa Iquic, age 35

"On the morning of Sunday, June 3rd, it seemed odd to hear the volcano's rumbling sounds. They scared me, but I didn't think tragedy would occur. At three in the afternoon, I heard ambulances and saw many people running. I started running with my children. We heard that lava destroyed the town of Los Lotes. I looked for my family, but many did not appear and had died. I was emotionally on edge. People were burnt and covered with ash. Everything was dark.

We moved to the shelter where there were people to help us, including those from ACT ALLIANCE / CEDEPCA.

Read on.

Jairo Mejia, age 25

"When the psychologists came to the shelter, everything was different. They hugged us, comforted us, gave us support and helped us to know that we are not alone. That's how we learned there are people who are in solidarity with us.

The Community-Based Psychosocial Service has helped us to continue to move forward in spite of the fear, and to face our lives by supporting each other. We have opened our hearts to get to know ourselves and each other more, love each other, trust each other and realize that in spite of all that we have suffered, we can continue forward. We feel motivated about life, and we are capable of doing great things."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Thank you for coming! ~ ~ ~ ~ ~