On Friday, Sept. 21, Bishop Suarez and Aura were able to make a one-day trip to Freeport to visit the island and see the impact of the hurricane for themselves. Bishop and Aura met with Pr. Cliff Lewis and the community at Our Saviour Lutheran Church to hear their stories and to see the ways they have already been responding to the needs. He also was taken on a driving tour around the island, where he saw the devastation of the storm to homes and lives. There is a lot of work to be done, but the island is not ready yet to receive volunteer delegations. The airport traffic is very limited, and there is nowhere to stay. We are working closely with Lutheran Disaster Response International and ELCA Global Missions to strategize the efforts going forward.
These pictures of collected debris from the initial ‘muck out’ of homes is only part of the story of devastation experienced by so many.
Thanks be to God, the church building was not damaged. Our Saviour has an ability to be a staging area for other relief services.
Bishop Suarez meets with several members from Our Saviour Lutheran Church. No one from the congregation lost their life, but family members of congregation members did.
