Hurricane Dean Newsletter

The Belize Biblical Resource Center
PO Box 151, Corozal Town, Belize, C.A.
Tel: 011-501-422-0180
www.belizebiblicalresourcecenter.com


Greetings in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ from Belize !

For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof. (Psalm 107: 25)

It is difficult to imagine all that has happened here in the last 30 Days. As I was writing the last newsletter hurricane Dean was strengthening and heading toward us. Immediately after we sent that newsletter out, it became apparent that the category 5 storm was going to hit us. As the Biblical Resource Center (a.k.a. home) is only a couple of feet above sea level and about 200 yards from the edge of the water, we began to scramble for options to preserve and protect the many books the Lord has entrusted to us. We only had about 14 hours to come up with a plan and implement it before a 9:00 pm curfew came into effect. It was expected that the full force of the storm would hit us some time after midnight .

We didn’t know where to go, however we believed that the Lord would lead us. Our first idea was to try to escape the storm’s fury by leaving town. We would need a trailer large enough to carry the many things we wanted to try and safeguard. After searching all over town I was only able to find one available trailer, but it was too heavy for our small Tacoma pickup truck to pull.

At this point we had about 9 hours left and it looked like we were not going to be able to get out of town and escape the storm. We inquired about a strong looking cement house - that was vacant and is on top of a hill - on the other side of town, only to discover that other people had the same idea and it was already occupied. The Presbyterian Medical Clinic in the nearby village of Patchakan offered us the use of one of their houses, but the structure had a tin roof, which was risky. A local pastor offered to allow us to move everything into a very strong house he had built. He discovered that plywood - to cover the windows - was no longer available and as the house did not have storm shutters this, was not a good option.

Time was running out.

If we stayed at the Resource Center we could be caught by rising waters and possibly drown. The house also has thin jalousie windows that provide little protection from the wind. We tried not to contemplate what it would be like to face 160 MPH winds in that kind of an exposed building.

Suddenly, we received a tip that a concrete house located on the higher north side of town might have rooms available for rent. We rushed over to discover that there was one room available and that we could move our belongings in and endure the storm there.

We now had eight hours left before curfew.

We arrived back at the Resource Center as the skies turned dark and it began to thunder. We began pulling the books off the shelves and packing them into boxes for the trip across town. The move was continually hindered by having to wait for downpours to stop so that we could load the truck. By 9 pm we had moved four truck loads of books and electronics across town; as well as our mattress and some clothing. The items we couldn’t take with us: dressers, book-shelves, appliances, etc., we stacked as high as possible in the bathroom - hoping that the water would not reach them.

By 11:00 pm we had everything stacked in the rental room with enough space left over for our pets. The only thing left to do was to cover the truck with a tarp in an attempt to protect it from flying debris. I was thankful it had stopped raining, but noticed the air was very still. This must be the “calm before the storm” I mused, as I worked tying the tarp down on the truck. No sooner had I finished my work and stepped inside when the rain began to pour and the wind began to howl.

We hunkered down in our room on the second floor and prayed that the building would stand.

We listened as the sound of the wind intensified while it blew against the storm shutters. At 2:00 am the lights went out and I lit a lantern. Then the banging began as the wind intensified even further and things were being torn loose outside. We prayed that the storm shutters would hold and the windows would not blow in. At 4:30 am there was an incredible gust of wind that caused the whole concrete structure to tremble. We were a little concerned and hoped it would not get any worse.

Finally, after dawn, the wind eased up and we carefully peered outside. The two story house across the street had lost its roof and some walls. It was barely recognizable as a house. We hoped no one was in it. Trees were blown down, phone poles were broken or leaning and wires were on the ground everywhere. There was water overflowing the ditches. Amazingly the tarp had stayed on the truck throughout the storm and the truck was not damaged. Gradually the wind calmed down and we headed across town to check the condition of the Resource Center . We got an eye full on that trip across town as there was extensive damage: mainly to stick houses, wood framed structures, electrical poles and trees. The concrete buildings had relatively little damage but there were a few notable exceptions.

When we arrived back at the house we found that all the trees had been blown down. Wires were down everywhere, street lights were dangling and phone poles were leaning or broken. There was standing water in the back yard. On the corner of the house that faced the worst winds, the paint had been blown off! We were very relieved when we opened the front door to find that there was only a little water in the house.

None of the items we left behind had been damaged and not a single window in the house had broken!

We had survived. The books and other items had been preserved. Thank you each and everyone who prayed for us through this most difficult time.

Although we were worn out after our frenzied move the day before, we discovered that the work had just begun! Next month we will tell you about the aftermath of the storm and the way the Lord used it for His glory.

Yours in the Lord Jesus Christ,
Andrew & Janis Hill
Missionaries to Belize
www.belizebiblicalresourcecenter.com

How many days do you have left to prepare for eternity?