North Escambia Residents Recount Trip Near Guatemala’s Fuego Volcano

June 5, 2018

For several North Escambia residents, there’s a personal connection to a deadly volcano that erupted Sunday in Guatemala — mission trips within sight of Volcan de Fuego – “The Volcano of Fire”.

Members of Ray’s Chapel Baptist Church in McDavid visited Guatemala about a year an a half ago on a mission trip to an orphanage in San Juan Sacatepequez, about 20 miles away from the volcano. They stayed at the Hotel Soleil in Antigua less than eight miles from Fuego.

From the hotel, Ray’s Chapel member Ramona Preston photographed Fuego spewing and flowing lava. She said it was not a scary sight, and she feels for the victims of Sunday’s eruption.

“The people don’t have things like we do,” Preston said. “They have a great need for basics like food, malnutrition is prevalent there.”

“It is heart breaking but so rewarding to serve there,” she said. “And here is another difference… the people are happy.”

Highland Baptist Church Pastor Bryan Calhoun also expressed his concerns for the people in the area around Fuego. He said many children are left at the orphanage by the parents simply because they can’t afford their basis needs.

“If you can’t find work, you won’t be eating,” Calhoun, who last visited the area about three years ago, said.

“The parents will go visit their children on the weekends,” he said. “Sometimes they will find a job and go back when they have enough money to get their children from the orphanage.”

Reports from the orphanage indicate they received ash but major damage from the eruption.

“The children and staff at the center and the team members in Antigua are all safe. Everything is okay; we just have a lot of ash,” a translator said in a message from Guatemala. “We covet your prayers for the people in areas near the volcano. Nature can be amazing and very powerful. Thank you for your prayers.”

The Guatemalan  hotel used by the Ray’s Chapel members is serving as a relief center, collecting supplies for those in need.

At least report, 69 people died in Sunday’s eruption.

Pictured: The Fuego volcano in Guatemala as seen in late 2017 in a photograph by McDavid resident Ramona Preston. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.

Comments

One Response to “North Escambia Residents Recount Trip Near Guatemala’s Fuego Volcano”

  1. W.W. on June 5th, 2018 8:06 am

    I was caught and lived through a volcano eruption and sequence of events following that in the Philippines post Desert Storm (Mt. Pinatubo)…. It wasn’t glamorous….

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News