Hurricane IKE

Here are some pictures of Hurricane Ike in both Texas and from a friend in Haiti who took pictures of hurricane Ike’s effects there. I was there earlier in the year. An orphanage that convoy supports was massively flooded and only could be reached by helicopter. They rescued all the children and took them to another orphanage.

News Clip About Convoy

Our Trucks on the Highway

Hurricane IKE

we got back from port arthur, texas on thursday afternoon. it was an amazing experience. we were able to reach 9000 families/cars in three days of distribution. if you think of that in terms of around 3 people per family, the number of people reached could amount to around 27,000 people. It was great to be able to meet their physical needs with the love of Jesus. we also had people walking the mile-and-a-half line of cars with tracks and talking and praying for people while they waited for their turn to get MRE’s, water, ice, powerade, trash bags, bleach, and other odds and ends. MRE’s are “meals ready to eat.” they are a complete meal in a bag – no need to cook or anything. they have a heater inside that uses a teaspoon of water to heat them. each family got a box of 12 MREs. we had 6 stations at a time giving out our products. we worked from 7:30 am until 4:00 pm when we would run out of products for the day. convoy of hope has so far sent 66 semi truck loads of goods totaling just at 1.9 million dollars. it was an amazing experience to be apart of helping so many lives when they needed it most. we spent the nights in the mobile command center which is a semi with 6 beds, shower/toilet, and all the things needed for disaster response. radars, internet, radios – basically a weather station on wheels. it was our “home away from home” for a week.

the thing that stuck out the most to me was the southern hospitality. the people, in the midst of chaos and having their homes and lives torn apart, were so hospitable to us. they would volunteer to help in any way possible. one man named thomas came every day at 8 am and worked till 4. he never took a break. we were able to minister and talk about our faith with him. he brought his grand kids as well to help. when we left he found each one of us that worked with him, thanked us and gave us hugs. it really meant a lot to me. i took some pictures of us along the way with our caravan of 5 semis and 2 rv’s that came from missouri. thanks for your prayers.

An Amazing 5 Months!

Short video showing my trips so far:

well i’m just about 5 months into this journey!!! it has been an amazing time that i really can’t put into words. being in Haiti, Nicaragua, and El Salvador have all been incredible in themselves, but to have had the opportunity to minister to all three is more than i could have ever asked for. going from the poorest country in the western hemisphere (Haiti) to Nicaragua, the second poorest country, has opened my eyes to the need for compassion around the world. to see first-hand the hardships that so many people face on a daily basis has changed me. i have been able to be apart of what Convoy of Hope is doing to make a change for the world, both spiritually and physically.

i have worked in schools, churches, youth retreats, pastors conferences, teacher conferences, communities and villages giving food, water, clothes, hygene kits, friendship, hugs, and been able to share the love of Jesus in a real and tangible way. so many have come to know Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior because we came first with compassion, meeting there physical needs, and showing them the love of Jesus. i have preached in churches, led alter calls, been in front of hundreds and hundreds of kids acting like a complete goof – all for the sake of sharing the gospel to as many as possible.

this summer was an amazing adventure where God led me to make relationships with so many people from El Salvador and Nicaragua. i truly love the people that i met and made friendships with. one pastor actually gave me his vary own Spanish bible after i spoke in a service. i cant even begin to tell you how that made me feel.

my last day in El Salvador left me with the realization that there are still so many lives that need someone to offer their hand in compassion. a little girl named Beatriz (8 yrs old) was in an assembly where we gave wan opportunity to get prayer for a number of things. she was in the front row, and raised her hand. a team member went and prayed with her, and she was crying. we ended and she still was crying. i went to her and picked her up. with a interpreter i asked what was wrong. she said her dad beats her and her mom cant do anything about it. i held her for over 2 hours. hugging her and praying with her. she asked God into her heart! not only was she in need for food and other physical things, she also has to endure being beaten by her father.

it’s people like Beatriz and so many others that i believe God has put me in this calling with Convoy of Hope. i want to thank you for all your prayers and support. please keep me in your prayers as i continue to reach the world with God’s compassion.

adios
chaditto

P.S. Next stop Armenia and Moldova… more on that later!!!!