I have been traveling to Guatemala for years and have witnessed the incredible resilience of the country’s people, so it is impossible for me to be objective about the impact of the recent volcanic eruption.
It was only three weeks ago that Volcán de Fuego spewed a river of red-hot lava, covering entire villages in ash and destroying the lives of thousands of people in southern Guatemala, but world’s media has already shifted its attention away to other issues, leaving the plight of the Guatemalan survivors “out of sight, out of mind.”
The short attention span of the world – exemplified by the media’s approach to such disasters – magnifies such tragedies. Some may say it’s just the way things are these days – no one’s fault – but it is still painful to see. And it creates incredible challenges for a charity like Cross.
We currently have a disaster response team on the ground in Escuintla, Guatemala, assisting our ministry partners in their relief efforts, but we can only accomplish outreaches on their behalf if the public is aware of the needs and willing to address them. In hopes that I can play some part in speaking on these poor family’s behalf, here are some of our first images from the field.
I hope the photos touch your heart as much as they did mine.
Please continue to pray for the Guatemala volcano survivors and open your heart to their ongoing needs – and give generously. These “out of sight, out of mind” people need our help now more than ever!
