If Luis Ramos Salgado had tried to ride the storm out in his home, he wouldn’t be able to walk down his street on this sunny morning.
“I’d be dead,” he says through a translator, standing in the kitchen of the only home he’s ever known in San Juan’s Caño Martín Peña area.
It’s a pretty port of call.
Mere blocks from where cruise ships pull into San Juan terminal, visitors can find enticing Old San Juan, with its mix of history, shops and restaurants, all open for business, even on a warm but quiet Tuesday night. Veering right, visitors can find conveniences such as bike rentals and a CVS pharmacy, all up and running.
“People go to hotels, Old San Juan and they see the stores open, lights … and they say, ‘Oh, everything is back to normal,’” the Rev. Edwin A. González-Castillo says.
Except it’s not.
After Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico last year, Presbyterian pastor Manuel D. Silva bore the dual burden of caring for his family and his congregation.
Melting snow has caused serious flooding problems in Montana. Last week, Governor Steve Bullock declared a flooding emergency in seven counties as well as the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation. The governor says the rapid snowmelt poses a serious threat to homes, farms and other infrastructures such as roads.
For the 22nd year, national volunteers who give of their time to assist presbyteries, congregations and communities impacted by disasters through Presbyterian Disaster Assistance have gathered for their annual meeting. This year’s gathering in Louisville, brought together nearly 100 members to take part in a time of “learning, connecting and relating.”
May the joy of the risen Christ be yours on this Easter Sunday! As we celebrate Christ’s victory over death, we can take delight in the hope it gives and in the new humanity that has been created. We are blessed to participate in this new way of living and bear witness to its life-changing reality.
While Lent is widely viewed as a journey of introspection, some Ohio Presbyterians, inspired by their support for One Great Hour of Sharing, also see it as an opportunity for mission activities.
Even before Hurricane Maria made landfall in September 2017, the Rev. Edwin González-Castillo and other Presbyterian leaders in Puerto Rico received promises of help from Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA).
Presbyterian churches across the denomination will turn their attention to people and communities in need this spring. April 8 is Self-Development of People (SDOP) Sunday, an opportunity for congregations to focus on the work to help disadvantaged people and low-income community groups.
