We have had several people ask us if we are okay due to the seriousness of the mudslides here.
We are fine. Where LBN is, it would take a gigantic mudslide that wipes out the town to affect us. With that said, there was a mudslide above the church that sent mud down all the streets on Sat. The city got some big machines out there to pick up mud pretty quick, though, but all the streets are covered in mud. Yuck!
We have so much rain that all the mountain roads are in danger of mudslides. It is precarious. One happened on the road to Xela that caught a bus, then when people and firemen came to unbury the bus, another one happened and buried the helpers. About 40 people were killed in that one. There have been all kinds of slides on the road to Solola. In fact, Sat. so many happened that they closed the road to car or bus traffic and I am not sure that it is even open yet. People can cross it on foot at their own risk. Niel did that the other day. A week ago, we had a group here from the seminary in Chimaltenango and one of our CAM missionaries who teaches there needed to go back to teach a class on Sat. So, Niel decided to go with him because our dentist friend in Chimal is going to fix Niel another bridge because his is useless. Anyway, they left here at 6AM. but there had been a huge mudslide in Tecpan with a huge line of cars waiting and no opening in sight, so they couldn't pass. So, after waiting awhile, they turned around. But since they had left, there had been another slide on the Solola road, so cars could not pass for a couple of hours to get down here. So, Niel left the car, and walked over the mud, got a tuc-tuc to bring him home. Crazy! So, we have heard that there has been another slide in the Tecpan area this past weekend, so Pana was really vacant . No rich guatemalans, no gringos, and not much produce at the market because nobody can get down here.
We need to go into the city before Niel leaves on the 22nd. Oh, that is another thing. He and Marco left here on FRiday to go to a meeting at the campamento, but our radiator busted more, so they had to come home. So, now we can't drive the car until he gets another and radiators in the city cost twice as much as in the states. So, he is going to wait and buy one when he goes to the states. But that leaves us carless, so we will have to get a van driver to take us to the city this week when the roads are open.
Anyway, it is an experience, but God is in control and we are resting in His sovereign will and protection.
