FROM THE DIRECTOR
Dear Fellow Missionaries,
Over the next two months, we will focus on the situation in Guatemala, with letters
from Fr. Timothy Conlan, OP, and Bro. Raymond Bertheaux, OP. Fr. Timothy has just gone
down to Guatemala for a second missionary stint, and Bro. Raymond has been working there
since 1995. The recent hurricane has added incredibly to the misery and suffering of the
poor. We will begin with the first part of Fr. Timothy's letter, which will be continued
next month along with Bro. Raymond's letter. Your response to the Central American crisis
has been outstanding, and fills our hearts with joy and gratitude to God that He provides
us with fellow missionaries like YOU!
Fondly,
Fr. Donald, OP
 The Devastation of Hurricane Mitch
in Guatemala and Central America
By Fr. Timothy Conlan, OP
Dear Friends,
I arrived in Guatemala on October 30 and the rain, which was the effect of Hurricane
Mitch, began to fall as soon as I landed. This hurricane had pounded the coast of Honduras
for almost a week before it turned inland and began to lose its force. However, as of this
writing (November 6) the rains have not stopped here in Guatemala City and it has caused a
great deal of damage.
The first report that I read in the paper here November 1 said there were three million
persons flooded out and 350 dead in Central America, but that was preliminary. At present
in Guatemala 258 have died, more than 50 of them in the capital here; 68 bridges are badly
damaged or destroyed and 30 roads are impassable; 70,000 people are in 69 shelters
throughout the country, 22 of which are in the capital. As of November 10 in all of
Central America 11,000 have died and in Honduras alone they report 5,000 dead. In all
11,000 have disappeared, so we can expect the actual number of dead to rise. In Nicaragua
the death toll is 2,000, but this could rise sharply because of a large slide on a
volcano. In El Salvador 224 have died. Crops were lost, 5,000 cattle killed, and many
cannot work because roads are closed and business is paralyzed, so they are suffering from
hunger.
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