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Hope and Help for Victims of Historic Hurricane

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As Americans enjoyed their Thanksgiving holiday, the people of Costa Rica braced themselves for the only hurricane ever to pass over their country. 

Hurricane Otto actually made landfall in Nicaragua, but the storm left behind a deadly trail of destruction in neighboring Costa Rica, where at least nine deaths were reported from the Category 2 storm and a national emergency was declared. 

The homes of thousands of Central Americans were flooded or destroyed, and property damage totaled in the millions of dollars.

Otto now holds the record as the latest in-season hurricane to make landfall anywhere in the Atlantic Basin. 

At the direction of the Costa Rican Evangelical Alliance Federation (FAEC), CBN Humanitarian and Disaster Relief responded immediately with help, organizing a relief campaign with local churches called UnitexCR--Join for Costa Rica.  

CBN's local office became a collection center for items donated by compassionate evangelical Christians and others desiring to help those in need. 

Two days after the hurricane, CBN staff members and volunteers began delivering food, water, and other needed items to residents of Upala, in northern Costa Rica near Lake Nicaragua.

Watch the video to see how CBN and Costa Rican churches worked together to help Costa Ricans devastated by Hurricane Otto:

One relief team helped clean out water and mud-damaged houses, while another team prayed and ministered to distraught families.

One CBN team member reported, "At the El Carmen neighborhood shelter, we met a young mother of 16, whose 9-month old son was snatched from her hand by the flow of water when she went up to the roof of her house to protect herself from the (rising) water."

Team members prayed with the grieving mother and provided much-needed help .

Once the relief phase ends, CBN staffers and Costa Rican churches will examine ways to assist hurricane Otto victims in the recovery effort. 

Costa Rican President Luis Guillermo Solis endorsed the UnitexCR effort saying in the future those affected by the hurricane will need help with education, rebuilding infrastructure, housing, and other areas. 

"When we determine the damages, the type of help from you (CBN and FAEC) will be very useful." 


 

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About The Author

Gary Lane
Gary
Lane

Mr. Lane currently serves as International News Director and Senior International Correspondent for CBN News. He has traveled to more than 120 countries—many of them restricted nations or areas hostile to Christianity and other minority faiths where he has interviewed persecution victims and has provided video reports and analysis for CBN News. Also, he has provided written stories and has served as a consultant for the Voice of the Martyrs. Gary joined The Christian Broadcasting Network in 1984 as the first full-time Middle East Correspondent for CBN News. Based in Jerusalem, Gary produced