March 9

A couple of times these past two weeks I have traveled deep into the mountains of Puerto Rico, a place where very few tourists ever see, to a place called "Buscacarbones". It is a delightful spot. From one vantage point I could see across the entire island. To the north was the deep blue Atlantic and to the south glimmered the turquoise Caribbean. Between the two seas were thirty-five miles of lush tropical forest, covering steep mountains and sheltering thousands of acres of coffee and citrus. Near the seas were verdant plains and rolling hills. Pausing to admire the beauty, I wished I could wake up each morning to that view, lift up a cup of coffee, and salute the Lord Jesus, the Creator of such glory.

As I drove through the interior, with the windows lowered, my ears captured the piercing calls of roosters, warning any challenger that might enter their domain. Spilling from the trees were songs of tropical birds and small frogs called "coquies", the mascot of the island. I thought of friends from the States and wished all of you could enjoy the experience.

That said, the purpose of my visit to that lush hideaway was more mundane. We were seeking out people in need.  The evidence was all around us. Abandoned houses were everywhere. At an occasional establishment, men and women stood around talking, wiling the day away. Lazy? Incompetent? Deadbeats? Freeloaders? I suppose there were some, as there are everywhere, yet the case for most was joblessness. Unemployment hovers at 24% in that part of the island. Many have left the area to find employment in the US. Many of those that stay are idle.

Now I should throw in a couple of other factors that have contributed to the crisis in the mountains of PR. Evidence of Hurricane María's destructive force in 2017 could still easily be seen. One family we talked with had not had electricity in their home for two and a half years, since María. The storm had knocked down three power poles and neither the city not the power company had the desire (probably a money issue) to fix the problem for that one family.  We went to another area and found three families living in tents since January 7. If you will recall, we had a 6.4 earthquake causing severe damage to some areas of the island. Thousands of homes were lost. With no place to go people have been forced to live in tents.

How could we help? The need is so great. Our church and we, with funds from the States, have donated or purchased many items to make life a little more bearable for a few of the refugees. Still, with uncommitted funds in our pocket, we asked the three families sharing a common location what was their greatest need? "How can we help?" I noticed a portable outhouse at the entrance of the camp and a portable shower or two. I was not surprised when I was told "a bathroom would be wonderful." The family owning the land, sponsoring the three families, had some materials donated/gathered and yet was quite short of all that was needed. It occurred to us with the remaining funds we perhaps could make a donation to build that bathroom. That is our intended next project.

On to other matters, last Sunday was youth Sunday. They did a wonderful job handling the entire service. At the end of the service we had a baptism. It was a beautiful moment. The lady baptized burst into tears and praise and we formed an affirming "choir" around her. Mary asked me at the end of  the day, "What was your best moment today?" Without hesitating I said, "Miriam's baptism." It was especial. "And you?"
 I asked. "The same", came her reply.

Blessings to all.