Juliana stares down the volcano

The news from Guatemala was hard to hear. Although students at our school are safe, far too many extended family members and friends have been affected. Some have lost their lives. As teachers, students, and parents clean up the ash and learn to live with face masks, we give thanks for their blessed community and pray for blessed peace.

Juliana Anderson is a college student from St. John's who is spending the summer helping at Escuela Integrada. Her responsibilities have shifted considerably these last few days. Here's what she had to say in a text earlier this morning:

"It's been a scary past couple of days. We didn't realize on Sunday how big the explosion was until we saw the videos. The death toll has been rapidly increasing. We're thanking God that all of the kids at the school are safe, but a new friend at a school closer to the volcano lost four of his students. Others were severely burned. There was already a lot of need in Guatemala, and now entire towns have been destroyed, jobs lost, and loved ones killed. The need is even greater now than ever."

Pray for our friends in Guatemala, especially those already living in extreme poverty. If you would like to contribute to disaster relief, the school has set up a contribution page on their website. I'd encourage you to visit it for information and updates, wearegraces.org/disaster-relief.

Blessings to you this week. Thanks so much for your partnership in the Gospel.