Where is God?
By Roy Soto, Pastor of CSS Church in Fraijanes, Costa Rica
As a pastor, father, husband, and community member who was victim to the devastating earthquake that shook our region of Costa Rica just one year ago (Jan. 8th 2009), I know the feelings and emotions that come to my Haitian brothers and sisters now in the aftermath of the natural disaster of January 12th.
We suffer as we see our children and neighbors cry out in fear, pain, sadness, desperation, and impotency and weep from their wounds and losses. How do we respond to our wives as they ask “and now where will we live?”
In that desperation I found that I had one of two choices. Either I could give up and fall into hopelessness or see the crisis, with all its pain and suffering, as an opportunity to see God and experience His love and presence in the midst of the storm.
I chose to see Him in the suffering. By choosing that, God used me, broken and suffering as I was, to serve, cloth, feed and bring comfort and hope to my neighbors.
The circumstances of pain and suffering in our community didn’t disappear magically, but His presence and love broke through the darkness that surrounded us in beautiful and mysterious ways. His presence and love for us who suffered loss and destruction broke through in the lives of our RdC network family, churches that came and served us and brought us relief and aid, walked with us and cried with us and felt our pain; friends and servants from all over the world that prayed for us, sent offerings of love to help us rebuild and restore lives.
The community of the Kingdom was present and continues to be present one year later as the process of restoration continues.
Another thing I experienced that was instrumental in easing my fears and pain was the wonder of being useful in God’s hands. I was a broken vessel used to bring water and life to others who were hurting around me. My family was housed in a tent 20 kilometers from our devastated community for over a month while I served among those who lost everything.
To my brothers Raymond and Walter and all the Haitian pastors and church leaders, servants and collaborators of the Kingdom, I pray for you all. I pray that you can come to know that these excruciatingly painful events, events that bring us to our weakest points, help us cling to the only hope we have– our faith in, knowledge, and experience of God. A God who promised never to abandon us. It is here that we fall into our God-ordained role as humble servants. God has given us life and hope to reach out and touch others, to heal, comfort, rebuild. This broken and hurting world will continue to cry out for restoration, harmony, and peace (the wholistic shalom that comes with life in the Kingdom).
We are with you in spirit and prayer and will accompany you and all the brothers and sisters in Haiti who are commissioned, in the midst of the crisis, to bring hope and life.
For he has not despised or disdained the suffering of the afflicted one;
he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help. (Psalm 22:24
Follow Up: After the earthquake, CSS opened its doors and served its community in many Kingdom reflecting ways. They are an example of how a community of faith can offer hope and show signs of the Kingdom. Amazing things happen when churches are obedient and responsive to God’s call to literally make all things new!
Due to the generosity of DCC partners, individuals, and churches in the RdC Network, over $66,000 was given to CSS to support relief and post-earthquake development efforts. As a result, Roy and the large team of CSS volunteers:
- Repaired 87 houses
- Built 13 new homes
- Offered shelter to 323 people for over 3 months
- Made and distributed over 76,000 plates of food to local residents, police, and Red Cross workers
- Distributed 1,600 food kits to over 300 families
- Helped 4 local churches repair their buildings and supported their congregations with supplies and food during the rehab process
- Brought home-based medical care to more than 40 families, offered psychological counseling to over 100 families, and organized many home visits to follow up on patients.