Saturday, October 28, 2017

Fortalecimiento Instucional ante Desastres y Emergencias / Institutional Strengthening for Disasters and Emergencies

Durante la semana de 23-27 tuvimos el privilegio de reunir organizaciones asociadas al CCM de Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, y Guatemala. Uno de nuestros asociados en Nicaragua, Acción Médica Cristiana (AMC) lleva décadas de experiencia profesional en alivio/ayuda y desarrollo y una relación larga con el CCM. Les invitamos a organizar un taller/intercambio sobre el tema de Fortalecimiento Institucional ante Desastres y Emergencias, a lo cual invitamos varios asociados de la región, grupos Anabautistas y otras organizaciones basadas en la fe.

AMC organizó una semana llena, incluyendo diferentes miembros de su equipo para presentar sobre una variedad de temas: diferentes tipos de desastres y acción humanitaria, herramientas para evaluar daños y necesidades, normas internación para acción humanitaria, y más.

Resultó que durante la misma semana, hubo lluvias intensas en partes de la región por una tormenta tropical en el pacífico. Según La Prensa, una alerta roja sigue en varias partes del país, 7 fallecidos en Nicaragua (5 más en Honduras), y más de dos mil casas inundadas. En Nicaragua, las iglesias Anabautistas tienen presencia en varias de las comunidades afectadas.  Incluso durante la capicitación, el Comité Anabautista de Emergencias ya había comenazado a establecer comunicación, evaluar la situación, y comenzar el trabajo de conectar con redes para considerar una respuesta apropiada y relevante.

During the week of October 23-27, we had the privilege of bringing together MCC partner organizations from Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, and Guatemala.  One of our partners in Nicaragua, Acción Médica Cristiana (AMC, translation: Medical Christian Action), has decades of professional experience in relief and development work and a long relationship with MCC.  We invited them to organize a training/exchange on the theme of Organizational Strengthening for Disasters and Emergencies, which we would open up to various partners in the region, Anabaptist church groups and other faith-based organizations.

AMC pulled together a full week, bringing in different members of their team to talk about a variety of themes: different kinds of disasters and humanitarian action, tools for evaluation of damages and needs, international norms for humanitarian action, and so on.

It also happened that the same week saw intense rains in parts of the region because of a tropical storm in the Pacific.  According to La Prensa newspaper, a red alert continues for some parts of the country, 7 deaths in Nicaragua (5 more in Honduras), with over 2,000 homes that have been flooded.  In Nicaragua, the Anabaptist churches have a presence in various communities that have been affected.  Even during the training, the Anabaptist Emergency Committee was already beginning to establish communication, assess the current situation and begin the work of networking to consider an appropriate and relevant response.



















Sunday, October 15, 2017

Growing up(date)

A post here, re-using the name of the blog that we maintained more or less when Lia and Silas were small(er) and we tried to share some pictures with family at a distance.  Here are some simple pictures from around the house today.  Miriam is 9 and a half months.

Stacking cups, in and out.


Miriam never took much of an interest in the baby rattle toy she had.  Now a maraca? That's something else.


Uno Moo game + egg carton.


Interested in older brother's peanut butter bottle bank.



With Mommy :)



Out at the park, watching from her stroller.



Lia on her roller skates, we've been caught by rain.



Silas on what was Lia's bike, time to go inside.


Time to find some other fun!