News from Mexico after the hurricanes

This note came to me yesterday from a North American missionary to the Yucatan of Mexico. These are different folks from the medical doctor in Belize whose note before Felix is several entries below.


Dear Friends and Prayer Partners:

We have been receiving emails from various of you, wanting to know how we weathered hurricane Dean. Actually, we were ending up our 2-week trip to the States when it hit. We flew in from Houston on Tuesday (Monday’s flight had been cancelled), and saw that there was practically no damage at all in Merida. Only wind gusts of up to 60 miles an hour were felt, and no rain to speak of. Dean came in further south, so that most of Yucatan as well as Cancún, were spared major damage. Our camp at Porvenir was not affected at all. Praise the Lord!

Where Dean came in was further south, near Chetumal and Belize, at a resort town called Majahual (pronounced “Mah-hah-WAHL”). The piers that received cruise boats were destroyed, as well as most of the town. That area of the Peninsula is sparsely populated, and only about ten deaths were storm-related. Dean hit as a category 5, but moved through very quickly. The greatest damage was to the crops and to the trees and jungles of the area. Maya villagers lost their homes and possessions (they had mostly palm-thatched houses). All the crops are gone in a swath that covers northern Belize, southern Quintana Roo and Campeche, and the south tip of Yucatan, the 3 states that comprise the Yucatan Peninsula.

Northern Belize apparently will be without electricity for two weeks more. They lost their trees and crops there, too. Helen Lacey’s garage collapsed, but she and her vehicle were at a refuge, so no serious damage. Amidst the losses, we thank the Lord for His protection!

Here in Merida, Seminary shut down as a precautionary measure. Classes will resume on Tuesday. We have put our downtown house up for sale. We pray the Lord to determine whenever and to whomever He wants it sold.

As a footnote, we had a wonderful 2 weeks in the States visiting friends in Michigan we do not get to see frequently. Times of prayer and praise were very meaningful to us. The high point of the trip was the baptism of Dan and Debbie’s third child, Owen David. We enjoyed some days with our children (Daniel, wife Debbie and daughter Debbie) and grandchildren Alyssa, Caleb and Owen. We praise the Lord for them.

Continued blessings to you as you enter into fall activities and serve Him where you are.

Your servants for Jesus’ sake, (2 Cor 4:5)

Jean and David Legters

For donations, please send (with a note) to

I.D.E.A. Ministries;
4595 Broadmoor Ave. S.E., Suite 237;
Grand Rapids, MI 49512

Finally, information from Presbyterian Disaster Assistance's response to Felix may be found here.