Nazarene Compassionate Ministries and Nazarene Missions International provided a disaster response workshop for 48 participants at the Abundant Life Church of the Nazarene of Levittown in the Eastern District of Puerto Rico on 23 June.

Named the Disaster Preparedness and Recovery Workshop, the event focused on enabling local laity and clergy to respond to the ever-present threat of natural disasters in Puerto Rico. The local ACUDE ministry (Alliance of United Faith Communities of Emergency) made the workshop possible by providing the training for the participants.

José Rodríguez, NCM coordinator for the Eastern District, emphasizes how important this workshop is for Puerto Rico.

"For our district, this is just the beginning of a great mission and responsibility to develop as a church an immediate response to any natural event that threatens or may affect the families in the communities," Rodríguez said.

On average, Puerto Rico experiences a tropical storm only once every five years, making it a less frequent target than other tropical countries, but in light of the recent hurricane that devastated the island, local church members can never be too prepared to respond in tragic times.

--Church of the Nazarene Mesoamerica