Project 1

In 1998, Hurricane Mitch hit the small Bay Island of Guanaja head on, with winds of 260 miles per hour recorded. They were the strongest hurricane winds ever recorded in the whole world. (If there were a category six hurricane, Mitch would qualify!)

The small Adventist church on Guanaja was destroyed. A year or so later, the church was rebuilt. Then, a mysterious fire destroyed it on September 2, 2001 (just a week before the tragic 9/11 attack in the U.S.)

The church received some insurance money and purchased a larger piece of property, as the small, irregular lot they had gave no room for expansion. In 2003, they began constructing a new church. Their plan was to build a church that could also serve as a hurricane shelter. Three-and-a-half years later, they still have not finished the church. Their limited funds are depleted.

Spring 2007 the Quiet Hour’s Youth Mission Adventure Teams (from Okanagan Academy (British Columbia, Canada), Chetwynd SDA School (British Columbia, Canada) and Paradise SDA Academy (Northern California), under the direction of Joedy and Judy Melashenko, went to Guanaja to help finish this church.

Their goal was to get the trusses and roofing completed. This is a large task, as all materials to this small island have to be shipped and unloaded by hand. Each piece of lumber, plywood and roofing material was handled at least four times before it reached its Guanaja destination. The two sections of the church required 70 trusses.

The Quiet Hour pledged $30,000 for this project.

Project 2

The simple house that Pastor Miguel Adonia lives in was seriously damaged during Hurricane Mitch. The first floor withstood the winds, as it was constructed with cement block. However, the second floor was made of wood. In the meantime, dry rot, termites and mold rendered it beyond repair.

The second floor was removed and replaced with cement block walls (exterior and interior). Our goal was to erect all the walls, build and install the trusses as well as the metal roofing materials. The Quiet Hour pledged $10,000 for this project.

Over 100 volunteers from Canada and the U.S. worked for 4 weeks on these two projects.