Saturday, January 9, 2010

BITTER COLD WEATHER


Record breaking cold, freeze warnings and reports of sleet. Those are foreign phrases to those of us in the Rio Grande Valley and Mexico. And for the many with no heat in their homes, and no insulation, those are dangerous and sometimes deadly words.


It's always good to have blankets, sweaters, caps and jackets to give out on our visits to Nuevo Progreso. The children and the elderly especially are affected by the severe weather. In the past we have heard reports of children dying from smoke inhalation from open fires and we've also heard of babies being smothered under too many blankets.


It looks strange on cold days to see little dwellings with all their doors and windows open and little campfires blazing just outside their thresholds. But they have learned that good ventilation is critical and if they try to trap heat inside, they also bring in deadly smoke and fumes.


Our prayer is that the cold weather pattern changes soon.

No comments: