BEVERLY — A Beverly native is leading an effort to help residents of Nicaragua recover from a devastating hurricane.

Peter Coleman, who works for a relief organization called Peace and Hope Trust, is overseeing the distribution of 5,000 pounds of food, $3,000 in building supplies and $1,500 in medicine to residents of the isolated towns of La Barra, Karawala and Sandy Bay.

The towns were struck by Hurricane Ida on Nov. 4 and 5. Although it was a relatively small Category 1 hurricane, it "wreaked havoc" on the three communities, according to an e-mail from Coleman.

Coleman said 70 people, including children and pregnant women, took refuge in a hurricane shelter built by Peace and Hope Trust USA in La Barra as the water rose to more than 4 feet.

"Many families told me that they are convinced that were it not for the (shelter), there would have been tragic loss of life," Coleman wrote.

The 35-year-old Coleman, a graduate of Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School, is the Nicaragua field director for Peace and Hope Trust, a nonprofit organization that provides relief and development in remote regions of Nicaragua. His father, Mark Coleman, the retired pastor of North Shore Community Baptist Church in Beverly Farms, is chairman of the board.

For more information or to donate to Peace and Hope Trust, go to www.peaceandhope.org.

September was a great month of outreach and very successful as I was able to mobilize some small new development initiatives. Peace and Hope is in the process of facilitating the formation of a fishing co-op in a small and impoverished fishing community on the Caribbean Coast of Nicaragua. We were also able to support and mobilize 4 communities in the same region to send delegates to attend a conference on disaster preparedness. Most of these communities are hit very hard by hurricanes and suffer massive flooding in October and November every year.

I will be in the United States in early October in the event that you would like to help me arrange an opportunity to speak at your local church, school or Rotary to share about the work of Peace and Hope Trust. You can contact me directly at peterc@peaceandhope.org.

Blessings,

Peter Coleman

July was a productive, but challenging and intense month for Peace and Hope Trust. We were shaken by Pastor Mark’s very serious motorcycle accident on his “Ride for Peace and Hope”. Thousands of people had Mark in their thoughts and prayers and we are so overjoyed to have Pastor Mark safe and sound, albeit in considerable pain.

This was a month of great progress for our work in Nicaragua. We hosted numerous teams and installed a wonderful playground at the orphanage and installed a life-saving VHF radio in the jungle village of Esperanza along with many other challenging and hope giving projects…many thanks to our brave volunteers and their supporters and churches.

Thank you for your ongoing interest and support this summer. We are already planning a one week “Living Thanksgiving” project for November...we will be sending out information in the weeks ahead.

Sincerely,
Peter Coleman
July 2009

It is Thursday, July 23rd. After a four day car ride with my nephew, Joel, doing most of the driving, I arrived at 13 Thoreau Circle Saturday evening around 6 p.m. Had a wonderful time visiting and getting to know Joel - again - this time as an adult. Sybil had gathered a few friends to greet us. Since Saturday, my breathing has come far easier, the pain of broken ribs is something I will have to deal with for the next several weeks, although I like to think that they are getting better. I have concluded that my trek across America was far more than a mc trip. I visited with important people in my life and have found that each one ministered to me in ways I did not expect. The trip was used by God to help this 'retired' pastor to begin the process of determining what God has in store for me in the next chapter of my life.. How can I begin to thank so many of you who have prayed for me, and walked with me through this trip and particularly through the accident? I am truly convinced when all the pieces have been put together, that God chose to spare my life, and brought me through this accident with minimal broken bones and more than a person going 70 miles per hour on a mc should have had. I thank you and our Lord for his watchcare over me. Now it's time to recoup and reflect. That is my intention for the next month or so. My family doctor said that this is the time for me to pull out my favorite books and read. That's what I'm going to do. Thank you again for taking an interest in Peace and Hope Trust. May God continue to bless this ministry in the years ahead.

To bring you up to date. Following a terrible Sunday with both pain and sickness, Monday and Tuesday were days of slow recovery at Russ and Birgit's home. It was determined that Sybil would fly back to Boston on Monday (she did!) Thankyou, Dave and Marilyn, for picking her up at Logan at 2 a.m. Tuesday morning. Wednesday morning my nephew, Joel, and I left Tucson heading east. We made it as far as Santa Fe, Mexico by last evening. Had good and interesting conversation with a nephew I have not seen in a long time. Up at 5 a.m. this morning. On the road by 5:45 a.m. Breakfast in Raton, New Mexico. Beautiful, changing scenery as we climb higher and higher. Had a brief stop in Colorado Springs to visit with Harvey and Nancy Karlsen. Warm, tender and far too brief a visit! We rolled on with Joel doing most of the driving and ultimately made it to the middle of Nebraska where we have settled in for the night in Lexington. Hope to make it to the middle of Indiana by tomorrow evening. The pain continues, especially when I cough or move much. Other than that, the trip is uneventful. God is so gracious in seeing my through this accident. I am very anxious to get home and be with Sybil once again. I reminded myself today that it has been over 6 weeks since leaving Beverly. Will attempt to bring you up to speed tomorrow.