Churches and Christian agencies are responding to the disaster with aid and prayers.

"Food for the Hungry in Guatemala is sending supplies from our warehouse and using $5,000 committed already by Food for the Hungry in the United States to purchase and send supplies we do not have on hand," Sandahl said. "More is needed.  We are coordinating through the government's national relief network CONRED and with some of the local churches in the capital who have sister churches in the affected areas.

In El Salvador, Winn reported that "The Evangelical Church has been a bigger source of aid than any other agency or religion.  Every church I know of in El Salvador has been either collecting goods to distribute to the different shelters, or converting into shelters themselves."

Southern Baptist missionary Philip Johnson in El Salvador reported that "Disaster response in El Salvador, unlike Guatemala, was quick and efficient.  Churches and non-governmental agencies cooperated with government officials in providing food and basic necessities to several hundred shelters.  People were housed in churches, schools, even stadiums."

"Many churches opened their doors to the homeless, or became collection agencies for food and emergency supplies," Johnson added. "An incredible spirit of unity and solidarity was felt in many churches."

"Churches that did not have the resources to serve as shelters have responded by using their small, ill-equipped kitchens to cook for the hungry," Johnson said. "As one cook remarked to me, 'It's the least I can do; this could have happened to me.  I must respond.'"