In the days following the hurricane, Freddy Fonseca, the General Secretary of the Bible Society of Nicaragua, despatched a series of graphic e-mails. They paint a picture of the swift change from a deceptive calm in the early hours of September 4 to a scene of terrifying chaos in the towns on the Nicaragua’s Caribbean coast as “an invisible exterminator reigned in the streets, tearing up trees, roofs and houses, and tossing telegraph poles around until everything was dancing a dance of calamity in mid-air, whipped around by winds of 160 mph (260 kph).”

Bible Society promoter Pastor Edmund Lacayo told Mr Fonseca that his entire house in Puerto Cabezas had been destroyed. Fortunately, his wife, son and two small grandchildren were unharmed.

“When the metal [roofing] sheets began to go up,” he said, “my wife, my son and our two small grandchildren were on our knees, asking God to pity us, saying that we were in his hands. We all had our eyes closed when we felt some arms lift us up and show us where to get out. I opened my eyes and saw that there was nothing around me: there was no roof and the wooden walls of my house had gone... But all the time I trusted in God – that he would protect the lives of my family and me.”

The family was rescued by some Christians and other neighbours and they are now living in a temporary refuge. Fortunately, Mr Lacayo keeps his stock of Bible materials in the cellar of his house where they have remained safe from the ravages of the hurricane.

“I found that they were all in perfect condition,” he said, “the Portions, cassettes, Proclaimers – everything was fine except a little material I had kept in the house to work on.

“Then, with a group of brothers from the church I began to deliver all the available Scripture Portions to church pastors so that they could hand them out to their church members and to their communities.”

After the hurricane, he added, in spite of the chaotic state, nearby churches were full of people of all denominations praying, praising God and holding Faith Comes By Hearing listening sessions from loudspeakers which were running on gasoline-powered generators. He also told Mr Fonseca that there was an urgent demand for Bible and New Testaments. “People are asking for more than just Portions,” he said. “The churches are full to overflowing; we are all in need: lots of pastors lost their Bibles and are asking me for more.”

Meanwhile, elsewhere in Puerto Cabezas, Barnabás Waldan, a Miskito Bible translator, lost part of the roof of his home. Thankfully, his wife and children were unharmed and the damage, severe though it was, didn’t prevent him from opening his house to a prayer group.

“They are crying out to God for things to return to normal and for help to come,” he said.

That aside, he seemed less concerned about himself than for the needs of others.

“The overwhelming need is for more Scriptures,” he said. “With Edmund [Lacayo], our Promoter, I delivered all those that we had available and people are asking for more. Right now as I am speaking to you, I have 22 people standing in what remains of my house asking for more Portions to read.”

He said he had seen people desperately wandering around the streets – or suddenly starting to cry.

“It is all the result of the hurricane. Praise God that churches and pastors have responded. There is a great need for spiritual help... People are seeking God – the churches are evidence of it: they are packed – in some cases because people have taken refuge, and in others because they are seeking comfort after losing everything that they had. The need for Scriptures is tremendous.”

Another Miskito translator, Dionisio Melgara, also lost part of his home. Mr Melgara lives in Waspán, a town of 8,000 people which, in normal conditions, is a day's drive from Puerto Cabezas.

At the time the hurricane began to make its effects felt, Mr Melgara, his wife and their 10-year-old son were in family prayers and because they had been without electricity for two days they had no idea that Hurricane Felix was on its way.

“Only God and blessèd Providence saved us,” he said. “We heard trees being ripped up and we felt the fury of the wind when it came in through the window – although it was closed – and suddenly we felt the rain where we were and realised that the roof had gone, taken by the hurricane. So we went to the living room and carried on praying and nothing bad happened to us. We just lost the house roof, the lavatory and part of the kitchen walls.”

He said that almost 90 per cent of Waspán was levelled; there were many houses without roofs and others that trees had fallen onto. The Catholic church and the school had completely lost their roofs and so many people had come to his house asking for Bibles that he had given nearly all his copies away.

“Their own house is practically without a roof but they are giving thanks and trusting in God who saved them from death,” Mr Fonseca commented. “He feels very grateful to God for saving his life and because this calamity means that people are seeking more of God.”

In an e-mail sent on September 8, Mr Fonseca said that people in the communities of Puerto Cabezas, Waspán and Sandy Bay had nothing and everything – water, food, medicine, clothes and Bibles – was needed urgently. But he said that he felt particular distress at the losses suffered by the Bible Society members of staff.

A meeting he had with the Bible Society Board had decided that the Society’s priorities were the distribution of Scriptures and the rebuilding of Mr Layaco’s house.

“He lost so many of his possessions that he is wearing the same clothes he was wearing before the hurricane hit,” Mr Fonseca said. “The Society has already sent the family some money,” he added.

The amount needed to re-build Mr Layaco’s house and repair the homes of Mr Waldan and Mr Melgara has been estimated at about US$38,000.

Mr Layaco had also informed him that a third Bible translator, Waldemar Bushey, had also lost his house.

“This was very sad to hear,” he said, “because Waldemar suffered persecution for being a Bible translator and has always unquestioningly given us the help we have needed. He has been an untiring distributor in the Bible cause – in spite of his advanced age.”

Mr Fonseca said the planned distribution inventory consisted of 3,000 Bibles, 15,000 New Testaments and 52,000 Portions.

"All the help that you can give this plan will be welcome; no help is too small, nor too great and it will be received with gratitude and pleasure."

He said the sensitivity and solidarity already shown in people’s donations of clothing, shoes, food and some money “has meant a lot to us and to God's work."

Meanwhile the Bible Society has helped set up an Evangelical Council of National Emergency. Among its eight national Christian organisations are four national evangelical radio stations all of which have been broadcasting appeals for humanitarian aid for the victims of Hurricane Felix.