During Mercy Chef founder Gary LeBlanc's previous trip to Puerto Rico, he shared about a number of residents on the island who were experiencing intense fear, anxiety and depression from the darkness caused by nearly eight months without power. The inability to simply turn on a light was — and still is — affecting them in a very real way.

Approximately 20 percent of residents in Puerto Rico STILL don't have electricity. An estimated 10 percent of those people probably won't get power back — EVER. Even those areas with electricity can experience routine outages up to three times a week.

Month after month after month of darkness has raised anxiety and stress levels on the island. For many people, the ongoing darkness has led to fear — fear that could be eased, if they simply had the ability to turn on a light! But we have a plan to help!

I'm reaching out today with urgent news about the latest power outage in Puerto Rico. A contractor toppled a pole onto the main electric line, knocking out power to the entire island. The entire island! Officials estimate it will take 24 to 36 hours to turn back on what's left of Puerto Rico's electrical grid.

What's happening on the island is just tragic. Tens of thousands of Puerto Ricans have been without power since Hurricane Maria devastated the island on September 20, 2017. That was almost seven months ago. And now, this happens!

I want you to see what happened during my recent trip to Puerto Rico, especially how God used the generosity of friends like you to bless this beloved woman who had been without power for months.