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Myanmar Cyclone Update
We have had a few people inquiring into the effects of Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar and whether anyone we know was affected or injured. Steve Larson, whom we have both traveled with to Myanmar, was actually on his way into Myanmar when the cyclone hit, and arrived only a few days after the cyclone. He returned late last week and has sent us an update on what he learned while in Myanmar (Burma).
The following is an excerpt from his update:
We arrived in Yangon on Tuesday, May 6th after Cyclone Nargis ravaged the Irrawaddy (Burmese – Ayeyawady) delta area, including the city of Yangon and five other major townships, from Friday, May 2nd through Sunday, May 4th. Non-government officials have estimates ranging from 200,000 dead or missing to over 500,000. Survivors in the delta region face immediate needs for food, water, and shelter, but the long-term affects are even greater. The land has been “polluted” by salt water driven inland from the storm, and the seed stored for the planting season (beginning in June) has been destroyed. Even if the seed is replaced, the land won’t be usable for quite some time.
Saboi Jum and his family have a home in Yangon that was nearly destroyed in the storm, but, thankfully, Saboi and his wife, Nang Bawk, were in Myitkyina at the time. The offices of the Shalom Center in Yangon (Saboi’s ministry to promote peace and justice) were also destroyed. Saboi initiated the partnership with BILD-International in 1989 and has been a partner (and long-time friend) with me in that work since that time. His daughter, Ja Nan, who manages the Yangon office of the Shalom Centre, was in Yangon at the time of the storm. She and her family are unharmed but trying to recover without electricity or running water. The Shalom Centre is trying to organize and fund teams of medical doctors to go to the affected areas and has made arrangements with Bangkok Airways to fly in needed relief materials from Bangkok. She will be sending me estimates of what materials are needed and the costs involved so that we can send financial help to them also, if possible.
Hpone Myint, General Secretary of the Asho Chin Baptist Conference, and partner in training Asho Chin pastors, survived the storm. His residence and the Conference offices were greatly damaged but are still usable. Many Asho Chin families were affected in the storm. The needs and costs of recovery are summarized in the attached document he gave to me at my request (please forgive his rough English and spelling errors). The estimates are valued in their currency (called kyat) which has a conversion rate of about 1,100 kyats per dollar, making the total financial need around $10,000.
Getting relief funds directly to those affected is difficult since the government has restricted foreign access to those areas. Therefore, Hpone Myint has set up an account with an Asho Chin associate in the Rockford, IL area in order to collect and transfer the relief funds directly to the Asho Chin Baptist Conference office. Cornerstone Church, my home church here in Ames, has supported the training efforts among the Asho Chin and would like to do their part in helping with the relief of the Asho Chin families affected by the storm.Therefore, if you wish to donate specifically to the Asho Chin relief needs, send a check payable to Cornerstone Church, 56829 Highway 30, Ames, IA 50010, and earmark it for “Asho Chin Relief.” All funds collected will be deposited in the Rockford account and transferred directly to the Asho Chin Baptist Conference headquarters in Yangon, who will then purchase the needed supplies and deliver them to the affected villages.
The needs are great, both physically and spiritually, among those affected by the storm, and among the Kachin churches and their expansion ministries to the Asho Chin, Wa, and other tribes in their local areas. If you wish to donate to the general relief efforts related to Cyclone Nargis, please send donations to BILD-International, 2400 Oakwood Road, Ames, IA 50014, and earmark the funds for "Myanmar Partnership – Nargis Relief." If you wish to give to the ongoing needs of the partnership project, also send donations to BILD-International and earmark the funds for "Myanmar Partnership." All funds will go directly to the respective efforts in Myanmar.
Since we left Myanmar, another cyclone-like storm has moved through the affected areas, making recovery efforts quite difficult if not impossible. Please continue to pray for the needs there:
- That the churches in Myanmar would sacrificially share in the recovery needs among the people in lower Myanmar, using this as an opportunity to meet their spiritual needs as well
- That the survivors of the storm would be sustained with the necessary food, water, and shelter, and would respond in faith to the proclamation of the gospel
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Blando's Blog
Disciple of Christ, Husband, Father, and IT-guy.
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