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Victorian Bushfire Disaster
Many Australians have been overwhelmed by the ferocity and destruction of the bushfires that swept through rural victoria on 8th February.
FTH will work through local Victorian C3 churches (Christian City Churches under Ps. Phil Pringle) to bring relief and hope to the survivors of this horrific natural disaster.
You can help by donating directly to C3 Churches here.
relief updates
Local churches and Christian Ministries have also stood up and offered their assistance despite their lack of experience or resources to help in this disaster. Listed below are updates from several of these ministries.
If your church or ministry is actively working in the disaster area please let us know - if you have a story to tell - please contact the office, we'd love to share it here.
C3 | KCM | ICFM | Roma Waterman
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C3 Australia - 13/2/09
"This weekend all Australian C3 churches are taking up offerings to assist the victims of the Victorian bush fires. All donations from C3 churches are being combined through our Australian National office to invest in both short and long term needs to assist those affected.
Our state C3 director in Victoria, Rob Buckingham, has already been working long hours to provide relief to affected communities. Rob will submit a plan of action to our national director Gordon Moore that will involve meeting both immediate and longer term needs of a selected area."
Jake Betlam
Beyond (C3 Missions Director)
C3 Australia - 9/2/09
"As you are aware from the news both Victoria and Northern Queensland are in a State of Emergency with devastating fires in Victoria and flooding in Northern Queensland. The death toll this afternoon in Victoria is 126 with predictions that it could reach over 200.
As fellow Australians we must be involved in supporting the families who have lost their loved ones, homes and possessions as a result of these disasters.
I am therefore asking that every church commit these families and circumstances to prayer and we need to pray specifically that Victoria will experience some timely rain that will stop the fires. Also for the families of the victims who at this time are suffering unthinkable grief.
Secondly, we are in discussions with our Victorian State Directors, Rob & Christie Buckingham, and Peter & Lyn McHugh, C3 Whitehorse, and have asked them to prepare a C3 Australian Disaster Relief initiative on our behalf. We are currently assessing the Qld situation as well with John & Danielle Pearce, Queensland State Directors, and will keep you informed.
Therefore, I am asking every church to consider partnering with us and take up offerings this coming weekend to contribute to this great need in our Nation.
Yours faithfully,
C3 Bridgemen Downs | Gordon & Jo Moore
C3 NATIONAL DIRECTOR"
See also Victorian C3 Churches
C3 Whitehorse | Peter & Lyn McHugh
C3 Bayside | Rob & Christie Buckingham
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kCM - 12/2/09
Isaiah 6:8 (King James Version)
Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.
We greet you in the Name of the Lord Jesus and encourage you to join us in praying for our Partners and Friends and many others who have suffered loss of loved ones, homes and possessions in the bushfires in Victoria, Australia.Brother Kenneth has prayed for this situation based on Psalm 66:12: “We went through fire and through water: but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place.”
Click here to hear the prayer.
We have set up an area on our Web site, Partners Helping Partners, where you can make financial contributions toward relief efforts. One hundred percent (100%) of your contributions will help provide assistance in times of adversity. Your prayers and contributions continue to touch countless lives.
If you wish to contribute, go online to kcm.org.au or contact us on 1300 730 433. Together we can make a difference!
God bless you and remember…JESUS IS LORD!
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ICFM - 10/2/09 - 12.03pm
"Dear Friends and Fellow Ministers
Last Saturday afternoon I flew into Melbourne where I was picked up and driven north to Shepparton to speak at a combined church rally. On the way we drove through as scene that had the hallmarks of Hell itself - temperatures were hovering in the 45-47 degrees and the wind gusting at 80 kmp and buffeting the car. It was frightening but what was most scary was the fact we were on the edge of the bushfires that have killed at least 173 people and destroyed hundreds of homes. We were enveloped in black smoke, dust and haze as we were diverted by police from the Hume Highway around towns I have never even heard of, towns such Kilmore and Flowerdale - which sadly now every Australian is aware of!
Some of these towns now cease to exist. My driver and I watched horrified as the whole bush seemed to be on fire while in the distance we watched "Elvis' - the water bombing helicopter dropping its pay load. I knew it was bad but never imagined the extent of the horror, death and destruction taking place before my eyes - people losing their loved ones, homes - in fact everything they possessed!
On the Sunday the combined churches of Shepparton prayed for the victims and their families of the tragedy happening just miles down the road from them. As I drove back to the airport on Monday we caught glimpses of the destruction and devastation that engulfed this area. Jan and I can relate to how these people feel - we lost our home in Darwin during Cyclone Tracey in 1974.
I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely express my families horror at what has transpired and our collective sympathy goes to those who have suffered loss of loved ones, homes and possessions. We also wish to honour those tireless men and women of the firefighting services and police - who selflessly lay their lives on the line in such disasters. Others that should be commended are the hundreds of volunteers, chaplains, pastors etc who are helping .
Aussies have always rallied for a cause, for our mates - its part of the Anzac Spirit. These people need our help and our deepest prayers at this time. Please pray for the victims and support the victims financially through the Red Cross Bushfire appeal.
A scripture that comes to mind at such times is found in Psalm 66:12: “We went through the fire and water, but then You bought us out and refreshed us.”
In His service
Col Stringer"Col Stringer is President of ICFM
ICFM - 16/2/09 2.37pm
Feb. 16, 2009 -- As the death toll continues to climb from the worst wildfires in Australia's history, Christian leaders are rushing aid to hundreds of victims left injured or homeless by bushfires that ravaged the southern state of Victoria last weekend.
We wanted to keep you informed as what ICFM International Convention Of Faith Ministries INc - Australia was doing to assist in this tragedy.
We have sent money to local pastors on the ground in the devasted areas, we will be assisting with finances for 'Stitches' a Christian Children;s group who will be taking a team into the areas, complete with jumping castles, slides, clowns etc.
Pastor Eileen and John Brown from Rhema Melbourne (ICFM members) also have teams assisting. Jan spoke with Eileen on the phone where she related how they were not only helping materially but she had personally led several people to the Lord in these devasted towns.
We know also that many churches and members are assisting in whatever way they can - thank you and God bless you as you pray and remember these victims who have suffered so much.
Blessings
Col Stringer
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roma Waterman - 16/2/09
Well known Melbourne singer and worship leader, Roma Waterman, has just released a song called "The Land of Dreams".
Roma is donating all royalities from this song to survivours of the Victorian bushfires.
"Here are some of the lyrics of the song I just wrote - it went to radio today - I pray the Lord will use it to bless many. God bless."
- Roma Waterman
From your wild and coral oceaons
To the red and dusty sands
You have risen from the ashes
To become the great southland
From your streams of crystal waters
To the hope of your green fields
Australia young and free
You're the land of dreamsFrom the mighty to the small
As a nation one and all
Hear the generations call
'Your'e the land of dreams'
The song will be on itunes for download from 3rd of March. They have offered their services free of charge to help out, but because its an international company thats how long it takes to upload.
In the meantime you can contact her via the website and they will send you the file with the understanding that you will purchase a copy when iut becomes available on March 3rd.
"I am donating all my royalties to a bush relief fund, so everyone who buys it from itunes will be contributing to that.
I also feel that in this time of tragedy and unanswered questions it is really important for people to experience hope and faith and to trust that Lord will work all things together for his good, so if people would like to recommend the song to all their contacts to use in whatever way they wish that would be a blessing!
I really want despair to turn into strength during this time, and my prayer is that this song would be a small part in contributing to that goal!"
bushfire testimonies
If you have a testimony from the bushfire experience and are willing to share it, please contact the office and we'll publish it here.
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Brian Naylor's neighbour Jason Lynn tells of bushfire horror.
JASON Lynn used what he thought was his last breath to tell his wife and children he loved them. The father of two and neighbour of deceased newsman Brian Naylor lay on the muddy banks of his dam, clinging to life, as the Kinglake bushfire raged around him.
His harrowing ordeal began on Saturday afternoon when the Kinglake fire descended on the small town. Mr Lynn's wife, Ruth, 39, fled with their two children, Joshua, five, and Julia, three, hours earlier for the safety of Yea.
But Mr Lynn, 35, stayed behind using fire pumps, generators and sprinklers to protect his cedar house. But when he saw the flames crashing through the trees Mr Lynn knew he was in for the fight of his life.
"You do fire guard meetings and they show you what it (fire) is like", Mr Lynn said.
"It comes along the ground but this thing just came in the sky on the trees.
"When I was in the fire I thought 'this is just like hell'."
As the fire advanced Mr Lynn tried desperately to save his home, throwing buckets of water on the flames after his fire pump and hose exploded in the heat. Gas tanks at his house exploded around him before the fire finally reached his house and caused it to erupt in a ball of flames. With nothing left to save, Mr Lynn made a break for the safety of the roof of his shed.
"I burnt my hands, even with gloves, just opening up the door to get in the shed," Mr Lynn said.
"I got a ladder and climbed up with buckets of water. The fire was all around and I was trying to put that out, but the shed caught on fire from inside. It just exploded."
Mr Lynn's prized racing car and cherished tools his father left him before his death were consumed in the fire ball. A wall of flame pierced the roof of the shed and blocked Mr Lynn from escaping off the roof and down the ladder.
"I just hung on to the spouting and the spouting fell down and I just collapsed down on the ground," Mr Lynn said.
"I still had enough energy, so I just started going towards the paddock.
"I just got to that point when you are running and running and you can't run anymore. There was just no air, it was like you were breathing vapour."
Crawling on his hands and knees through thick smoke Mr Lynn felt his way along the ground to the dam at the back of his property. It was then his boss Ziad Ghobril phoned him and urged him to use every last ounce of energy to make it to the safety of the dam. "I just kept going and I could feel the bank of the dam," he said.
"I felt like passing out so I didn't go in the dam very far, I just lay in it and put my head in the mud on the side."
Mr Lynn laid in the mud in the dam for one hour waiting for help to arrive. He kept his mobile phone pressed against his head as friends and his local minister Shane Lepp prayed for him and tried to keep him conscious.
"I thought I don't know how much longer I can breathe for. He said "I don't know if they phoned again . . . I was sort of delirious.
"They were trying to tell me stuff and I just said 'just listen to me. Tell my wife and my kids that I love them'. I said I can't hang on much longer."
Mr Lynn doesn't remember much of the next few hours except for the sound of voices on the other end of the phone, and the howling and screaming of animals burning to death in nearby paddocks.
"I could hear horns and stuff buzzing but I couldn't shout out", Mr Lynn said.
"The next thing I heard someone say 'I found someone down here'.
"I just remember feeling their glove on my face.
"He said to me 'if you are still alive now you'll be all right'," Mr Lynn said.
"He said if you have made it this far you'll be right."
Mr Lynn's saviours carried him out on a blanket. The father of two spent the next three days in the Northern Hospital in Epping. Mr Lynn yesterday thanked the fire fighters who saved his life and the staff at the hospital. He said it was a miracle he was alive and it was by the grace of God that he survived.
This news article was published in the Melbourne Sun Herald and submitted by Col Stringer.
Resources
Click here for the latest updates from secular news sources.
Click here for a list of information provided by the Victorian Government helpful for those affected by the Victorian Bushfires. Includes financial, educational, health, missing persons, and latest updates.
Click here to register with Volunteer Australian a secular authority coordinating resources in the affected area.
Click here for a list of charities receiving donations for the bushfire appeal.
You can help!
You can help by donating directly to C3 Churches here:
Direct Deposits
BSB: BSB 034 064
Account Number: 183198Cheques & Money Orders to be mailed to:-
C3 Bushfire Relief
PO Box 46
ASPLEY QLD 4034
All Payments to be marked
"C3 Australia Disaster Relief"
Credit Card Payments are not yet available.
