Impact of the church
3/6/08 Myanmar Catastrophe - A new Season
People praying to receive Jesus at the Sunday service
Again last Sunday, two days ago, the church was so full of people that our pastor was afraid that the building would collapse. The main hall was full and so was the overflow room across, and so was the hall above the main hall as well as the office area below.
The stairs were again packed with people and hundreds of people prayed to receive Jesus as Saviour. On Saturday they baptized 61 new converts, but more than 100 wanted to be.
A traumatic experience and event has often proven to be a catalyst that has brought about revival and change in the life of individual people as well as in communities, so continue to pray for something extraordinary to grow out of this suffering after Nargis. This is the hour for the Church in the nation! Keep on praying for a massive outpouring of the Holy Spirit and millions to be ushered into the Kingdom.
Again, thank you so much for your prayers and gifts. One day we will realise that from every seed we sowed in love we will see a harvest. May the Lord keep, preserve, protect and prosper you in all your ways and at all times!
HG
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31/5/08 Myanmar Catastrophe - Mercy Poured Out
update taken from " Touching Asia"
The Church in Myanmar has been mobilised as a vessel of mercy in these most tragic of circumstances and it is amazing to see the response of the people.
A short summary until yesterday what the church has distributed:
- 150 tons of rice to 20-25,000 individual families (each family consists on average of 4,5 people)
- On top of the rice many other kinds of foods has also been distributed.
- Every second day 1800 litre of pond-water is filtered through the water purifying systems and given out
- The medical team (6 doctors, 8 nurses, 6 pharmacists) treats between 200 and 300 patients every day
- 89 temporary shelters are under construction of which 31 were completed until yesterday
- Because of the very good work the church is doing, they and three more local groups, have been selected by a German company to receive donations of food and relief to bring to the Delta-area
- Today Tim Higgins from Australia arrived in Yangon to help with management of the different projects, especially planning for the long-term reconstruction and community development.
This is coming up as the most important thing to attend to now. The people need to get their lives back. They have no houses, no income, no job, no animals and the fields are destroyed by salt water. This is of course not a job for one church, but we will do our part as much as we can.
We are so grateful for all individual donors, churches, ministries and organisations that has helped us these first three weeks to be a blessing to the community. It has been a tremendous joy to see the response. Yet, we have heard from different sources that it is difficult to raise funds for Myanmar and much easier for China. People are reluctant to give if they think the money will end up in the pockets of the generals, and I understand them completely. I would probably hold back also if I didn't know that every penny goes to the needy.
Pray for this situation so that relief organisations like Feed the Hungry and Feed the Nations will be able to overcome people's reluctance and raise needed relief funds for Myanmar.
L.
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Now I'm sending again the most updated Rice distribution and how it had been feed in the areas. Please find in attached. Now we had distributed 3000 bags of rice ( 150 tonnes) already for almost 40,000 families, we were so please with 390 bags were reached to the Delta area. The 3 new teams for Delta area are setup and plan to launch Mid of next week.It may be small at the beginning stage but will be multiplied at least 3 or 4 more nearby area within a week. Now we are going to change our tactic to reach Delta area due to the sensitive traveling and mode with a bulky item along with volunteers.
HG
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26/5/08 Myanmar Catastrophe - Great Favour on the Church
update taken from " Touching Asia"
Looking back to the last two weeks, I cannot but marvel when I think about what the church in Yangon has been able to achieve in the aftermath of the cyclone. Here is short summary:
Until Thursday last week 105 tons of food had been distributed and thousands of gallons of water. More than 15,000 families (more than 75,000 individuals) have been helped with food, water and clothes. Four water purifying systems donated by Feed The Hungry, are operated by church staff when they travel out to the districts to produce pure drinking water. A mobile medical team are having clinics five days a week. Almost 100 temporary shelters have been erected for the most desperate people.
The church is also donating many tons of rice and other goods to other ministries and churches in Yangon that are involved with same kind of programs, but may not have much resources. Other pastors and leaders have now begun to call Pastor for help since there are many who are in desperate situations.
Last Sunday more than 100 people received the Lord as Saviour. Yesterday the church was more than full. Staff and members had to stand and gave their chairs to newcomers, and all overflow rooms were completely full.
One church member is in charge of the whole operation and distribution. He is an engineer by profession and has been working with UNESCO and UNICEF for more than twenty years.
He has many contacts within UN in Yangon, and has been able to get supplies and help released. He is the perfect and right person at the right time for a situation like this. He even said no to UN (and a fat salary) in order to be a blessing to the church.
The church is now experiencing much greater favour from the communities than they ever have before. All this is of course because of the help the church has been bringing after the cyclone. Where they were not welcome before, and met only hostility, they are now greeted with open arms. The church in down-town is now completely full on Sundays.Last Sunday more than 100 people received the Lord as Saviour. Yesterday the church was more than full. Staff and members had to stand and gave their chairs to newcomers, and all overflow rooms were completely full.
The stairs down to the first level was packed with people and it was very difficult to walk up to the third floor. It was so hot, and the air was stale and stuffy, so that one pregnant woman fainted and had to be cared for by a nurse from the church. More than 150 people prayed the prayer of salvation and received the Lord yesterday.
God is doing something amazing in the midst of despair and need.
Pray for the physical needs to be met and the funds to keep flowing in so we are able to continue with the relief work.
Pray for all the volunteers and staff that re working so hard. Every day they work hard at least fifteen hours from early morning to late night. Pray that every kind act would become a seed of God's Kingdom into the hearts that receive.
Pray also for God to bring a mighty revival in the midst of this traumatic situation. We have been praying for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit for many years and this season may become that window through which God will bring revival and transformation.
Here are a few programs that will be implemented or has already been started for which the funds received has
been used and/or are being used for:
- Health Care Program for six months, inclusive of doctors, nurses, medicine and transport
- Health Education Program
- Provision of hygiene kits for 3000 households
- Basic food supply
- Sanitation and water supplies
- Construction of 250 permanent houses to start with
- Technical support: Three engineers for construction shelters, sanitary latrines, water supply, well-drilling, and over-seeing the construction of permanent houses, and three health educators
For the Kingdom of God in Myanmar!HG
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18/5/08 Myanmar Catastrophe - A word from Senior Pastor
update taken from " Touching Asia"
Dear friends,
Our prayers to God for help in this relief effort was answered very quickly this first week. Help and finances has poured in from from churches, individuals and organisations and we thank God and everyone for this outpouring of love. Let's continue to pray and give. Below is an update from Ps Mung again and some photos. They sent around seventy five photos and I have chosen a few which I attach...Blessings
HG
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Dear Friends and Partners,
Thank you once again for your support, your prayers and your concern. It is greatly appreciated and is a real encouragement to us here.
Here is the latest news of our continued aid distribution. We have been privileged to work with the organisation Feed The hungry. They have donated four water purifiers for use in areas where dirty water is still being used for drinking, washing and cooking.
The Feed The Hungry team accompanied us to some of these areas and trained one of our church staff to use the machines. The local people living in these areas, and ourselves, were amazed s the brown, dirty pond water was transformed into clean, pure drinking water. Even the taste and smell was good!
They are still struggling for the basic essentials such as food, but we are committed to continue helping these victims of cyclone Nargis. We trust that our God will continue to lead us so we will be able to help in the most effective possible. The need for clean water has been a very urgent need and now, we are able to use these filters to purify the water, cases of water bourne diseases are sure to lessen.
Through UNHCR we received dried noodles, ovaltine, bags of rice and fish. We were able to distribute these to those in most urgent need and, again, our help was keenly accepted. We have also been given 500 cooking pots so now some people, who weren't able, are now able to cook in their homes again.
We have also been able to begin building temporary houses for those whose homes were completely destroyed. This will provide much needed shelter from the storms that seem to come most nights. Once people have these temporary houses rebuilt they will be able to get their lives back to some semblance of normality.
It is exciting to see houses going up where just hours before there was a pile of bamboo sticks. As the people move in, these houses will soon become homes again. Later our desire is to help build better, more permanent homes for these people.
Despite all the great things we have been able to do some people are still living in conditions that are very bad with little shelter from the weather. They are still struggling for the basic essentials such as food, but we are committed to continue helping these victims of cyclone Nargis. We trust that our God will continue to lead us so we will be able to help in the most effective possible.
Yours in His Service
Senior Pastor - Yangon
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18/5/08 Myanmar Catastrophe - 19,000 Dead in one district alone!
update taken from " Touching Asia"
Dear Partners and friends,
As I am sure you are all well aware, the people of Myanmar are facing drastic problems in the aftermath of cyclone Nargis. We want to firstly express our thanks for your concern and then to share some of the problems that our church members are facing here in Yangon.we hope that the photos we are sending, along with this email will give you a better picture of what people are facing.
Many have lost everything as their houses were totally destroyed by the cyclone and all their belongings lost. Those whose homes have not been destroyed need to do a lot of repairs in order to make their houses fit to live in again. Some of the people sang as the storm raged outside- "when the oceans rise and thunders roar, I will soar with you above the storm. Father you are King over the flood, I will be still and know you are God".
And now they still look to God to take care of them in this time of greatest need. Their faith and trust in Him in the face of such devastation is truly humbling. In one district near Yangon 19,000 people were killed in one area. The cyclone produced a huge wave which hit the town and swept many people away.
They were knocked unconscious and when they awoke they had been carried far from their homes and were injured and naked. They managed to stay afloat by grabbing onto bamboo and after a terrifying ordeal eventually found their way to safety. Now, With their homes no longer inhabitable, some are staying with friends, others are staying in monasteries and some have chosen to stay in their ruined houses by making lean to shelters.
There is no power in these areas and that means that water can no longer be pumped. The people now have no clean water to cook, wash, or drink. With people using unclean water there is a real and serious risk of disease. These water bourne diseases spread quickly and can be fatal.
Food and transport prices are rising and the people have no food or even utensils to cook with. As you can see the need is so great. We must begin to help these church members and those that live alongside them in their districts. They are desperate for water, for food and for safe shelter.
We are planning food and water distribution to begin as soon as is possible. Please pray with us as we seek to help those in such dire need. We value your prayers very much and any financial aid would also be willingly accepted.
Thank you again for you concern, for your love and for your prayers.
Yours in His Service
Senior Pastor - Yangon
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15/5/08 Myanmar Catastrophe - Church Update
update taken from " Touching Asia"
Until Thursday 8 May, six days after the cyclone, the church had no funds to do anything for people, but since then a lot of things have taken place. We are so very grateful for every single person and church that has responded to this disaster and out of great love contributed with prayers and finances. From his report you can see that the work has been very efficient and organised and a lot things are being done.
Report
"After the cyclone hit Myanmar we have been intensely involved in relief aid to the Yangon division. Yangon division includes the country’s biggest city and former capital Yangon and surrounding villages/smaller cities. The population of Yangon division is about 8 million people. When the cyclone hit many homes were demolished, completely or partly, in the outskirts of Yangon division.
Many lost everything they had and can’t get any income because the whole society system is out of order. Many starve and many lack clean drinking water. We don’t know how many lost their lives in Yangon division but it must be well over 20 000. In the city of Kwan Jyan Gon alone, which had a population of 19 000 we estimate that only 7 persons survived. To address the major problems that face the survivors, we started to reach out to the needy through the church.
For many years the church has had an outreach every Saturday in 16 of the 25 districts of Yangon Division. Because of the already existing organization, we have worked through these channels to reach out to the people in need. We started to give rice and water on the 8th of May, six days after the cyclone hit.
Because of the known difficulties in distributing any kind of help in Myanmar, the people of the church (area church leaders) went to the local authorities and gave the rice to them saying that they could distribute it to the poor if they wanted. This gesture gave great favour and the local authorities said in every area that the church could distribute the rice. They even supervised the distribution so that only the people in real need got our food and water.
We have until the 13th May distributed food and water three times, each distribution will last a family three days, for an average family. During these occasions we have, altogether, distributed 15 tons of rice reaching over 8 700 families (over 42 000 unique individuals).
We register who comes and have kept a record of the handouts and receivers. We are currently giving 15 tons of rice every third day, but this amount will increase to at least 20 tons in the coming weeks, since we are the only ones who are giving the people any aid in these areas (except from the government who has given out 3 potatoes per family at one occasion in some of the districts).
Even though we are a small and inexperienced organization we have distributed more than double the amount of food that the World Food Program has. Our strength is the wide net of human relations, many volunteers and good organization. Coordinating this relief work, besides me and the pastor, is a church member who has over 20 years of experience working with NGOs, like UN and Save the Children.
We are already asking people in the church to open their homes for these people so that they have somewhere to stay for the time being, and we will try to supply them with food and water. Beside food and water we have invested in a generator to pump up water from existing wells which aren't contaminated by rotting bodies. We are also distributing efficient water purification machines, cooking oil, salt, dry fish, noodles, clothes, stoves and candles. We are also repairing houses temporarily because of the heavy rain that has come after the cyclone. Some people are living and sleeping in mud and water.
We will soon start to arrange shelters for the homeless and in a short time also start to rebuild homes. We are also transporting sick people to the hospitals who can't get any assistance. All this is a miracle when so many organizations have had such a hard time to accomplish anything in Myanmar. Some NGOs call us the silent workers because we are not noticed by the army because it’s done by local people, but we reach out fast and to many in an efficient way.
Everything we receive is well accounted for and checked by at least two persons so that the funds are correctly used. We want to be efficient, accountable, and correct to reach out to the needy in a short time. Some times when we hear about a need, within 24 hours it has been addressed. This is by the mighty grace of God. Most NGOs are frustrated by having the resources but not being able to reach the people. All the recourses we get go to the people in a very short time. And the government can’t lay its hand on one grain of rice because it goes from people to people.The church organization has become excellent for a time like this! Our goal is to secure the Yangon division from starvation, lack of pure water and shelter problems. This will be crucial when the people from the Irrawaddy delta are migrating from the flooded areas. We are working so that the Yangon division can be, as much as possible, a safe haven for these people.
We would need your help and involvement too see that the imminent needs of the people are meet. We need your prayers because of the pressured situation and we need financial support to continue to be able to give food, water and shelter to the people in need."
I can just add to this that everything is happening very fast now. There are probably one hundred people from the church involved, including the staff, working very hard from early morning to late at night. Tomorrow another fifteen tons of food will be distributed.
They have already started to put up temporary sheltering for many families. 10-15 engineers will also be going out to the districts to evaluate the destruction of houses and then oversee the rebuilding. Two doctors with eight assistants will start with clinics from Saturday to treat people.
When we act resolutely with speed it can bring great favour and open hearts for the gospel and this time can become the greatest hour for the Church in Myanmar. What the devil meant for evil God can and will turn to something good. We are paying for transport of carloads of new clothes to Yangon from the Shan State (a woman rang and offered to donate the clothes if we could transport them to Yangon). Today UN donated a truck full (US$ 10,000/- worth) of noodles to the church. Tomorrow they are bringing a truck load of Maltova. Local Buddhist people have donated funds to the church to buy, pots, pans, cutlery, buckets and all kinds of utensils. There seem to be an ever increasing flow of activity and these things are just a snapshot of what is going on in the church.
This is already something that is taking place, at least this is what we are experiencing this time. Keep on praying for God's favour in this awful situation! I received some photos today that was taken in the Irrawaddy Delta I believe. They are so horrible that I do not want to pass them on, I found it difficult to even look at the photos, they are too graphic.
We need around US$ 30,000 per week to be able to distribute food and water. We need to get twenty water-purifying machines to start with. Each one cost around US$ 2000 and they will have to be smuggled into the country. The medical clinics and medicines with the team of doctors and assistants will cost at lot of money daily to run, etc.God is in control of this operation and His Grace is so visible and obvious so we will lack nothing.
For the Kingdom of God in Myanmar,
HG
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