Myanmar (BNc)- After the cyclone that killed more than 78,000 people, churches have reported no deaths, but described the suffering of the population.
Christians in the city of Yangar are safe, but are “reeling,” said Bill McDonough, international director of Partners in Progress. He wrote that they “need food and water and their homes were damaged severely.”
In the expectation of help from churches, Bill has borrowed $200,000 for disaster relief to the country.
He added that “Bible Correspondence course students that we studied with when we were there in February report that food shortages are becoming critical. One lady writes, ‘I spent my entire month’s salary on just enough food for one week.’ Others tell of family members in the hospitals due to injuries from the storm and the lack of medicines and supplies there.”
Wayne Barrier wrote about people in the church he knew. “Winsome and Shelia only had slight damage to their home, Esther’s had a little more, the school building at Hmawbi is only slightly damaged as well. None were injured. George had a friend from the Embassy go and check all of these places for him. We are so thankful. We don’t know about our members from the Delta yet.”
Betty Choate of World Evangelism Foundation wrote that the Philippine brethren have organized a team of doctors and teachers to go to Myanmar. Brother Luis Cusi has taken teams to various places in the Philippines following cyclones and mud slides there, to Sri Lanka, Pakistan and other places whenever a major natural disaster has occurred. They are experienced and able to get workers on the site quickly because of their nearness to the tragedy.
“We know these brethren and have complete confidence in their integrity and their ability to do the work. They have taken the initiative themselves, and are also providing some funds from Philippine brethren, but the size of the need is overwhelming. We are compelled to turn to you all again and ask you to do whatever you can to alleviate the suffering of Christians and their friends and neighbors in Yangon and other places in Myanmar,” she wrote in a pdf letter dated May 5.
The Double Springs, Ala., congregation is overseeing this effort. They will send two brethren to work with brother Cusi, as soon as visas can be obtained, Betty wrote.
Contributions may be sent to the World Evangelism office in Winona (World Evangelism Foundation, P.O. Box 72, Winona, MS 38967), earmarked for Myanmar cyclone relief.
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