BANGKOK, Thailand (BNc) — The most severe flooding in decades has hit Thailand. A humanitarian crisis looms over the major city of Bangkok, and outlying areas have suffered for weeks. The Thai government warns of the risk of water- and insect-borne diseases such as diarrhea, dengue fever, and malaria in the coming days and weeks.

Kim & Rebecca Voraritskul have been working for our Lord in northeastern Thailand for decades establishing congregations and training faithful servants to spread the gospel. In a letter sent Nov. 4 to supporters, they report that our brethren are suffering and in need of assistance. Their letter follows:

Thailand has suffered much flooding for the past two months. We had five massive rainstorms during our monsoon season, which flooded the north and northeast part of the country as the water traveled through the country on its way to the sea.

The waters are down in Bangkok now and have been for a month. The city is suffering with water in some areas as high as two meters. The water is stagnant and cannot flow into the sea since the tides keep the sea level higher than the canals and water outlets.

Bangkok’s ten million residents are desperate. Toilet facilities are a great frustration. Trash is building up and floating. Dead animals abound. Evacuations are a daily occurrence. Food and drinking water have to be taken to the masses by rowboats. The average one-meter high waters have destroyed factories, homes, vehicles and brought on misery and at times anger. Over 400 have died. The electricity in some areas had to be turned off because of electrocutions.

We have six churches of Christ in Bangkok with about 700 Christians. Many need our help. They need drinking water, dry food, and canned food. The aftermath includes helping with the ruined houses, household goods, and furniture.

If you want to help our brethren through us, please send money to Silver Spring, our overseers, and earmark the checks for “Bangkok flooding”. I will go down to Bangkok to visit the brethren and see what they need. During this crisis, our Bangkok brethren urgently need our help now and also a second time during the recovery period. We wait for your help.

Kim Voraritskul
Khon Kaen, Thailand

Church of Christ
Attn. Earle West
100 East Franklin Avenue
Silver Spring, MD 20901-2926

The group provided lunch outdoors Nov. 8. The goal was to serve a hot meal to these people and encourage them.

Temporary housing has been erected in various parts of the town. These are generally 2-3 rooms with a kitchen, bath, and toilet. They are fully furnished and are connected together in rows of about 8 apartments to each row.

The night before the group members prepared hamburger patties and fish for roasting on grills. These were wrapped in foil with some vegetables. Additionally, there was fruit, rice balls, and pickles.

The weather cooperated beautifully with bright blue sky and temperatures in the low 60s. With the grills set up, they cooked the hamburger patties and fish steaks as well as roasting onigiri (rice balls) basted with miso.

People lined up, delighted to get such a wonderful meal. Most commented about the food and appreciated a warm meal. Three ladies came walking up, one with the help of a cane, saying the aroma enticed them to come. They were not disappointed.

Within two hours the group had set up, cooked, and fed over 100 people.

For photos of the event, see the Park Avenue page. The Memphis, Tenn., congregation has been heavily involved in the Japan work for many years.

Firefighters got the call at 4:15 p.m., and on arrival smoke could be seen coming from the structure, which sustained damage to a bathroom, attic, and bedroom. No one was injured.

The residents of the damaged home will be housed in an empty cottage on the campus.

The Children’s Home is a Christian ministry established in 1955. It does not receive funds from the federal government, but depends upon donations from churches, Christians, and other sources.

Its mission is “to provide a substitute home for dependent and neglected children, and to restore the broken lives of children and families.” As a privately supported non-profit organization dedicated to caring for children in need through residential education care, foster care, and adoptive care, ten homes house up to six children on the campus.

ELBA, Ala (BNc) — For years, the church in Elba, Alabama had a small pantry housed in a closet, but they were never able to feed the hungry as they do now.

Recently the church built a family-life annex complete with a spacious kitchen and dining area, classrooms, restrooms, and a large pantry. Located right behind the church building, the annex is convenient to the offices of the church’s minister and secretary. Although the new construction allowed them to continue dispensing food from the pantry to the hungry who came seeking, it didn’t take long for the church members to see the need to step up their efforts in feeding the hungry.

The church decided to qualify as distributors of food from the Food Bank in Dothan, Alabama. The food bank receives near out-of-date food from different grocery chains. The stores donate, or sell, the food to the bank to be given to those in need. To qualify as distributors, certain members had to attend an all-day class to learn rules and regulations about dispensing the food. Following the class, they were allowed to begin buying food from the bank for as little as ten cents a pound.

Once the initial steps were taken, other members of the church began to get involved. Three freezers were donated to the pantry by individual members of the church. Others agreed to make the trip to purchase the food once or twice a month, and some volunteered to work in the pantry.

Today members meet regularly to fill boxes with canned vegetables, fruits, meats and other staple items. Three different size boxes are used for packaging. Large boxes are filled for a family with three children. Medium boxes are filled for a smaller family, and a small box is filled for a single person living alone. If a family has more than three children they are given a large and a small box of food.

The church never knows what items they will get when they make the trip to purchase food. In June they bought 781 pounds for $117.15. Sometimes they get roasts, hamburger meat, and bread, which they freeze and dispense when a person comes for food. Just as the church never knows what will be available to purchase, the person who is asking for food does not know what will be in their box. Some who have school children request peanut butter and jelly, or foods suitable for lunch boxes or snacks. The church works to supply families’ needs as best they can.

Pam Crittenden, church secretary, said church members donate items such as peanut butter, jelly, and spaghetti sauce, which they are unable to get from the food bank. She said they also try to keep some easy-t0-open food, such as canned meats and crackers, available for people who come by hungry. Money is donated to make purchases, as needed, to help the less fortunate.

The minister, Philip Box, enjoys taking time to talk to the people who come and reports finding them receptive. Some have subsequently attended worship as a result of the love and kindness of the church. When asked if the people seemed appreciative, the secretary, Pam Crittenden, agreed. “For the most part, most of the time, yes.”

According to Crittenden, the church has given away as many as seven boxes to seven different families in one day. She added that requests for food tends to peak during the latter half of the month. Summing up their efforts, Box commented, “The church has given out several thousand pounds of food this year. This effort has helped to build positive relationships with the community as well as reaching the lost and feeding the hungry.”

Click on the graphics to enlarge them, for better reading.

The school group sent a check for over $400.00.

Kara’s last name and street address have been removed, since she’s a minor.

The teachers at Greater Atlanta Christian School and the father of Kara are to be commended, both for supporting the children’s initiative as well as encouraging them to write in their own hand to the Park Avenue church.

Relief efforts in Japan continue, and the needs there are very great. Clean-up will continue for many months, even years, to come.

The Park Avenue church continues to receive and remit funds to the Japanese church.

Over $600,000 has been received so far. Contributions large and small make the difference.

The funds from these children will be a great help for the people whose homes and lives were destroyed by the earthquake and tsunami.

See the link above for information on how you can contribute to the efforts there.

Communicating together via a group called The Church Connection, they have been able to help with specific needs for tornado victims. They have also promoted their desire to help through the Pleasant Grove tornado Facebook group and the Concord tornado group.

The Sylvan Springs church has been helping with food, appliances, and bedding, made possible by the generosity of people and sister congregations across the nation. Money has been sent from congregations and families in Michigan, California, Tennessee, Texas, Oklahoma, and more.

The West Concord congregation has been helping with clothing, baby items, and bedding. The Sandusky church has been assisting with cleanup work in Pratt City.

Congregations from Tennessee have come to Alabama to help with the relief efforts, and local congregations have been working together at the Sylvan Springs building. The Churches of Christ disaster relief, along with some local congregations, responded quickly to help with grocery needs. Currently, the Sylvan Springs church has been serving the communities on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.

The Facebook groups have updates of the work that has been done for other areas hit by tornadoes in the Alabama area, such as Hackelburg and Tuscaloosa.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (BNc) –

These donations have come from 41 states, 4 foreign countries, and 1 territory.

From April to May, contributions fell almost by two-thirds, according to figures Dwight furnished to BNc. He assumed a gradual decrease in donations, but was hesitant to attribute it to needs arising from the destruction that occurred in the U.S., from tornadoes and flooding.

The Bramlea church in Toronto is coordinating collections from Canada, with over $90 thousand received, Dwight said.

Ivan Voser, a worker in Switzerland, told Dwight that churches in German-speaking countries of Europe will send funds directly to the Mito congregation. They may have received funds from other countries this way.

Other churches and individuals in the U.S. have sent tens of thousands of dollars directly to Japan as well.

“Additionally, Healing Hand, Whites Ferry Road Relief, and Global Samaritans are also taking donations. While these do not go to the Mito church, they are church-related organizations,” Dwight said.

All funds received by Park Avenue go to the Mito church. A Churches of Christ East Japan Relief committee has been formed, composed of members from several congregations in Japan. They have assigned responsibilities and are sending teams into the area each week.

Information about the Japan relief work is updated regularly on the Park Avenue website. Donations, still greatly needed because of the immense damage to the country, can still be made on the Japan relief page, by various means, including PayPal.

SENDAI, Japan (BNc) –

Hundreds have died in recent weeks from tornadoes and floods in the U.S., but in Japan the toll runs to over 15,000 confirmed dead and 8,600 missing. The total number of dead may top 20,000. Destroyed buildings number 125,000.

One team, consisting of 7 Japanese, 5 Americans, and 1 Canadian, worked in Ishinomaki over a nine-day period during Japan’s national Golden Week holidays (Apr. 29–May 7).

Assessing their team’s work, assistant English teacher with the Mito church, Kendon Murrell, wrote May 20,

I remember how satisfied we were by the end of the week, feeling that between the park and this woman’s house we had accomplished so much. After one last look at her yard and home, we turned to walk down the street, and we were immediately reminded that there is an incredible amount of work yet to be done. Everywhere. What we did was barely a drop in the bucket.

The team’s objetives were to clean up a children’s park and an elderly woman’s home.

I can still see the pictures uncovered in the debris, the faces of a happy woman with her companion in a time long-forgotten now. The child’s shoes, the wallet… Everywhere there are reminders of someone’s life swept away. Living room furniture, items from a store (still sealed in their packaging), clothes, books… We worked slowly at first, picking through the debris, sorting into piles of burnable wood, metals, etc. We also watched closely for personal items that people may want to retrieve. By Monday afternoon, the park was looking good! Children were playing and laughing in the park, and the aroma of a wonderful barbecue wafted through the neighborhood, trying it’s best to cover the stench contained in the trash piles, and drawing residents to the joy and encouragement found in having community together.

The Mito church plans weekly visits to Ishinomaki, according to Atsushi Tsuneki. “They will leave Mito soon after the cell group “Well of Grace” (5-7 p.m.) on Sundays. Then staying until Wednesday. We’re thinking this becomes the pattern of every week. We want to prioritize our worship together in Mito, being filled with enough spiritual power and love, then send out the mission relief team,” he wrote May 22.

Meanwhile, funds still arrive for this work, albeit, one suspects, at a slower pace. (No receiving churches have yet confirmed the slowdown.) One church in Brazil, however, is sending about $1200 for Japanese relief efforts.

The Park Avenue church in Memphis, Tenn., continues to receive and remit funds for the effort.

by Marty Knight

VILONIA, Ark., (BNc) — Another day has drawn to a close and we were blessed with good weather in which to work. Let me begin by thanking the volunteers who poured in from ALL over the state of Arkansas. I won’t even begin to attempt to mention everyone for fear of leaving out some names. Suffice to say that churches of Christ from as far away as 200 miles were here early this morning and worked until they were ready to drop. The number of volunteers jumped significantly now that we have reached the weekend and that was expected. But, it was still overwhelming to see how much people care. THANKS!!!

I made a run to Levy late this morning to pick up more supplies. One of the Levy elders, Stan Peebles, accompanied me back to Vilonia. Crews worked most of the day finding storm survivors who needed supplies. Continued thanks to Levy and Churches of Christ Disaster Relief, Inc. of Nashville, Tenn.

The Pleasant Valley Singles cooked over 600 hamburgers and many, many hot dogs (we lost count). I can’t imagine what this week would have been like without them. The logistics of keeping all of our workers – and many, many others – fed is an enormous task. They run like a well-oiled machine!

We will pause tomorrow and gather for a much-needed period of worship to God. The Vilonia church will only have one service, beginning at 10:00 a.m. We have used the term “family time” to describe this particular service. If you can join us at VCC, please do so. The roadblocks have been taken down and you should have no problem accessing the building at 893 Main Street. For those coming from Conway, we are located on the north (left) side of Highway 64 at the west city limits. Please come and share in a special time or worship and prayer.

Some work will be done tomorrow afternoon, weather permitting. The Ministry Center will be open, rain or shine.

The photo, taken by Linda Hicks, was on the front page of the Log Cabin Democrat yesterday (Friday, April 29). Thanks to all of you who make those relief supplies available so that the Lord’s work can be done!

Ricky Glass noted on Facebook that the Hackelburg Ala., church building is gone; the preacher and wife lost all they had, the town itself, demolished. Amy Hester wrote that Betty Lane, the preacher’s wife, is in the hospital at Hamilton.

The Bethel church in Athens, Ala., got hit as well, the church building is gone (photo, left), many members have lost their homes, according to one report.

The Central church building in Tuscaloosa, Ala., was also destroyed. Mark Jamieson received messages from his brother Lee Jamieson, the preacher at Central, who reported that the front of the building is all that remains of the main structure. The campus student center, where six students survived the storm, lost its roof. All members have been accounted for. Four are in local hospitals, none with life-threatening injuries. Four families lost their houses, and many more have varying degrees of damage. One older sister was found in her collapsed house under the dining room table (which was the only thing left standing in the house) without a scratch.

Disaster Assistance CoC will be working at the Central site to provide aid.

Mark and Mia Wylie lost their home in Pleasant Grove, Ala., wrote David Wayne Hester. Mark is elder at Sylvan Springs church. David later added that Rob Gurganus, preacher in Cordova, Ala., and his wife Emily, suffered extensive damage to their house. Rob is the son of L. T. Gurganus.

Some congregations are organizing to provide funds to the needy. Cottondale minister Clark Sims said the congregation is collecting donations to provide disaster relief in the aftermath of the tornado that has left Tuscaloosa devastated. Donations can be sent to Cottondale Church of Christ, 2025 Prude Mill Road, Cottondale, AL 35453. For more information contact Clark 205-310-3286, ClarkSims45@gmail.com or Charles Steiner 205-310-2480, CharlesRobertSteiner@gmail.com.

Mark Bass reports that the Alkire Road congregation is gathering food and money for disaster relief. Checks can be send to the Alkire Road church of Christ, (earmarked “relief effort”), 2779 Alkire Rd, Grove City, OH, 43123. For those in the immediate area, the church also collecting non-perishable food items.

The Killen, Ala., church will have a trailer parked in the parking lot until 9:00 Saturday morning, working in conjunction with Highland Park church to collect bottled water, diapers, and non-perishable food items that do not need a can-opener. These are scheduled to be delivered to Phil Campbell.

Churches of Christ Disaster Relief will be distributing from the Hamilton, Ala., Church’s parking lot, though a definite time is not known yet, according to a family member of preacher Ted Burleson.

On the campus of Freed-Hardeman University, student Aundrea Keimig has organized a Facebook event to gather donations on campus for her home congregation of Bethel in Athens.

More information will be added as news is sent to BNc staff.