Like you, our hearts have been torn watching the images of death and suffering as a result of the December 26 tsunami across Asia. Almost all of the places worst struck are extremely unreached areas with few Christians. The official death toll is currently around 70,000 but with thousands of miles of coastline in countries like India and Myanmar (Burma) yet to be surveyed, we fear the real death toll could end up ten times higher than presently reported. As you will be aware, Asia Harvest has focused on presenting the needs of Asian unreached tribes and people groups to the Christian world for many years. Reports are starting to come in that some small people groups may have been completely wiped from the face of the earth in places like the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (India). Other groups like the Mokkien (Sea Gypsies) of Thailand and Myanmar lived right in the path of the tsunami, and may have few survivors. As one of our co-workers e-mailed us today,
"My heart just broke in a thousand pieces... there are some entire tribes that have been wiped out in Burma and Thailand. My heart just broke when I heard this... 'LORD, will that tongue be represented in heaven to worship YOU...'"
The disaster has deeply affected Christians living in these areas. For example, 150 believers in a Christian village in Nias, Aceh, Indonesia have been drowned when their whole village was washed out to sea. There were few Christians in this extremely unreached part of Asia to start with, so their deaths are doubly tragic.
Asia Harvest strongly desires to help with both the immediate emergency needs, and the longer term goal of helping people rebuild their lives. The best placed to help are our Malaysian representatives, STAMP. They are already coordinating with efforts in Aceh, Indonesia. 150 Christian medics and volunteers from the Indonesian capital Jakarta are already in Aceh helping with medicine, food, water, tents, etc.
The financial needs are vast, but please help if you can. Our Malaysian representatives wrote,
"Please don't be put off from extending help because of the millions of dollars coming in from governments / Red Cross / OXFAM .. etc.. The need is more than just containers of supplies... it is a "human factor" need. They can't meet that. Only the Body of Christ is empowered to minister healing and peace and comfort. It is more than throwing mineral bottle water from moving trucks... and feeling like they have done their part, it is about... sitting down with a mother who has lost her husband and children, and praying with her... and helping her to put the bottle of water on her lips and nourish her... ONLY THE CHURCH CAN!"
We are presently in a position to help victims in the following places: Aceh, Indonesia Phuket, Thailand Sri Lanka Southern India
with: clean water, food, burial, clothing, masks/gloves to collect the bodies, body bags, medicine, tents, blankets, etc. etc.
Later, once the emergency has subsided, we will look to start helping families rebuild their lives.
We thank God that this morning one Christian organization has committed $35,000 to help us buy some of these essential items and to start the whole process. Much more is needed. Our coworkers will personally oversee the use of funds and will provide reports.
There are two ways we can receive funds: for larger, quicker donations, please make a transfer or direct deposit into either our USA or New Zealand bank accounts. The details are below. These bank transfers come through in a day or two are will enable us to quickly get the funds to the need in Asia. The second way is to send a check to one of our Asia Harvest offices. Again, please see the list of addresses below.
Finally, please pray for the suffering in Asia, for those who are on the ground helping, and that the kingdom of God across Asia will ultimately continue to grow despite the tragic events that have unfolded.
God bless you,
Paul Hattaway
Director, Asia Harvest
We thank you for the generous response to our first email about help for the tsunami relief efforts in Asia. We have sent an initial $45,000 USD to our coworkers in the area who are heading up relief operations.
We would like to take this opportunity to answer some of the general email questions we received: firstly, yes, 100% of money received for the tsunami relief fund will be spent on that only. Not a cent will be used for administration or anything else. Secondly, we should have mentioned in our previous email that all U.S. donations are tax-deductible. Thirdly, because of the initial urgency of the disaster, we listed our bank details for people to make transfers to, because this was the quickest way to get the money where it is needed. In the coming days and weeks, as the focus starts to shift to long-term help, it may be more convenient to send a check / cheque to any of our Asia Harvest offices around the world (see the bottom of this email for our various addresses). All donations will be acknowledged with a receipt.
Some people have expressed that they feel completely overwhelmed and hopeless at the scale of the disaster, and when they hear of hundreds of millions of dollars being given by governments and the World Bank, etc. they feel their small contribution can not make a difference. I would like to encourage you to think differently. Mother Theresa of India was once asked how she planned to feed a billion starving children. She replied, "One at a time." God views our giving very differently than in mere dollars and cents. If all we have is a little, this can help one person in Asia, and this is very precious to the Lord.
Now, in the midst of all the tragedy and death, we have some good news to report. In our first email we lamented how several small tribes may have been wiped off the face of the earth by the tsunami before they had the chance to hear the Gospel. In particular, we were concerned with several groups on the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and the Mokkien (Sea Gypsies) of southern Thailand and Myanmar. In the days since, however, we have thankfully read a report that most of the Mokkien people are safe. The report started:
"Knowledge of the ocean and its currents passed down from generation to generation of a group of Thai fishermen known as the Mokkien sea gypsies saved an entire village from the Asian tsunami. By the time killer waves crashed over southern Thailand last Sunday the entire 181 population of their fishing village had fled to a temple in the mountains of South Surin Island. "The elders told us that if the water recedes fast it will reappear in the same quantity in which it disappeared," 65-year-old village chief Sarmao Kathalay told the paper. So while in some places along the southern coast, Thais headed to the beach when the sea drained out of beaches, the first sign of the impending tsunami, to pick up fish left flapping on the sand, the gypsies headed for the hills."
From the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, where more than 5,000 people were washed away by the waves, comes a different story indicating the tribes have survived. The Indian Air Force sent helicopters to the villages of several tribes to see if anything was left. The Intercessors Network report that as they did so,
"Arrows began flying at the helicopter... The arrow attack was the surest sign yet that the tribe has survived the tsunami. Spotting a batch of 20 to 30 people on the North Sentinelese Island, the pilot shed altitude to take a closer look. If he had any doubt, it was removed when the tribesmen, known for their hostility towards intruders, fired the arrows. If a ground count eventually puts the number at 30, it will account for almost all the Sentinelese known to be inhabiting the island. Officials were upbeat about other tribes, too. Our helicopters and naval ships have confirmed that the tribes Sentinelese, the Onges, the Shompens, the Great Andamanese and the Jarawas are all safe. They have survived natures fury, said Arun Kumar Singh, the vice-admiral and director-general of the coast guard."
Praise God for this wonderful news!
Paul Hattaway
www.asiaharvest.org
Friends,
We do not want to fill up your inbox, but we would ask you to read the following first hand report from an organization called Yayasan Berkati Indonesia (YBI) which means "Bless Indonesia Foundation". So far thanks to many generous people we have been able to pass on US$ 92,246.52 to help the tsunami relief efforts. These efforts have helped people in Sri Lanka, Thailand, and India, but the main focus has been on the worst affected area - Aceh in Indonesia. We have also been blessed by people offering themselves, their prayers, equipment, teams, medicine, and so on. It is a great thrill to see the various parts of the Body of Christ coming together and cooperating to get help to those who need it.
The Christians who are on the ground helping are real heroes. As you read the following report, please pray fervently for the rescuers, some of whom have been traumatized by what they have experienced. There is a real opportunity to help with something extremely effective. In the report you will read how YBI need to buy a boat, to get relief teams out to the more remote locations. This is the only way to help many areas. The problem isn't that the roads are in bad condition. It is that they don't exist any more. A boat would be a tremendous blessing. It will cost $60,000 to buy, and an estimated $10,000 extra to operate it for the first 6 months. This will help transport rescue teams, medics, relief teams, construction workers, etc. get to areas where nobody is helping at all. Right now there are no funds to buy the boat, but they have gone ahead and ordered one anyway, because their faith could not allow them to sit around and do nothing. What a blessing it would be if we are able to provide enough for this boat!
Please consider giving to this vital need. Any amount will help. Here are the ways to give:
All donors will be thanked and receipted... 100% of what is received is used in relief efforts (not a cent taken out for administration etc)... All U.S. donations are tax-deductible, while UK donations given to Asia Link qualify for "Gift Aid".
If you have any questions please don't hesitate to email.
God bless you,
Great Tragedy, Unbelievable Death Tolls
What you see here on the ground is unbelievable. Even though we had heard the death toll in Aceh was 95,000 before coming, it has to be much more. It is now 15 days since the quake & tsunami and there are still many, many thousands of bodies everywhere. we see mass graves being dug and bodies put in 3 deep. We saw them pull the body out of a pregnant woman. She was caught under a truck. This was 5km from the coast. Just nearby are several large boats. One boat maybe 60 ft long. And there are several more "parked" around the city.
I am overwhelmed at what we can see, but what we can't see is so much worse. We can see where 10,000 lived in one town - it is gone, wiped clean. Inland spread out over several kilometers it looks like a swamp with twisted cars, shattered houses, mangled electricity poles and hidden bodies yet to be retrieved and counted. This scene is repeated in hundreds of other places. When you see this you know a death toll of 100,000 is far too small. It would have to be 200,000 or even many more.
The stench is sickening but the teams pulling out the bodies are heroes. How can they keep doing it? But they must. For the sake of the living they must.
Transportation and Supply Problems
Our team has gone to the district of Aceh Jaya. One of the worst hit. We have a base camp there. Tragedy is everywhere. This is worse than Banda Aceh the capital. No roads, not enough helicopters, and mostly boats destroyed, Transportation is a nightmare. Right now, more than anything we need a boat to transport teams, medicines, food, equipment to islands, along coast. The need is so urgent I have ordered a boat. We don't have the money yet, but we can't wait. Too much is at stake. It costs US$60,000 and probably another US$10,000 to operate it.
Today I went by helicopter to survey the overall scale of the disaster and to assess transportation difficulties in providing greatly needed medical and food supplies, but helicopter transport is too small and costly.
The people need clean water so we are taking a drill rig there but it can't go on the helicopter. We have the drill team to take as well so that urgently needed clean water supplies can be provided. We need that boat.
At 5.00 am we were woken with a 6.2 quake. So that was the wake up call to start the day. As I write this at 6.30 am a call comes at my door. A team of Indonesian doctors has been stranded for 4 days without supplies. It will take 8 hours to reach them, but there are no boats available. This is the reality at ground zero.
Medical Workers
Some medical workers have been here 10 days and are on their way home. They are exhausted and some even traumatized. It's hard to take the reality on ground zero. But the work must go on. We will need more doctors and nurses in the coming weeks and months. When the international aid teams and governments pull out, who will look after the people. The medical workers of Aceh too were wiped off the face of the earth. They need long term love and care. We can make the Light shine on these people by our ongoing committed care and this will allow good seed to be sown in these desperate hearts.
Rebuilding villages
The governments are planning the rebuilding of the city, but the distant villages are often left far behind. This is where we can demonstrate Christ's love by rebuilding their villages, providing clean water, treating their sick, counseling the traumatized, loving the orphans, the widows and the destitute. As the initial search and rescue emergency phase moves into rebuilding their lives we will need ongoing support to keep teams in the field.
Pray for the Teams
Please help us with the funds for the boat. It will be operating in a few days, but these people are going to need our help along these coastal areas for months. This is the most desperate need, but we will also need ongoing supplies and personnel for the rebuilding phase. The teams need your prayer support as they are operating in the most trying of circumstances with death and chaos all around, but in Genesis 1:1-3 when the world was in darkness and chaos, the Lord said, "Let there be light! And there was light."
In the darkness and chaos of Aceh let us say, "Let there be Light in Aceh!" The Lord has given that task to us, pray that He will enable us to do so.
Top of pageFriends,
We want to give a final email update about the Tsunami relief projects that Asia Harvest is actively involved with. In the future, updates will be found on this website.
It is now almost 8 weeks since the Tsunami struck in Asia. The official death toll now stands at more than 300,000, although hundreds of miles of coastline and thousands of villages may never be surveyed.
In the early days after the tsunami we decided to coordinate relief efforts with STAMP, our Malaysian representatives. They were clearly the best placed of our coworkers to do this the best, having already been involved in the work of the Gospel in places like Aceh for a number of years. We also worked closely with AsiaLink, our UK representatives, and other Christian organizations, churches, and individuals to get the job done in the most efficient and most effective way possible.
Up until today, we have received a total of US$ 365,632.50 for Tsunami relief efforts. Pledges have been received that indicate significantly more will yet come in. In keeping with our pledge, 100% of this amount has been sent directly to Asia. Not a cent has been used for administration or any other expense.
Our co-worker Beram Kumar has written,
Thank you for your kindness expressed through the gifts sent for the relief
efforts through Asia Harvest. We are grateful that in times like this, the Body of Christ is moved to give, pray
and help. Your giving has been a tremendous help to victims of the tsunami in India (Tamil Nadu and Andrha Pradesh),
Thailand, Sri Lanka and Aceh, Indonesia. We have been able to feed them, put temporary shelters, provide medical
care and most importantly, minister the grace of our Lord to them. That is something no one else, expect the Body
of Christ can. Please continue to pray for and stand with us as we move from the rescue stage to the relief and
rehabilitation stage.
Your brother from Asia, Beram Kumar.
The Tsunami relief efforts could be categorized by three main phases:
PHASE 1 - RESCUE
This initial stage lasted for the first two weeks after the tsunami. It included some of the more difficult tasks
of finding and burying dead bodies, and providing essential items such as food, clean water and medicine.
In summary, this stage was dealing with the need to keep survivors alive.
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PHASE 2 - RELIEF |
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PHASE 3 - REHABILITATION
This is the phase that we have now entered in the relief work. As one co-worker recently wrote, We are at the most
crucial stage of the 'relief' effort, the rehabilitation phase. This is when the human suffering is most intense...
when it finally begins to sink in to the victims and the survivors... This is when even surviving is painful.
Hundreds of questions and images run through their minds every day ("I should have held on to my son..."). Sadly,
this is also the time when most people 'turn away' and loneliness sweeps in... the media moves on and other headlines
capture peoples' attention. Aid agencies pack their bags... money stops coming in. Governments and those in authority
return to the 'status quo'... and emptiness sweeps into these lives. Let us, as The Church, be faithful to them... to
the end!
PLACES WHERE WE ARE HELPING
This help has been concentrated in four countries of Asia:
Aceh, Indonesia:
By far the largest amount of our help has gone to Aceh, which was also the worst affected area in all of Asia.
Thousands of people have been helped through phase one and two. Now that the efforts have entered the rehabilitation
stage, the specific aim is to help 300 families. To help each family and build them a basic house will cost
approximately $1,000. We will then look at getting these families back on their feet in terms of their long term
survival, by providing farming equipment, fishing boats, nets, etc.
Phuket, Thailand:
Through local Thai churches and other partners we have helped rebuild homes and lives in two Mokkien (Sea Gypsy)
villages. The Mokkien are a small unreached people group who have never believed the Gospel. We have helped
purchase fishing boats for the men (this group relies almost completely on fishing for their livelihood),
fishing nets, and special assistance for women who lost their husbands at sea. We are also helping provide more
than 100 children with their basic expenses and schooling for the next 12 months. Some have lost both their
parents and grandparents.
Tamil Nadu, India:
We are helping through Indian Christian contacts. The help includes the rebuilding of homes that were demolished,
helping fishermen with boats, supporting children orphaned by the tsunami, etc. The average cost for rebuilding a
home is US$1,500, while an additional $5,000 is needed per community for common facilities such as water pumps,
drainage, wells, etc.
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Andhra Pradesh, India: |
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South and Southwest Sri Lanka: |
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That concludes our third Tsunami relief report. As mentioned earlier, we will probably not send out any more reports by email, but updates will be placed on this website from time to time.
As you would see from reading our report, there continues to be an on-going need for financial assistance for the Tsunami victims. If you would like to participate, there are three ways you can do so:
All donations are acknowledged and receipted.
Thank you and God bless you.
Paul Hattaway
Director of Asia Harvest
1903 60th Place
Suite M1204
Bradenton, FL 34203
U.S.A.
P.O. Box 181
Te Anau, 9540
NEW ZEALAND
c/o SALZ
Postfach 1144
D-72206 Altensteig
GERMANY
c/o AsiaLink
2 Kingswood Close
Lytham, Lancs, FY8 4RE
ENGLAND
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Pejabat Pos Kelana Jaya
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