A young NMSI missionary couple, who arrived in Yangon, Myanmar just five weeks prior to cyclone Nargis, share their story:
"In the midst of the aftermath of such a catastrophe as Cyclone Nargis, we continue to process what we've seen and heard of the storm's effects. For us personally, Nargis consisted of howling winds and 2 inches of water to soak up from our floor. And for about a week, we went without electricity and running water before life returned to the "normal" to which we had just become accustomed. "Baptism by fire" is what one pastor here has said of our arrival in connection to the timing of the storm. And I feel like that's the most accurate picture we can give at this moment. He has led the way, and we will follow come what may.
The thoughts and feelings we continue to process are of the extreme difference between life as normal (for those of us affluent enough) and so many others still being plagued by the devastation of the storm. As foreigners we have been kept from the disaster areas - villages that are no longer there, people starving and without water. The only affects we have personally witnessed have been minimal: fallen trees, light poles, and electric lines, as well as roofs torn from many homes. However, we've recently viewed video footage of some of the hardest hit areas. With those images in mind, we continue to process how and what we can do to help those in desperate need all around us.
In effort to aid this country, we have been involved with feeding programs through His body here. And we have sat in on planning discussions for foreseeable problems caused by the storm in the months to follow. Most importantly, we have taken an active role of trusting him. Sadly, in our home culture, we sometimes find being still to be of little worth, or worse, we claim it to be lazy. However, in such times as we find ourselves here, when tragedy overwhelms the spirit, it takes great strength to be still and know. We trust him and await his light in this darkness. And in the meantime, we pray that our eyes are open to see the needs He wishes us to meet around us."
Worship in Yangon, Myanmar
NMSI is accepting donations toward relief efforts and continues distributing relief supplies.
With your gift, we can:
Provide help to an entire family--$100
Construct digging wells--$100
Rebuild a home--$400
Build a water system to supply clean water indefinitely for 1000 people--$3000
Urgent need: $30,000 for vehicle to deliver relief supplies
As the monsoon season arrives, a quality 4x4 vehicle is needed to carry the team and relief supplies into the devastated areas.
The worst is not yet over.
As international efforts have been stalled and the government of Myanmar has not successfully responded to the crisis, 2 million people are at risk of disease, starvation, and the consequences of exposure. Myanmar is also in its rice planting season. Seed stocks have been destroyed by the cyclone. The next rice harvest after this one will be in May 2009. These aftereffects of the cyclone have the potential to overshadow the immediate effects of the storm itself.
To donate to Myanmar cyclone relief:
2. Select Checking/Savings Account donations OR Credit Card Donations
3. Enter your information and designate your gift to "Cyclone Relief - Myanmar". If
you know some of our staff there and want to donate to their specific efforts, please
designate the gift to them.