Myanmar - Update for Prayer

A month on from the cyclone that devastated Burma 2nd-3rd May, the country is still very much on our minds and in our prayers. Offerings received for the appeal across our different communities amounted to £6,800, which was sent through personal contacts working in Myanmar. Below is a report from a friend of ours, Dr Cindy Perry, about where the money has gone to help relief efforts, with some pointers on how to keep praying.

Dear Friends who have contributed to the Myanmar Relief effort,

 
Thank you to each of you for your donations and your prayers for the ongoing relief. The need is enormous, but hope is communicated to each person reached by those distributing aid and setting up shelters. I’ve been overwhelmed as the response has extended world-wide through many forwarding it on to their network of friends, etc. The total raised (and promised) so far is over UK£80,000. And now the appeal has been extended to friends and churches in Nepal and India which are also raising what they can as a way of standing in solidarity with their neighbors. This has really blessed me. To date £47,000 has reached Myanmar and is meeting real emergency needs of the people. Following is a short update and some prayer requests from our key contacts in Myanmar who have received funds and are doing the direct relief. (Proper names are withheld for security reasons.)

‘Aung’ – a well-respected Myanmar church leader and co-chair of a coalition of Myanmar churches and aid agencies engaged in the relief effort.
Dear Cindy,

We greatly appreciate you and your friends deep concern, fervent prayer and generous contribution for our people and our country, Myanmar. Hundreds of thousands of people are still helpless, but not because of the lack of aid and help being offered. When cyclone affected areas were visited by the high authorities, shelters were set up, doctors and aid-workers were standing by to assist the victims. When the authorities returned home, tents were folded, doctors were sent back home and aid workers have gone. The victims were forced to return home from camp to vote for the referendum which was be held on May 24th. (Yangon and Irrawaddy divisions)

Our staffs and volunteers are in 6 different townships- South Dagon, North Dagon, Shwe Pyi Thar, Hlaing Tharyar, Pathein and Myaung Mya to help the victims. We have been making thousands of food kits and womens kits to distribute to the victims through churches and individuals. Every church or individual said they have never thought for women kit and so appreciate for that. Food kits are also very useful. People have nothing to cook. This already made ‘food kit’ fills their starving stomach. 37 shelters were built by our team within 2 weeks (25 in Yangon division, 12 in Bogalay). No one can take a day off as the situation is so desperate.

Actually, those who engage in the relief projects are exhausted physically and emotionally. The restrictions and disturbance from the authorities, bad transportation, poor communication, heavy rain, etc., really slow down the relief work. Refugee camps in churches and monasteries were checked by the authorities.

Thank God that….
• Myanmar citizens from different religions have been doing their very best for the victims with limited resources in spite of restrictions and disturbance. The churches have mobilized to work together for the victims. Christians from churches rushed to the affected areas and brought back the victims to the city to help. I am very happy for those who are in the church camps. They receive medical treatment, clothing, food, shelter, love, care and counseling. Everyday, refugees arrive to the camp.

• International aids are now being distributed to the victims.

Please pray for….
• The authorities that they may follow through on their promise to open doors for experienced disaster relief foreign aid workers.
• The Lord to intervene in this crisis and that His Name would be lifted up in all that we do. - Aung

Timothy’ – a young Burmese leader currently living across the border in Mizoram (India), from where he coordinates ministry throughout Myanmar.
“Our mission is taking initiatives for raising funds within Mizoram for Burma. When I told our committee that you have begun helping also, they were so touched. We are trying to motivate the people of Mizoram to extend their hands towards the need in Burma at this time. We announced in the TV and publicized in the local daily newspaper.
“We have already started to reconstruct the children’s home (destroyed in the storm), and to help those who lost their homes in the areas where our national workers are stationed with the help of your donations. THANK YOU for your help sent for the children’s home, so they are now out of the rain and have some food.

‘David’ – Burmese leader of a ministry on the outskirts of Yangon, all their buildings were destroyed, including children’s home. The first installment of funds for immediate needs of the children’s home has been sent, and confirmation just received. But communications are still very difficult and erratic with those inside the country who have no phone and only very occasional internet access.
“We are more than grateful to you for your concern and timely help extended to us....Things have improved a bit, but the basic demands remain the same: no electric power supply, no water supply, no communication system in our area. Block leaders are not doing anything regarding these problems. If we have power supply, we have water supply. So long as electric power supply is not available we have to buy water from outside. There is not any government supplies of water in our block. We hear news every day that there will be inflation of the costs of domestic goods which are immediate needs of livelihood. We don't really know what our near future holds, but we believe in Him Who holds our future. You all are there and we don't feel forsaken. On behalf of MMR Family-Yangon please allow me to convey a special note of thanks to those donors who, without knowing and seeing us, love us so much in Christ and send us the needed funds for our immediate survival.“

My heartfelt thanks to each of you for your partnership in this relief effort,
Dr Cindy Perry, Senior Consultant
Development Associates Int’l, Himalayan Region