TURKEY EARTHQUAKE UPDATE
(November 2011)
Workers in Turkey have sent an update regarding ongoing relief efforts in Van. With winter approaching, the need for adequate shelter is vital. People can't live in tents and some children have already died from exposure. Units have been made, large enough for an extended family, which are suitably insulated. Pray that there will be an adequate supply of these units.
TURKEY EARTHQUAKE UPDATE
(November 2011)
In less than three weeks, on 9th November, Turkey was hit by a second earthquake. The following report comes from a worker in Istanbul and explains the relief efforts in Van and the immediate needs that exist.
Relief efforts have focused on Van and nearby villages that have not seen significant help. Since October 29th, a group of local believers, UN refugees, and others from Ankara and Istanbul have been providing food service every day for up to 700 people. Monetary gifts have been used to partially fund this effort.
A team of six from one church has repaired Van church and some houses, provided more tents to the needy, and served wholeheartedly where needed. Over the last weeks, three doctors from various areas of Turkey and others who are medically trained have been in Van distributing medicines and seeing patients. 350 people received medical treatment. A group from India is planning to partner with in-country workers/locals to erect up to 100 living shelters suitable for winter conditions. Additional funds for this project will be needed. Even though the main purpose of these relief efforts has not been evangelism, give thanks that six people have come to faith in Christ in the last 10 days.
Other achievements:
50 tents set up for homeless
70 sleeping bags given out
100 people received warm blankets
250 people received clothing
4 believers who have served non-stop since the first earthquake have been given funds to help with their needs
A van has been purchased to be used for deliveries of food and supplies
2 insulated container-type living units have been purchased; the second earthquake destroyed houses belonging to believers in Van.
Defined needs:
Food packages, blankets, clothing, electric blankets, gas cookers, electric heaters, winter shelter, doctors.
Please pray. Funds have been sent from Echoes Disaster Fund and via other service agencies.
TURKEY EARTHQUAKE
(23rd October 2011)
The following reports have been received from Turkey, which we can share with you for your prayers and interest.
Many have been asking about the earthquake and what can be done. The earthquake was a large one - 7.2 - and the death toll, currently in excess of 500, continues to rise. The area north of Van was especially affected, many buildings having collapsed. In Diyarbakir, we only felt it very slightly.
There is a church building in Van, used by the Iranian fellowship, and also an emerging Turkish fellowship. Everyone from the church is OK, but, still, there is much fear and chaos. Today I came up to Van with a vehicle full of tents. We set up 12 tents this afternoon and will do more tomorrow before returning home. The local church leaders are eager to help those left behind with tents and otherwise.
We've tried to focus on how we can equip the local church in its efforts. At the moment they are considering putting together a soup kitchen for the church and neighborhood around. The leaders here have asked to help with patching up the church building specifically, as it has many cracks. There seems to be no structural damage. So our plan is to come up next week with some workers and more tents to help with that effort. As far as what can be done at this time, it really depends on what steps the local church wants to take. We are urging them to see this as an opportunity to show Christ’s love and reach out, which they seem eager to do.
The earthquake in Van has caused much pain, and its effects will be felt for a long time. The State, various bodies and individuals continue with their significant aid efforts. It is encouraging to see from all the correspondence that local and global churches and ministries are making efforts to help. However, if we do not coordinate these efforts we will encounter numerous difficulties. In fact, the believers in Van, even if encouraged by all the concern, are finding themselves overwhelmed.
There is much that we can pray for in these reports. We are in the process of transferring funds from the Echoes Disaster Fund to help with this relief operation.
THE CRISIS IN THE HORN OF AFRICA
(1st August 2011)
The human tragedy unfolding in the Horn of Africa is being prominently reported in the media and many are concerned about the potential loss of life in that area. We have been monitoring the situation and are attempting to find reliable agencies who are bringing relief supplies to those in the most needy areas.
The anarchy and ongoing conflict between militias inside Somalia make it very difficult, if not impossible, for Christian organisations to work inside the country. You will be aware that even the international government-backed relief agencies are struggling to do much inside Somalia. Many of the refugee camps are in Northern Kenya, and there are Christians in those areas who are trying to provide relief. We plan to channel some emergency funding thRough them once we establish what programmes are in operation. Some people are also crossing into Ethiopia and we are following up our contacts there to see if they can pass funds on to those who are engaging with the refugees and needy folk in the eastern part of Ethiopia, near to the Somali border.
The drought is also affecting other areas of Kenya and we will be sending some resource to areas further south so that those who are poorest can be provided with relief supplies.
We have sent some funds for emergency relief through Ethiopia, and are waiting for feedback and a report.
NORWAY(29th July 2011)
Mission workers in Norway write:
"As the nation comes to grips with the terrible events of Friday 22nd July in Oslo and on Utoya Island, it is hard to believe that such a tragedy could happen in Norway - a land of peace and beauty. In the midst of such carnage, we seek with others to draw close to friends in shock to minister comfort and sympathise."
"Friday 22nd July will never be forgotten by Norwegian people or by those who have made this country their home. Words cannot describe the deep sense of shock and sorrow everyone is experiencing. This is the worst terror attack that has occurred in Nordic countries. The Oslo attack was aimed at the Labour Prime Minister's office and Government offices in the centre. July is the main holiday month in Scandinavia, and not so many people were in their offices that day, but still there were fatalities. On Utoya island, there were 600 young people, from 11-20 years old, from every region of Norway. Many were killed or injured and some are unaccounted for. Norway is a small country, so these events have had a huge impact. Churches have held services to remember those whose lives have been taken in the bomb explosion and on the island."
Pray
• for those who have lost loved ones and for parents still awaiting word about their children
• for medics, surgeons and hospital staff, for the injured - physically, emotionally, spiritually
• for those in authority as they review various laws
• for the rescue services and volunteers helping in unimaginable circumstances
• for wisdom when listening to people expressing their fears
JAPAN
(17th March 2011)
Noel Hamilton writes: "I arrived back in Japan safely on Tuesday, and three hours later was in my apartment in Koshigaya. It was a mess, with contents scattered everywhere and quite a few breakages. I opened the door to find broken glass and pottery in the entrance. Cupboards were emptied, pictures askew, and it looked like I'd been burgled. I received a phone call from one of the Christians advising me to stay indoors from 4 pm and close the windows because of a radiation leak from one of the reactors.
"Tokyo and Koshigaya were like ghost towns when I arrived, with few trains running and businesses closed. Of course, all this is nothing compared to what the folk in the Sendai/Fukushima area are experiencing. There were three very strong aftershocks shortly after I returned. One in the evening caused the deaths of four people in Tokyo.
"Food is in short supply, with milk, bread and rice very hard to find. Petrol is also in short supply. We are having daily power cuts on a rotating basis, for three hours each time. On Wednesday we had two more strong aftershocks, one in the morning and one in the afternoon with a power cut in between. The Christians in Koshigaya are all well, but badly shaken and stunned by what has happened. Typically Japanese, they are all very stoical about it, and at the prayer meeting last evening we all prayed that the Lord, who is in control, would use these disasters to bring glory to Himself and also many Japanese people to Himself.
"I am fine, but sometimes unsettled by the strong aftershocks, which come without warning. Foreigners are deserting Japan in droves, with every flight out of Tokyo full. People are very scared, particularly with regard to the nuclear problems. With conflicting reports, no one really knows what to believe, so there is a mixture of anger and confusion. Many people have said I should leave, but I don’t feel I can desert the Koshigaya believers right now.
"Various mission workers are trying to organise relief effort in the Tohoku (north-east) area. I've contacted a Director of one of the groups to see if I can also help in this effort. We all feel we want to show God's love to people up there in some way. In the midst of all this, I’m also trying to pack up, by candlelight sometimes and at other times when there has just been an aftershock.
"Thank you for your love and prayers for Japan and for me, and also for Eileen and the girls. It's especially hard being apart right now, but hopefully Eileen will be able to join me soon."
NEWSFLASH
(14th March 2011)
Prayer partners will be aware of the earthquake and subsequent tsunami that hit northern Japan on Friday 11th March 2011. David & Esther Dexter have sent the following update:
“It was very powerful at magnitude 9, the 4th largest since the beginning of 1900 (Hanshin/Kobe earthquake was 6.8, Christchurch 6.3). Aftershocks have continued, and one figure I heard was that there had been over 125, many over 5 and some 6 or 7 in magnitude. What has been more devastating have been the tsunamis that followed, wiping out whole communities. In one such community of 17,000, 10,000 are unaccounted for. The tsunami didn’t occur just once, but the waves of water kept coming in. One of the reasons for a lot of the devastation is that because the coastline is shaped like a “W”, the water was concentrated as it flowed into bays and valleys. The tsunami warnings were not lifted until late Sunday afternoon. The whole coastline of Japan had tsunami warnings, including Miyazaki! We were not allowed near the coastline on Saturday afternoon. The death toll is expected to continue to rise, and so it is hard to give a definitive figure. Many more are missing or unaccounted for.
"Further, there is great concern at the moment about the state of the nuclear power plants in Fukushima, which, due to the power cuts, have had trouble controlling the temperature of the nuclear core, and some radiation has escaped into the atmosphere. They have now evacuated up to a 20 km area; mission workers Charles & Rita Lawrence are some 50-60 km away from the power plants.
"Air traffic was affected in Tokyo and in the surrounding areas, and all trains stopped. Even down here in Miyazaki they were stopped until the full extent of the tsunami danger was assessed, because many train lines run along the coast. In fact, at least four trains were destroyed by the tsunami. Electricity, telephone and water supplies have been extensively affected. We hear this morning that the Tokyo Electrical company, who owns the Fukushima nuclear power plants, is to begin implementing power rationing to the greater Tokyo area.
"Many will have viewed the graphic pictures on the TV, so can well imagine what it must be like for those who have lost everything, including loved ones. We are thankful that the Japanese government has been prompt in accepting foreign help in the search and rescue, with teams from over 60 countries now in the country or arriving shortly.
"We are safe down here in Southern Kyushu, although the earthquake was felt in north Kyushu, and a fishing port south of us was evacuated late yesterday afternoon as a safety measure against possible tidal wave damage. We haven't been able to hear any local news as the national news has been dominating the programmes, so don't know how badly the tidal wave might have been along our coast, although don't think it was too high. The warning was for about 30 cm to 1 meter but we haven't heard any local news to know how it has affected us.”
In addition, Echoes of Service has sought to establish contact with various mission workers within the country as follows:
Noel Hamilton
"I am currently in Thailand for a conference and am due back in Tokyo early on Tuesday morning. Eileen is due to fly out and joins me next Thursday, flights permitting. At the moment, flights from the UK to Tokyo are all cancelled."
Tom & Nui Hill
Tom Hill is at this moment on his way to Tokyo Narita airport, trying to get on a flight to Bangkok to join Nui. In all his 33 years in Japan, he said this was the worst earthquake he had experienced. He was on the 6th floor of Dokkyo University’s main building when the earthquake struck. Please pray that he will make it to the airport, and also get his flight without problems.
Ronnie & Anne Cairns
"Thank you for your concern. We are fine in this part of Japan. We have been in touch with Tom Hill. Nui was out of the country at the time, Noel Hamilton was in Thailand for a conference. Tom is shaken. He was in his office at the time on the sixth floor and it was a shattering experience. This in spite of the fact that Tokyo is far from where the quake actually occurred."
Charles & Rita Lawrence
Gaius Lawrence, Charles and Rita’s son, advises that his parents are safe! As Gaius was speaking with them there was another earthquake. His mother is quite upset. Gaius has a Christian friend who lives in the area who made his way to their home and with a cell phone was able to let them call Gaius. Cell phones only work sometimes. They still do not have water or electricity. Because of the damage to the roads, etc, it is difficult to reach them, but they are ok.
Jim & Edythe Currie
"We and our daughter Elizabeth are all in Surrey, BC, Canada, at the moment and were not affected by the earthquake or its aftermath. Telephone calls, e-mails, etc, to the brethren in and around Sendai (also Iwate ken and Fukushima ken) have reported no damage to halls or to any of the saints personally. This is a part of the country we know well and where we spend lots of time fellowship- ping with the saints. So we do thank God for His good hand upon all our friends.
"Edythe has had her leg in a cast for over 6 weeks, with at least two more to go. Because of the limitations imposed we will not be able to get back to Japan until mid-July."
Please continue to remember this situation in your prayers.
ETHIOPIA
(10th March 2011)
We have just received news of an unprovoked, brutal attack by Islamic extremists on Christians in Jimma Zone (south-western Ethiopia). At least one person was killed and others injured when homes, churches and bible schools were set on fire. Until now Christians and Muslims have co-existed relatively peacefully.
Urgent prayer requests:
1) For the immediate needs of the people (in Jimma over 4,000 are displaced)
2) For peace, security, grace and strength as they go through this difficult time
3) That the violence will not spread into other provinces in the country
4) For wisdom and a peaceful resolution as local political and religious leaders address the issues
NEW ZEALAND
(4th March 2011)
Mary Granger, an Echoes reader who lives in Christchurch, contacted us on Friday 4th March with an update on the recent earthquake. Mary lives in a retirement village and did not have too much damage to her property, apart from cracked walls. Her water supply had been reconnected on Thursday and electricity the day before. She worships at Durham Street Gospel Hall, which only suffered broken crockery – no structural damage. Linwood Bible Chapel lost an outside wall. The Catholic priest’s house (opposite Mary), damaged last year, lost its front this time. Many churches are in a mess, although Brethren halls have not been too badly damaged. Death toll currently stands at 173, according to Mary, and it was thought that this figure would rise to 200+ with bodies still to be recovered from the severely affected Anglican Cathedral, but newspaper reports suggest there were no further bodies found.
PAKISTAN
(2nd March 2011)
Shahbaz Bhatti, Pakistan's government minister for religious minorities and the sole Christian (Catholic) member of the Federal Cabinet, has died after being shot by gunmen in the capital Islamabad. Bhatti had been threatened by Islamist militants in the past because he had spoken out against the country's blasphemy laws. Please pray for Christian believers in Pakistan who, as a minority group, are constantly harassed, discriminated against and maligned by the majority people.
LIBYA
(February 2011)
Colonel Qaddafi, Libya’s unopposed leader for over 40 years, is the Arab World’s longest serving leader. The protests for democracy currently sweeping Arab countries is now affecting Libya, posing a serious threat to his regime. Pray for the nation at this time and for the thousands of refugees trying to flee Libya. Believers face many obstacles to fellowship, eg, continued state surveillance and family/social pressures. Meetings of more than six people are illegal. Pray for Libyan believers to stand firm in their faith and that some will be placed in prominent leadership within the country. In recent years, an increasing number of Libyans have been coming to Christ - although still only a few. Pray that freedom for the gospel and for the Lord's people will increase under whichever government takes control. Pray for Libya’s future during this unsettling time.
EGYPT
(February 2011)
Following mass people protests across cities in Egypt, President Mubarak, the 30-year autocratic ruler of Egypt, stepped down. While there has been celebration, with protesters shouting “Egypt is free!”, for the 8 million Christians living in Egypt the future remains unsettled and even frightening. Relations with Muslims are tense, freedom of worship is limited, and often Christians cannot repair churches or build new ones. Extremist violence is on the rise and there is genuine fear amongst Christians that their country will become like Iraq. In the days leading to the election it is important to pray for God's chosen President over this land.
HAITI UPDATE
(March 2010)
We received this report a few days ago after a visit made to Haiti by our colleagues Bob Dadd and Phil Parsons of CMML USA. They report on work being done and what is still planned.
“An initial meeting was conducted by the leaders of the assemblies in Santo Domingo. The primary purpose of the meeting was to gain an understanding of the steps that had already been taken to meet the needs in Haiti and any plans to develop a more sustained long-term approach to the relief and recovery effort. When the earthquake hit, the brethren from the Dominican Republic assemblies met to form a response strategy. Two groups made separate trips to the capital city. Contact was made with three Baptist pastors primarily working with children and orphanages. Contact was also made with a Baptist pastor who has an official recognition as the head of the evangelical work in Haiti. In the days that immediately followed the earthquake the priority was to help meet the medical needs of injured Haitians. This was an overwhelming task as there were so many injured.
"The team included six doctors, three nurses, three pharmacists, a clinical psychologist and various helpers. Medical supplies were purchased and loaded on a flat bed truck along with bags of rice, cases of bottled water and some clothing we carried from the United States. The five-hour bus ride took us from the capital to the border town of Jimena. A local church provided a place to bunk down for the night. Early the following morning and before crossing the border, our doctors selected additional medications stored in a large warehouse. Another two-hour bus ride brought the team to a medical station called Mision Rescate. It is located adjacent to one of many tent cities scattered throughout Port-au-Prince.
"Mision Rescate is ministering to the needs of nearly 1,000 people a day. This includes those needing serious medical treatment to those needing water.
"The medical station was under the direction of a sister from an assembly in Santo Domingo. She was in charge of the entire operation at this location and had been on site every day but one since just after the earthquake. She shared the need to acquire high quality tents so that displaced Haitians have a place to call home. Soon, the rainy season will arrive and add to the misery of the millions of displaced people.It is impossible to see how the situation will ever be returned to some level of normality. The extent of the problems is so great. The infrastructure is virtually non-existent. Outside help will be needed for years.
"The assembly leaders believe that their efforts will not be effective without establishing a base of operations in Port-au-Prince or close to the city. They need a secure location that can be used by the relief workers coming from the Dominican Republic and for storing medical supplies and food. They have identified a suitable property for rent in a suburb of Port-au-Prince. The vision is to use this base, not only for medical and other needs, but also for reaching the people with the gospel. This will be a large and long-term undertaking for the assemblies. It will require committed people and resources Funds have been forwarded to the brethren so they can begin this initiative.
"The ministry of Emmaus Correspondence Schools (ECS) was affected as four of five buildings in the capital city were destroyed. During our visit we had a brief meeting with the ECS coordinator in Haiti, Jean Mathieu Cherine. Funds have been forwarded to ECS to assist in the continuation of that work."
We have sent further funds to our colleagues at CMML and stand ready to send more as and when they are needed. If you would like to make a donation to the relief work, you can send a cheque to the Echoes office with an accompanying note specifying your gift for Haitian Relief, or if you would prefer, you can make a donation over the phone.
Further Information
Echoes are also aware of contacts with brethren in the Dominican Republic who have been able to assess the situation first-hand and are making the necessary arrangements to enter Haiti. The Dominican brethren have 25 doctors/translators who are waiting for permission to enter and provide aid. You may be aware that all hospitals and clinics are full and there are no longer places to treat critical cases.
Longer term, Echoes is liaising with Brethren assemblies in the Dominican Republic, which number over 300, who are keen to provide practical help with the rebuilding. There are already engineers/technicians/workmen and helping hands prepared for construction projects, as most victims have been made homeless.