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Church Member Volunteers
Rice, Dal & Onions
Medical Supplies
Distribution |
Colombo, Sri Lanka, has been experiencing severe flooding caused by the cyclone which hit the island on May 20. The devastating rains and floods have affected more than 600,000 people. Among those are many of our church people. I am so proud of Bethany Christian Life Center, our local church in Colombo. The church is under the leadership of Pastor Dishan DeSilva, and they are over 700 believers strong. Just as they responded to the aid of those left homeless in the Tsunami of 2004, they are now helping those suffering in this recent disaster. Our church members and leaders have been working around the clock to cook, rescue stranded elderly people, and coordinate relief with the local police and city government. After sending out an emergency e-letter appeal, the response was rapid. We have received and sent $10,000 toward this effort in the past two weeks! The church in Colombo has sacrificially given $2,500. That is a total of $12,500 given to aid those who were completely desolate with no hope. With your help, we’ve been able to provide over a ton of rice, 1,300 pounds of sugar, 660 pounds of onions, 330 pounds of dal (very nutritious lentils), 330 pounds of soy meat, over 100 packets of milk, 66 pounds of tea (Sri Lankans must have tea!), 150 cooking sets, 600 plates and cups and 200 prepared packets of rice! You’ve also provided much needed medical supplies. The Colombo community is expressing their gratitude, and as a result, doors are opening to us in the local and national government. There is a strength that comes through partnership! This has been an amazing experience, and we are so proud of our leaders for the way they have quickly responded. Rick and I have found that mature leadership does not necessarily emerge in crisis, but it does take charge. In other words, there must be leadership in place before the crisis in order for leaders to function effectively. What we are witnessing is a strong leadership base that is responding appropriately to an unanticipated emergency need. Thanks for being a part of this significant moment in the history of our Colombo church.
Bev
rick@rickzachary.com - bev.zachary@gmail.com - shane.zachary@gmail.comChurchAsia - P.O. Box 82080 - Baton Rouge, LA 70884changing the world...one congregation at a time |
