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Update from Understand The
Times on the Myanmar Relief Fund
On May 2, 2008 a
devastating cyclone (Nargis)
struck Yangon and area. For
several days we were unable to
communicate with any of our
contacts in Yangon. As media
reports from around the world
the area began to televise the
terrible loss of life and
devastation of property, we were
more and more concerned for our
people each day that followed
the disaster.
Finally, about
one week after the cyclone hit,
word came from one of leaders
that all the children and
leaders of the four Bryce Lodges
that we have in Yangon had
survived. Although shaken, they
were not harmed. We thank God
for His protection over them.
Following the
disaster, the news media
informed the world that sending
aid to the people in this part
of the world was essentially
impossible because of reasons I
will not discuss in this report.
While thousands had perished,
those who survived were without
shelter and food. Many were left
helpless, homeless and without
any hope.
As soon as we
found out that our contacts in
Yangon had survived and were OK,
we decided to establish a Relief
Fund that they could minister to
the people in the disaster area.
As foreigners were not welcome
in the country to distribute
relief, it seemed that God had
placed us in a strategic place
at a strategic time so that we
could reach out to the needy
through the Christians we were
already working with. Thus the
establishment of the Understand
The Times Myanmar Relief Fund
which was supported by people
from around the world through
funds sent by mail and online
giving.
Following the
disaster, several of my friends
and board members (on their own
expense) traveled to Myanmar as
tourists to deliver some of the
funds that were received. As
time passed, additional funds
were deposited to the Myanmar
Relief Fund which we have also
been able to transfer to our
contacts for distribution.
During the month
of January, 2009, I was able to
travel to Yangon and spend
several days with our leaders.
This was the first time that I
was able to go and meet our
leaders in person since the
disaster. They showed me many
photographs that visually depict
the results of the disaster.
Other photos show our teams
ministering relief in the
disaster areas and show the
distribution of food and basic
living needs. In every case, our
representatives shared the love
of Jesus Christ, not only in a
physical way, but they also
shared the good news of the
gospel of Jesus Christ.
Based on the
situation in Myanmar, and the
great concern that I have for
our people, I am not able to
mention specific places or
specific names. Please know that
this effort would not have been
possible without your support
and the dedicated and unselfish
devotion that our UTT
representatives exhibited in
distribution of resources to
very poor people in need –
physically, financially and
spiritually.
The task of
trying to report the scope of
what was accomplished by the
funds that were designated to
the UTT Myanmar Relief Program
is a difficult to do in words.
Therefore, I am going to post a
number of photographs that were
given to me so that you can see
with your own eyes. These
photographs will be under the
following headings:
·
Destruction to
property and land
·
Traveling to the
devastated areas
·
Distribution of
physical aid – food and finance
·
Rebuilding
shelters
·
Proclaiming the
gospel
I hope and pray
that these photos will help tell
the story of how the Myanmar
Relief funds have been spent.
Now that the disaster is behind,
there is still much that we want
to do.
When I met with
the leaders who were responsible
for distribution of the
resources, I asked them what
they thought would be the best
way to continue to work in the
devastated areas where they had
gone and taken their teams. All
four leaders I met with agreed
the best way to continue our
outreach to the areas where they
had gone would be to sponsor
four full time missionaries who
would live among the people
(primarily Buddhist population)
and share the gosple in the
midst of darkness on an ongoing
basis.
This would
require funds to build a shelter
that would cost approximately
$500. Second, the support
required to support a missionary
would be approximately $100 a
month or $1200.00 a year. In
this way the UTT Relief Program
with continue on an ongoing
basis as funds are provided by
sponsors.
Please pray with
us regarding the support for
these four missionaries. |
