Tsunami Thank youA Tsunami Thank You

Until Boxing Day 2004 I think I had no conscious idea of what a Tsunami was. In January 2006 I had the privilege of visiting Sri Lanka. I was part of a group of Tearcraft (the then trading arm of Tearfund) Sellers visiting Gospel House, a family business producing wooden toys.

Within 24 hours of the Tsunami hitting Sri Lanka the family used their business transport to take water and other relief supplies to the devastated area. As time passed it became evident to Gospel House that only the areas which had been worst hit where receiving the aid. Adjoining areas, although not so badly hit had been affected and needed support to recover, Gospel House therefore focused their relief on these ‘fringe’ areas. We were taken to see the area they were working in.

Gospel House’s main relief focus was to enable people to resume their work – we helped present communities of fishermen with nets and fishing boats. Their credentials to receive them had been carefully checked; they needed two credible ‘witnesses’ that they had been fishermen before the Tsunami.

As we gazed at the beauty of the palm fringed sands lapped by the calm azure blue sea we were approached by a group of young men who wanted to speak to us. ‘Please go back to your country and thank everyone for their kind generosity. Our country was devastated, but your generosity has helped us. Please tell everyone you meet, thank you.’

With those words still ringing in my ears my thoughts turn to Indonesia. Will we show generosity and give to enable those whose country has again been devastated by a Tsunami to rebuild their lives?

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? 1 John 3vv16 17

Tearfund is part of the DEC or you can give direct www.Tearfund.org/Indonesia

Mandy McIntosh – For more on Sri Lanka see www.fair2all.net/tsunamithankyou