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Mission Trip Reports Trip Reports Home
India, India
Adult-Mixed
| Trip Dates: | 4/12/2005 to 4/26/2005 |
| Age Group: | Adults |
| Status: | Completed |
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| Reports for India Trip |
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Final Field Report
10
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4/24/2005
By: Tammy Gross, Participant
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Greetings! Many team members are in the hotel lobby in
Cochin playing games as I type. They hope to stay
awake to begin the long journey of plane rides that
will again turn our hours around now that we have
completed our last day...
There are melancholy faces on the team members who began
the day wishing for more time to see the people we
have fallen in love with here in Kerala, India.
Since arriving, these 20 North Americans known as Team
India, have seen so much, & learned more than can be summed up here.
We've learned over & over again that the best laid
plans are meaningless if God has other plans. He made
that abundantly clear daily from the moment our shoes
hit the red dirt. Every day right up to this last day was an
exercise flexibility. I'm sure even our plane rides
tomorrow thru Tuesday will prove equally enlightening.
TODAY - Sunday:
We simply planned to go to church, meet some orphans,
& ride some elephants. It was so much more. We did go
to church at the orphanage newly built & dedicated for
Bishop Thudian's ministry in Mookkannur, Kerala. The
same orphans who greeted us the day we arrived in
Kerala were joined by others who have since returned
from holiday. We shared in a service that was
uplifting & LOUD. Americans would do well to learn to
sing with such passion & volume! Our team members led
much of the service, including an original song
written by our own Canadian Idol Joshua Seller. Alice,
Pastor Thudian's wife, was our translator.
We learned many stories of the children at the
orphanage, including a lovely young mother & her child
who were abandoned by the father. Though unusual,
Emmanuel Orphanage took them in recently to reside. I
sat with that precious child during the church
service. I'm not a kid person normally, but these are
extraordinary circumstances that melt even a heart
like mine!
We also learned about a 6-year-old boy who could not
smile. His mother was there. This is NOT that unusual
to them, but to us is an unthinkable heartbreak. Some
of these children DO have parents. They are usually
hospital (mental or extreme physical) patients, or
they are what we Americans would call "deadbeats."
This 6-year-old was with his mother & she was leaving
him, for his own good as all agreed, but that was no
comfort to him as you can imagine. This is not the
kind of life most of us can relate to.
Another story was of a girl whose polio keeps her from
physical work. She & the pastors have a strong desire
to bring computer training to the orphans who are also
learning English (the language of business). Their
need for a computer costing Rs25,000 (approx. US$600)
gave us all the answer of how to use a final fund of
Rs35,000 we have been wanting to donate before we
leave. We agreed as a team that this was the right
purchase to make & presented the money to Pastor
Thudian just after we dedicated a newly purchased jeep
(which our mission helped to fund) that will be used
for evangelistic ministry throughout South India by
Emmanuel Ministries (hopegivers.com).
I had personally experienced a bad night in our new
hotel in Cochin that left me with a sore throat & very
little sleep, so I was grumpy & feeling sorry for
myself until I saw where the orphans sleep. They are
very clean rooms, which house many children together
where they sleep on flat wood bunks with only a straw
woven mat to cushion them. (Tonight, I plan to sleep
on my posh marble floor to get a taste of their world
- of course we have fans & A/C.)
After MANY pictures & lots of play with the orphans,
we were loaded back on the bus to go ride some
elephants! We arrived at an elephant "farm" of sorts,
where they train elephants to become Caterpillars
(construction work). I found it to be a sad place.
Sadder when we found out the lone elephant for riding
had a tummy ache - no rides. We took pix & then looked
at a down-trodden zoo with a python & a crocodile &
more of those ornery monkeys we'd seen at the Hindu
temple in Sasthamcotta, Kollam last week.
From the zoo we went to a shopping area in Cochin
where some team members needed to buy new luggage.
Next we pulled up to the only American restaurant we'd
ever seen in our travels in India: Pizza Hut. We
tasted the familiar bland food & our debriefing
process was begun.
In a wonderful last team meeting at the hotel, our
leader Michael asked as he has every night for a word
of the day, though this night the word/phrase was to
sum up the trip for each of us. I close with these
words:
broken
humbled
inspired
God is AWESOME!
more than I could ask or imagine
unfailing
Jesus
life changing
compassion
open
touched
complete
called
undeserving love
conviction
changed
renewed
powerful
introspective
new beginning/second wind
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9
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4/22/2005
By: Karen Gering and Cindy Roark, Participants
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Greetings from India. We had another great day of seeing the hand of God at work. Early this morning we headed off to Pastor Mathu’s church. The Hindu families from the Tsunami camps were brought to the church to receive the kits that hadn’t been distributed on Wednesday. We started the day with a program for the children. Our plan and desire was to conduct the program and then finish the distribution. God had another plan. (Which seemed to be the case all week.) Once again many other people heard about the distribution and we were told that 2,000 more were on their way. We only had 450 kits left. Some Hindu men threatened our bus drivers and the vehicle with harm if they did not leave. Once again Pastor Thudian ask that we leave and allow the pastors to complete the distribution. The backdoor exit was our safe route. Several angry men arrived at the bus just as we were pulling away.
Sewing machines, beds and cooking utensils have been purchased for each family in the Tsunami church. They will be secretly delivered at a more appropriate time. The Tsunami church continues to face persecution as a result of the attention we have brought to them. We have been assured that this visit by our team and these acts of relief have opened doors for Pastor Thudian and the local pastors that they had not had before.
Tomorrow we depart for Cochin. We spent the remainder of the day preparing to depart. Our last dinner with the pastors and all the other local people, both believers and unbelievers was a traditional Kerala dinner. We presented gifts of appreciation to all that had helped us complete our mission. Our final minutes were spent in worship together, a reminder of what it will be like some day to stand together in the presence of God and worship at His throne with all the believers from every nation and from all time. It was amazing.
Thanks to all the body for praying, God has heard your prayers. We have two more days keep praying. We love you all and miss you. See you soon.
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8
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4/20/2005
By: Joni Leigh Rhodes, Participant
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I just wanted to thank everyone for the prayers. The local pastors here have decided that we will move the construction materials to another church -- we will be helping another denomination (other than our partners)
for a day with construction..It will be like the Baptist helping the Church Of God. This will be away from
the Tsunami area. They decided the people have had enough tragedy in the Tsunami camp to bring this persecution upon them. Imagine- one sunday you are at church listening to your pastor and a group of men come in and beat the pastor right in front of you and then tell the whole congregation that if they meet at the church next sunday for worship, the persecution will be worse. Everyone decides instead to meet at the pastor's home in secret. That first Sunday away from the church was the sunday a giant Tsunami came and wiped out the church building, among other things.. but the entire congregation was spared. God is sovereign and even when persecution occurs He has a plan at work so we are all comfortable with the decision that was made by the pastors.
We made assembly lines last night and put together 950 kits to deliver today to the Tsunami camps. In addition, we will be giving 15 sewing machines, 15 beds and 15 cooking utensil kits to the believer families we wanted to help, the same families we wanted to help with construction. God is sovereign and they don't need a building to have a church-- the body of Christ is the church.
The leper colony did have some medical treatment yesterday; it was very sad. Apparently they are treating them now but many times society does not accept them back and thus the reason they are in the isolated camps.
Just wanted to let you know the outcome of the decision on construction. Thank you so much for your prayers.
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Unconditional Love
7
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4/20/2005
By: Douglas Boyd Vanderbilt, Participant
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4 months ago, when this trip was just a vision, I had a very skewed mental picture of this side of the world. My only preconceptions of India were just as I wrote in my first letter, the Dell help desk and things made of brass. Well, I have filled in the gaps just a little bit and have made many life long friendships, not just American, but Indian as well. If I ever get deported from the US, I know I can stay with at least 20 people here.
Samuel, our gracious hotel manager, and I have grown quite close and we both feel like brothers. The bond formed between us was instant and complete and he has added so much value to the experience in country. He has told me many stories of his life and how he came to know Jesus. Also, he is a dad with a beautiful 6-year-old girl.
Tonight I will meet with his pastor, Shaji, "a glorious man", as described by Samuel. At his church, the pastor houses an orphanage name "Visitation". The orphanage is a Christian farming convent that ministers to the needs of about 25 children, one of whom is Samuels sponsored daughter, Yashika. India is different from the US in many ways, one of which is that children in orphanages are usually never adopted. It is very rare for a family to adopt a child; rather, if the love and compassion are there, the family pays R800-R900 rupies ($20-$22) per month to support the child. School books, clothes, bedding, food, shelter. All their physical needs are met with $22 per month. Samuel provides for his daughter what R100,000,000 rupies could never hope to provide: love. And, in return, this investment in his daughter returns a dividend that all the rupies in India could never buy: the unconditional love of your daughter.
This is a concept that I understand completely.
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6
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4/18/2005
By: Heather Lynn Mason, Participant
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I will try to walk you through the process that we have been through as far as the needs of the Tsunami victims:
The first two days were spent assessing the needs of each Tsunami Camp.
As we approached the first camp we had a few men try and stop us. They said many people had come in promising to help but leaving and never returned. They did not want us to get their hopes up. We assured them we were here to help They allowed us to enter the camp at that point
The layout of the first camp was like a storage unit; we split up into teams of four with an interpreter and went to each door asking what were the needs of each family, how many children and if they had any special request or needs (canes, fans ect.) As we listened to their heartbreaking stories, we offered hugs, tears, and a bit of laughter to the children. Each story told gripped our hearts as we tried to remain strong for them. Having the language barrier was hard at this point because people were pulling us into the small rooms to show us pictures of the ones who have died. They were crying and wanting to say more but we could not always understand~
The second camp we went to had only tarps to sleep under. They are at the mercy and hands of the government- not even their own stove to cook on… We only witnessed small piles of potatoes, onions, and carrots to feed the 500. We were almost trampled by the desperate people running towards us in hopes of some “relief.”
Through prayer, Michael’s (team leader) discernment, and the Pastor we are working with assessing their needs this is what we will be distributing to the people… We are preparing 1000 kits for both camps visited that include the following: rice, Sari (women’s attire), shirt material, Lungi (men’s attire), and a bed sheet. We are preparing 200 kits for the children including a pen, notebook, and crayons.
For the 18 families of believers they will receive a bed, cooking supplies, sewing machine, children’s supplies, and supplies for a church building (we will help build the foundation with them). The local pastor will receive sound equipment to share the gospel among the camps.
God knows the needs of the people, He knows every hair on their head- He is faithful. AIM received donations to be used specifically towards “Tsunami Relief”; we have met that budget up to the dollar.
Pray that as we distribute these items they will see Jesus- His hands, His love, and His compassion. Pray against any distractions or hindrances we may face. Pray that God will multiply these items even after we leave.
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"Mr. Fixit"
5
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4/18/2005
By: Douglas Boyd Vanderbilt, Participant
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What a Glorious Morning!!!
I never though I'd say that on a Monday at 5:22 AM (I am sure those of you that know me best just said the same...) but..well..I guess things are just different now. Maybe the things have not changed, just my perception of them. This mission experience is all a bit foggy now, and I will probably need 20-30 years to fully process all of the testimony and greatness I have witnessed.
We are now at the halfway point of our journey and the time has passed way to quickly. I have tried to spend as much time as possible, not sleeping, but rather living this wonderful gift that has been provided for me. It is true: Missionary's get far more from the mission than those we mission to. Please to not misread what I am saying, we are working extravagant miracles here, Indian lives are changing for the better and hope and comfort and normality is being restored. As I reread the last sentence, I realize that I have begun to become assimilated into the Indian "Borg" and resistance is futile ("please to not misread."). Funny...and like Martha says."It's a good thing".
Saturday was tough. While spending time in the bay side tsunami camp homes of these wonderful people I was overpowered with peaceful memories of my grandparent's sense of endless compassion and friendship. In this traumatic atmosphere, that, unless you have lived it, you could not come close to comprehension, I was home. I was as comfortable sitting on Adweved's plastic chairs and under his corrugated cooker of a roof as I ever was sitting around my grand parents dining room table in Saint Augustine, Florida. I can only imagine the hospitality and generosity of my new friends had I arrived on December 25th, 2004.
I have struggled with many demons this trip. Some arrived 6 days ago with me on 3 jet planes like carry on baggage, and some I have been exposed to in India. DVD players, Seadoo's, and 61 Inch Sony big screens now seem, somehow, less important. Though these possessions are a part of what made Doug Doug, and, by the way, no Sean, the TV will not be living with you when I return, the value placed upon them by me has tanked. If on April 11th I had lost all my possessions in a fire I would have been devastated. Now, merely disappointed. This is a good thing.
Other internal demons I did not bring with me, rather they have manifested themselves as I share the lives of Adweved and his new neighbors. The loss of a child suddenly ripped from your arms. Watching your child be pulled under the sea to never be seen again and knowing you were powerless to stop it. Unbelievable sorrow.
In my experiences, and my apologies to Natalie before I write this, I have only one instance that even scratches the surface. My divorce 5 years ago and the subsequent loss of full time access to my 6-year old daughter, Madison, paralyzed me for 6 months and to this day is a wound that pulls painfully at my heart. Giving my daughter back at a BP parking lot on her 1st birthday after only spending 2 hours with her ripped my soul from my body. However, I still have my daughter and know that I have her unconditional love in an unbreakable bond. I felt sorry for myself then. How blessed I am to still have her, to hold her, to love her.
This morning I went to the roof and asked God for guidance. I am struggling with the feeling that as a parent and as and American I want to be able to kiss the boo-boo caused by this disaster and make it all better for these survivors. I am a tinkerer and have the god given ability to repair any broken object. Motorcycles, VCR's, computers, no broken toy intimidates me. If I can't physically fix it, I throw money at it. If I can't throw money at it find another way to make it work.
This morning I sat down, looked up, and spoke out loud in the most honest voice of my life and asked "what do I do about this?". "How to I make everything ok again for Adweved and his family?". "Do I go outside the authority of my host just buy the equipment he needs to work and support his family risking a riot at the camp because one person was helped more than another?" "What do I do?"
A deep sense of warmth filled my body and the answer was obvious, something so obvious that I had looked right past it. I realized that not everything has to be fixed this trip. It can't be. 5 days is not enough time to restore a community to what it was before December 26th. 5 days of mission will not give Adweved back his sense of safety and self-reliance. Just like it has taken 37 years for me to begin to trust in the unwavering love of the lord, the wounds inflicted by this devastating event will take time to heal.
The works of God and Jesus will continue.
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4
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4/17/2005
By: Douglas Boyd Vanderbilt, Participant
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This hardest part of this journey was realized yesterday and 4:37 PM. This is the exact time I was lovingly yanked by our leader from the "home" of Adwved Alexander, his wife and two sons. The stories were palpable. We had to go so I reluctantly boarded the bus at the bayside tsunami camp to return to the hotel. As some of you know, I have a bit of a rebellious streak sometimes. Rules and regulations, I feel, are made to be bent, not broken, in order to fit the needs of the moment. Yesterday was one of those days.
The day was spent speaking directly to inmates (yes, inmates, pretty appropriate on many levels) of two tsunami camps directly on the coast. One of these we had visited briefly on Friday when we saw the joyful children and now we were blessed to be able to spend some quality time hearing the stories of not only loss and pain, but strength and survival.
The area we are in is about 99% Hindu. The "believers" (to call yourself a "Christian" invite beatings and ostracizing and possibly worse) officially number only 18 families and these are for whom we will be building the new church. After "speaking" directly with these wonderful people, I think that 18 is a very conservative estimate, most just cannot risk to publicly pronounce their faith. I now understand religious persecution, something completely foreign to my American upbringing.
A fisherman that was 3 km's out on the sea when the wave hit, riding up the face of the 40-foot wave, has told me stories. Picture the scene from the perfect storm where George Clooney guns the motor of the swordfishing boat Andrea Gail only to fall down the face of the massive wave to their demise. He was thankfully ejected for the boat as it and his companions were swept under the sea. He then swam inland, around the tops of the 40-foot palms 2 km past where the shoreline was before hitting land to stand on. He lost his entire family.
Yet, the people are healing. One person told me of the 3 days following the wave. Heartbreak. Anger. Depression. Paralyzed. I cannot fully fathom their loss. I can only relate to September 12th, 13th and 14th , 2001. Does not seem even remotely adequate.
I don't know where I will go from here as far as the emails. It is getting too hard to write and somehow seems better left in my mind. Know that all of you are in my heart and my prayers, as I know I am in yours.
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17 April 2005
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4/17/2005
By: Terri Worley, Participant
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We had the opportunity to worship today with the local Christians. It was such a blessing to be with them and experience their service. Much different than our own... They sing fast songs very loudly and always clapping! Women sit on the right side of the church and men on the left. We had interpreters to translate the message, but I have discovered that God has no language barrier......
We will go to the local village tomorrow and talk with the local people while building supplies and relief items are being purchased. On Tuesday after assembling the relief kits, we will visit a local leper colony. Wednesday will be the day construction begins.
There is a lady by the name of Amah that is getting a lot of attention in the Tsunami area. She is taking donations for the relief and feeding the Tsunami camps. She is perceived as a 'god' and worshiped by the victims. She is taking some of God's truth and twisting it to suit her own needs. Some of the team went into their 'camp' and reports that the set up she has is unbelievable. Within the walls they are totally self contained. There is restaurants, a bank, etc.. etc.. There are people from all over the world that came to help with the Tsunami Relief and ended up staying and becoming a follower of Amah. The situation has the feel of another 'Jim Jones' situation. Please be in prayer against this stronghold on the Indian people. She feeds them 3 times a day and there is fear if they go against her, they will not be fed.
All team members are well and still in amazement at the honor of being called to this mission. Please keep us all in prayer for the long and strenuous days ahead.
All for His glory!
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India
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4/16/2005
By: Terri Worley, Participant
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14 April 2005
36 eventful hours after leaving Atlanta, the Tsunami Relief team arrived at their Kerala, India base camp just outside of the city of Kollam.
Before getting settled our team was taken to the Emanuel Orphanage. The children ran from the building lining up, the youngest to the oldest, girls on the left and boys on the right, to make a human alley for us to enter through. Each child was holding a handmade lei made of fresh jasmine. They placed around each of our necks. We were humbled beyond measure by the outpour of excitement and acceptance by which we were received. Moved to tears as we accepted their offering of love, our heart were forever broken for these beautiful people that have nothing more to offer but their absolute best of what remains, and do so with gladness.
How I wish that I could give you the eyes of my heart that you would burn with a love for these kind , gentle, intelligent people. A love beyond anything capable from yourself, but born of God's call on your heart.
15 April 2005
Today was our first day in the Tsunami-stricken region, a heartbreaking but inspirational experience for the entire team. The refugee camps are made of corrugated tin in rows similar the the Self Storage Rentals in the US. Extended families living in each of the small units.
The day was spent interacting with the children as our leaders introduced us to the believers of Jesus and surveyed the needs of the community and trying to establish some kind of presence to base our teams ministry through creating relationships.
We met a small group of believers in the home of one of the leaders and later returned to praise and worship with them. Their gratitude and joy that we had arrived was humbling. They have asked for help in building a new worship hall and plans have been made to complete that by the end of next week. Their stories of personal tragedy testifying to losses few of us will ever be able to comprehend. During our praise and worship one lady began to weep. After the service she still wept uncontrollably. We learned that as she held onto her two small children, her 9 year old son was ripped from her arms..... her husband perished as well. What an honor to be the arms of Jesus has the ladies ministered to her, cried with her and prayed. Another older woman showed us her bible that was swept into the ocean, yet later returned to her, confirmation that God will restore that that the enemy has stolen! Another lady asked for prayer for her son who's mind is 'crazy', yet another has trouble walking because when the Tsunami hit, she had to climb a coconut tree to escape all the while the waves were crashing around her. We will try and get her some medical attention.
Please pray for the strengthening of our hearts and the loss of ourself so God can use us to do His will. Pray that He will fill us up to be poured out on this land.
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Today it became real.
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4/15/2005
By: Douglas Boyd Vanderbilt, Participant
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As I type my eyes swell with a solid stream of tears and it is hard to see the keys. Emotions so strong, I have felt this only one other time in my life, September 21st 1998, the birth of my child, Madison. Just to brace you for what is to come, there might not be as many laughs as in previous emails....
The India Mission Team that god assembled is perfect in every way. I don't say "perfect" to sound big headed or self-promoting, but rather to express the passionate and family-like bond that has formed within us in just 3 short days. The early stages of this love was evident to me 2 weeks ago when the emails of anticipation and planning were flying back and forth while we anxiously prepared for this epic journey. We had experience the diversity of each of the 20 individuals, the skills that each brings to this mission, the love and passion each has expressed, and the testimony that each has given to why we are here, I can only concede that God is all powerful!
This morning I awoke at 2:30 AM, wide-awake and ready to go. 3 1/2 hours sleep was more than enough, kind of like being 5 on Christmas morning. Our room was about 2 degrees (still trying to figure out the Celsius thing, should have paid more attention in forth grade, I guess) and I needed to thaw. I headed off to the roof garden of our 6-story hotel, full 5.5 stories higher than any other building within eyesight, and just observed.
What peace.
The occasional dog barks, a 50cc motorcycle or two putts swiftly by, and a few brilliant flashes of lightning off in the cloudless distance set the scene for a 4 hour meditation, kicking off my journey of discovery. Spielberg could not have scripted it better. Only God could accomplish this.
I could not wait for the journey to the tsunami areas to begin. The travel to this point has been interesting and down right fun at times, but my purpose, my call, was to minister to those affected on December 26th, 2004. The vision that morning of January 2nd that stood me straight up in bed telling me "YOU MUST GO", was about to be realized. Up to this point, I felt like a typical tourist, just snapping pictures, and enjoying the scenery and culture. All was about to change.
As I sat up on the roof this morning, watching the birds primp their feathers, listening to the loudspeakers calling the Muslim and Hindu masses to worship, experiencing the sunrise on this glorious day, little did I know how deeply and dramatically I would be affected and changed before the sun was to set that evening.
The rest of the group slept until around 7 and then went to the roof for some private time and morning devotionals. Each were equipped with the listening device of their choice, all found a quiet spot to personally reflect on what has passed and anticipate what we were to see in just 3 hours. Would it be the total devastation of Banda Ache and Thailand we all witnessed via the dramatic footage on CCN, or was all this hoopla just that...sensationalism taken to the extreme for sweeps week and to sell a few cars for the 2006 model year. We all arrived with our Americanized perception of what India was like, and up to this point, I could not have been more wrong about everything.
The people I have met over the past 3 days have been more gracious and giving than I could every have imagined. The cities.... yes they are dirty, yes they are crowded, and yes I am not in Kansas anymore, however, I have experience a culture that functions, and functions well, without the need to have 911, stop signs, and 24 hour Wal-Marts! In many ways, I have come to the conclusion that as Americans, we think too much of ourselves, about the possessions we have, and about how great we are. I have experienced an Indian society that, yes, may have many flaws I will never know, has poverty and pain, but it functions without American political correctness and police intervention at every turn. We have a lot to relearn.
We ate our breakfast and with great anticipation and boarded the bus for the Kollam district (http://www.mapsofindia.com/maps/tsunami-in-india/earthquake/kollam.html) about 30 miles south of our Hotel. You could sense the excitement and passion of all 20 mission participants as we traversed the countryside and navigated the cities in route. We decided to go au'naturale this time and killed the AC on the bus and opened all the windows. Our destination, not know to us yet, was a 10 mile stretch of beach called Karunagapalli, a small fishing village of 15,000-25,000 people directly on the Arabian Sea coastline. I was not, nor could I have ever hope to have been, fully prepared for what I was about to witness, and not for the reasons you might think.
Just like any American from Kansas seeing St. Augustine Beach, Florida for the first time, every member of the group was amazed and awe struck as we caught our first glimpse of the Arabian Sea. I also was giddy and instantly lost 30 of my 37 years, something I did not expect as I had spent every summer of my school aged years on the beach in Florida at my grand parents house on South Ponte Vedra. This ocean view was different. This had a purpose beyond simple recreation.
So close. After 79 hours of travel, our mission was FINALLY about to start. Electricity filled the air as we turned north along a small road 200 feet from the water. The feel of the community was just like any other we had experienced in India, crowded, busy, and in constant motion. Then, I began to see evidence that something had happened. It was subtle at first, less paper wrappers and the sand between the houses and shops was smooth and had the signs of water like you see when a heavy rain washes sand all in one direction. Everyone seemed to be going on with their daily chores and purchases. No foundations missing the house they supported, no ocean liners stranded 300 feet on shore, just water marks in the sand and fewer food wrappers.
About a mile further north we rounded a bend in the road and the driver stopped. Our host began to speak, telling us this is where the devastation started and we were about to enter an area where lives were lost. We drove another 1000 feet and began to see where a house, maybe built not quite a sturdy as the neighbors, was gone, pushed flat by the 3rd of 3 waves on December 26th. The bus went silent.
As we continued to drive north, there were fewer crowds, less busy, less motion, more destruction. In some places,
it was as if there had never been human beings there at all. No traces of anything, just black and gray sand and 30 foot palms. Another 1000 feet brought us to out first tsunami relief camp. "Camp" is a relative term. To give you a visual, just think of your local mini storage place. Remove all the doors on all the 5-foot by 5-foot storage units and stick a small oven smoke stack out the center of each unit. Now put you, your spouse, 2 kids, aunt Mary and cousin Eileen, the family dog, as well as the four books you were able to recover, inside. Welcome home.
Sad. Angry. Helpless. Eager. Depressed. A cocktail of emotion brewed inside me. Then, just when our heads were about the drop, we saw 20 beautiful, smartly dressed children running out to great us. This is where I was not prepared. The joy and smiles on the children's faces trumped the devastation, no questions asked. The resiliency of children. Amazing. The smiles were contagious.
We all got off the bus and were greeted with ear to ear smiles and agressive hand shakes. I was the designated cameraman and scooted around our team to document the event. On the screen of the digital camera, I could see that I was not alone in my joy. It was a very festive atmosphere and the children loved having a picture taken and get the instant gratification of seeing it on the camera. These children had just lost friends and family members, toys and books. Their life had been totally turn upside down, transformed 4 short months earlier. I could not comprehend their losses. However, they seemed to have begun to heal. Very powerful. A moment of joy for them, a moment epiphany for me. For only a short time, 20 minutes, we visited with some camp families and played with the children. Wow, what an experience. Little did I know that this was a mere fraction of what was to come.
We boarded the bus again and drove about a mile further north. The destruction escalated as we drove onward. Now, whole neighborhoods were gone, erased as if a giant squeegee had been pulled across the coast. As we got off the bus, I could see piles of new bricks and rocks and sand, all delivered in relief. But currently, they were just piles of materials, sitting, waiting to be turned into a house. One gentleman was finishing a new cement foundation for his current "house". Again, for visualization purposes, think "Gilligans Island hut" and take away most of the comforts Gilligan and Skipper had. An upside down, 12 foot by 10 foot, palm leave woven basket, held up by bamboo twigs. This is where this man and his 12 family members now called "home". When speaking with him (not an easy task as we share zero spoken language, conversation is more like a real sensitive game of charades) I discovered that he considers him blessed as he lost no family, just things and side of his concrete house. Somehow, I did not need words to have complete understanding. As we walked by his damaged house it was pointed out to my by one of my teammates that a 2 foot picture of Jesus was very prominently hung on what remained of his living room wall. Clearly priorities still remain.
As we traveled deeper inland, we were directed to a house that was nearly complete and standing amongst total devastation. We went inside to meet with the owners and, through an interpreter, were told the story of tsunami day and how they had survived the wave. They told us that there were 3 waves. The first was a wave about 8 feet tall that washed over the rock seawall and down the street about 200 feet or so. The second, 5 minutes later, was 10-12 feet and was about 6 inches or so deep after the crest of the wave past.
Then five minutes after that the ocean receded 2 to 3 kilometers. Women and children rushed out to gather the large fish flopping on the newly created beach. Then the wave came, a massive wall of water as tall as the palm trees, 40-50 feet. As it broke on shore, the surge was a sustained 10-15 feet tall and moving directly inland at 40 mph, pulverizing anything and anyone in its path. The wave went inland as far as 5 km in some areas. The house we now sat in was totally engulfed as the grand parents held the children with one hand and clung to the window bars with the other. They were all washed inland nearly 1000 feet before coming to rest near another house.
All family members in the house were accounted for a few hours later and they returned to survey the damage. The entire area was devastated. Bodies were stuck in trees and hanging from power lines. A terrible event had just occurred. The water was still 1 to 2 feet deep and the sea and a lake 2 km inland had become one. Their house had remained, a well constructed, reinforced concrete "bomb shelter" like structure. The brick and block houses next door? Just sand and rubble.
Fast forward to today as I do not yet know what has transpired over the past 4 months. They had moved back in and even had electricity and running water. I was amazed. Doors are rehung with care and they again have a fully functioning toilet in the back. Beds and cabinets have been washed, repaired and replaced, floors are shoveled clean of sand. Truly a miracle has happened here.
Our fearless leader and trip coordinate Mike asked the owners what we could do to help them. We had suggested the obvious things like cooking utensils, pots, pans, and bedding, the things you would think you might need to just survive. Not what they needed, they said.
11 Christian family's, some missing one of two children ripped from her mothers arms, some with only one remaining family member, all with immense needs, were meeting every Sunday for worship in the bedroom of the house, the only habitable building around. They told us that what they really needed was a place to worship.
Our mission had found us.
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FREE!
Missions Trip Debrief from
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“50 Questions?”
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Every transition in life has its set of challenges,
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The Art of Listening Prayer - by Seth Barnes
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This interactive devotional is for the person who isn't satisfied with a dry faith. If you're dying to hear God's voice, the good news is that you can! Jesus is the door, and He has opened it up to you.
Don't Miss Out on Hearing God's Voice!
The Art of Listening Prayer |
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