life

Burma Cyclone

A letter from a friend in Burma:

“The victims of this disaster need help now. For the many thousands who have died, this tragedy is over. But for the men, women, and children of southern Burma who have lost their homes, livelihood and in many cases, their loved ones, it has really only just begun. We at Partners are doing all we can to ensure the help we send is received by those who desperately need it” (Steve Gumaer, Founder and Director of Partners Relief and Development).
More than fifty years of civil war has left Burma one of the poorest counties in the world. The people of Burma have faced continued hardship

s since the show-elections of 1990, when the official results were overturned and the opposition imprisoned. Before the cyclone hit, over 2 million people had been displaced by ethnic cleansing - either hiding in the jungles or escaped over the border as refugees. The tragedy of Cyclone Nargis has only added to an already desperate situation.

The current estimates from the UN are that over 100,000 people will have perished both in the storm itself and because of the hold up on help reaching those who need it. Christian Aid has reported that outbreaks of malaria and cholera are occurring in the Delta region where hundreds of villages are still underwater. Yet because of internal insecurity, help is still not reaching the people and it’s costing lives.

Over the years Partners has built up relationships with individuals and groups inside Burma who are now able to assist getting funding and supplies to survivors who are still living in dire conditions. Partners is able to get to places that large NGO’s cannot go and is using it’s extensive experience to deliver targeted life-saving resources, equipment, food and care to the worst affected areas. Working closely with Free Burma Rangers and The Haven Foundation, they are continually assessing the situation and responding as best they can with the resources they have.

So far Partners have been able to get 15,000lbs of nutritional supplements and 100 rolls of plastic sheeting inside. They have also been able to channel funding to their co-workers inside Burma to enable them to purchase supplies to send to the Delta region. Partners are also arranging the delivery of water purification systems that will fight dehydration and the diseases that are rapidly spreading.

These guys are amazing and we're helping them out at Living Generously to raise funds - if you want to give you can here:

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www.livinggenerously.com

6.7 million

On the 27 October, 1967, the Abortion Act was officially passed in the UK Parliament. As Big Ben struck midnight it was the beginning of a day which marks the 40th Anniversary of this Act, an Act which has resulted in the loss of 6.7 million unborn lives, a figure which is rapidly approaching the total figure of the population of London and the number who died in the Holocaust.

Helen

My friend Helen, who is an amazing woman of God and courageous enough to follow Jesus around the world, has just emailed some news and photos.

Her stories of places in India (which are so familiar to me) and experiences in Rwanda/Mozambique, just stir in me a love for such people and places. I just get taken to a place of longing to be in touch with such precious people - each child, woman and man who God loves. It's something of Jesus in us that draws us to reach out and touch each individual with love.

I was reading yesterday an account from a girl in Moz who also works for Iris ministries there. I related so strongly with her simple statement that 'nothing could be so important' as caring for 'unwanted', withdrawn children and seeing them change into healthy, whole - fun loving, Jesus praising, kids. You can check it all out at http://www.irismin.org/