wfn.org | ABCUSA: Burmese Baptists Suffer Heavy Toll; American Baptists Called To Prayer

["Jayne, Andy" <Andy.Jayne@abc-usa.org>]

VALLEY FORGE, PA (ABNS 05/22/08) - Baptists in Burma were among those
hardest hit by Cyclone Nargis, which struck the country on May 2 and 3,
packing winds of over 120 miles per hour and causing widespread
flooding.

American Baptists have been urged to pray for the situation in Burma,
now called Myanmar by its ruling military junta, by ABCUSA General
Secretary, Rev. A. Roy Medley. "In the wake of the continuing tragedy in
Burma, I am asking that American Baptist congregations remember the
churches and people of Burma in prayer on the Sunday before Memorial
Day, May 25th. The loss of life is tragic as well as the delay in the
receipt of aid. Let us pray for all in need and for those who govern
them."

The Myanmar Baptist Convention (MBC) lost more than 10,000 members who
died as a result of the cyclone. More than 94,000 other members have
suffered loss of home and other property. Many church buildings were
destroyed, and the headquarters of the MBC was badly damaged. The
estimated cost of repairing the headquarters building is $100,000. The
MBC, a national umbrella organization for many regional and ethnic
conventions, is a partner of American Baptist International Ministries.

A leader of the MBC, whose family narrowly escaped death and injury when
a tree fell on their home during the storm, reported to the Baptist
World Alliance (BWA) that Burmese Baptists have put plans in place to
assist those affected by the natural disaster by creating the Nargis
Relief and Rehabilitation Central Committee. Represented on the
committee are the regions hardest hit by Cyclone Nargis.

This same leader informed the BWA that "at present the basic needs of
the people are foodstuffs, clothes and tents or construction materials,"
but stated that "it is advised to assist in cash instead of in kind."

A search, rescue and relief team of BWAid, the relief and development
arm of the BWA, has opened an office in the damaged MBC building in
Yangon, the largest city in the Southeast Asian country. The team is
working through MBC and the Karen Baptist Convention, one of MBC's
smaller conventions, to offer aid to six camps where internally
displaced persons (IDPs) are housed.

The team reported that "the assistance is literally saving lives at this
point, with situations of widespread diarrhea, and serious electricity
and water shortages." They went on to say that "the IDPs are desperately
seeking shelter; the more fortunate get plastic sheeting while others
are trying to fabricate huts from palm trees and bamboo."

Reporting that the total death toll is now estimated at 134,000, they
said, "Cyclone Nargis destroyed the greatest rice productive fields and
the animals used in agricultural work, leaving thousands with no hope
for food for the next year." Furthermore, fishing, a major source of
food, is not being done, "due to the fact that the masses of dead bodies
could not be buried, local officials had to throw them into the
rivers... Locals refuse to continue fishery from the contaminated
water."

American Baptists will be releasing $25,000 from One Great Hour of
Sharing funds for Cyclone Nargis relief and an additional $1055 has been
received from individual donors within the denomination. Those wishing
to support these efforts can do so through their church's monthly report
of mission support, designating contributions "OGHS-Cyclone." For online
contributions, click on the Give menu button at the www.abc-usa.org web
site or click here:
https://dlq4.donatelinq.net/donatelinq4/default.aspx?MerchantID=ABChurc h
es. Remember to type in "OGHS-Cyclone" in the Comments field of the
form.

Andrew C. Jayne American Baptist Churches USA Mission Resource Development http://www.abc-usa.org/