wfn.org | Presbyterian Disaster Assistance Sends $100,000 to East Timor

[PCUSA NEWS <pcusa.news@ecunet.org>]

16-September-1999 
99307 
 
    Presbyterian Disaster Assistance Sends 
    $100,000 to East Timor 
 
    Presbyterians Also Asked to Pray, Learn and Advocate 
 
    by Jerry L. Van Marter 
 
LOUISVILLE, Ky.--Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) has forwarded 
$100,000 towards the Church World Service appeal for East Timor.  $75,000 
of the funds are from the One Great Hour of Sharing offering and $25,000 
from PDA's Rapid Response Account. 
 
    According to PDA official Susan Ryan, international relief agencies are 
currently unable to work in East Timor, but CWS staff in Indonesia, working 
with the Church of Kupang in West Timor will be providing tents, blankets, 
food and bedding for 3,000 refugee families (9,000 people).  CWS is 
prepared to provide hygiene and health kits as needed. 
 
    A Presbyterian Center staff team in Louisville has been working 
feverishly to prepare resources for Presbyterians about the crisis in East 
Timor and the church's response to it.  The team is asking Presbyterians 
pray fervently as the violence is not abating. 
 
    Special prayers are asked for the family of Rev. Francisco de 
Vasconcelos Ximenes, moderator of the Christian Church in East Timor, who 
died on Saturday, Sept. 11, a day after being shot by militia members in 
the company of Indonesian police as he attempted to flee East Timor. 
Ximenes served as host to PC(USA) election monitors, including Presbyterian 
News Service reporter John Filiatreau. 
 
    Ryan said the initial $100,000 is a "first level response" and that PDA 
and CWS officials anticipate great human needs in East Timor when 
humanitarian work is able to begin there. 
 
    To help educate Presbyterians about the complex situation in East 
Timor, the staff team has prepared a question-and-answer sheet and a 
bulletin insert that are posted on the PC(USA) Web site at 
<http://www.pcusa.org/wmd/easttimor>.   Also on the Web site are copies of 
letters to President Clinton on the East Timor crisis from PC(USA) stated 
clerk the Rev. Clifton Kirkpatrick and the Presbyterian Washington Office, 
as well as information about how Presbyterians can contact their 
congressional representatives to advocate for a greater humanitarian 
response to the East Timor crisis. 
 
    Those wishing to contribute to relief efforts may do so through regular 
channels or by calling PresbyTel at 1-800-872-3283.  The PDA account number 
is #9-2000003 ("East Timor Relief"). 

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