After the Waves Had Gone
January 31, 2005
The waves had died down. For a moment, the seashore was still—and strangely silent. Then came the cries of little children—dirt-stained, teary-eyed children wandering beaches strewn with debris, calling for their parents . . . only to be met with a chilling silence. Women desperately cried out for their husbands, men searched in vain for their wives, everyone in hopes that somehow their loved ones had managed to survive the wave's fury.
No one was prepared for the December 26 tsunami that ravaged towns and villages in a dozen countries—or the fact that it would forever change life as they knew it. Thousands of children were left without parents. They had no one to tuck them in at night—to wipe away their tears and tell them that, somehow, everything would be okay.
Houses, fishing boats and possessions—these can eventually be replaced. But how will a child in his or her formative years cope with such trauma without his parents?
Part of the answer is that Gospel for Asia missionaries are there! They were on the scene almost as soon as the waves receded, bringing clean water, food, medicine, clothing, and the love of Christ to thousands of suffering children and adults.
But what about today—more than a month after the largest disaster in living memory? GFA missionaries are now entering the restoration phase of their work, helping these traumatized victims—children and adults alike—rebuild their lives with the knowledge that God loves them. It is a time when millions of people are searching for answers—for some sense of meaning and purpose in their suffering—and GFA missionaries are there with the only name that will answer their longing—the name of Jesus.
The children are safe from the waves now, and media attention has shifted away from these precious tsunami survivors, but our relief workers will remain—committed to helping provide physical and spiritual healing in the lives of these victims for as long as they are needed.
Already, GFA is caring for thousands of children who have no one else to turn to. And in the coming months, we look forward to starting Bridge of Hope schools in Sri Lanka for the displaced and impoverished children there, and to expanding our schools in India to serve the tsunami children in the coastal areas. We also plan to build at least 1,000 homes for those whose houses were washed away by the killer waves. And in all of these efforts, we seek both God's leadership and your prayerful support.
Please continue to pray with us for the victims we are serving, and for our workers as they labor around the clock to show compassion in Jesus' name.