SEND! magazine First Quarter 2006: Tsunami - One Year Later
Tsunami - One Year Later
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{1} One year ago, Mariyam and her husband, Rajen, were an ordinary couple living on the coast of Tamil Nadu, India. Rajen was a fisherman, and Mariyam sold sweets in a small shop.Then the tsunami struck—and their world was blown apart. Now, kneeling on the mud floor of her thatched-roof hut, Mariyam closes her eyes in prayer and lifts her hands toward heaven. She knows this will be a rare moment of solace in her busy day. In a few minutes, breakfast needs to be fixed and lunches packed for her three children. Then she will send them off to school, and she will work all day in her little shop. She’ll bring in less than 50 rupees—not much with a family to feed, but every little bit helps.
Before December 26, 2004, it was not unusual for Mariyam to earn at least 500 rupees a day from her shop and from the fish Rajen caught. But today, at age 26, Mariyam is a widow. Mariyam and Rajen’s fishing boat, their primary source of livelihood, was drowned in the waves of the tsunami. Life became a daily struggle for survival. Rajen begged his parents for help, but they only turned him away, having already disowned him for marrying Mariyam, a woman of lower caste.
Driven to despair by their rejection and the heavy weight of being unable to provide for his family, Rajen doused his body with kerosene and set himself on fire. The young man endured five days of excruciating pain before he died.
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“Nobody was there to take care of me,” she recalls. But Mariyam—and others like her—soon received a bright ray of hope through Gospel for Asia’s ministry to tsunami survivors.
GFA Compassion Services had been among the first on the scene in ome of the hardest-hit areas. Gospel workers and church members offered provisions, a listening ear and comfort from the Scriptures to those who had lost so much. In regions where most media attention—and relief work—left as quickly as it had come, Gospel for Asia promised to remain.
Now, a year later, that promise is still being fulfilled. Through the faithfulness of caring GFA friends around the world, men and women who survived this disaster are receiving fishing boats and nets, homes and a quality education for their children. And these survivors are also hearing about the love of Jesus and finding in Him a new life—with a future that is eternally secure.
{2} Back at Sea
Out on his boat, Kiran casts his fishing net into the waters. For the first time in months, he is back for a full day at sea. And it’s a good feeling.
Before the tsunami, this was the only life Kiran knew. Then, in the moments when he lost his small fishing boat to the massive waves, his world turned upside-down.
Kiran and his family survived with little more than the clothes on their backs. Worried about how he would provide for his family, Kiran was losing his peace of mind . . . until he received this boat, a gift of love from Gospel for Asia.
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He represents 40 grateful families now benefiting from boats given out in this area of Tamil Nadu. In attendance at the dedication ceremony was Ebenezer Samuel, Gospel for Asia’s Missions Coordinator.
“The gift of these boats was made possible because someone cared enough to help,” he commented. “I have told every one of these survivors that there are people praying for them all over the world, and these boats come from people who really care. When I said that, I saw smiles on their faces once again, and their eyes brightened. They realized that people living far away from here—people who have never seen them—care about them.”
Before the tsunami, Kiran’s family wanted nothing to do with Christianity. But after Kiran and his family experienced Jesus’ love in a tangible way, they surrendered their lives to Him. Today, they regularly attend a local Believers Church to learn more about Jesus and grow in their faith.
{3} A Sure Foundation
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Gospel for Asia is building more such homes for survivors like Mary, constructing 15 in this particular area of Sri Lanka and refurbishing more than 30 others. House construction has also been going on in the coastal region of South India. And with each house that is built, GFA Compassion Services is telling people that they can build their lives on the sure foundation of Jesus Christ.
{4}Lasting Hope for the Children
When the waves came, 15-year-old Dinushan grabbed his siblings by the hand and ran with them to safety. But the memory of their desperate escape from the rushing waters remains vivid in his young mind.
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Dinushan is not alone in his experience. Thousands of displaced children and teens in tsunami-affected regions still relive in their minds the trauma of that day. Many lost one or both parents to the waters Dinushan managed to escape. When possible, relatives have in these children, but the memories and grief still remain. And even those with families intact must now daily toil to make ends meet. These boys and girls may go without any real nutrition for days, even weeks.
But thankfully for Dinushan—and hundreds like him—the story does not end here. When Gospel for Asia started a Bridge of Hope center in his area geared toward meeting the needs of tsunami-affected children, Dinushan and his classmates began receiving at least one healthy meal each day. He was also given the opportunity to continue his education. In addition to this with physical nourishment and emotional support, he also received comfort from God’s Word.
Weighed down with memories of the tsunami, Dinushan first attended the center with skepticism, even defiance. But as he continued coming, the love of the staff melted his heart.
Today, in his new relationship with Jesus, Dinushan has found a lasting hope for his future. He wants to serve the Lord with his life, to share with others the love he has found in Christ. And the Bridge of Hope center offers him plenty of opportunity as he interacts with classmates, studies the Word of God and learns to develop a deeper prayer life.
Dinushan’s mother is very encouraged by the positive changes she is seeing in her son’s behavior and attitude. She is part of the Bridge of Hope program herself, helping in the kitchen. And she, too, carries the desire that her son will one day serve the Lord full-time.
Close to 150 children attend this center, one of five Bridge of Hope centers in Sri Lanka that have been established in some of the areas hit hardest by the tsunami. Six centers have been started in the southern part of India during recent months as well. With the need still there,Gospel for Asia is committed to continuing and expanding this ministry of comfort and hope to the tsunami children who have lost so much.
{5} New Growth Out of Devastation
Thirty-year-old Sunitha stands near the edge of the lagoon, waiting to be baptized. She has eagerly awaited this moment—and now it has come.“Do you believe in Jesus? Will you stand firm in Him?” Believers Church Pastor Chethan asks as she stands before him.
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Yes, Sunitha asserts. Moments later, she rises from the very waters that had swept away her belongings just months before.
“Be faithful until death,” Pastor Chethan charges her from the Scriptures, “and you will receive the crown of life.”
“My heart is filled with joy and happiness,” Sunitha expresses. “Baptism says that we are burying our sins and we are coming again to life in order to live for Jesus Christ alone. That is why I have been baptized.” On this special day, Sunitha joins 29 others to publicly affirm her Christian faith.
In many ways, this coastal area of southern India looks today much like it did when the tsunami first hit. Debris, clothing, furniture and household items litter a stretch of land that once formed a village.
When a GFA field correspondent visited a few months ago, he found that most residents were still living in refugee camps.
But one noticeable change has been in the hearts of survivors coming to know Christ through Gospel for Asia’s ministry of compassion.
“This is the first time I have seen this type of growth here,” remarked one GFA leader, adding, “It’s a wonderful thing.”
This is an area where many opposed Christianity, but GFA’s tsunami outreach has opened new doors for sharing the Gospel.
Before the tsunami, Sunitha, too, hated Christianity. She and her husband, Malik, had worshiped and sought fulfillment in their own false god. Why did they need any other god? the couple reasoned. But as they experienced God’s love in action through the outreach of GFA relief workers, they were irresistibly drawn to seek salvation in Christ alone. Both husband and wife received Jesus Christ as Savior. Today, they delight in telling others that they, too, can find hope and true joy in Christ—that He alone can give their lives a sure foundation.
Since the tsunami, the Believers Church that Malik and Sunitha attend has more than doubled in size. Over 250 are now in the congregation, and about 10 new visitors come each week as well. In fact, the building Pastor Chethan began constructing before the tsunami is now too small for his growing flock! Until funds are available to expand their facilities, they pack out a nearby shed each Sunday. Chethan gives God praise and thanksgiving for the growth of His church out of such destruction.
Offering Hope for as Long as It Takes
Mariyam’s story is also one of hope. She was drawn to Christ through the witness of Believers Church members in her village who visited her with food, clothing, cooking utensils and the Good News of salvation in Christ. Their tender acts of love and compassion pointed Mariyam to the One who is the source of that love.
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But even in the face of these trials, Mariyam’s life radiates the joy of the Lord and His peace. She begins her busy day with prayer and leads her family in evening devotions. Every Sunday, she and her three children attend the local Believers Church for teaching, encouragement and close fellowship with other Christians. Deep in her heart, Mariyam senses God’s presence and His tender care.
“I feel that the Lord is dwelling in my small hut,” she shares. For hundreds of GFA missionaries, pastors and relief workers reaching out with Christ’s love and compassion to tsunami survivors, this is the reason they daily give their lives—to help people like Mariyam find God’s hope.
And they will be there for as long as it takes.
To view a special PhotoShow about Mariyam and her husband, Rajen click Here
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