A year after the tsunami: Out of devastation comes new life
By Rheta Murry

"The church is God’s answer to the long-term distribution and logistical problem. Of course, it is the only answer to the massive spiritual problem that follows in the wake of such a disaster. Excerpt of a letter from the Purpose Driven Ministries' hurricane response team

LAKE FOREST, Calif. (PD) — Only God could create good from something as disastrous as the tsunami that destroyed homes, livelihoods, and claimed the lives of more than 200,000 people in eight countries in Asia and Africa just one year ago. More than 100,000 are still missing.

Many Americans only saw the devastation on television. Most are unaware how churches played a huge role not only in immediate rescue efforts but also long-term rehabilitation and rebuilding efforts in five countries.

“The church is God’s answer to the long-term distribution and logistical problem,” wrote a leader* from the Purpose Driven® Ministries' response team in a letter. “Of course, it is the only answer to the massive spiritual problem that follows in the wake of such a disaster.”

In keeping with its unique “church-to-church” approach to disaster relief, Purpose Driven Ministries filtered that money to congregations in the affected areas, which in turn served the communities devastated by the wave.

Churches in the area submitted the needs, projects, and teams. Facilitators chosen to help are either in or near the areas and are assisting with the daunting task of distributing money and teams. Local pastors are leading and executing the projects listed on the Web site.

As Purpose Driven Ministries looks over the events and evaluates the effectiveness of their programs, it’s God who stands out the most, the team leader said.

Christians everywhere pooled their resources to give $1.9 million. This money was dropped into the villages in the wake of the tsunami, distributed through 241 local churches.

Through the Purpose Driven Ministries’ network of churches:

• Five churches were planted
• Six businesses were started
• 40 wells were dug
• 50 future churches will be planted
• 70 boats and nets were provided, which resulted in 275 jobs provided
• 2,621 homes were built
• Medical care was given to 20,040 people
• 1,118,257 people were impacted by gifts for tsunami relief

In less than a year after the disaster, all funds filtered into the places specified. Churches created five centers to distribute food and supplies. The tsunami destroyed fishing boats and nets, taking away the livelihoods of many villagers. Money provided boats, engines, nets, and other fishing equipment.

A new boat-making company gave workers job skills as they learn to build boats and they provide new boats so fishermen can pursue their livelihoods, much like the old saying, if you give a man a fish, he can eat for a day, if you teach him to fish, he can eat for a lifetime. Christians taught the men to make boats, so their friends and neighbors can fish again, perhaps for a lifetime. 

Purpose driven churches even understood and helped alleviate boredom in the area.

The P.E.A.C.E. Plan

Want to find out how your church can tackle the five global giants of spiritual lostness, egocentric leadership, poverty, disease, and ignorance? Check out Rick Warren’s revolutionary P.E.A.C.E. Plan. On Purpose Driven Ministries' P.E.A.C.E. Plan Web site you can find out how to prepare your church to participate.

“Because everything was lost in the tsunami, people would simply do nothing all day,” said a report from the relief team. “Saddleback Church and Purpose Driven Ministries have funded replacement of books and supplies for children, vacation Bible schools, volleyball tournaments, and conducted a Purpose Driven Life Youth Camp in a terrorist-controlled area of Sri Lanka for more than 400 young people.”

Three congregations in the affected areas especially stood out with their “selfless, unstinted service to their Savior and to ‘the least of these’ around them” – the People’s Church in Sri Lanka, International English Service Church in Indonesia, and New Calvary Church in India.

According to reports from the front lines, the People’s Church dispatched 21 truckloads of relief supplies to the affected areas within five days of the disaster. Currently, the church and relief workers are constructing permanent housing.

“God used people with an average monthly income of $75 to provide $80,000 in relief in this period,” the report stated. 

A team from International English Service Church in Indonesia was the first outside medical team to arrive in Banda Aceh. The team – relief doctors, trauma nurses, and interpreters – arrived within two days. Not wanting to set up anything on their own that someone else could do more effectively, they helped purchase needed equipment in Jakarta and sent church members to help as facilitators and interpreters.

“These experiences have taught us that if we listen to the Lord’s voice, he will prepare us for whatever might be coming in our direction,” said Dave Kenney, pastor of International English Service Church.

New Calvary Church provided kits containing rice, dhal, sarees, dhoites, plates, tumblers, pots, pans, and buckets and put up 1,000 tents in nine villages. They also conducted medical camps, providing medical assistance to more than 10,000 people.

After meeting physical needs, the church provided grief counseling to help people deal with the immense trauma. A “Food for Work” program in four villages encouraged people to help rebuild their communities. They’ve also trained people to make fiberglass boats, to weld, and to sew. 

Organizations such as Campus Crusade for Christ provided 50 new homes, 20 new boats, and 37 fishing equipments sets, such as nets and fisheries. This all gave those affected by the tsunami a chance to rebuild their lives.

“Call-A-Pastor” Program

To participate in the “Call-A-Pastor” program, send an e-mail to: willhelp@purposedriven.com. Purpose Driven Ministries will then send you all the information necessary to make your phone call a success.

One of the most significant changes, however, isn’t the material items provided, but the spiritual, eternal side developing as a result of God’s work.

“We have seen the Lord work through us … whole communities have been built into the Kingdom of God, said Enoch Sirikul, director of Campus Crusade for Christ in Thailand. “Yes, whole villages line up to follow Jesus!”

Only three churches existed in the area prior to the tsunami. Though national newspapers list 17, Sirikul says he knows of at least 35 new churches, and the number continues to grow each month.

*The identity of the response team leader has been withheld for security reasons.

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