Disaster Relief Update - Wednesday, October 24, 2009

"Not to us, Lord, not to us, but to Your name give glory because of Your faithful love, because of Your truth." Psalms 115:1 (HCSV)

God continues to receive glory because of the work of Southern Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers. He is using these volunteers around the globe and close to home to bring people with no hope into a relationship with Him who brings eternal hope.

American Samoa Tsunami

Southern Baptist Disaster Relief personnel are on the ground in American Samoa, and God is using them as they work with leaders and residents of the villages affected by the tsunami. Terry Henderson, Disaster Relief Operations Consultant (NAMB) and Don Gann of Mississippi Baptist Disaster Relief report that village chiefs, the leaders of their communities, have begun to accept the help offered by Southern Baptists. This is a significant step in ministering to the Samoans.

The Hawaii Pacific Baptist Convention has three chaplains working alongside local pastors and churches. Several water purification units have been set up with the HI chaplains training American Samoa residents in their use. (photo at right) Pray for these chaplains as they witness to residents standing in line waiting for the purified water.

MSC missionaries, Randy and Rhonda Corn arrived in American Samoa Thursday night and will serve as part of the SBDR Incident Command team for the next month. The Corns took 15 suitcases of medical supplies with them. These supplies will be distributed on the island.

The Utah-Idaho Southern Baptist Convention is sending a team of three CISM trained chaplains. The chaplains will arrive in American Samoa on Wednesday, October 28th. They will take with them a large supply of coloring books, markers, and toys to aid in counseling children. This is one area of great need identified by government and American Red Cross leadership on the island. Pray that God will use these chaplains to bring His comfort to children struggling to cope with the losses and fears the Tsunami left in its wake.

Communication with team members on the island is difficult with limited phone and internet service. The Samoan government is moving cautiously in this response. Pray for the continued efforts of SBDR personnel as they reach out to government leaders. Pray for the team as they work within the culture of American Samoa, which is different from cultures in the continental U.S. Pray that long term relationships can be established and strengthened and that God will be glorified through the Southern Baptist response to this crisis.