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The aftermath of the horrible disasters in Asia has seen God bring some beauty out of the ashes of people's lives. Many Chinese (and some foreign) Christians have been at the forefront of aid efforts in Sichuan Province, motivated by a love for God and compassion for the victims of the earthquake, which has left in excess of five million people homeless. The Chinese house church believers in particular have boldly proclaimed the Good News of Jesus Christ at the same time they have been helping people, and this combination of great love and great boldness has proven irresistible. One report we have received says that more than 3,000 people in Sichuan have repented of their sin and given their lives to Jesus Christ. To all those who have prayed or given financially, thank you! We have so far sent enough funds to China to buy 1,000 emergency aid kits. Please continue to pray, as the relief work moves to the rebuilding stage.

 

 

 

MYANMAR (BURMA)

In Myanmar we have been supporting the efforts of our Malaysian representatives. A collection of aid agencies and Myanmar church leaders recently established an organization called MCCCR (Myanmar Christian Coalition for Cyclone Relief). They have delivered much emergency aid and have displayed the love of Christ to every person they have come into contact. Earlier this week they had the unenviable task of burying 40 corpses, and they report that many villages they have come across had yet to receive any aid whatsoever, even though it is now two months since the cyclone struck. Click here  if you would like to read a report and see pictures of the MCCCR relief efforts in Myanmar.

 

There is so much to do! Please continue to pray for everyone involved with relief work in China and Myanmar. If you would like to contribute to these important projects, you are most welcome, either via our website donations link, or by sending a check/cheque to the Asia Harvest office nearest you. Remember that we hand on 100% of funds received, and do not take anything out for any expense. God bless you.

 

 

We are thankful for the strong response to the launch of our 'Asia Disaster Relief fund'. Many people have given generously so that the cyclone victims in Myanmar and those afflicted by the earthquake in China would be helped. In China, we have provided funds for more than 1,000 Emergency Aid kits, to help families made homeless. Many people have also placed their faith in Jesus Christ because of the loving witness of the local Christians. The Chinese government has done everything possible to help their own people, and in so doing have won the respect of the nation. The scale of the disaster, however, is so huge that there are still many villages where no aid has reached. Our coworkers are focusing on these rural areas, away from the towns where a bottleneck of supplies seems to have been created.

 

In Myanmar (Burma), however, the situation is far worse, and the government's response to the cyclone could not be more abysmal, especially when compared to the Chinese response. Having worked in Myanmar for almost 20 years, we were aware of the bizarre, corrupt military dictatorship in charge there. They have oppressed their own people for decades, doing everything possible to retain power. Even in the face of this massive disaster, the government of Myanmar has chosen to put their own need for control over the welfare of their own people, and it is feared hundreds of thousands of people may needlessly die as a result. They have frequently made promises to aid agencies only to break the promise, and as a result only a trickle of aid has been allowed in. Four US ships, full of supplies, spent weeks anchored off the coast awaiting permission to deliver their precious cargo. They finally gave up waiting and left the area a few days ago. Meanwhile, every day the Burmese Generals go on television assuring the people that the aid efforts are going well, and it is all under control. Our colleagues have also been frustrated by the deliberate blockages put in place in Myanmar, yet they have still been able to make a difference to the lives of many people, and for that we are thankful.

 

As for now, Asia Harvest is continuing aid efforts in both countries, but our focus is on China. Please pray that our Mighty God would work in both of these situations to expand His kingdom.

"Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers." (Galatians 6:10).

 

The two countries of Myanmar (formerly Burma) and China have been struck by catastrophic natural disasters in recent weeks. Cyclone Nargis wiped away much of southern Myanmar, leaving upwards of 100,000 people dead, with millions more affected. I was in neighboring Thailand when the cyclone struck. We experienced some strong winds and rain, but never imagined that just across the border so many people's lives were being destroyed. The Irrawaddy River Delta in southern Myanmar is one of the more unreached areas in Asia. The overwhelming majority of people there are Buddhists, and there are very few Christians.

 

Just as we were talking with coworkers about how we could respond to the need in Myanmar, a massive earthquake struck in China's Sichuan Province. The towns in the epicenter of the earthquake have been completely obliterated. I have traveled to these areas many times in the past. The area is extremely rugged, with numerous ethnic minority Qiang and Tibetan villages throughout the countryside.  

In Myanmar, we are helping the efforts of our Asian contacts, who have many years' experience working in relief situations. They have received permission to take in and distribute four container loads of food, water, medical supplies, plastic sheeting for temporary shelter, blankets, and other necessities.

It has been estimated that as many as 5 million people are homeless as a result of the earthquake in China, in addition to the death toll of approximately 50,000 people. We have been in touch with several coworkers in this part of China. The Chinese Christians have been swift to act, but they have few resources. Our coworkers have decided to focus on helping Christians who live in this area of Sichuan Province, believing that their primary goal should be to help fellow believers. Our plan is to provide "Emergency Aid kits" to people in the worst affected areas. The kits, which cost US$110 each, include a 9 sq. meter (97 sq. feet) tent, flashlights, cooking utensils, blankets, first aid supplies, and other essentials. Those on the ground agree the most urgent need is for tents, as in many areas every single building has collapsed and the people are sleeping outside, exposed to the elements.

In response to these disasters, we have launched the "Asia Disaster Relief Fund" to help. To learn more of to make a donation, please click here. We guarantee that every cent of donated money will be sent directly to the relief efforts in Asia. Nothing is taken out for administration or any other expense. All donations to Asia Harvest are tax-deductible in the United States, and all donors will be acknowledged and updated as the relief efforts progress.

Please pray not only that many suffering families will be helped by these efforts, but that thousands of people in these unreached areas will also hear the Gospel and come to know Jesus Christ because of the loving witness of the local Christians who will be reaching out to them.

More than 10 years ago Asia Harvest reported on hundreds of Buddhist monks in the Southeast Asian country of Myanmar (Burma) who received Jesus Christ after hearing the Gospel and experiencing the transforming power of the Lord Jesus in their own lives. Now, a number of other ministries are reporting a tremendous breakthrough for the Gospel among Buddhist monks in that troubled nation. In the midst of a season of darkness, Buddhist monks and nuns began inviting Christian missionaries to come and share the gospel in the privacy of their monasteries. The majority of these monks are from the dominant Bama people, normally very resistant to the gospel. One of the ministries supported by Christian Aid sent this report: "4,700 Buddhist monks were led to Christ through our ministry. It appears that the Holy Spirit had urged these monks and nuns to call our evangelists to come and share the gospel of hope and love. After several intense discussions, close to 80 percent of the monks present in each of the monasteries raised their hands to accept Christ, and then kneeled down to pray and receive Christ as their Lord and Savior. Baptisms are being done discreetly - no more than three at a time for the sake of the safety of the converts as well as our workers." Source" Christian Aid Missions.