Untitled Document

Trosgnistans mission samarbetar med Håkan och Erika Gabrielsson som arbetar i Burma. De bor i Singapore men Håkan reser ofta till Burma och jobbar med en lokal församling. Familjen Tord och Susanne Renkel som bott i Burma sedan 1996 är understödda av Trosgnistans mission. De befinner sig just nu i Sverige. Katastrofen som uppkommit genom en jättecyklon har ödelagt stora delar av kusten. Man räknar med att dödstalen kan närma sig hundra tusen. Kanske upp mot en miljon som är hemlösa. Stora fält ligger under vatten. Trosgnistans var i kontakt med Håkan Gabrielsson som just lyckats få tag i pastor Mung i Yangon, även här ödeläggelsen omfattande. Vatten, mediciner och förnödenheter behövs omgående. Håkan vädjar om hjälp. Vi räknar med att de stora hjälporganisationerna snart är på plats men Trosgnistans mission räknar med att kunna bidra till hjälpinsatser genom Touching Asias kontaktnät.

TROSGNISTANS MISSION HAR SKICKAT UT MEDEL I OLIKA OMGPÅNGAR. Vi sänder vår hjälp via Touching Asia och vill du hjälpa oss så kan du sätta in din gåva på Trosgnistans konto pg 90 07 37-8. Använder du internet så skicka via bankgirot 900-7378. Märk din gåva med "katastrof Burma". Du kan också skicka direkt via Touching Asia. Deras konto finns i mailet från Håkan Gabrielsson.

I de senaste rapporterna tackar pastor Mung för den hjälp som kommit in från olika håll. De har också samarbete med andra organisationer som använder sig av församlingarnas stora kontaktnät.

De har fått hjälp med filtrerings apparatur för vatten och även UNHCR har gett mat som kunnat förmedlas vidare. Vi har nyss fått kort som vi nu lägger ut på nätet, samt den senaste rapporten

(VI UPPDATERAR MED NYHETER SÅ SNART VI FÅR NYTT MATERIAL FRÅN HÅKAN GABRIELSSON)

Vi är så tacksamma för gåvor som kommer in, både från privatpersoner och från församlingar. Fortsätt att be och ge. Människor blir bokstavligen räddade till livet. Vi inser att det är som en droppe i havet men även havet består av många droppar och varje droppe kan rädda liv. Full Gospel Assembly har sedan förra torsdagen varit ute i sexton olika distrikt och delat ut femton ton ris i nödhjälp till flera tusen människor. I morgon kommer ytterligare åtta ton att delas ut. De lokala myndigheterna har varit väldigt positiva, men i varje distrikt har också den militära underrättelsetjänsten kommit och misstänksamt undrat vad församlingen håller på med. De har frågat ut de anställda och registrerat deras namn och adresser. En av World Visions arbetare varnade att de kanske kommer tillbaka för att hindra utdelningen om församlingen fortsätter; all nödhjälpsarbete måste ju vara godkänt av armén. Det kan ju hända att det sker, men det stoppar ändå inte församlingen att fortsätta med matutdelningen, men det är något att be för. Be att Guds nåd fortsätter att starkt vila över de anställda.

Döda djur- och människokroppar har förgiftat vattnet i många vattendrag, men ändå fortsätter människor att använda det som dricksvatten och för mat. Rent dricksvatten är därför oerhört viktigt. Vatten har börjat komma tillbaka i ledningarna i stan men i utkanterna av Yangon är det ingen förändring. Förutom ris har församlingen också delat ut tusentals liter med dricksvatten.

Idag har det öst ned i Burma och många är helt utlämnade åt väder och vind. Ibland sitter de bara under ett paraply eller under något tillfälligt skydd och försöker skydda sig bäst de kan. Många har också infektioner och är sjuka efter cyklonen och behöver vård så fort det går. Mygg och blodiglar är också ett stort problem. Många bara sitter helt hjälplösa och svaga under sina tillfälliga skydd utan någon möjlighet att ta sig till ett sjukhus. Församlingen har därför nu också börjat skjutsa sådana personer till sjukhuset, så att de åtminstone kan få någon hjälp. Vi behöver bygga små hus omgående för att rädda människor ifrån denna situation. Vi har redan fått en del löften om pengar som är öronmärkta just för detta ändamål. Vi startar omgående med detta. Ett hus kostar US$ 500/- eller 3000 kronor att bygga.

Vårt arbete är ju ganska litet men jag prisar Gud för den övernaturliga effektiviteten som medlemmarna och församlingen har visat i den här situationen. Vi tog de medel vi fick i förra veckan och fick en flygande start, och har lyckats möta många omedelbara behov. Ungdomar, vuxna och de äldre är alla involverade i arbetet och alla tillför någonting. Men vi behöver komma i kontakt med givare och organisationer som har medel avsatta för nödhjälp och katastrofer. Det är vid sådana här tillfällen man inser hur oerhört viktigt det är med organisationer som är förberedda för katastrofsituationer som denna. Vi har öppna dörrar, ett nätverk och kontakter som är nödvändigt för att snabbt kunna komma ut och möta behoven, men vi behöver mycket mer medel för att fortsätta med det. Jag skulle vilja ropa rakt ut “Hjälp oss, vi behöver hjälp”. Om du som läser detta har kontakter inom det området, så hör av dig till oss (se adressen nedan).

Mitt i all sorg och nöd så öppnar Gud hjärtan och ger församlingen favör med människor. Folk är så öppna att ta emot både hjälp och förbön. De anställda har också fått be med områdesmyndigheter.

Tack så mycket för förböner, kärlek och understöd på olika sätt vi fått uppleva under den här tiden. Jag skickar med några foton som tagits under matutdelningen. Fortsätt att be för oss.

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Dear Friends and Partners,

Thank you once again for your support, your prayers and your concern. It is greatly appreciated and is a real

encouragement to us here.

Here is the lastest news of our continued aid distribution. We have been priveldged to work with the organisation

Feed The hungry. They have donated four water purifiers for use in areas where dirty water is still being used for

drinking, washing and cooking. The Feed The Hungry team accompanied us to some of these areas and trained

some of our church staff to use the machines. The local people living in these areas, and ourselves, were amazed

as the brown, dirty pond water was transformed into clean, pure drinking water. Even the taste and smell was good!

The need for clean water has been a veryurgent need and now, we are able to use these filters to purify the water,

Through UNHCR we recieved dried noodles, ovaltine, bags of rice and fish. We were able to distribute these to

those in most urgent need and, again, our help was keenly accepted. We have also been given 500 cooking pots

so now some people, who weren't able, are now able to cook in their homes again.

We have also been able to begin building temporary houses for those whose homes were completley destroyed.
This will provide much needed shelter from the storms that seem to come most nights. Once people have these

temporary housesrebuilt they will be able to get their lives back to some sembelance of normality. It is exciting

to see houses going up wherejust hours before there was a pile of bamboo sticks. As the people move in, these

houses will soon become homes again.Later our desire is to help build better, more permanent homes for these

Despite all the great things we have been able to do some people are still living in conditions that are very bad

with little shelter from the weather. They are still struggling for the basic essentials such as food, but we are

committed to continue helping these victims of cyclone Nargis. We trust that our God will continue to lead us

so we will be able to help in the most effective possible.

Thank you for all your help
Keep praying for us here
God Bless

Rev.Dr.Dam Suan Mung
Senior Pastor
FGA

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En hälsning från pastor Mung, “On Saturday we sent out teams of FGA staff to begin distributing much needed aid to those who are living just a few miles from us but who have been so badly affected by the cyclone. The FGA staff worked with the local authority in each place. They took 10 bags of rice and packed these into smaller bags with enough rice for 1 or 2 meals depending on the family size. The people queued up and waited patiently for their bag of rice. Some had not eaten for four days and so were relieved and very grateful for what we were able to share. We also distributed one bottle of water (90 cups) to each family. This water is clean drinking water and it is vital that the people get more clean water before more get sick. At the moment the people are collecting water from the pond which is dirty and not fit for drinking. Yet, with no other options, they are using this to cook, wash and drink. We thank God that we have been able to begin this program and pray that we will be able to continue to help these communities in such desperate need.

Please send this report on to our precious donors so they can see the good work we have been able to begin.

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Marco went back to Yangon and I came back to Singapore Thursday night, and yesterday I was on the phone, sending emails and skyping with people about this situation. Praise God we have received some funds and we have started the whole thing but are in great need of further funds.

A lot of cleaning from the destruction has taken place and there is some kind of normalcy returning to Yangon, as much as can be when the whole city is still without running water and electricity.The telephone to the church is however working now and I have talked with Ps Mung every day the last few days. He sent out the staff to all the areas where they have church members and cell groups and found that at least 250 families had lost everything,
but as far as he could tell no one of the members had been killed. In the outskirts of Yangon, where many of the members lived, 75 % of all the houses are gone. In one village lived more than 1000 families and only seven people survived. In Yangon division (one of the five divisions affected by the cyclone) the numbers differ as some say that more than 10,000 died and others say that it is higher than that. Because of the many concrete buildings in central
Yangon the death toll is much less, but in the outskirts the numbers are much greater. Only God knows how it looks like in the Irrawaddy Division and the delta area where the cyclone hit first. No one is allowed in there. Whole cities have disappeared

Marco Stromberg is now coordinating the distribution work out of Full Gospel Assembly, and FGA leaders and members have already been out in the areas in the outskirts of Yangon. Our relief efforts will focus on Yangon Division as there are tens of thousands who have lost everything. We are renting pick-up vans, buying up food, water, clothes and medicine and transporting it out to the worst affected areas in the outskirts. This is the fastest way right now to get things done urgently. We are so blessed to have hundreds of members and former Bible school students who can work with this. There is no lack of workers. What we lack are funds to do all this work. Whatever we are able to raise, we will send it in so they can buy the essentials like food and water. We have already sent in funds and will continue with whatever we get. It is possible to buy food, water and clothes even thought the prices are increasing.

In spite of, or because of this disaster, there could be open doors for the future. It is like Ache and the ministry churches and Christian organisations have been doing. First the emergency and connecting with people and the area, and then the establishing, the long-term relations and community building. The southern Irrawaddy delta area is completely unreached, and I have just talked with Ps Mung about how the church could bring aid to that area and begin to connect and establish relations with people and local authorities. The great advantage we have is that we have been working with raising up leaders and workers for the harvest for years and as you know we have had more than 1000 students graduate from the Bible school. Many are ready to start a mission work down in the affected areas. This could be a crucial time and open door to really see this happen.

The humanitarian crisis is almost certain to become a political crisis. Last September it was the fuel price increase that sparked the mass protests that were crushed by soldiers. And the cyclone may have wrecked the country's rice-growing region during harvest time. With the region already facing a rice shortage, how will Myanmar's people feed themselves?

The greatest needs right now are:
Firstly, we need funds to keep on buying necessities like food, drinking water and clothes. Secondly, we want to help people to have somewhere to live. They need to get shelter and roof over their heads, especially as the monsoon rains are soon beginning, and we will start with the more than 250 families that we know of from the church. We estimate the cost for one house to be around US$ 500/-, so we need to raise US$ 125,000 for this purpose.

Pray for God's will to be done and turn this disaster into something that is good for His Kingdom. Pray for the generals that somehow a change would come. Pray for confusion in their minds and division among themselves so that a new leadership emerges. God can do the impossible!

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I was able today to get through to Yangon to talk with Pastor Mung as telephone lines are being restored. His report is basically the same as what we can read in newspapers and see on TV. He was of course more specific about the impact on the church and its members. He told me about being without water and electricity since Saturday last week, about food prices that have sky-rocketed, of houses that was blown away, thousands of trees in the city uprooted, etc. He also told me that many church members have lost their homes and everything they had, and are temporarily staying in school buildings. They are in the same situation as many others.Yangon was very badly destroyed, and yet, the full scope and impact of the cyclone is not fully known. There are areas in the southern Irrawaddy delta which the government has not yet reached and surveyed because of the total destruction there.

UN estimates that 5000 square kilometres are still under water. All this area is full of rice fields that are now destroyed because of the salt water. Whole towns and villages are wiped away, dead bodies are littering the country side, tens of thousands of people are missing and more than one million are homeless. The death toll could rise very much more and some sources say that it can reach above 50,000 before everything is known. And if medicine, food and clean drinking water does not quickly reach people, sickness and starvation could claim many more. It looks like the tsunami all over again. Aid workers from UN, foreign governments and NGOs are, after four days, still waiting for visas so that they can enter the country and begin to help. Aid has begun to arrive from outside but it will take huge and massive emergency aid and relief, from all international bodies, to firstly meet the emergency needs like food, water, medicine, shelter, etc and after that, the reconstruction, rebuilding and rehabilitation of the society.

How can you help?
Every small contribution will go a long way towards helping people to get their lives back. Because the church has a network of churches and affiliates of other ministries, it has the infrastructure to quickly distribute the aid and get it to people who desperately needs it. Even if it is in small scale, we can act quickly and raise funds and send them over so that the church can begin to buy and distribute the relief to help their members and other suffering people. Every cent we receive will go directly to the relief program the church is starting; firstly by providing food, water, medicine and shelter, and secondly to help people to long-term rebuild their lives with housing, etc.

Please pray for the situation and if God prompts you to help us, send your cheque to below address. Please designate your gift 'Myanmar cyclone'.

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FOR CONTACT OR DONATIONS:
Gifts/cheques for the ministry should be made to ‘TOUCHING ASIA’ and sent to
BLK. 1 H # 03-76 GILLMAN HEIGHTS, SINGAPORE 107001, Telephone: 65-62725856

For direct bank transfers:
Account Name: Touching Asia
Account Number: 152-102240-001
Bank code + branch 7232 - 152
Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation
21 Collyer Quay # 01-00, Hong Kong Bank Building,
Singapore 049320, SWIFT Code: HSBCSGSGFEX

FOR CONTACT OR DONATIONS IN USA :
Gifts/checks for the ministry of TOUCHING ASIA should be made to ‘AFC GLOBAL’ and sent to 350 W BURNSVILLE PKWY, SUITE 200, BURNSVILLE MN 55337.

AFC GLOBAL is a charitable organisation and a tax deductible receipt will be issued to you for your gift. Please put a "post it note" or sticker on the back of the check indicating "touching asia".

For more information, please contact Timothy Skoog at 952 886 7610 (direct) or email paskoog@aol.com