Dear Friends,
We have managed to deliver US$3,500 through our businessman friend to Pastor M in Yangon. The amount is to be shared with Pastors J and Z. Pastor M’s orphanage was destroyed, while the church-cum-manse is partially damaged. The orphans are staying together at the church premises. Pastor M’s outreach point at the delta region, hardest hit by the cyclone, had 21 members who all perished. The church, of course, is very sad over this. Pastor J is relatively unaffected, except that the electricity generator was stolen, perhaps because of the desperate economy of the nation. Pastor Z’s uncompleted church building, burned down and being rebuilt, was damaged. by the cyclone.
It seems not possible for aid to be channelled to the affected people in the delta region. As such, we will not be appealing for funds. It seems not a sensible thing to do to pass money to the government and NGOs since the army is having a tight control over the relief effort and there have been reports of abuse of funds and relief goods. We are prepared to help channel whatever money that has already been collected for Myanmar, to the people we know who have been affected.
I am planning a trip there in mid-June, hoping that there will be no difficulty getting the visa. More news will follow.
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