Myanmar (Burma) response planned in aftermath of Cyclone Nargis Southern Baptists are moving to respond in the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis, which struck Myanmar, a country in Southeast Asia also known as Burma, early May 3 with winds of up to 120 mph. The storm knocked out electricity in Yangon, the country's largest city, and left hundreds of thousands of people homeless, according to the Associated Press. The death toll was estimated at 4,000, with another 3,000 missing, but the country's foreign minister warned the toll could reach more than 10,000 in low-lying areas, where the storm's impact was most intense. Baptist Global Response and its local partners in Myanmar are trying to get an on-ground assessment of the situation, but the massive disruption of communications and travel ports is making that difficult, said Jeff Palmer, executive director of Baptist Global Response. Stringent rules placed upon foreigners by the military government also complicate matters. "At this time, BGR is doing all it can to assess and respond to this urgent need," Palmer said. "We have made initial contact with some on-ground partners and have readied funds to be used for food, shelter and other emergency needs. "It looks, however, as if it will be a few days before we can get government permission and resources in place to respond in an adequate manner," Palmer added. "This seems to be a pattern that all relief and development agencies are experiencing at this point." Please pray for the people of Myanmar and those who are suffering. Pray also that we will find ways to get to the people.
Unit 19 R Disaster Relief
We house a Disaster Relief unit at the Sarepta Center. Below you will see Rev. Jack Seagers who is the head of our Disaster Relief Task Force heading up our effort in Americus, GA.
One of our former pastors, Rev. Stuart Lang, is the current head of Disaster Relief at the Georgia Baptist Convention. Our unit is a Clean Up and Recovery Unit. We have a chainsaw crew that specializes in downing damaged trees and removing trees from houses and property.
In early March 2007 our unit was called to go to Americus. You see a picture of Central Baptist in Americus and the damage done there. Volunteers from FBC Winterville, Hull, Edwards Chapel, and other churches responded to assist in cleanup after the tornado hit there the last Thursday in February. Here are some images of Americus and the damage done there. Below you will see the damage to the hospital in Americus.
How To Get Involved
If you would like to be involved in Disaster Relief, contact the Sarepta Office. There is a requirement to be trained by our Georgia Baptist Convention Staff. Once you receive your training then you are placed on a call list and will be contacted when a disaster occurs. Other than Clean Up and Recovery we also have other units: Child Care, Communications, Shower Units, Feeding Units, and Chaplain Units. If you have an interest in getting involved in the best kept secret of Southern Baptists and one of the best PR tools, contact the Sarepta office at 706-549-5872.
