by a CAMA worker serving in Indonesia
On Saturday March 16, rains and flash floods caused landslides on Mt. Cyclops just behind the Sentani area of Papua, Indonesia. Waves of mud propelled boulders, uprooted trees, and mangled debris through parts of the city, devastating many communities. This continued for three terrifying nights.
The government reports that there are 114 dead, 94 missing, and 11,000 displaced. After the initial flooding, we had the privilege to respond immediately to this crisis. We set aside our ministry plans to join a small team in helping the critical needs in Sentani.
But where do you start when every street and house is full of mud and water and people are traumatized? You gather a team around you and pray. Every morning our relief team met and asked the Lord to take us to the people who had the most need. Our hope was always to reach those that no one else was helping, and the Lord lead us just as we asked.
Because we had a team of strong workers, we looked for people who were already working on their house and came alongside them. Our four-wheel drive vehicle took us to inaccessible areas, and we found many who had no water, like an orphanage with 17 children.
Several times we found widows sitting in despair, not knowing what to do. We noticed one woman, Suani, as we came around a corner where the mud and water had done serious damage. Suani had tears in her eyes when we walked up to her. She had already cleaned on her own, but then an electrical fire caused her home to burn down. Our team cleaned out the mud and charred roofing material and gave her vouchers to replace her household items and purchase building supplies.
Because of your prayers and giving we have been able to repeat this many times over and have now helped 13 widows get back on their feet.
Pray with us as we continue in our relief efforts. Intercede for many children who are still traumatized. It was sobering to sit in the middle of a boulder-filled river that had once been the location of a home and ask children questions about that harrowing night.
Your gifts and the gifts of other partners were a huge blessing. We were able to empower two national Alliance refugee kitchens, two Bible schools, and our local Alliance churches to reach out to their neighbors. Please consider giving to the CAMA Disaster Relief Fund, which enables us to respond with Jesus’ love and compassionate care as we help disaster victims rebuild their lives and communities.