Myanmar Update
FTN Field representative just returned from a very successful missions trip. All 8 water systems are in full operations providing clean, safe drinking water.
Report received by Joe Hurston, President of Air Mobile Ministries
8-8-08: On behalf of Air Mobile Ministries and the people of Myanmar we would like to express our thanks for funding 8 Vortex Voyagers for Myanmar. The team departed to Myanmar on Sunday, July 13th and arrived in Yangon Tuesday morning, July 15th. All Voyagers were initially seized by customs. After prayer and divine intervention all water systems were released. The team hit the ground running. We meet with the leaders we had worked with in the last mission.
Thank you Dan Carpenter for helping Feeding The Nations
deliver and set up the water systems in Myanmar.
One of our prayers was to get into the "Delta" or the Irawaddy district of Myanmar. This is the area that took the full blow of the Cylcone Nigris. Of course, permission is extremely difficult to obtain, but so are visas to travel to Myanmar! By Tuesday evening, we had authorization to enter the Delta. With God all things are possible!
Showering Myanmar (Burma) with Abundant Water
Cyclone Nargis swept the densely populated southern delta of the Irrawaddy Division in Myanmar on May 3. Reports estimate that 78,000 people are dead, 56,000 missing and at least 2.5 million survivors still lack sufficient food and clean drinking water. To help reach the hurting, Feeding The Nations has given $41,000 worth of aid to provide instant nourishment with food and lasting hydration thanks to eight unique water purification systems. FTN field representative will depart July 14 to help hand carry and set up the units in Burma.
Beyond the obstacles created by the cyclone, reaching the country with international aid has been difficult because of the Burmese government's reluctance to accept supplies from certain nations, including the United States. Fortunately, FTN had contacts already within the country who could deliver the much-needed supplies on FTN's behalf.
So far, FTN has given $41,000 to aid the people of Myanmar. Missionaries used $25,000 of that money to purchase food and water within the country. The remainder was used to purchase eight Vortex® Voyager water purification systems that will clean 200 gallons of water per hour or 4,800 gallons per day, with all eight in operation.
"We are continuing our aid to Myanmar by offering a lasting solution with these water purification systems, giving the people of Myanmar the peace-of-mind to quench their thirst without having to worry about disease and other tragedies," said Steve Sumrall, president of FTN. "The Vortex Voyager is an amazing filtration system that has already saved the lives of many, including those affected by Hurricane Katrina and the tsunami in India. We are grateful for Air Mobile's ministry and are blessed to work with them on this project."
Using UV light and filters, the Voyager operates on the same amount of power as a light bulb, providing clean water with any or no power supply necessary. It is a seven-stage, self-contained, electro-mechanical water filtration and purification system. The Voyager removes sediment, bacteria and viruses from untreated water sources such as rivers, streams, lakes, ponds, springs, reservoirs and wells. Joe Hurston, president of Air Mobile Ministries, Titusville, Fla., has taken the filter around the world to provide clean water in the aftermath of many tragedies. Unafraid to demonstrate the Voyager's effectiveness, Huston once took standing street water in post-Katrina New Orleans, filtered it and consumed it.
Thanks to those systems, an abundant flow of clean and life saving nourishing water is available! If you would like to help in our efforts to quench Myanmar's thirst, please consider donating here.
Myanmar
(Burma)
Feeding The Nations Receives New Update From Myanmar
June 2, 2008-Situation in Burma is very bad. Military forces try to stop help to get to people. Lots of people still try to survive without food and pure water. Many people have lived under a palm leaf now already fours weeks and their sores are infected. They have not eaten enough, lung inflamation and diarrhea are big challenges right now. Our team of doctors has been able to help so far for 2000 injured. Good news is that the authorities have allowed us to have clinics in school buildings which are all empty now. Our church has given help now for 180,000 people.
The Delta Area is almost closed. They let in just little groups at a time. Almost all the trucks full of food are being turned away. They are not allowed to drive in. Our new plan is to send teams of 3-4 people with back bags full of food and money to the area. We will send 3-4 teams in the Delta every week. They will buy food in the Delta and addition to that as much food as we can carry we will take with us. This way we can try to save some people.
Our church has been packed. We have been forced to have meetings in some other locations at the same time because there is not enough place for those who want to come. We have now 3 meetings every Sunday. 300 people have got saved during the last two weeks. We need your prayers. We need God's protection but we believe that we will get the work done with the help of God. We need a lot of money because there are many needy everywhere.
May 21, 2008- Greetings from Myanmar. We wish first to thank you once again for
your generous support- both prayerfully and financially and secondly to give you an update of what we are doing to help those in need. Our focus is to help those people who live in the Yangon area and who are still lacking food, clean water and shelter. Many areas are still flooded and as the rain continues the water level is in danger of rising. People are living in muddy, dirty areas and do not even have clean water to wash with. People are in desperate need of adequate shelter and this need becomes more urgent as it rains more and more often. For some people their water pump is still underwater and so they are unable to use it. They end up having to use the dirty flood water to wash, cook and even drink. We have distributed 15 tons of rice every three days and we trust this will increase to about 20 tons in the next weeks. People are in dire need of any help and are lining the roads begging passing traffic for food, water or clothes. They are so grateful for the rice we are able to give. For many this rice is all they have to eat, no meat, no vegetables and not even seasoning. One elderly lady commented, "If we had some salt it might taste better".
We have given food to 42,000 people, 8,700 families. The whole capitol of Yangon is open for us and it seems that we are the only ones helping in this area. Now is the time of the church!
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| Hungry people wait for food |
May 13, 2008- Through its Finnish office, Feeding The Nations (FTN) sent $25,000 to missionaries in Myanmar to purchase food and water to aid the cyclone-stricken country. While most American aid organizations still struggle to get into the country, FTN's assistance has already begun reaching those in need through its missionaries contacts. In the first week 30 tons of rice and thousands of liters of water have been distributed to thousands of people in 16 districts.
One of the missionaries wrote, "We are so grateful for the gifts that are flowing in from individuals and from some churches. This is a life and death situation and we pray that we will be able to continue to help villages in such desperate need."
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Clean drinking water-one bottle |
Reports estimate that 100,000 people may have lost their lives in the catastrophe and 1.6 to 2 million people are in need of assistance. Our missionary contacts have begun to drive people to hospitals or available clinics too weak to make it on their own. As the country recovers, it faces the challenge of finding clean drinking water because of contamination due to dead bodies and animals. While the cities have begun to have their water restored, those on the outskirts still need alternative sources or they run the risk of becoming sick.
Pastor Mung from the Full Gospel Assembly stated that they were able to distribute one or two meals worth of rice to families, many of whom hadn't eaten in four days. He went on to say, "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 dirty, contaminated sources not fit for drinking. Yet, with no other options, they are using this to cook, wash and drink."
In the midst of the sorrow and misery God is opening hearts and is giving favor to the church. People are so open to the love and care they are receiving. The staff has even prayed with the local area authorities to receive salvation.
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Church workers packing rice |
Local authority and church leaders |
Separating rice into smaller bags |
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Not having much to begin with, |
Total devastation and destruction |
Clean water being distributed- |
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Packaged rice to be distributed to |
A young boy's hunger pangs are |
Workers help to pack rice for waiting |
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Hurting hearts looking for help |
Where can we find food and shelter |
People waiting for rice |
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Waiting for provisions |
Rain pouring down while waiting |
People waiting for clean water |
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Enough rice for three days |
Ready to receive rice |
So many in need |
Images provided by Full Gospel Church
Yangon, Myanmar
Feeding The Nations Reaches Myanmar When Other Help Restricted
May 8, 2008- Feeding The Nations (FTN) is buying $25,000 worth of food and water to the cyclone-stricken country of Myanmar, also known as Burma. Through its Finnish office, FTN has direct contact with missionaries on the ground in Myanmar, allowing the agency to get assistance inside the country when most other American aid organizations struggle to get past Burmese officials.
"Those affected by the cyclone are in desperate need of basic provisions and we are blessed to have a way to reach them, especially during a time when the government is not accepting aid from America," said President Steve Sumrall. "Our global contacts and partnerships allow us to reach the people of Myanmar and we are grateful."
Cyclone Nargis swept the densely populated southern delta of the Irrawaddy Division on May 3. Reports estimate that 100,000 people have lost their lives in the catastrophe and hundreds of thousands of people are in need of assistance. Due to political differences, the Burmese government does not want to accept the American government's aid. Finding ways to work around the government's hesitation, FTN is working with people within the country who will purchase the food and supplies in Myanmar and distribute it to those in need. We have 16 area leaders who will help us deliver the food to the hurting victims.
Pastor Mung of the largest Christian church in Myanmar described the situation first hand. "We have no food, we have no water and many of our church members have lost their homes. They have no place to go. In this chaos it is impossible for people to find anything to eat. We need your help desperately," he said.
Will you help us as we prepare to send more aid to the hurting of Myanmar.