By Chris Sugden
Few can fail to have heard of or seen news of the dreadful flood disaster on the Nepal-Tibet border. The death toll as of August 30 has reached 939, according to the country’s disaster management authority.The agency also estimates the number of missing to 3,925, of whom 592 are foreign nationals.
Many families are facing unimaginable loss and hardship. They have lost loved ones, homes, property, livelihoods, and their sources of income. Some families have been displaced. Some children have lost one or both parents. In many homes, the person who was the sole or primary breadwinner is no longer there. Elderly parents have been left vulnerable, with little or no one to care for them.
A Personal Connection
Tribal Transformation ministries in India are in contact with people on the ground in Nepal who are witnessing these heartbreaking circumstances firsthand. One of them is Pastor Bijay, whom my long term, and a former research student, Dr Saheb John Borgall has known for many years. Dr Borgall recently spoke with him to understand the situation and ask how we might help beyond prayer.
Pastor Bijay shared that 12 working men from his church in Nepal, who had gone to earn their livelihood, have lost their lives, leaving their families in extremely difficult circumstances. He is also in contact with his village council and is working to identify others from his village that have lost their lives or remain missing. I asked him how we could help.
Pastor Bijay said that it would be a wonderful opportunity if we could help his fellow countrymen rebuild their lives. Dr Borgall has also requested that any assistance be extended without regard to faith, background, or religious affiliation, because suffering knows no boundaries, and compassion should know no barriers.
For those families, our help could mean the difference between continuing to struggle alone and having the strength to take their next step toward rebuilding their lives.
A Helping Hand in Their Hour of Need
At this moment, Pastor Bijay is willing to take responsibility for reaching out to these suffering families and standing alongside his fellow countrymen in their hour of greatest need. Through this effort, they hope to provide practical assistance, encouragement, and a tangible expression of the love of Christ to people who have been left struggling to rebuild their lives.
This is where we, as the wider Christian family, can make a difference. We are appealing to “Help the People of Nepal at Their Hour of Need.” Your contribution, whatever its size, can make a real and immediate difference:
· A contribution toward food can put a meal on a family’s table.
· Clothing can restore dignity to someone who has lost almost everything.
· School supplies can help a child continue their education despite the circumstances.
· Support for an elderly person can remind them that they have not been forgotten.
Every Little Thing Counts
Please do not think the size of your contribution big or small. Every little thing counts when it is given with love. One person’s contribution may seem small, but when many people come together, those small acts of generosity can become something significant—a meal, a school uniform, essential supplies, temporary shelter, or the means for a family to begin rebuilding their future.
‘Brothers and Sisters in the Lord’ may we stand with the people of Nepal at the hour of their need.
“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” Galatians 6:2
Donations can be sent through Stewardship Services dedicated website for Tribal Transformation India – earmarked for ‘ The People of Nepal”