RICHMOND — Virginia Baptists are responding to the natural disasters in both China and Myanmar through the Virginia Baptist Mission Board's glocal missions and evangelism team.
Terry Raines, the board's disaster relief coordinator, participated in a May 24 meeting of leaders from about a dozen Baptist organizations around the world to receive updates on the situations in both countries. The meeting helped them “to understand the relief efforts currently under way, to learn what is needed to support, improve and sustain these efforts and to plan for longer termed recovery,” said Raines. “Hopefully, a better understanding of how Virginia Baptist donations and, potentially, volunteers can help will emerge from the meeting.”
Raines said leaders from the Myanmar Baptist Convention were involved in the May 24 meeting. “Their direct input should provide a more informed understanding of what aid they are, and are not, able to receive and distribute,” he said.
Raines said the Myanmar government continues to refuse visas allowing entry of most international aid workers, insisting that relief supplies be distributed by local workers.
“For this reason, the prospect for sending Virginia Baptist disaster relief leaders and/or volunteers looks dim, at least for the immediate future,” he said. “Virginia Baptists' relief initiative for Myanmar will be to assist the efforts of the Myanmar Baptist Convention. To this point, a major obstacle has been difficulties in steady and reliable communication with the leaders in Myanmar. Hopefully, help in overcoming this difficulty is at hand.”
Raines said two representatives of Hungarian Baptist Aid have obtained visas and have entered Myanmar. “They will work together with Myanmar Baptists, coordinate relief efforts, and deliver the first initial relief response of the world-wide Baptist family on behalf of Baptist World Aid. Virginia Baptists are included in this world-wide Baptist family and work in partnership with Baptist World Aid. An initial amount of $10,000 has been designated by the VBMB to assist with Myanmar relief.”
Financial contributions sent to the VBMB and designated for Myanmar Cyclone Relief will be distributed to the Myanmar Baptist Convention's relief effort in cooperation with Baptist World Aid.
Meanwhile, in China, Virginia Baptists have a partnership of fellowship and prayer with the Amity Foundation — the organization for development and ministry related to the China Christian Council — which has activated a disaster response following the earthquake.
Raines said he has initiated communication with Amity's disaster relief leadership. “Virginia Baptists will be involved in China earthquake relief efforts in relationship with Amity as requested by Amity,” he said. “To this point, Amity's leaders have not asked for volunteers to travel to the area. They have requested financial contributions to allow them to purchase additional tents, blankets, water and other relief aid items.”
Information related to Amity's response can be found at http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwc.nsf/db201ShortName/ amity?OpenDocument.
Raines said monetary contributions sent to the VBMB and designated for China Earthquake Relief will be used to support Amity's response, with the involvement of VBMB disaster relief leadership and/or volunteers if requested.