130 Homes Reconstructed!

I just returned from Sri Lanka where I had a phenomenal visit.  We have been able to rebuild 130 homes in some of the tsunami devastated areas.  I was surprised to find that there has been little rebuilding, in spite of the millions that have been pledged to Sri Lanka.  Much of the reconstruction is tied up in bureaucratic red tape.  The rebuilding to this point has been to provide temporary housing in the form of tents and wooden structures.  Thank God we have no red tape to deal with!  The homes we are constructing are concrete block on slabs and are far better than the homes which were destroyed.  We have also purchased 100 fishing nets, sewing machines and tools for families who lost everything in the disaster.

Leadership Team

One of the things that helped us to be successful in this project is the leadership team from the church Beverly and I planted four years ago.  Peter Herft, one of our pastors, has taken over the responsibility of overseeing the home rebuilding project.  He has the task extremely well organized and requires the people we are helping to prove ownership of their land and to bring a letter from the local police stating that they have no criminal record or case pending against them.  We have tried to help families that have the greatest need but with the overwhelming devastation in the south, it is difficult to pick and choose.  Our team has been literally mobbed by desperate people in need of help.

Buddhist & Moslem Families Assisted

Some of the locals have been astonished that Christians are willing to help Buddhist and Moslem families rebuild their homes.  There has been a serious problem with persecution in the southern region.  Churches have been attacked and pastors beaten.  In the area where we are working, persecution has been intense.  Since the rebuilding process began, our pastors have been approached by Sri Lankan Buddhist who have apologized to them for the way they treated Christians in the past.  Though religious persecution continues to this day in Sri Lanka, the Lord is using the work we, and others, are doing to bring healing and reconciliation.

Meeting with Parliament Members

I had the opportunity to meet with two influential Parliament members.  One was the Speaker of the House, who is third in line to the Prime Minister.  They were both grateful for the $140,000 we have directed to home reconstruction.  An anti-conversion bill is going to the floor of the Parliament sometime in the near future and if passed, it could seriously hamper the advance of the Gospel in Sri Lanka.  It was timely for me to be able to encourage the Speaker in the values of personal religious freedom and the right to worship without hindrance.