Dear Friends

Faith Christian Fellowship (PCA), my local church in Baltimore, has created a relief fund to help the victims of the Tsunami disaster that hit Sri Lanka and many other countries last Sunday. The donations will be sent to a Sri Lankan Christian NGO called LEADS (relief and development arm of NCEASL) that works with evangelical churches in relief efforts. I have personal contact and confidence in their work of this local Christian NGO, which is also the local partner of World Relief in Sri Lanka. (check World Relief website: http://www.wr.org/featurestories/view.asp?id=30000119)

Please consider sending your donations to help the relief efforts in Sri Lanka. You can write your checks to : Faith Christian Fellowship--deacons relief fund.

Mail it to:

Faith Christian Fellowship
505 East 42nd Street
Baltimore
MD 21218

Below you will see an email I received from Roshan Mendis, who is the director of LEADS in Sri Lanka. Also un update on the situation in Sri Lanka.

Please contact me, if you need further information on this.

thank you for your support

May God bless you with a joyous new year

ananda

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UPDATE :
The death toll of the Tsunami that hit Southeast Asian nations last Sunday has risen to epic proportions of at least 135,000 (latest CNN report). In this same report, 41,000 are mentioned dead in Sri Lanka (14,000 in the Tamil rebel held areas and 27000 in the government controlled areas). The aftermath situations there is dealing with more than 2 million people who have lost their homes and livelihoods. Many of these survivors in Sri Lanka, are severely wounded with lacerations and broken bones, needing immediate medical attention. The out break of disease such as - diarrhea, cholera, dengue, and malaria, is on the verge. In the event of such a situation, the out come would be more devastating a humanitarian crisis than what has happened already.

According to my fiancé, Sahayini, who is working with a group of medical doctors in Batticaloa (in the eastern Sri Lanka), there is shortage of supply of food and drinking water. To reach many of the hardest hit areas is still a challenge due to impassable road conditions.

see report by a Christian Aid (UK NGO) in a village in Batticaloa
http://www.guardian.co.uk/tsunami/story/0,15671,1381360,00.html

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Appeal from LEADS:

Hello Ananda kumar,
Thank you for the mail. and we at LEADS are coordinating relief programmes to help the affected people.LEADS is really receiving much local support in terms of volunteers, the 4wheel drive club, a local volunteer disaster manager with 9 years experience from Africa (?!) and equally high number of requests. I think this has to do with our credibility in the last flood relief. We are running a 24 hr 7X5 collection centre and coordination office. We have extended the carpark with temporary sheds for packaging and receiving food. All Colombo based staff have cancellled their holidays and are here 24hrs. The way the Lord is working and providing is great. Just keep the funds rolling as the needs are increasing as they are changing. We have identified the requirements of those affected as follows:

IMMEDIATE: Food, drinking water,medical, water pumps, clothing, candles, blankets, paracetemol,etc.
2nd Phase: Dry rations, other needs, temporary shelter
3rd Phase: Reconstruction.
We would appreciate if any of you could assist us in raising the funds required for these planned relief interventions for 10,000 families. The work will follow the pattern flood relief operation as before though on a greater magnitude. Total cost estimate based on the last flood relief intervention is at minimum 225,000 US $ - 125,000 STP. We have managed to raise 125,000 but need more!

While this is a high intensity disaster PLEASE do not forget that much of the biggest load of work is going to be in about a 3 weeks when people start returning to their localities and discover that they have o shelter. WE NEED FUNDS FOR SHELTER equally urgently.

An informal group of 7 Christian relief agencies calling ourselves as CNet have been meeting for prayer and as an initiative towards Christian cooperation and networking. At our meeting this morning (27th) we have agreed to come together on a joint shelter initiative as this is the next GREATEST need. We have targeted building 100,000 shelters at 200 US $ each.

Awaiting word,

Roshan Mendis
Director
LEADS
25, Hospital Road, Dehiwela, Sri Lanka
Telephone: +94 (0)1 724793, Fax: +94 (0)1 735674
Email: roshan@stmail.lk

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