December 30, 2004

Assemblies of God Relief efforts were in motion within hours after a series of tsunamis hit coastal towns in Asia and Africa Sunday, killing over 100,000 people in twelve countries and leaving millions homeless.

Convoy of Hope is working with AG World Missions to ship emergency supplies to affected regions. Relief funds are also being sent immediately so missionaries and national churches can quickly begin meeting needs.

Indonesia was one of the hardest hit nations after a 9.0 magnitude earthquake - the largest in four decades - deep beneath the Indian Ocean set in motion a wall of waves that crashed into shorelines with devastating force. By Wednesday, more than 32,000 were confirmed dead on Indonesia's Sumatra island, the region closest to the quake's epicenter.

AG missionaries are working with a government office in Indonesia to send a cargo plane full of supplies to Sumatra, where many villages lay in ruins. A government official reported that in one of the large villages, which had a population of 30,000, eighty percent of the people are missing and presumed dead.

In Sri Lanka, more than 21,700 deaths have been reported. A pastor who oversees AG relief work there e-mailed Headquarters offices in Springfield, Missouri, early Monday, reporting: "At the moment, we are bringing in scores of people who have no place to go but to the church. Some churches have been completely washed out. Already over 100 AG believers are dead just in the east and we won't know how many more (especially in the south) until tomorrow and the days to come."

India has reported a death toll of more than 12,000, and Thailand has confirmed more than 1,500 deaths. Fatalities have also been reported in Somalia, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Tanzania, Kenya and Seychelles.

Jeff Dove, AG World Missions area director in Thailand, contacted pastors in the hardest hit areas of that nation Monday. At the time, no AG members had been reported among the dead, according to Dove. However, many have lost their homes and are in need of immediate assistance.

AG World Missions is asking churches and individual believers throughout the United States to help fund the relief efforts.

Randy Hurst, World Missions Director of Advancement, says, "Never before have we had to respond to a disaster of this magnitude. We deeply appreciate emergency relief offerings in any amount."

"Times of emergency like this offer incredible opportunities to reach out in the love of Christ [to those who are resistant and even hostile to the message of Christ]," he says. "When we can transfer funds immediately to missionaries and national churches on the ground in the most heavily affected areas, we can make an impact for the kingdom of God."

Those wishing to contribute can call toll-free 1-866-470-9514.

The AG Relief Web site http://agrelief.ag.org/ will continue to post updated reports of the tragedy and relief efforts as more news becomes available.

The A/G News & Information Service
Christina Quick, Today's Pentecostal Evangel.