relief & integral mission micah plenary

Micah Network Roshan Mendis

Relief & Integral Mission Bangkok, November 2005 1

RELIEF & INTEGRAL MISSION MICAH PLENARY

Introduction Divides on various issues are many in today’s society at all levels. Even theologically and in Christian living it is the case. Today it is not uncommon to see those committed to ecology and social justice opposed to those committed to Biblical standards in personal morality, or those committed to social relief and development standing off from those committed to personal evangelism. The list goes on.

By the fourth century, it is said that the churches in Rome were feeding an estimated 20,000 poor people each week. The church at that time presented to the world a visible alternative to the prevailing social order. As Georges Florovsky has written in "Empire and Desert: Antinomies of Christian History"i:

Christianity entered human history as a new social order or, rather, a new social dimension. From the very beginning, Christianity was not primarily a "doctrine," but exactly a "community." There was not only a "message" to be proclaimed and delivered and "Good News" to be declared, but there was, precisely, a New Community, distinct and peculiar, in the process of growth and formation, to which members were called and recruited. Indeed, "fellowship" ("koinonia") was the basic category of Christian existence.

This year has been named as the year of disaster. A report from the National Disaster Center, US, says that in the first 10 months of this year more than 600,000 lives were lost more than in any other time in history – the Tsunami, China floods, Typhoons -Katrina, Stan, Rita, Wilma; Iraq, Pakistan earthquakes and more, just as it has been declared the year of disaster so also I guess it is the year of relief. In 2004, 60% of the deaths recorded by natural circumstances were caused by the Tsunami. Katrina has proved to be the costliest natural disaster to affect the US, ( est. 220 Billion US $). However we should not forget that all these figures pale in comparison to deaths caused annually by war, famine and communicable diseases.

i “The Church her Nature and Task”, The Universal church in God’s Design,Vol I, SCM Press,1948. quotes from Georges. FLOROVSKY, Antinomies of Christian History : Empire and Desert,” Christianity and Culture. Vol. II of The Collected Works of Georges Florovsky, Nordland Publishing Company: Belmont 1974, 67-100.



Acts of compassion not only bless the receiver but the giver as well. During the question and answer time after a lecture on mental health by a famous American psychiatrist, Dr. Karl Menninger, a man from the audience asked a question, "What would you advise a person to do if that person felt a nervous breakdown coming on?" Everyone there expected him to answer, "Consult a psychiatrist." To their astonishment he replied: Leave your house, go across the railroad tracks, find someone who is in need, and do something to help that person”.

1. Integral mission in a relief context An excellent study of this inter-discipline so to speak of Action and Biblical truth is found in Graham Gordon’s Book “What if you got involvedii”. Another such writing is Melba Maggay’s, “Transforming Societyiii”. I’d recommend that you read these for an in-depth treatment of the topics we have looked at these days.

a. Definitions As we look at Integral Mission and Relief it is important to first examine the definitions of these. Classically and generally relief is always understood in short-term parameters. While this is so, somehow within the aid community the question of sustainability and creation of dependency, lack of local capacity and various other demands and criticisms makes relief seem as an intervention ‘we’d much rather finish as soon as possible’ – in several senses this is true. As agencies we are never satisfied to remain or be identified as simply relief organizations. We prefer to link up our identity to Development and sustainability. We say, “we call ourselves as faith based Relief & Development agencies”. Relief by the very nature of its actions is always seen as an interim, short term, and immediate type of intervention. Various dictionaries defines Relief as – Help, with money, food, clothes etc given to people who are poor or hungry or affected by some catastrophe. and Integral is defined as – forming a necessary part of something, essential, vital, fundamental, at the heart of..,etc.

ii Graham Gordon, “What if you got involved” ,Paternoster press,UK,2003 iii Melba Maggay, “transforming society – reflections on the Kingdom and politics”, Institute for Studies in Asian Church and Culture (ISACC), Philippines, 2004.



Integral Mission as defined and described at the inaugural MICAH consultation in Oxford is much more detailed. It explains the linkages and the tension between evangelism and social involvement /action

“Integral mission or holistic transformation is the proclamation and demonstration (emphasis mine) of the gospel. It is not simply that evangelism and social involvement are to be done alongside each other. Rather, in integral mission our proclamation has social consequences as we call people to love and repentance in all areas of life. And our social involvement has evangelistic consequences as we bear witness to the transforming grace of Jesus Christ..iv"

At a first glance the linkage of the topic under discussion this morning seems almost unconnected when considered against this definition. I’d say that the understanding and function of relief is to sustainability and development what verbal witness and evangelism is to Integral Mission. Evangelism to a great extent has generally been thought of as a one off encounter - a proclamation done incorporating different methodologies. The challenge and call of Integral Mission is to see the interplays and inter-connectedness of these two seemingly separate entities.

So to link relief and Integral Mission implies and introduces a similar tension and interplays. This is further made ambiguous or complicated by the fact that relief per se is an activity that we in the Aid Community are expected to carry out in an absolutely impartial manner.

The Red Cross Code of Conduct in Disaster Response Principle # 3 says; “Aid will not be used to further a particular political or religious standpoint Humanitarian aid will be given according to the need of individuals, families and communities. Not withstanding the right of NGHAs to espouse particular political or religious opinions we affirm that assistance will not be dependent on the adherence of the recipients to those opinions. We will not tie the promise, delivery or distribution of assistance to the embracing or acceptance of a particular political or religious creed”v.

iv Oxford Declaration, Micah 2000 v Red Cross Code of Conduct, ‘Code of Conduct’, 1994. http://www.ifrc.org/publicat/conduct/code.asp



In integral Mission as the definition further clarifies …. “…We call one another back to the centrality of Jesus Christ. His life of sacrificial service is the pattern for Christian discipleship. In his life and through his death Jesus modelled identification with the poor and inclusion of the other. On the cross God shows us how seriously he takes justice, reconciling both rich and poor to himself as he meets the demands of his justice. We serve by the power of the risen Lord through the Spirit as we journey with the poor, finding our hope in the subjection of all things under Christ and the final defeat of evil. We confess that all too often we have failed to live a life worthy of this gospel...vi”.

But if we look at the definition more closely it describes more clearly that the World we serve and the Word we live by cannot be dichotomised. It goes on to say;

“..If we ignore the world we betray the word of God which sends us out to serve the world. If we ignore the word of God we have nothing to bring to the world…As in the life of Jesus, being, doing and saying are at the heart of our integral task.vii”

If grace is the ‘heartbeat of integral mission’ then we show grace and generosity that is immediate to the disadvantaged.

“The grace of God is the heartbeat of integral mission. As recipients of undeserved love we are to show grace, generosity and inclusiveness. Grace redefines justice as not merely honouring a contract, but helping the disadvantaged. viii”.

I’m not suggesting here that churches no longer organize evangelistic campaigns or revival meetings or such like; in fact, many Christians are still asked to and need to take up evangelism as their top priority mission. What I mean is that all churches on the institutional level are seeking to cope and relate in one way or the other with the questions of many contexts, many religions, many cultures and systems of values – what we call the effects of globalization or pluralism. Today it has become more or less imperative that rather than proclamation alone, all churches explore in their own ways

vi Oxford Declaration, 2000 vii ibid viii ibid



fresh understandings of "Christian witness." In addition to the earlier models of evangelization of the whole world, as well as of mission as proclamation and conversion in their literal sense, i.e. besides preaching Jesus as the “the way, the truth, and the lifeix”, as the sole saviour of human sin, the Church needs to address human sin in the structural complexities of our world, and start ministering to the socially poor and marginalized of our societies in their contexts, and above all entering into human situations constructively, thus making her presence visible in the society.

As we look at the historical development of Mission, it was in the second millennium, during which the idea of “Christendom”, has determined to a considerable degree the shaping of the “old paradigm” of the Christian theology of mission. The discovery of the New World(s), introduced the prospect of Christianizing the entire inhabited earth. It reached its peak with the so-called African and Asian Christian missions during the 19th century. This concept of “Christendom”, however, carried with it other non Christian elements such as colonialism and expansionism of some sort and walked hand in hand with Christian mission. Christians felt that they were called “to convey to the rest of humanity the blessings of Western civilization”. The slogan ‘the evangelization of the world in this generation’ emphasizes the missionary consciousness of this early movement, in which genuine missionary and evangelistic motives were inextricably combined with cultural and social motives.

As we return to the understanding of Integral Mission thus, the Christian theology of mission insists on the authentic witness of the Church’s eschatological experience. This was, in fact, made possible by the fundamental assumption, that God’s involvement in history (disaster and all) aims at drawing humanity and creation in general into this communion with God. Taken a little further, this understanding of Christian witness suggests that the problem of ethics, i.e. the problem of overcoming the evil in the world – at least for Christianity – is not only a moral and social issue; it is also – and for some even exclusively – an ecclesial one – a concern of the Church, in the sense that the moral and social responsibility of Christians, i.e. their mission in today’s globalised, pluralistic world, is the logical consequence of their ecclesial (i.e. eschatological) self-consciousness.

"You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete." Buckminster Fuller

ix John 14:6



For those of us involved in Relief and Integral Mission this could be well the call of the hour. The World Disaster Report 2005x published by International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies reveals that in the period ahead (due to reasons like urbanisation and poverty) more people are likely to occupy dangerous and high risk locations like flood plains, riverbanks, steep slopes, reclaimed land, and highly populated congested settlements of flimsy ‘shanty’ homes. In Mumbai, one woman it states has rented out her comfortable apartment and moved into a shack beneath a bridge, at risk of flooding and fire. That way, she can pay for her daughter's education. She's decided the family's longterm resilience depends on investing in her daughter rather than living somewhere safer. This means that like it or not relief will always be with us !

So what does it mean to do integral mission in a relief context ? I’d like to briefly take a look at some snapshots of biblical events first that illustrate this.

b. Biblical Snapshots

As we read through scripture we can see that in the Mission of God, there are several examples and instances where Relief was very much an integral part of the total work and ministry of God.

i. The Exodus When we look at the Old Testament and the story of the exodus, we know that

God’s mission was to bring to being the nation of Israel and through that fulfill the plan salvation of mankind. However, when we look at the beginnings of this intervention of God in the life of the descendants of Jacob it was an act of mercy an act of relief from the oppression of the Egyptians. God moves to bring an end the disadvantaged-ness of the Israelites as they cried out for relief. Let it suffice for the moment to establish that the holistic Mission of God began at the point of relief. That in itself was what the people needed, although it moved beyond that. (We will not enter into the rich range of salvific theological truths we see in the exodus event as this will take us beyond the scope of this morning’s reflection).

x World Disasters Report 2005,International Federation of Red Cross & red Cresecent Societies, Kumarian press Inc.USA,2005.



ii. The Ten Commandments and Jesus’ teaching The primary commandment was to love God and love one’s neighbour. When

Jesus was questioned by an ‘expert’ in the law regarding the greatest commandment Jesus replied with “Love the Lord your God…and love your neighbour” in Matt.22:34-40 and in Lk. 10: 25-37 to determine true neighbourliness, he replies with much the same answer as it appears undefined in the ten commandments. Jesus explains it purely and simply by describing the act of compassion shown towards the ‘disadvantaged’ (a man bereft of basic care, clothing and protection). The Samaritan simply attended to the immediate needs of the man by the wayside in whatever way he could – an intervention of relief - and is highlighted as the example of one who fulfils the requirement of the law.

iii. Old Testament Law The OT is full of laws that emphasise the care of the poor and the weak.

Harvesting laws – leaving the gleanings for the poor, the laws around exacting interest from the poor, the law of the jubilee that frees the slave and provides food for the poor.(Ex. 23:11;22:25-27,21:2; Deut. 15:7-11,24:19-21)

iv. Nehemiah Nehemiah engaged in a relief intervention of only 52 days but at the close of the

intervention he did not get up and leave, he stayed on and made sure that the people also heard the word of God and returned to the Lord. It was not only an act of reconstruction and rehabilitation but also reform and renewal.

v. The Incarnation The birth of Christ was an act of love and compassion; the love of God

compelled him to give His son. Relief is essentially an act of giving it is not an obligation fulfilled. As we look at the song of Mary we see that in His mission and purpose Christ would perform the task of bringing relief to His people who were oppressed, the poor and needy. In modern times we hear the oft quoted example in the life of Mother Theresa who in her work among the dying and deserted in the streets of Calcutta manifested the incarnate work of Christ who healed the sick and dying. It was St Teresa of Avila who said, “Christ has no body on earth now but yours, no hands but yours, no feet but yours.”



vi. Teaching of the Apostles When we look at the epistles we see a consistent call to demonstrate faith

through actions. James and Paul both emphasise this twin bladed truth. Paul asserts that our salvation through faith is unto worksxi, while James challenges his readers that he would demonstrate his faith through workxii

c. Antithesis or Synthesis? The key question we are left with then is Relief and Integral mission – an antithesis or synthesis. By its nature and on a cursory examination, it seems that relief does not lend itself to Integral Mission as it is ‘one off’ and should not strictly speaking have anything to do with Christian Mission.

Some questions for reflection So are Relief and Integral Mission two poles that stand apart? Would our attempt to link these together contravene the standards we strive to uphold or serve by? How do we link the latter section of the definition of Integral Mission with the standards and operating principles we as agencies are meant to safeguard?

I’d like to propose that relief and evangelism though distinct in essence, stand together in their relationship and linkage to Integral Mission. Relief performs much the same role that evangelism does in bringing people into contact with the kingdom of God that has at its very nature the love of God and is characterized by compassion. If we take on board the classic saying of St Francis of Assisi, “Preach the Gospel all the time and if necessary use words”, then our relief is also our ‘έυαγγελιον’ (gospel). Of course this is not to downplay the value of words in Christian witness. [It is said that during one of the infamous crusades, he (St Francis), even crossed over to the Saracens (Muslim) side and attempted to convert the Sultan]. It is only if we look at relief as a means to an end rather than an end in itself that we will be liable of contravening our standards and codes. If our prosperity does not work itself out into the community it is meaningless. We are blessed to bless. There is no other call. We are saved not by works but unto good works.

xi Ephesians 2:8-10 xii James. 2:14 -18



When Jesus said “you will always have the poor with you”xiii he did not mean by this to dismiss this as a perennial problem that permitted the disciples to ignore the poor and minister to Christ. Today we see some churches/individuals taking the stand that our calling therefore is ministering to Christ – in worship etc and that the poor we leave to the rest of society to look after, as that is an unsolvable never ending fact of life and circumstance. I believe He meant that we will always need to be thinking about how we should be helping the poor, disadvantaged, those affected by disasters. So the question of ‘what must we do?’, should be one we ask constantly in the face of such glaring needs around us. It is both a call to act and do and also a prophetic call. A ministry of advocacy to raise our voice against systems that creates a combination of circumstances that increase the factors that cause disasters. A World Bank and US Geological Surveyxiv estimates that economic losses worldwide in the last period of the ‘90’s could have been reduced by $280 Billion if $40 Billion had been invested in disaster preventive and early warning measures. Wisdom of hindsight is powerful. But how many government officials would have been convinced to invest $40 Billion – no small sum, on what might take place ? China it is said ‘saved’ $12Billion in losses averted by investing $3.15 Billion on flood control in the last 40 years. The church is called to look externally into the community of needs. That is our specialty. Ultimately we are not just interested in making forays into poverty ridden or disaster affected regions to offer some resources or make some food drops and exit, we are seeking to bring to fulfillment human wholeness as God intended. To speak the Shalom of God into that situation or crisis.

Writing in the book entitled "With Open Hands," Henri Nouwen asserts "The challenge of the gospel lies precisely in the invitation to accept a gift for which we can give nothing in return. For the gift is the very life breath of God, the Spirit who is poured out on us through Jesus Christ. This life breath frees us from fear and gives us new room to live.xv"

xiii Matthew 26:11 xivhttp://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTEAPHALFYEARLYUPDATE/Resources/EastAsiaUpdatefullreport.pdf. xv Henri Nouwen, “With Open Hands”, Ave Maria Press,USA,1995.



ADOPTION &

GRACE

COMPASSION

& SERVICE

INCARNATION &

RECONCILIATION

Nouwen's words remind us that the Christian faith is founded not upon your action or my action, but upon God's action: God loving us with a love that will not let us go; God choosing to dwell among us in Christ, taking human form; God seeking relationship and reconciliation with all the world; God adopting persons of faith as daughters and sons. Our task is but to receive the gift, to recognize and live in the assurance that all that we have in life - and indeed, all that we are - comes as a gift from God. Once we embrace this gracious gift which we cannot earn and which cannot be repaid, only then are we freed to become gracious givers, to be a people of compassion and relief. In this act of giving is the link and compatibility of relief with Integral Mission. Our act of giving is part of the whole mission of God

As we look back on church history and some of the leaders of that time St Francis stands out as a striking example of a man who integrated the gospel in his life. Dr. Ajith Fernando in a comment on this life says “One of the most important lessons that we learn from the ancient Christians is their ability to integrate the various sides of the Christian life.xvi” He then raises the question as to whether it is the inability of our generation to integrate the ‘whole counsel of God’ that has made the New Age movements and some Asian religions to present their views as supposedly holistic and corrections of Christian excesses.

xvi Ajith Fernando,



During the Second World War Dr. Ernest Gordon, later Chaplain of Princeton University, was a prisoner of war in Thailand. In his book, Miracle on the River Kwai (earlier titled, "Through the Valley of the Kwai," and currently reprinted as a book and made into a motion picture “To end All warsxvii”) reflects on the difference between two Christmas seasons he spent in prison. He says that in Christmas 1942 there were thousands of American soldiers in that prison who robbed the sick among them, mistreated one another, and did not care whether the other prisoners lived or died. During the following year, a healthy American soldier began giving his food to a sick buddy to help him get well. In time the sick prisoner recovered, but the buddy who had given him food died of malnutrition. The story of the man who sacrificed his life to save a buddy made the rounds of the camp. Some of the prisoners remarked that he was a lot like Christ. Some of the soldiers began to recall passages from the Bible they had learned years earlier under far different circumstances. This one act of compassion and sacrifice it is said transformed the whole outlook of that prison camp and the prisoners.

In the Micah Challenge Friday Prayerxviii issue, Jeanette Matthews in her sermon

quotes Margaret Mead an anthropologist who was asked what the earliest sign of civilization was. One might, she says have expected the answer to be a clay pot or perhaps a fish hook or grinding stone. But Ms Mead answers with “a healed femur”. Why of all things a broken and healed leg bone? Mead it is said explained that in the jungle where the law of the survival of the fittest reigned, no healed femurs are found. A healed femur indicates that someone cared. Someone she further explains will have to do that person’s hunting and gathering until the leg healed. The evidence of compassion she says is the first sign of civilization.

xvii Ernest Gordon, “To End All Wars”, Zondervan, 2002 xviii Jeanette Mathews, “Where Heaven and earth meet – The parable of Lazarus and the Rich man”, Micah Challenge Friday Prayer, September 3, 2004.



It was the week of Vesak the most important Buddhist festival celebrating the birth of the Lord Buddha. The whole country was officially in a celebrative spirit. Most shops and all govt. offices were shut from Tuesday 13th. Government staff & others had returned to their villages to celebrate along with their families. As occasional showers might have dampened the spirits of the festivities in Colombo no‐one realised the disaster that was brewing in the Central hills of the country. No one ever imagined the scenario that would unfold over the weekend of the 17th. As a result it struck when everyone was least expecting it, or was in a position to assist due to the intervening festive vacations. “At about 2.30 p.m, a time when almost everyone was indoors a huge “BOOM” reverberated through the hillside and with that the whole mountain exploded in a huge wave of mud, rock and water”, said an eye witness of the massive landslide that left over 240 persons dead and hundreds more still missing in Elapatha, Ratnapura in the central hills. A similar scene was enacted in Walasmulla in the Hambantota District and several other parts in the South of the country. By Monday 19th vast areas in the central and Southern parts of the country was under water. Water levels were as high as 20 – 30 feet in some areas. Despite landslide warnings said to have been passed on from mouth to mouth prior to this, villagers state that they had not taken these seriously as the reliability nor the source of information was ever clear to the villagers. A District Officer when he contacted Colombo had a note of personal distress as well. He and his young family of 5yrs & 2yrs had also been flooded out. “I can’t even see the roof of my house”, he reported but continued, “as soon as I can settle my family, let’s do something”. He sent his family to a nearby church hall and immediately began co‐ordinating relief operations with local volunteers. The need at that time was for a place to store relief items and coordinate the relief efforts….

2. Relief and Integral Mission in real life - A case Story

I’d like to at this point to share a case story from our experience of what I would call as a classic case in seeing the interplay between Relief and Integral Mission of the Church. Due to the backdrop of anti Christian sentiment in which we work in Sri Lanka, I will not divulge exact details nor state it in on paper to protect the identity of persons and the work of this church in that area and the Relief & Development work carried out by us as agencies. The case begins not with the Tsunami but with a previous disaster – the flood, that provides the background to the story and we saw the completion of it only two years later with the Tsunami.

What gleaned from this is that even though relief is short term when it is done aright it has a lasting impact. Here we see the full cycle (fig 1) of what might be termed as the process from relief to integral mission and discipleship.



FIG 1

This incident is so encouraging in that, despite the non-verbalization of the gospel message as might have been preached by Peter on the day of the Pentecost that caused the hearers to ask “What must we do to be saved?”, these ‘hearers’ having ‘heard’ (experienced), the truth of gospel in a non-verbal, tangible form desired to enter into that same state. The authenticity of that initial desire is evidenced in the time taken for that process to bear fruit and the resulting transformation that moved them to now proclaim the gospel in much the same way that they had ‘heard’ it.

RELIEF EFFORTS

THEY DESIRE TO ENGAGE WITH THIS

NEW REALITY

PEOPLE EXPERIENCE THE DEMONSTRATION

OF THE GOSPEL

GROWTH IN NEW FAITH

PARTNER IN DISASTER RESPONSE

TEAM

NEW

DISASTER!



3. Personal and Organizational reflections on Tsunami Response I have annexed an update as the last page of this paper that describes some of the experiences of the Tsunami and the response of the church at that time.

a. Challenges and Obstacles There were many challenges at every turn – challenges in the arena of faith, in the boundaries of our work and personal challenges as well. All those encountered would be too many to consider and are not highlighted but a few are mentioned for reflection.

i. Challenges

♦ Theological Since the Tsunami I have seen a number of ‘articles’ both local and international in various newspapers questioning the credibility of faith in God in the light of such a disaster. Individuals who were in the Tsunami talk of God’s judgment, others praise God for the manner in which they have been saved attributing that rescue to their faith. Some are resigned to accept God’s will, while others talk of his wrath etc. Currently with the number of Disasters some are talking about the last days. Dr. Vinoth Ramachandra in a reflectionxix dealing with the question of where was God on the morning of December 26th and the issue of suffering in relation to that, and in general, echoes several questions that have surfaced at this time. He asks; Why is it that God so quickly becomes the scapegoat when things start going wrong, particularly in the natural world, and is not highlighted in the media when some new discovery is made in the medical field for example, but that is attributed to human genius? Or why is that a huge disaster involving large numbers raises more questions of faith in a good God than does the death of one individual struck by lightning in an open field? It is said that Tony Blair observed that Africa suffers the equivalent of a Tsunami every week – but this hardly raises any similar theological controversy.

xix Vinoth Ramachandra , “Tsuanmi Tragedy: Where was God? A Theological Exploration”



In a sense the Tsunami has made us all question and review our theology, our understanding and the picture we have about God. It is interesting that as happened in biblical times, people almost always look upwards and raise either their fists or eyes heavenward in the face of a disaster or calamity. It is at such times that our faith in a sovereign God is jolted and we are faced with, and are forced to accept, the bare reality of consequences that impact both the innocent and the evil alike. It calls us to reaffirm our faith in the sovereignty of God and in a God who can still transform such catastrophic events to manifest His grace. It has been also a time of practical theology. As Dr Ajith Fernanado in a reflection on the role of the churchxx has pointed out this is a time to weep and mourn, a time to work, a time to pray, to give, plan and comfort. It has caused us to review some of our Christian traditions related to mourning and weeping. Where this expression of grief was looked down upon and at times not even permitted, thought to be a sign of faithlessness causing in some instances emotional suppression and consequent complications. Quite in contrast to the laments we see in scripture. National calamities too were times when Israelite leaders called upon the nation to pray and fastxxi. How insensitive were some of the sermons preached immediately following this event either totally ignoring it, denouncing it as an act of God and drawing conclusions that were both ill timed and ill-phrased ? The justice of God is seen through his church that acts through compassion. The early Christians knew of needs and got busy meeting them. It is in the great white throne judgmentxxii, that we see God judging his people on the basis of their actions or what they did. If God is the God of the poor as He identifies himself, relief should not be seen as a means to an end, an act of compassion but a process which is an end that honors God himself. Relief done in this way will avoid the danger of creating ‘rice Christians’ so commonly alleged as being found in Asia.

xx Ajith Fernanado, “What should we be doing Now? Some Biblical Reflections, A message to the Church in Sri Lanka”. xxi II Samuel 1:12; II Chron 20:3 xxii Matt.25:31-46 cf Rev.20:11



We have had the difficult challenge of ministering to the traumatized and hurting individuals and families whose loved ones have in some instances been literally torn away from their grasp and gone to their death. We’ve had to comfort the bereaved as they have participated in huge mass burials. We have had to answer their questions of the inevitable “why?” In the tsunami a common tale was of one protected and the other destroyed, one orphaned while others are all ‘miraculously’ saved. The stories are endless and some equally interesting and inspiring but not for those ‘left behind’. “Where is the God of Justice?”, “Where is the God of love?” they cry. He has to answer both sides. ♦ Practical As some of us used to say we experienced 3 Tsunami’s in Sri Lanka - first was the wave of water the next wave was the huge influx of aid agencies and third the wave of funds. The impact of these waves was seen in several challenges that we had to face and obstacles to surmount. The Challenge of Co‐ordination How does one coordinate a disaster of such a huge magnitude? Is the most suited a decentralized approach or a centralized one? What are the parameters and boundaries / limitations of a centralized coordination effort? How are agencies to co-ordinate efforts so as not to overlap? What would be good practice / etiquette between agencies? What about the hundreds of individual efforts and mushrooming NGO’s and Tsunami websites claiming authentic relief work and soliciting funds? The number and diversity of other players wanting a piece of the action was perhaps the biggest struggle. As an organization LEADS was linked and part of the National Disaster Management Committee. However, we found that despite decisions taken at central level, co-ordination at district level in actioning these and the co-ordination between agencies was often in conflict. In an attempt to provide as much information to all of those involved in the relief effort, we suddenly found ourselves being summoned for more meetings and briefings that one could possibly handle in a day – sometimes as many as four, depending on what areas, sectors or districts one was working with.



Along with this was the situation we see even to date, of newer and newer agencies coming in to the country convinced that their programme, their ideas, their grasp of the local contexts, and cultural norms is flawless and will solve all the snags in the system. At a recent coordination meeting held in Colombo a representative of one such agency, in answer to a comment that the building plans that they were proposing did not take into consideration local cultural norms and were incompatible or conflicting to these, proclaimed that cultural norms should not be given into and that they were dangerous and not scientific and as such these ‘superstitions’ should be dispelled! This expert had most of the other INGO’s who had been in the country much longer squirming and sliding down their seats in horror. Due to the above intolerant attitude which refused to listen to the rest of the aid community, some decided to ‘go ahead’ and leave everyone else behind notwithstanding the cost and impact of such arbitrary action.

The Challenge of Unprecedented Funds I guess that immediately following the Tsunami was the time when we had the greatest number of agencies walking through our door. It was a time when funds required spending and agencies wanted to give away funds. It was a real challenge not to give in to the temptation to keep on saying that we needed funds, and to say “enough”, when we had sufficient. It was hard to tell donor agencies that came in that we did not need their funds and to direct them to other agencies that might be able to use the money. In fact some agencies later expressed how taken back and rejected they had felt – “we thought you were showing us the door”, a few later confided. Along with that was the challenge of trying to make donor agencies understand that by simply bringing in the funds it did not mean that their plans could be imposed in this context. The challenge of addressing those that came not only with the funds, but also with their own agendas, was the ‘flip side of the coin’. Added to this was the challenge of coping with an artificial ‘market’ created by agencies with funds and no flexibility resorting to excessive and arbitrary spending just to finish funds in an equally artificial time frame. The plain and simple principle of supply and demand also adds to the challenge which this situation creates.



Related to this pressure to spend money in unrealistic time frames was the lack of willingness to engage with policy issues as the key driver was to get the money spent – not to challenge policy, (‘takes far too much time and effort’ seemed to be the general feeling). Also reflecting perhaps a lack of discipline, on the part of some to refuse to spend in this way - within an accepted policy framework, and to work to find other alternatives. Currently we face the opposite challenge of a turn around of donor attention and donor fatigue. In those initial stages there seemed to be so much of funds that we never thought we’d run out of resources to accomplish what we had set out to do. Today we struggle to meet the commitments we have made to communities and government authorities as budgets are no longer realistic with constant price escalations. The Challenge of Identifying Needs/Beneficiaries In the face of such a huge disaster how practical are standard practices of need identification processes? A common experience that bigger agencies found themselves in was of smaller agencies already responding to the visible needs whilst they were still in the process of assessments and reports – snagged in a system that did not sufficiently address some contingencies like access to areas, availability of personnel /expertise for such assessments, lack of supporting information, resources and infrastructure to confirm or verify reports etc.

Sri Lanka though I’m ashamed to admit it,is another one of the Asian nations that regrettably and inevitably has its share of corruption. As a result needs identification has another dynamic and has become even more complex. In one District of the list of the first 50 beneficiaries that were recommended only 15 turned out to be eligible. The situation tends to be ongoing if not getting worse. The Challenge of Methodology‐ ‘Top Down’ or ‘Bottom Up’ As agencies that practiced participatory methodology, the time taken to see people participating in their choices and decisions was taking much longer than in other instances. There was a very real tension in doing work that might be termed as “top-down’ as opposed to a ‘bottom-up’ approach. Running parallel to the importance of identifying needs accurately is the whole issue that relief is in most cases very top down. Linked to the point raised about the pressure to utilize funds in short time



frames there was a danger that we might come in with our own agendas and fail to listen to the community. This stands in contrast to the incarnational model of relief that we see in Christ. The challenge was to determine when one should step back from the ‘relief –mode’ and enter into a participative, empowering system of addressing needs. Relief done without addressing the underlying socio-economic context creates a people dependent on relief and still trapped in their poverty. Currently a process is ongoing within the Consortium of Humanitarian Agencies (CHA) attempting to disseminate information and ascertain the conformity and deference to good practice and adherence to standards. In that it was reported that quite surprisingly many staff of INGO’s at ground level seemed unaware of these standards despite these agencies subscribing to these at an organizational level. The challenge for us was to be consistent and faithful to standards and good practice in this kind of context despite others observing it in the breach. It meant that we lagged behind in our attempts as we followed guidelines. The challenge of Organizational Capacity It was a time when there was no way one could respond to the disaster while maintaining the same level of organization as previously. The challenge was whether this was the time to expand or not. For us that was a decision already made and so in more ways than one it was very much a part of the direction the organization intended to go. We grew from an operational team of about 22 to 80+ within the year and are still growing. The challenge was to prepare for growth, and also for shedding of staff as well at the close of the disaster interventions. ♦ Personal Servanthood At times of great disaster there are instances when all your experience, knowledge and training means nothing and all you are expected to do is to serve. As an organization we were stretched to the limit and beyond. At such times the challenge was to forget who you were in the organization and get out there and help distribute the much needed supplies, load a lorry, clean debris, doing whatever it was what that was needed to be done was the required spirit. To echo the Nike advert line “Just Do It” - just the willingness to serve.



Balance Another challenge was managing time. Seeking to maintain some balance and equilibrium amidst all the donor visits, volunteer placements, government demands and external expectations upon you was almost impossible. Quite apart from the lack of hours in a day or days in a week to complete what had to be done, it was the lack of time (and inability) to stop as well. I must confess that this is one of the hardest for me. Most importantly one thing I had to guard fiercely was personal time with the Lord, time to pray, time with my family. I think the first few weeks we were sustained and carried along by the grace of God and the prayers of others, (not forgetting the adrenaline!) Because exhaustion was such that we could not even pray for ourselves. I recall one day after some discussion with a partner he inquired if he could pray for us and our “YES!” was so enthusiastic that he was surprised. At that time it was common to hear of communities and families being described as those that were most affected by the Tsunami, I remember another thing that our families began to say, to describe ourselves, ‘we are the most affected families’. Emotional Another challenge was in the area of our emotions. There was so much of death around us and the smell of death wherever we went. People were constantly breaking down and weeping in front of our eyes. I’ve seen colleagues of mine sobbing as they came face to face with grieving people and the sight of some of the devastation. In my case I was just not able to cry. I was wooden. In fact when a prayer partner called me over the phone and asked me how I was doing, I told him that I feared something was wrong with me, as I was emotionless. Here was I, we as a family had a close call, I had lost an uncle of mine and got to know of it on the Tuesday following that he had been buried….. and I was ‘fine’. The challenge was in giving emotionally, going on emotionally, as well as in having to minister to yourself emotionally. There was no exposure to, or resources known to be available to us -aid workers, undergoing trauma. It was not until last month that I heard of a programme offered to just 12 people on Critical Incident Stress Management of personnel.



ii. Obstacles ♦ Competition / Poor Co‐ordination Agencies choosing to do ‘their own thing’, were a recurrent problem creating conflict in communities and creating conflict between agencies and other fellow agencies and government. There were several instances of ‘The Lone Ranger’ model that came in with their guns blazing making relief drops all over the place and riding off into the sunset as quickly as they came leaving the rest of us to clean up after them. Duplication also takes place when ‘doing’ integral mission is seen and interpreted as a sole agency initiating and implementing the whole spectrum of activities from relief right through to transformation and discipleship, without a concept of partnership. The challenge is to accept each other’s individual organizational roles, giftings, limitations and capacities within the ‘body’ concept of ministry. Rather than be a ‘jack-of-all-trades-agency’, to be one that follows Paul’s view of ministry; “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow… the man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose… for we are God’s fellow workers..xxiii” ♦ Confusion As mentioned the spread of the disaster - 2/3rds of the Sri Lankan coast line affected, and the sudden unprecedented influx of agencies, an untried inexperienced government system, a breakdown in infrastructure and communication lapses between the central agency and the districts, local corporates outside of the ambit of NGHA’s and ignorant of any humanitarian codes, unscrupulous individuals trying to make the most of the circumstances could not have provided a better recipe for confusion at its highest. At the height of the Disaster within one single day the co-ordination authority shifted to four government ministries with officials literally walking about with their files from one office to the next! No one seemed capable of providing a cohesive picture. ♦ Non‐conformity to Principles and standards. Flowing as a result of the above context and growing frustration due to slow progress, many began resorting to just initiating and implementing what they thought best ignoring all norms and standards. Currently those of us remaining are faced with a scenario of having to return to earlier relief sites and ‘upgrade’ work done by others to bring them into conformity. Lack of allocated budgets to correct these is an added impediment.

xxiii I Corinthians 3:6-9



♦ Unrealistic expectations in deadlines and outputs In some instances an External Partner’s Lack of local knowledge and being far removed from an ever changing, largely fluid ground situation created much misunderstanding and constant troubleshooting. In turn a draining activity for us as local implementing agencies that could not possibly ignore these ‘queries’ without putting at risk the partnership whilst facing the tremendous pressure at actual ‘ground zero’ which demanded that same time and energy in the form of action and intervention. One query that raised quite a flurry was the conclusion that was reached through one of our reports that stated that LEADS was distributing formula milk and milk bottles. Issues of discouraging breast feeding, being used by milk food companies and international standards were some that had to be answered. Explaining that mothers were too traumatized to breast feed, that children weaned from breast milk were also among the affected, that Sri Lanka as a nation had no prohibitions on formula milk etc took over 3 weeks of various emails and verifications. Whilst funding partners may see these demands as essential they need to understand the pressures they create and to really empathize. ♦ Donor Fatigue / Pull‐back “Unless we make use of the current outflow of compassion now we will lose the opportunity as it will only last until the next disaster that captures the headlines of the media”, said one colleague. While the Tsunami gained an unprecedented worldwide response, I think for us in Sri Lanka where recovery has been a long slow haul the caution expressed above has proved true. We have seen funds that were pledged at both national and agency level being cut back as disaster after disaster hit various parts of the world. The length of time the recovery is taking has fatigued local volunteerism and even raised the almost incredulous question, “You are still doing Tsunami Relief ?” when one talks about current work.

iii. Moving Ahead o A right concept of the work that we engage in is vital as we seek to find meaning

in sometimes very frustrating work. To meet the theological challenges we need to have a proper / balanced theology of Relief. Our action needs to stem and be firmly based on a proper grasp of the essentials of Biblical truth and theology that impel our work.



o Integral mission does not mean doing it all on your own but allowing partnership with the body of Christ, where each may fulfill a part of the overall mission of God in presenting to society the whole counsel of God. One needs to be able to see it from that perspective and have a panoramic lens view.

o “Sometimes all you can do is smile and dig a ditch as a volunteer” – as said the

Missions director of one of our partner agencies describing their time in Aceh. You cannot speak the language you cannot offer any words of comfort you have only your service to express the grace and compassion of God. At such times you simply serve and accept that salvation is both an event and a process to which we are but contributors in the life of an individual.

b. Building on the success It almost seems too early for us to talk of successes but undoubtedly there are certain things that stand out.

• Means of reconciliation In the early weeks of January while we were still running around, I received a phone call from the Chairman of the Assemblies of God. His comment to me was so encouraging at that time. It made all our efforts seem worthwhile somehow. He said, “Roshan, I think we are finally learning the lesson you have been trying to teach us”. I was somewhat taken aback and wondered what this was all about. He then explained that in an area where the AoG church had experienced much opposition and persecution he was seeing a total turn around of their reactions. The church had been one of the first agencies to respond to the needs of the people in the communities surrounding it affected by the Tsunami. He said that all we did was just go among them and meet their needs, for once we did not go to preach. The most beautiful thing was that the people who once stoned us and beat our pastors are now embracing us – literally.

It was not only the religious divide that we saw changing but even the ethnic divide. As you are aware Sri Lanka has been in the grip of a civil conflict for over two decades. The tsunami seemed to wash away old animosities in the face of common suffering and people began to help each other as fellow human beings not looking at their labels. People were helped as Sri Lankans and fellow country men. However, this latter mellowing of old animosities did not last long due to



perhaps the resurgence of deep seated suspicions and the underlying political agendas that over-rode true selflessness. But hope is still present in examples of support between traditionally hostile communities continuing to support and help each other. There are however, still opportunities to build on these glimpses of hope. I read of similar scenes being enacted on the Pakistan, Kashmir border.

• Quick Response Teams Consequent to the previous flood and some of the training that LEADS staff underwent we had put into place in at least 2 of the Tsunami affected Districts what was called Disaster Committees. Due to the basic (I emphasize basic), information and knowledge they had received and been imparted members of these committees were among the first to join the relief efforts and be part of the teams engaged in rescue and relief.

• A ‘jump start’ into volunteerism Unlike in the Western Nations somehow for us Sri Lankans volunteerism is a new concept. Emerging from our colonial past, we carry a chip on our shoulder about our inability and absence of capacity. Many always look for assistance rather than seek their own solutions. Except in some very limited markets innovation and local production is not our strong point. This mentality is slowly, very slowly changing. In the church, since Christians are part of a minority community that are at the brunt end of marginalization and opposition this feeling is compounded even further when mixed with the poor national self-image. The Tsunami brought in and created an unprecedented response of human resources and volunteerism as never before experienced nationally. This was true even within the church. The opportunity seems right to maximize on this involvement, and the many individuals brought into contact with our work to build a data base of support and resource development. This can support the work on a long term basis on several fronts like skills, time, ideas, networks etc in addition to funds.



• Decentralization and empowerment of the Organizational Capacity The Tsunami boosted organizational capacity. The demand of on the ground staff made absolutely essential a local operation. The magnitude of the work stretched all of us to a point we never thought that we could be. Consequently staff and work became more decentralized with decision making moving more and more out to the districts thus building confidence and capacity in themselves as staff. It has enabled us to put in to practice systems of decentralization, and give more than the momentum we could have generated on a normal phased out decentralization process.

• Creative thinking - Rent programme When the Tsunami struck, thousands of people were forced to abandon their homes and find temporary shelter in schools and places of worship. Once the government brought in the rule of the buffer zone restricting people to return to their original lands, those displaced were forced to depend on the government for the provision of alternative land. This however was not forthcoming, and those displaced had to make do with very tough living conditions… As weeks looked like they would turn into months and even perhaps years before these people would be found alternative accommodation creative thinking was required urgently. At this point LEADS stepped in and offered the Government Agents of the areas the option of funding houses for rent. This concept was communicated to the community and those who were willing to give rooms/ houses on rent informed the relevant authority. Once LEADS verified each of the beneficiaries requests, arrangements were made to give a startup grant of in order for them to purchase essential items and thereafter a monthly payment towards rent for houses that the beneficiaries had the responsibility of locating for themselves. LEADS staff verified their locations and the programme is currently providing a place to call home to almost 600 families.

These beneficiaries were indeed grateful for this temporary arrangement which is far better than life in the camps; however they yearn for a place they can truly call their own.



• Gender Due to loss of lives following the Tsunami and the pre-existence of many female headed households, many women have been forced to step out of the shadow and initiate change and recovery for themselves. Men in some cases though present were drowning their sorrows in alcohol or just non-functional, forcing the women to take a step towards recovery of their families and lives. In an Asian society that tends to play down women, these women experienced a sense of emancipation previously not possible.

4. From the school of hard knocks ….Lessons Learnt

"In a time of drastic change it is the learners who inherit the future. The learned usually find themselves equipped to live in a world that no longer exists." Eric Hoffer “Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first and the lesson after”

o Be willing to let go and partner. Integral mission does not mean doing it all on

your own but partnership within the body of Christ. o Relief is like the pebble that starts a ripple that reaches the very end of the pond.

What I want to bring out is how a pebble cast into a pond causes ripples that spread in all directions. And each one of our thoughts, words and deeds is like that. It has an impact on the giver and the receiver.

Legend has it that Baron De Rothschild one of the richest men who ever lived once posed before an artist as a beggar. While the artist, Ary Scheffer, was painting him, the financier sat before him in rags and tatters holding a tin cup. A friend of the artist entered, and the baron was so well disguised that he was not recognized. Thinking he was really a beggar, the visitor dropped a coin into the cup. Ten years later, the man who gave the coin to Rothschild received a letter containing a bank order for 10,000 francs and the following message: "You one day gave a coin to Baron de Rothschild in the studio of Ary Scheffer. He has invested it and today sends you the capital which you entrusted to him, together with the compounded interest. A good action always brings good fortune. Signed, Baron de Rothschild." A simple act of kindness was bountifully rewarded.



o Relief even though is short term when it is done aright has a lasting impact. The case presented earlier shows the full cycle of what might be termed integral mission.

o Acts of service are not always dramatic or earth-shattering. Simple caring is all

that is needed. Discipleship means being alert for opportunities to care, to demonstrate God's loving-kindness, and to teach others to do the same. Like the Missions director in Aceh who could only smile and dig a ditch as a volunteer.

o Transformation does not essentially have to happen overnight, but in the right

context it will come.

o Staff care is equally paramount and vital. Staff at the edge of burn out, Post-Traumatic stress was not uncommon. It was important for us to find ways to support them and their families that have had to cope with extended absences of a family member or a ‘present’ family member that was too fatigued to be an active part of the family. Looking out for opportunities to provide De-stress events and times had to be integrated into the work schedule. We are now realizing that this has to be an ongoing process as cumulative exhaustion over the year is equal or perhaps more than that caused by the high energy bursts at early stages.

o Prepare for rapid expansion and plan for the inevitable pull back and return

slump to normal routines and funding levels. Plan the end - where you want to end so that you do not take a nose dive as an organization being unable to meet all the additional overheads and retain a huge staff.

o A partnership of trust and confidence makes so much difference in making the

job happen. As funding agencies stand by and support your partner Organization. The pressures in the aftermath of mega-disasters can be overwhelming. One understanding partner is like a soothing balm to a tired soul. Make your expressions of concern tangible and felt, communicate it to individuals, not just projects and activities.



o Rapid response is critical and vital. Delays of systems and procedures can cause more harm than good. Delays in approving grants have some real high risks and consequences for partner agencies and for the quality of work.

o Learn to say no. No to funds, no to more and more partnerships, no to meetings,

no to what is not important – the offer of all these can make an organization develop a mistaken self-expectation about their own capacity and reach beyond its depth.

o Lack of flexibility is a recipe for disconnected (non-integrated) mission. Flexibility

of donor agencies and implementing agencies in systems and approaches, programmes and methodology, measurements of outputs and expectations, is crucial in scenarios such as this.

o The rewards of service are often intangible and seem low in visibility. Now hear

the words of our Lord: "He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives Him who sent me. He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward; and he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward. And whoever in the name of a disciple gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water to drink; truly I say to you he shall not lose his reward." (Matthew 10:40-42 ) Even a cup of cold water, says the Master, water given to one of his little ones will be rewarded.

As we reflect on our Mission in the face of suffering and human misfortune so to speak lets reaffirm the ‘dream’ of Ronald J. Sider as echoed in the IRDA prayer some years ago – I have taken the liberty to add a few more thoughts (in italics).

“I dream of a new movement of Christians who immerse all their activity – not just their worship and evangelism but also their political analysis and cultural (and social) engagement– in all night prayer meetings. I dream of a movement that thinks as it prays, that plans careful strategies as it surrenders to the Spirit; that prays for both miraculous signs and wonders and also effective social reform, (that works out their faith in acts of compassion); that knows in its heart that nothing important will happen unless the Spirit blows through its plans; and also that God has no back‐up plan to use angels if we humans fail to do our part. A Biblical combination of prayer and action will (challenge and) change the world”.



An Update:

Tsunami 6 months and Beyond ….

The day that was …. It was a typically sunny warm blue skied Sunday morning. The kind that lures people to the beaches in the thousands. The day after Christmas. It was also a long weekend and several local families were taking a break vacationing along the coast. Hotels all along the coast were all booked out ages ago with tourists, and Sri-Lankan families returning from the west for Christmas at home. Along the coastal cities churches were all active, in villages Sunday was the day for fairs and bazaars which drew thousands. It was also the time of the ‘Kataragama’ season a time when Buddhist and Hindu devotees come from all parts of the country some times in convoys of buses, to the South-eastern coastal shrine of Kataragama. At 6.58 BBC and CNN tell us that the world’s worst earth quake in 40 years measuring 8.9 on the Richter scale shook the south-eastern sea bed of Andaman Islands, causing massive shock waves or Tsunamis which rolled in to India, Indonesia, Thailand,

and Sri-Lanka. But that morning, with no prior warning or preparation, an absolutely unassuming and beautiful day of clear blue sky and warm sunshine, erupted with all the force it seemed that nature had harbored as never before experienced by that generation - the sea rose within minutes, and crashed with unexpected and violent fury in to the coastal cities of these countries. It was at around 9 am on this rather subdued and laid back Sunday after Christmas, when residents of Colombo and its suburbs including ourselves usually come out to the sea shore to purchase some fresh fish for the week, buy provisions from the Sunday fair from these coastal towns or our Lunch that we saw the first wave hit the coast. The fishermen abandoned their selling and we all ran away. Although ignorantly initially we thought it was just an unusual phenomenon we realized it was far more serious as at 11am the 2nd hit and this time with terrifying force and then again around 1pm. Another two waves we heard were expected at around 12 midnight and towards morning. However it was only later in the day that these waves struck. The devastation was horrifying to say the least. A huge dredger ship anchored in port was carried 1.5 kms inland, smaller craft were smashed against the shore and were

found together with vehicles even on tree tops, the worlds worst train disaster was found to have taken place here with the Tsunami in Sri Lanka, roads washed away, communication towers in shambles, electricity poles askew, drowned people stuck among debris … and the smell of the dead refusing to waft away for weeks. Relief efforts As in the case of all disasters, relief began to pour in hours after the first news broke out over the media. International aid that came was managed by the government departments. Numerous other international and national aid agencies began drawing up strategies to cope with the chaos. However, the magnitude of the issues and scale of the destruction was overwhelming. Disaster management committees and teams though in place but were also peopled by officers who them selves were affected and found it hard to deal efficiently with a crisis of this magnitude while trying to cope with their own losses. The mass media in Sri Lanka proved to be a very effective and powerful resource in this crisis. Local TV channels had from the first hour been interspersing reports of the disaster with motivation to the rest of the country to join in the relief efforts. Cooked food parcels, clothes, bedding, drinking water and dry



rations poured into collection centers set up for this purpose. Business and religious establishments established relief efforts and centers. The church was at the forefront of relief efforts. Almost every pace of worship along the coast provided shelter and food. In most instances they were the first on the ground in response along with other local people. Many groups & individuals joined in our efforts, including local social bodies that have strong local contacts joined

in the efforts. Many school children and university students who were on vacation at that time, helped out in the packing department. Many people working in corporate organizations obtained leave from their organizations to assist in the logistic and operation activities and joined hands with numerous church volunteers to provide assistance and manpower. So much so that at one time many groups had an unprecedented influx of volunteers – more than could be handled! It might

well be that it was the first time any of us ever witnessed such a volume of volunteer support and spirit of volunteerism. Looking Outward and involving with society at this level, seeing the difficulties of engagement with government, sifting through the confusion, getting their hands dirty, concentrating on those neighboring the church, instead of their own members was for some churches a first time experience.

Roshan Mendis

relief & integral mission micah plenary

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