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You may be aware that there was another tsunami which took place on October 25, 2011 in Mentawai Islands. Mentawai is a district in West Sumatera. It has been reported that a few hundred people died and some still missing.
Briefly I am sharing about this island. Mentawai District consists of islands and majority of people there are Christians. In the years of 1982-1989, there were some people from this island sent to our COGOP Bible School in Medan, then after they graduated, Brother Pardede (late) sent them back to start churches. We used to have 5 organized churches on this islands. Due to the internal problem of our church after the death of Brother Pardede we lost connection with the 5 organized churches. When the earthquake took place in Padang (provincial capital of West Sumatera) where Mantawai is, I sent a pastor from this island who is now pastoring our local church in Riau (outside of Mentawai island) to visit Mentawai as a part of West Sumatera. He reported to me that he found that we have still a small church with ten members on this island. Of course, he did not visit the islands recently hit by tsunami. I remember some of Bible School graduates were sent to the islands where tsunami was taken place.
We made contacts with our people there and we found they were affected by this disaster and we heard that there are some old members of churches on these islands were hit by tsunami and we did not hear anything about them.
We are planning and preparing a team to send to this island to find out and help the victims of disasters. We are waiting for a safe time to travel there. To go there from Batam or Medan, we have to take flight to Padang for about an hour, then take ferry for 8 hours to the capital of Mentawai and then take another ferry for 7 hours to the islands which were hit by tsunami. The reasons for a team go there to help the people who are still alive, counseling and encouraging them, share the physical needs (food, blankets etc), and we will find out if our old churches are there and to restart our COGOP there on these islands.
“MENTAWAI NEEDS CARE AND COMPASSION”
Reports of Relief Team, “Bahtera Misi,” in Mentawai
To respond to tsunami disasters in Mentawai which took place on October 25, 2010, we as a foundation, called Bahtera Misi, together with our local church in Batam were called to participate to help in this relief since we have some staff and students who had experience in relief work during the Tsunami in Aceh and earthquake in Nias.
We sent the first team on November 8. The purpose of a team is to find some facts and kind of help that we are going to do. The team left for Padang (Capital of West Sumatera Province) and took a boat to Mentawai. They left Padang about 8 p.m. It was predicted that the team would arrive in Mentawai the next morning. However, the boat was experiencing a big wave at about 3 a.m. in the morning. The team telephoned me that a small boat passed by about 10 a.m. to give help for their boat. The wave was so big that the boat went away and could not help the boat of the team. We lost contact for about 8 hrs as the stern of boat was broken. The team telephoned me about 6 p.m. on November 9 and informed me that the boat returned to Padang. I phoned some Rescue team in Padang to help the boat. Finally they reached Padang at about 12 midnight. After waiting for 3 days in Padang, since the weather was so bad, the team continued their journey to Mentawai. After one night journey from Padang by ship, the team finally reached Mentawai on November 14.
Here are the reports from team sent by short message by phone. There are three big islands in Mentawai: Sikakap, Sipora and Pulau Pejat. The duration time to reach an island to another island is about 2 to 3 hours and 4 to 5 hours. The worst island hit by Tsunami is South Sipora that caused the island to be flat. South Sikakap is one the island hit much by Tsunami. Sikakap island is a crisis center camp site where the victims stay. They stay at church buildings, residents’ houses, and clinics.
The data from sub-district office: It is reported 411 people died, 43 are missing, and 2,513 are now at the camp. The team found that the victims are having diseases, trauma, skin diseases, cough, recovery of surgery, and bone fractures, etc. The stock of food are less right now. We can buy rice and other items with expensive prices. The team has started to find facts and talk and counsel the victims. The team also help to construct the collapsed and broken houses and church buildings etc.
The urgent needs:
1. Food such as: rice, noodles, tin fish etc.
2. Medicines and vitamins
3. Kitchen utensils
4. Children’s clothes
Future plan of the team:
-The team is planning to live there for about two to three months.
-As most of the victims are Christians, the team will minister, encourage and counsel the victims spiritually.
-The team continues to share the blessings by distributing food and other needs as fund are available.
-The team will help to construct the collapsed and broken houses and church buildings.
-We will recruit young people to bring and house them to Batam to study either at secular schools or at our Missions college in Batam.
-If the funds are available, we will take some children to put them at our Bethesda Orphanage, Batam.
We need:
1. We need your prayer for the safety of the team as the wave around the islands are high and the boats there are not so secured.
2. We need your financial contribution that you may channel through us to buy needs of the victims.
3. We need volunteers like: doctors, builders and counselors, the team is ready to assist.
If I know more I will let you know. For your information, the majority on these islands are Christians and attentions from Indonesian Government is lesser than the Volcano’s eruption in Java. Keep the team in your prayer and be called to have compassion and HELP.
God bless,
Bishop Zebua, National Overseer of Indonesia
Thank you, Harvest Partners, for your continued prayers, encouragement, and loving support to our brothers and sisters in Indonesia. You are impacting this nation with the Gospel of Christ and it is deeply appreciated. Please do continue in prayers
for the recovery of our people from this recent tsunami. To assist with these needs, please list your love offerings as:
HPL2 – Indonesia – Benevolence Support – Indonesia Tsunami Relief Efforts
Note that all gifts are tax deductible and 100% of your gift is applied to the need you specify.
