Sri Lanka

Out of tragedy has sprung hope and new beginnings. Following the devastation of the tsunami, we have worked with several remote, coastal villages to help rebuild their homes, replace destroyed boats, and help the people rebuild their lives.

Near the end of 2004, the tsunami hit this lovely island and ravaged land, property, and lives. When we arrived there, we met with officials who advised us of remote areas where people had not been helped by others. It has been a joy and a pleasure to assist these grateful, hard-working people and help them put their lives back together. Besides providing relief aid, we have been able to supply them with fishing equipment and boats to help them rebuild their livelihood. Fishing is the main industry along the coastal villages. We also provided brick forming machines and instructed the villagers how to use them to rebuild their houses, and then they were able to sell the bricks for additional income.

Sometimes, recovering from tragedy is facilitated by the provision of non-essential items. We were pleased to deliver some musical instruments to a local school destroyed by the tsunami. This was a great encouragement to the children. We look forward to continued work in Sri Lanka.