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World Harvest Myanmar Relief Efforts: Update #4 2008-06-17 To date, the devastation of Cyclone Nargis that hit the southern coast of Myanmar, has left over 2,500,000 people homeless and in desperate need of food, clean water, and medical attention. A conservative death toll is approximated at about 150,000 lost lives. The military junta controlling Myanmar has been very resistant to accepting international aid, including supplies and personnel. Very few entry visas have been issued and although most relief organizations have been denied access into Myanmar, the Lord miraculously opened a door of entry for World Harvest’s relief efforts in partnership with In His Image International. In partnership with In His Image, World Harvest’s relief efforts led by Dr. Duininck along with 12 others, arrived in Yangon, Myanmar, on May 18th. During their say, they were able to work with several local organizations actively involved in disaster relief. Clinics were set up in several different locations, including schools, orphanages and private homes. Over 1,300 patients were seen during these clinics and all were dispensed medication and vitamins at no charge. The relief team was also able to set up sophisticated water purification units at each site and provide much needed purified water to many families. In addition to medication, Dr. Duininck reports that counseling and prayer was offered to the disaster victims and their families. Due to the severe restriction placed on foreigners by the national government, the relief team was not allowed free access into the devastated delta of Myanmar. However, Dr. Duininck reports that there were several opportunities to interact with national medical professionals who desired to respond to the crisis in their country. Team members met with local physicians and nurses to help prepare them to provide medical care and relief in the devastated areas. According to Dr. Duininck’s ground assessment the majority of aid and assistance to these areas is being provided by nationals, especially churches and Christian groups. Thank you for your generous gifts toward this Disaster Relief Trip. Your gifts gave helped to share the love of Christ with the people of Myanmar while providing care to men, women, and children in immediate need.  Dr. Duininck states: “Undoubtedly, the effects of the destruction from this cyclone will be felt for many months and years. However, there is hope; and God is using this disaster to open hearts of many to His goodness.” Dr. Duininck shares a testimonial from a gentleman the team met: “We want to be Christian. Christians are very good. They came and rescued us. They feed us. They clothe us. They love us.” Please join World Harvest in continuing to pray for the country of Myanmar and the many cyclone victims still suffering and in great need both physically and spiritually. World Harvest is making a consented effort to providing all the relief we can given the current circumstances. We are primarily providing water purifiers, and medication, as our primary objective in our first phase of this multi-year relief effort plan. Thank you for your compassion, World Harvest

World Harvest Myanmar Relief Efforts: Update # 3 2008-05-23
A young survivor of Cyclone Nargis crouches near a makeshift home.	World Harvest’s emergency relief effort, led by Dr. Mitch Duininck and In His Image, is in Myanmar and is doing GREAT! Praise the Lord!!!! Dr. Duininck said the team has had long and tiresome days, but they are all healthy and strong and working very well together. On their first day at work the team was able to make it to several different locations and treated over 400 people! Dr. Duininck said that though none of the people they have seen share the same “understanding that we do,” they have all been open and receptive to “the truth.”
Dr. Chris Reports on an Experience: The town was basically abandoned except for all the sick and wounded crowding into the small hospital. The hospital has about 120 doctors, who have done an amazingly good job of trying their best to take care of the overwhelming patient load. They needed water and supplies, which the team was able to help a little with.		A young boy sits by the wreckage of a home near Kyauktan May.
Our team especially was able to give encouragement, which was one of the most needed things, as the local doctors are feeling tired, overwhelmed, and discouraged with the need around them. This hospital, as well as the whole area, has a huge need for longer term supplies and equipment, which was lost in the earthquake, if they are to sufficiently care for the people around them. (Names omitted for security). On Tuesday (5-20) the team met with a group of young Burmese doctors to help train them to take care of the people in the delta in hopes that they will soon be able to get into the area and bring medicine and food.
Survivors of the cyclone Nargis stand under their shelter set.		The team reports that as they drove down one of the abandoned streets a lady ran out screaming for them to stop. She said, "We’ve found someone alive! We've found someone alive!" It turns out the person was about a five hour walk away up into the mountains! Our team was able to bring her to a local military outpost and there setup an addition rescue team station.
The team has asked that we continue to pray and believe for... health and protection Divine wisdom the hearts of the people to be open to the truth the hearts of the leaders to be softened with compassion for their people a supernatural impartation into the hearts of the Burmese doctors they will be working with a supernatural multiplication of medicine and supplies
We will keep you posted as updates from the ground come in. We really need your help in order to ensure that all the needs of this dire relief effort are met. To make a donation toward the Myanmar relief efforts, and for more information on our efforts please click here. Thank you for your compassion, World Harvest
			A child takes a nap by a road at a village hit by Cyclone Nargis.

World Harvest Myanmar Relief Efforts: Update # 2
2008-05-20

Dear Friends,

As you have all heard in the news, ‘Myanmar’s Cyclone’ (hurricane) death toll keeps rising and is now officially past 100,000. Entire villages have been wiped out. Right now there has been a massive outbreak of deadly dysentery due to a lack of sanitation. Having been to Aceh right after the massive tsunami of 2004, I can only imagine what the conditions are like; they are desperate.

Ground Report:

World Harvest,

“Thank you very much for your prayer and your message on Monday, May 12 2006 12:51 AM. In view of the devastation caused by the recent Cyclone in Yangon Myanmar. We also suffered damage to Bible School and Orphanage. Our Children have no place to stay right now. UN and other nations are not allowed to help in the form of food, medicines, shelter and etc by our nation's leaders. Therefore, we are really needed your prayer and help to recover quickly.

Sincerely in Christ,
Rev.Dr. C.B. Philip Thang (President)
Win Myanmar Mission”

World Harvest has obtained visa access to Myanmar, and today (5-15) has sent a team of 13 disaster relief specialists, comprising of 7 Doctors, a couple Nurses, and a couple Logistics members to the region. They will arrive in Yangon on Sunday morning bringing a full supply of various medicines, and also 3 units of high output water filtration machines. The team is led by Dr. Mitch Duininck, who has worked with World Harvest in Aceh, post the tsunami, and also post the Pakistan and Yogya earthquakes. Dr. Mitch and the team represent World Harvest’s premier medical disaster and relief field team.

Our times are economically depressed, however, I believe that a little effort can go a long way in expressing our compassion and care for the thousands of hurting people in Myanmar. I think it would be beautiful to see a ‘united-movement’ toward helping these suffering people. I perceive that the ‘Hand of God’ may use this tragedy to open up this otherwise closed country for the ‘Good-News.’ I pray that World Harvest will be able to minister there long term, and to see relief and development transform this impoverished nation; much like what World Harvest has accomplished and experienced in Aceh.

Please join World Harvest toward helping our brothers and sisters in Myanmar. The easiest to make a contribution toward this effort is by visiting: www.worldharvest.cc and clicking on the Myanmar “Make a Donation” link on the homepage. Updates on World Harvest’s relief efforts, will be also update periodically on the site.

Please help spread this appeal to your circle of influence, so the work in Myanmar can be maximized. The cost of this mission is approximately $60,000.00 (all our Doctors and personnel have offered to pay for their way as a contribution toward the Myanmar efforts). The funds we are attempting to raise are allotted toward medical supplies and water filtration systems.

Please pray with World Harvest so that we can meet all the needs within our ability.

Thank you so much for your care and compassion.

Danny Hanafi
Vice Chairman, Co-Founder, World Harvest

PS. I have committed to sending some of the funds raised from our upcoming Harvest Summer Concert, to further relief efforts in Myanmar. Please come and join us in order to support this noble cause.

The News World Harvest is receiving coming in from cyclone(hurricane)-ravaged Burma grows worse by the hour, with some reports claiming the death toll is approaching 100,000 dead and thousands more missing, with thousands homes destroyed and livelihoods ruined.

However, the disaster seems to have brought one faint glimmer of hope: that the closed doors to this otherwise politically isolated and authoritarian country will open to hundreds of international aid workers are allowed to bring urgently needed relief.

"The army has been mobilized to move trees and clear away debris so aid can get to people," says Ramesh Shrestha, a Canadian who has been UNICEF's representative for Myanmar (the junta's name for Burma) for the last two years. Mr. Ramesh further states that “a need for co-operation makes it ‘unlikely’ that the military would try to seize the aid, or divert it from the destitute population.”

Thankfully there are already signs that the ruling junta, accustomed to a control of power, is overwhelmed by the magnitude of the disaster and unsure of how to react to the unusual pressure to open its doors. So far, most of the aid obtained has arrived from depots inside Burma, operated by large agencies and international organizations. But they will soon be running on empty, in need of new supplies and skilled personnel.

As are common sentiments amongst R&D’s (Relief & Development Organizations), "The biggest challenges are getting the permissions and logistics in place," says Dave Toycen, president of World Vision Canada."The government has given every indication they're open to help, and that's a step in the right direction. But in the past they haven't been open to outsiders, and they're not accustomed to dealing with something like this."

"The government is inviting help in, but it is taking longer than we need," says Toycen. "Clean water and purification material is the most critical thing now. Children under 5 are the most vulnerable because they get dehydrated and sick quickly."

World Harvest’s AERDO (Association of Evangelical Relief & Development Organizations) affiliates like World Vision, with long-term projects in Burma, have had a head start at relief efforts, with "pre-positioned aid" and the help of staff and volunteers on the ground. World Harvest is in the process of mobilizing medical teams consisting of: doctors, nurses, and surgeons, along with a number of ground troops to join in aid toward relief efforts in Burma.

Please help support this effort by making a contribution of any amount that will be directed toward relief efforts in Burma. Click the link below to be directed to a secure contribution section.