Indonesia (MNN)–Marking the one year anniversary of the tsunami, grief again grips the hardest hit region, Indonesia’s Aceh Province.
Food For the Hungry’s John Frick says they’re projecting that the rebuilding process will take a decade, with emotional healing perhaps taking generations.
Within 24 hours of the disaster last year, FHI landed emergency response. Since then, they’ve dedicated personnel teams for the long haul, with an emphasis that has shifted from aid to rebuilding.
Explains Frick, FHI pledged to aid the city of Meulaboh through of ‘Rising to Help’, a 10-year community development partnership between the City of Phoenix, Ariz., and the City of Meulaboh. “A lot of our efforts have been revolved around livelihood and business restoration, as well as some of the infrastructure to make some things happen, as well as agriculture, so that the food security issues can be shored up.”
Prior to the tsunami, Indonesian Christians were leery of going into the Aceh province because of the persecution. But, Frick says they now are looking at this as a mission field. “We are entrenching a group of Indonesian believers into the mix of everything that we’re doing there. With our objective being to share the love of Christ through a very tangible way, when the opportunity arises, when people ask questions, then we can answer them.”
