Indonesia (MNN) — The chaos of earthquake-stricken Indonesia is easing a little as relief groups are providing aid and meeting needs.
Food for the Hungry had people within 24 hours of the quake assessing needs, and they had people helping meet those needs within a few days. While coordination is beginning to happen, says FFH’s Heidi Kredit, it’s still fairly chaotic. “I would say that’s almost to be expected for probably the first month or two as people try to find their niche and what are the needs of the people.”
Partnering through other organizations and local churches, FFH is helping to distribute tents, hygiene kits, cooking kits and other supplies. Kredit says the churches have helped with logistics and distribution.
There’s also some exciting things happening with their Indonesian staff. “We have some Acehenese staff who were affected by the tsunami (who are) now responding as part of the FFH team in Yogyakarta, and these have been areas in Indonesia that are very different and very distinct and have not had a lot of interaction before. But through these two disasters, it’s kind of a connecting point, where they have something in common, and they’re able to support one another.”
Kredit says they’re excited to see this happening, “And so it feels like it’s the beginning in terms of a little bit of reconciliation between Achenese and Javanese, which are two totally different islands. And so we’re, even as an organization, have just prayed that that would be something that we can just mildly influence as we work through some of our relief efforts in Indonesia.”
In this anti-Christian area, FFH workers have had amazing opportunities to enter the city and truly demonstrate who Christ is. Kredit says, “One of our staff on the ground had said it’s been amazing as they have acknowledged that they want Christians to come in and help them; they’re not pushing them away. And I think it’s an opportunity through demonstrating the love of Christ to them, to show them that they’re people and that they matter, and that this is an opportunity for us as Christians to serve them. So it feels like it’s a stepping stone in expressing and getting an opportunity to share through example, more than anything, that Christ loves them and that Jesus is real and can transform your life.”
“It’s very exciting,” says Kredit. “It’s really amazing to see what God is doing and just to feel like Food for the Hungry gets to be a part of this great movement that God’s having in Indonesia in the midst of all of this destruction and sadness.”
She continues, “I feel like there is this one hope that is continuing to drive our staff in believing why we’re here. There has to be something more just with these multiple disasters that continue to happen in Indonesia, that the one long lasting hope that we can bring and offer you is Jesus Christ.”
As they respond to this disaster, Food for Hungry needs your help, financially and prayerfully. You can give to the relief efforts through their website. Prayer is crucial, especially for staff who can easily get exhausted as they care for those impacted by the disaster.
