Severe Tropical Cyclone Phailin lurking just off the northeast coast of India at peak intensity.
(Image courtesy NOAA, caption courtesy TheSurvivialPlaceBlog.com)

India (GFA/MNN) — Last October, India’s eastern coast experienced the worst cyclone it had seen in 14 years: Cyclone Phailin. The storm damaged or destroyed 800,000 homes, and many people lost every earthly possession they owned.

Recovery efforts, initiated and carried out by believers in the affected areas, are putting Christ’s love into action.

Phailin Recovery

Right after Phailin struck, Gospel for Asia (GFA) teams responded with the compassion of Christ and cared for survivors’ basic needs. Ministry leaders also initiated a reconstruction program. As they monitor progress in each affected area, local pastors and other ministry leaders pray over the houses as they’re being built.

“Now I understand the deep love of Jesus for me and my family,” said one house recipient.
(Photo, caption courtesy GFA)

So far, GFA teams have rebuilt 141 homes for Phailin survivors, with plans to rebuild at least 1,000 homes over the next three years. In addition, GFA-supported nationals are providing education for affected children through the Bridge of Hope program.

“Jibu” and his family lost their house and all their belongings when Cyclone Phailin swept through Odisha. After receiving a home as part of GFA’s Phailin Housing Project, he said in tears, “We are a very poor family. No one was there to help us when we lost everything during Phailin. Even our own relatives did not help us. But I am so happy that GFA helped me. I am so grateful to the church.”

Click here to help GFA reach their goal of 300 rebuilt homes by December 31.

At the same time, GFA Compassion Services teams are bringing help to families who were affected by the most recent storm, Cyclone Hudhud.

Hudhud Recovery

All the food packets were prayed over before being given to those in need.
(Photo, caption courtesy GFA)

On Sunday, believers and GFA pastors packed up a truck with food packets for 400 families living in three areas hit hardest by Cyclone Hudhud. Each food packet contained 22 pounds of rice, 2 pounds of dal, 2 pounds of sugar, 1 quart of oil, and various cooking spices.

Hudhud left hundreds of people homeless, seeking shelter in relief camps or under plastic tarps issued by local authorities. About 95 houses belonging to believers have been damaged. Forty families of children attending a Bridge of Hope center in Andhra Pradesh and at least 28 pastors have been affected.

These efforts and actions have led to a lot of curiosity and questions about the Gospel message. Pray for the immediate and eternal impact of GFA’s disaster recovery projects.

More India stories here.

The AIRS instrument aboard Aqua captured infrared data on the storm that showed cloud top temperatures had dropped, indicating stronger uplift and stronger thunderstorms.
(Image Credit:
NASA JPL, Ed Olsen
Caption Credit: NASA.gov)

India (MNN) — They say lightning doesn’t strike twice, but what about cyclones? Cyclone Hudhud made landfall on India’s east coast yesterday, bringing storm surge flooding, high winds, and torrential rain.

Cyclone Hudhud’s arrival fell exactly on the one-year anniversary of Cyclone Phailin. Phailin, largely overshadowed at the time by Typhoon Haiyan’s wrath in the Philippines, struck northeast India on October 12, 2013 carrying wind speeds at around 127 mph.

Lindsay Ackerman of Grand Rapids, Michigan-based Mission India says they partner with believers who were affected by both storms.

“Many people live in homes that are made of mud or straw, or perhaps they’re just in tents–nothing that could ever stand up to the strength of a storm,” Ackerman says, explaining why recovery is such a long process in India.

Mission India helps the Indian Church in a systematic and measurable way through prayer, finance, and ministry partnerships. Together, national believers and Mission India lead Children’s Bible Clubs, teach biblical Adult Literacy Classes, and plant churches.

As Mission India’s partners recover from Cyclone Hudhud, they’re going to need your prayers. Pray for safety and for opportunities to introduce their neighbors to Christ.

“Stepping forward in prayer really gives much comfort and strength, especially to believers there,” Ackerman explains.

“And that then gives them the strength to minister to others in their community who are affected, and to encourage them and walk alongside them.”

Find more ways to help through Mission India here.

Severe Tropical Cyclone Phailin lurking just off the northeast coast of India at peak intensity.
(Image courtesy NOAA, caption courtesy TheSurvivialPlaceBlog.com)

India (MNN) — Do you remember Cyclone Phailin? If not, you’re not alone. The storm hit India four months ago, destroying around 800,000 homes. It was mostly overshadowed by Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines, and people still need help.

“Cyclone Phailin was one of the most devastating cyclones that’s hit India in a very long time,” Danny Punnose with Gospel for Asia says.

Early on, there were fears that Phailin would morph into a Super Cyclone, a storm packing wind speeds of over 139 miles-per-hour (mph). To prevent an aftermath like what followed 1999’s Odisha cyclone, India’s government evacuated 1.1 million people from the coastal states of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.

Thankfully, the storm lessened and made landfall on October 12, 2013 with wind speeds at around 127 mph. Evacuations kept the death toll below 20, but Phailin still affected nine million people, whether by damaging or completely destroying homes and livelihoods. To put the damage in perspective, around one million people in the U.S. were displaced by 2005’s Hurricane Katrina.

Four months down the road, many families still make their homes under government-issued tarps until they are able to rebuild their homes.
(Image courtesy GFA)

Four months down the road, Punnose says there hasn’t been much change for Phailin survivors.

“There are so many people still waiting for help and camping out on the roads,” he says. “Their land is gone, their farms are gone, houses are gone, and they’re just trying to rebuild their lives right now.”

GFA’s Compassion Services Teams were among the first on the scene when Phailin made landfall, bringing food, clean water, and medical supplies to those in need. Their initial goal was to rebuild 200 homes for affected villagers, but they recently increased the amount to 1,000.

“When you’re talking about a thousand homes, it’s a lot of finances. We’re rebuilding these homes for about $3,000 for each home,” Punnose notes.

“I think some of the biggest needs we’re encountering right now [are] just bringing materials into the areas, because you’re talking about roads that’ve been washed away, and pretty much all infrastructure is gone.”

Help meet some of GFA’s financial needs here.

GFA teams are still helping Phailin survivors,
four months after the storm hit land.
(Image courtesy GFA)

The Gospel in action

Along with rebuilding homes, GFA is caring for basic essentials like food, water, and education for the children. Their actions speak volumes to people affected by Phailin, especially to those from Dalit or “Untouchable” backgrounds.

“Their entire future has been washed away. When we are able to talk with them and pray with them, we are able to tell them that there is hope in Christ,” explains Punnose.

“They will come back to us pretty often and say, ‘Can you now tell us why you’re doing this, because no one does this.'”

Dalits are considered subhuman or “Untouchable” and don’t even hold a place on India’s four-tier caste system. If they can find a job, they’re given the ones no one else wants, such as unclogging sewers or disposing of dead bodies. Learn more about the Dalits here.

When Dalits ask GFA workers why they’re helping, “we’re able to tell them: ‘Because we love Christ and Christ loves you.’ Then we’re able to tell them what Christ did,” Punnose says, “how He died on the cross for them, and how He brings purpose in life, and hope to hopeless situations.

“It’s very exciting to see how God can turn a terrible situation into something good.”

“Many of the people say, ‘Nobody helps us,’ and ‘Even the government could not help us in time.’” –Alok Peter, GFA pastor, during initial damage assessments
(Image, caption courtesy GFA)

There’s a place for you in this story.

“When we hear about these victims, our hearts should be moved to prayer, and then see what God would have us do,” says Punnose.

As GFA workers share the hope of Christ with Phailin survivors, pray for changed hearts. Pray for financial help so GFA can rebuild all 1,000 homes. Pray that survivors can get their lives and livelihoods re-established quickly.

To help GFA toward this end, click here.

The government evacuated hundreds of thousands of villagers and fishermen just a month after Cyclone Phailin forced another massive rescue effort.

(Stock file photo Phailin aid courtesy Gospel For Asia)

The storm slammed into the Andhra Pradesh coast with heavy rains and strong gales. Seven people died, and there was massive damage to the crops in the coastal region. The reality is much more stark in the wake of this storm says Danny Punnose with Gospel For Asia. “The continuous rain and flooding is making the relief work difficult. Because the death rate was not very high, there’s not a lot of international attention or aid that came in.”

What makes this worse is that the advent of Super Typhoon Haiyan in the Phillippines, coupled with the rash of tornadoes across the U.S. Midwest, means attention has shifted away from the needs in India.

Punnose says they’ve got reports from staff who are still doing relief work from Cyclone Phailin. “There are tens of thousands of people who are basically living out and camping out on the roadsides because that’s the only place that’s dry and not flooded.”

Two cyclones back-to-back plus the flooding and insufficient aid from the international community means, “People’s lives are pretty much shot. They can’t actually go back and re-start anything because there’s nothing to go back to,” especially when the issue of discrimination comes into play. Punnose explains, “Most of these people are from the Dalit background, so no one is really going to be out there to rescue them and help them.”

(Stock file photo Phailin aid courtesy Gospel For Asia)

The schools hadn’t fully recovered from Phailin when Helen made her appearance. “Millions of children can’t go to school,” Punnose says, adding, “Some of our Bridge of Hope programs stopped or were put on hold because we can’t restart the programs when it’s all flooded.”

GFA teams have shifted into high gear now, making sure that the immediate needs are cared for in the wake of Helen. Aside from the food, shelter, and clean water needs, they will be encountering emotional trauma, too, adds Punnose. “Put yourself in the place of the people that you’re praying for. Try to imagine that you’ve lost everything and you’re just trying to survive, and you’re wondering how you’re going to find food for your kids, how you’re going to restart your life, and how you’re going to keep your family together.”

With thousands waiting for help, Gospel for Asia Compassion Services teams press on to provide relief despite the challenges. GFA pastors and Bridge of Hope children are among those in need of aid.

In one region damaged by Cyclone Phailin, about 78 GFA pastors and 1,457 families of believers have been affected by the rainfall. In other areas, about 30 homes of Bridge of Hope children are destroyed, damaged, or underwater.

(Stock file photo Phailin aid courtesy Gospel For Asia)

With the damages mounting by the one-two punch, GFA knows it will take years to recover.  They’re committed to the long haul in these areas because “that’s kind of what we see: what Christ would be doing,” Punnose notes. He says financial integrity of the ministry means that 100% of the support earmarked for relief will go to relief projects in these areas.

More than giving or going, though, Punnose says prayer support will shore up workers who are already stretched thin. “I think that’s where we need to begin by praying, ‘Lord, would You change my heart so that when I see these things, it’s not just, ‘Oh, it’s another storm in the same area,’ but that my heart would be changed and I would begin to pray, because every believer should be engaging and praying for the world.”

Click here to begin your journey.

The government
evacuated hundreds of thousands of villagers and fishermen just a month after Cyclone
Phailin forced another massive rescue effort.

The storm slammed
into the Andhra Pradesh coast with heavy rains and strong gales. Seven people died and there was massive
damage to the crops in the coastal region. The reality is much more stark in the wake of this storm says Gospel For
Asia Vice President Danny Punnose. "The
continuous rain and flooding is making the relief work difficult. Because the
death rate was not very high, there's not a lot of international attention or
aid that came in."

What makes this worse is that the advent of super Typhoon
Haiyan in the Phillippines, coupled with the rash of tornadoes across the U.S.
Midwest means attention has shifted away from the needs in India. Punnose says they've got reports from staff
who are still doing relief work from Cyclone Phailin. "There are tens of
thousands of people who are basically living out and camping out on the
roadsides because that's the only place that's dry and not flooded."

Two cyclones back-to-back, plus the flooding and insufficient
aid from the international community, means,
"People's lives are pretty much shot. They can't actually go back and
re-start anything because there's nothing to go back to," especially when the issue of discrimination
comes into play. Punnose explains, "Most of these people are from the Dalit
background, so no one is really going to be out there to rescue them and help
them."

The schools hadn't fully recovered from Phailin when Helen
made her appearance. "Millions of children can't go to school," Punnose says,
adding, "Some of our Bridge of Hope programs stopped or were put on hold because
we can't restart the programs when it's all flooded."  

GFA teams have shifted into high gear now making sure that
the immediate needs are cared for in the wake of Helen. Aside from the food, shelter, and clean water
needs, they will be encountering emotional trauma, too, adds Punnose. "Put
yourself in the place of the people that you're praying for. Try to imagine that
you've lost everything and you're just trying g to survive, and you're wondering
how you're going to find food for your kids, how you're going to restart your
life, and how you're going to keep your family together."

With thousands waiting for help,
Gospel for Asia Compassion Services teams press on to provide relief despite
the challenges. GFA pastors and Bridge
of Hope children are among those in need of aid.

In one region damaged by Cyclone
Phailin, about 78 GFA pastors and 1,457 families of believers have been
affected by the rainfall. In other areas, about 30 homes of Bridge of Hope
children are destroyed, damaged, or underwater. 

With the damages mounting by the one-two punch, GFA knows it
will take years to recover. They're
committed to the long haul in these areas because "that's kind of what we see: what Christ would be doing," Punnose
notes. He says financial integrity of
the ministry means that 100% of the support
earmarked for relief will go to relief projects in these areas.

More than giving or going, though, Punnose says
prayer support will shore up workers who are already stretched thin. "I think that's where we need to begin by
praying, ‘Lord, would You change my heart so that when I see these things it's
not just, ‘Oh, it's another storm in the same area,' but that my heart would be changed
and I would begin to pray, because every believer should be engaging and
praying for the world."

Click here to begin your journey.

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(Photo courtesy Gospel For Asia)

India (MNN) — In the wake of Cyclone Phailin’s rampage through India, there is devastation.

Nearly one million people were evacuated from Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, and an estimated nine million people are victims of the storm in some way. The good news is that the casualty rate was low because of quick action by the government in evacuating people to safer areas. The bad news is that there is almost nothing left for the survivors to come back to…and the grief is etched in their faces.

In the absence of ordinary village noise, it’s clear that pain has its own language. Vice President of Gospel For Asia Danny Punnose explains, “The relief teams are seeing thousands of people just sitting on the roads. Most of the other areas are just submerged underwater. After the cyclone came through and flooded everything, there’s just standing water everywhere. Any kind of open wells are contaminated now; any rivers that they would drink [from are] contaminated more.”

The secondary wave of disease usually hits a couple of weeks after the initial crisis. “You’ve got dead animals and decaying debris everywhere, and there’s dirt and muck; and the possibility for disease to break out is a realistic thing. But what we’re seeing right now is that people are just hanging out on the roads because the roads are a little bit higher. It’s the only place for them to stay, so even finding a place to keep warm at night is a real difficulty right now.”

But those are just a few of the many problems. People also have limited food. Though government is distributing rations, it is not enough for everyone. “Most of these people affected are from the Dalit background. They are the lowest caste in the caste system. They are the Untouchables, and so they are considered to be nothing, or less than animals. They’re not worthy of help in a lot of people’s minds.”

Since they also live in rural areas, it’s unlikely that aid drops have any priority away from the cameras and city centers. Punnose says, “It’s only those who follow Christ who really see that there is value in human life. One of the things that we’re doing is going and doing relief work wherever we can.”

Gospel for Asia (GFA) Compassion Services disaster relief teams were among the first to reach victims on India’s east coast after Phailin made landfall as one of the largest cyclones ever generated in the Bay of Bengal. Immediate supplies of clean water and food were distributed to victims who have lost homes, livelihoods, crops, and livestock. Punnose says they’re committed for the long haul. “I think yesterday we were able to reach out to about a thousand families with food, shelter, and water. We’re still trying to do that. We’ll be here for many years, actually, trying to help people rebuild their lives.”

Why years? First of all, explains Punnose, “The houses and the way things are built are not made for heavy storms. They’re made for a very dry climate. When you have these houses that are made of mud hit with the extreme amounts of water, [they’re] just gone. And then there’s standing water, so there’s no way to rebuild until things have completely gone down.”

To put a scope on the devastation along the Odisha coast, Punnose compares it to Hurricane Katrina and the Indian Ocean tsunami of  2004. “The devastation is more than [Hurricane] Katrina, in terms of about 12 million people affected by it. We know at least 10,000 of our own believers in affected churches, and houses, and everything else–300,000 houses destroyed altogether.”

In terms of comparison with the tsunami, Punnose says that’s a closer picture, “where things are just wiped out, and you’ve just basically devastated the economic system there. People’s lives are just on standstill until anyone can help them with anything. That’s what we’re trying to do right now, just to encourage people, help them, meet their basic needs, medical treatment, and not give up hope right  now.”

Wrecked fishing boats and nets, and one million acres of lost crops across Odisha and Andhra Pradesh mean loss of livelihood for thousands. “Most of our believers are dependent upon agriculture and do not know what they will do now,” according to one onsite GFA representative.

The agricultural loss in these states, especially of rice, is anticipated to affect the food supply throughout India. Downed power lines causing lack of electricity, communication, and transportation have created additional havoc. Medical aid is in short supply.

The government has guaranteed initial relief of a few days of food. GFA relief teams are working to meet basic needs by distributing clean water, medical supplies, clothing, and family food packs of rice, salt, oil, potatoes, and matchsticks.

Punnose notes that two things stand out to the people they’re helping. One, they can’t quite believe there’s any help at all. “A lot of them will ask, ‘Why are you doing this? We’re from a Dalit background. No one treats us kindly, and yet, you’re showing us love. Why are you doing this?'” And two, “You have people who have lost all hope, and yet some of the people within that community that have lost everything are our own believers. They have hope in the midst of losing everything, and they’re the ones bringing hope and healing to the people who need it the most.”

The contrast is powerful. A cup of cold water in Jesus’ name opens a lot of conversations, says Punnose. “It’s just simply telling people that ‘we’re doing this on behalf of the name of Christ, and we love you.'”

To learn more about the effects of Cyclone Phailin and to donate to the relief efforts, visit http://www.gfa.org/cyclone/phailin/.

Nearly one million people were
evacuated from Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, and an estimated nine million people
are victims of the storm in some way. The good news is that the
casualty rate was low because of quick action by the government in evacuating
people to safer areas. The bad news is that
there is almost nothing left for the survivors to come back to…and the grief is
etched in their faces.

In the absence of ordinary village noise, it's clear that pain
has its own language. Vice President of Gospel For Asia Danny Punnose explains, "The
relief teams are seeing thousands of people just sitting on the roads. Most of the
other areas are just submerged underwater. After the cyclone came through and
flooded everything, there's just standing water everywhere. Any
kind of open wells are contaminated now; any rivers that they would drink [from are] contaminated more."

The secondary wave of disease
usually hits a couple of weeks after the initial crisis. "You've got dead animals and decaying debris
everywhere, and there's dirt and muck; and the possibility for disease to break
out is a realistic thing. But what we're seeing right now is that people are
just hanging out on the roads because the roads are a little bit higher. It's
the only place for them to stay, so even finding a place to keep warm at night
is a real difficulty right now."

But those are just a few of the
many problems. People also have limited food. Though government is distributing
rations, it is not enough for everyone. "Most
of these people affected are from the Dalit background. They are the lowest
caste in the caste system. They are the Untouchables, and so they are considered
to be nothing, or less than animals. They're not worthy of help in a lot of people's minds."

Since they also live in rural areas, it's
unlikely that aid drops have any priority away from the cameras and city
centers. Punnose says, "It's only those who follow Christ who
really see that there is value in human life. One of the things that we're doing is going and doing relief work
wherever we can."

Gospel for Asia (GFA) Compassion Services disaster relief teams were
among the first to reach victims on India's east coast after Phailin made
landfall as one of the largest cyclones ever generated in the Bay of Bengal.
Immediate supplies of clean water and food were distributed to victims who have
lost homes, livelihoods, crops, and livestock. Punnose says they're committed for the long
haul. "I think yesterday we were
able to reach out to about a thousand families with food, shelter, and water. We're
still trying to do that. We'll be here for many years, actually, trying to help
people rebuild their lives."

Why years? First of all, explains Punnose, "The houses
and the way things are built are not made for heavy storms. They're made for a
very dry climate. When you have these houses that are made of mud hit with the
extreme amounts of water, [they're] just gone. And then there's standing water, so there's no way to rebuild until
things have completely gone down."

To put a scope on the devastation
along the Odisha coast, Punnose compares it to Hurricane Katrina and the Indian
Ocean tsunami of  2004. "The devastation is more than [Hurricane] Katrina, in terms of about 12 million people affected by it. We know at least 10,000 of our own believers
in affected churches, and houses, and everything else–300,000 houses
destroyed altogether."

In terms of
comparison with the tsunami, Punnose says that's a closer picture, "where things are just wiped out, and you've
just basically devastated the economic system there. People's lives are just on
standstill until anyone can help them with anything. That's what we're trying
to do right now, just to encourage people, help them, meet their basic needs,
medical treatment, and not give up hope right 
now."

Wrecked fishing boats and nets, and one
million acres of lost crops across Odisha and Andhra Pradesh mean loss of
livelihood for thousands. "Most of our believers are dependent upon agriculture
and do not know what they will do now," according to one onsite GFA
representative.

The agricultural loss in these states,
especially of rice, is anticipated to affect the food supply throughout India. Downed
power lines causing lack of electricity, communication, and transportation have
created additional havoc. Medical aid is in short supply.

The government has guaranteed initial
relief of a few days of food. GFA relief teams are working to meet basic needs
by distributing clean water, medical
supplies, clothing, and family food packs of rice, salt, oil, potatoes, and matchsticks.

Punnose notes that two things stand out to
the people they're helping. One, they can't quite believe there's any help at all. "A lot of them will ask, ‘Why are you doing
this? We're from a Dalit background. No one treats us kindly, and yet, you're showing
us love. Why are you doing this?'" And two, "You have people who have lost all hope, and
yet some of the people within that community that have lost everything are our
own believers. They have hope in the midst of losing everything, and
they're the ones bringing hope and healing to the people who need it the most."
  

The contrast is powerful. A cup
of cold water in Jesus' name opens a lot of conversations, says Punnose. "It's just simply telling people that 'we're
doing this on behalf of the name of Christ, and we love you.'"

To learn more about the effects of Cyclone Phailin and to donate to the
relief efforts, visit http://www.gfa.org/cyclone/phailin/.

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Thanks to government-ordered evacuations in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, along with the increased popularity of radio and mobile devices, crisis was averted. But another one's on its heels.

"Most of these reports are off the mainstream media, they've kind of gone by the wayside because the death rate was not so big," notes Danny Punnose with Gospel for Asia.

As international attention turns to other headlines and India's government concludes its work in disaster-affected regions, Phailin survivors are left to fend for themselves.

Approximately 900,000 people were evacuated from Odisha ahead of Phailin and its 140-mph winds. State officials say over 500,000 people have lost their homes. Across both Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, more than 100 million acres of damaged crops translate into lost livelihoods for impoverished farmers.

"You're talking 12 million people affected and 300,000 homes gone," he states. "This is where we step in because our people are there; our churches are there…they're already reaching out ground-zero where people are most-affected."

See an initial damage assessment from GFA's Compassion teams.

In the northern state of Bihar, along Nepal's border, believers felt Phailin's wrath as the storm moved inland. More than 15 people lost their lives, and the homes of another 95 Christ-followers were destroyed.

Dakshina Nadig, a regional pastor in Bihar, reported the death of one believer’s 7-month-old daughter due to exposure to the severe cold, wind, and rain. Nine GFA-supported pastors’ homes collapsed from the extreme weather, and other affected believers are staying with friends in schools or in makeshift tents made from tarps.

Punnose says many of those affected in Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, and Bihar are Dalits. This people group is the lowest on India's caste system, often regarded as "social lepers," or Untouchables.

"When you come from that kind of background, especially Dalit background…and you lost everything…you have no hope; you have no way to rebuild your life," he explains. "The greatest need right now is for giving people hope and direction, and that's what our people are doing."

As they do, the Gospel comes to life and hearts change.

"When the Gospel goes along with tangible expressions of love it really makes a huge impact on these people's lives," says Punnose.

"People are turning to the Lord, and they're responding because they see love in action."

Can you help GFA reach more people with the love and hope of Christ? Click here.

"This is not like [Hurricane] Katrina where FEMA comes in, the government comes in, and they do something, everyone gets back on their feet after a little bit," Punnose explains.

Ranked at Category 3, 2005's Hurricane Katrina made landfall in the United States at the end of August. According to 2010 data from the Greater New Orleans Community Data Center, over 1 million people in the Gulf region were displaced by the storm.

For the 12 million people affected by Cyclone Phailin in India's eastern states, especially the Dalits, there is no "safety net" of governmental help.

"No one's going to be there to rebuild their homes; they're done," says Punnose. "Unless the Body of Christ makes this an opportunity to reach out to those people and help them, nothing will be done."

Help us keep this story in the headlines through social media. There's a button at the top of this article where you can "Share" this article on various outlets. Or, you can click here to write a prayer for Phailin survivors on our Facebook page.

"Use Facebook, use Twitter; 'Share' it," encourages Punnose. "Let people know that they can pray and they can give, and that they can actually make a difference in these people's lives."

Pray for protection for those who survived Phailin's wrath. Pray that someone will share the hope and love of Christ with them.

"They don't have food, they don't have shelter, they don't have clean water; they've lost everything, and they've lost all hope," summarizes Punnose.

Ask the Lord to fill your heart with compassion.

"Put yourself in their place and pray for them. Until our hearts are filled with compassion…we are going to see this simply as news information, not real life," Punnose says.

"The Bible tells us that when Jesus saw the crowds, He was moved with compassion. [It] wasn't that He felt sorry for them, He really, really understood their condition, and it broke His heart; and then He would act based on that."

(Photo courtesy Gospel For Asia/AP Photo/Biswaranjan Rout)

India (GFA/MNN) — The last time a storm as powerful as Cyclone Phailin struck the eastern coast of India, 10,000 people died.

The sense of relief is strong in the state of Odisha, where Phailin made landfall this weekend. 17 people died and more than nine million were affected. However, the survival rates are attributed to the massive evacuations that took place as the storm approached. While every death is tragic, considering Phailin was the strongest tropical storm to hit India in more than a decade, the toll could have been much higher.

Around half a million people fled the coasts of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha as Cyclone Phailin began its onslaught. It’s the result of having learned the lessons of 1999, in which Cyclone Orissa killed 10,000 and did over $2 billion in damage. For what it’s worth, Cyclone Orissa carried winds of 155 mph at landfall. Phailin arrived with winds of 140 mph.

Still, officials acknowledge that rehabilitation will be a significant challenge. Electricity has been turned off in 12 Odishan districts and may take a week to turn on again, and communications are severely limited. Gospel For Asia Vice President, Danny Punnose says, “The greatest difficulties in these kinds of situations is that you don’t have a very fast clean up. So, you’ve got contaminated water. Most people drink out of wells-open bore wells, and so you’ve got animals that are dead, and so you’ve got the chances for cholera and waterborne diseases to be spreading.”

With many roads either collapsed or blocked by trees, officials are still waiting to see the extent of the damage along the coast. Some estimate 236,000 homes are damaged.
In Odisha, Gospel for Asia correspondent Ibhya Lall said more than 4,000 believers were affected by Cyclone Phailin. GFA has assessment teams on the ground because fast action is the key to surviving the aftermath of the storm. Punnose says, “We have about 200 churches that are actually in those areas that were hit pretty badly. You’re talking about couple thousand believers there, plus you’ve got missionaries, and other people who are doing work in Bridge of Hope Centers. So there are quite a lot of people in those areas.”

The reality of going home for many will be grim. “There’s nothing to go back to. There are no farms, there are no animals. Their livelihood is gone, especially along the coast lines, pretty much, their livelihood has been destroyed because it’s all fishing”, explains Punnose. Laying out a plan of action is easier said than done, he adds. “It’s not just throwing food at people, but having a serious level plan that’ll probably take us a couple of years to be able to really help a lot of these people get back on their feet.”

What’s more, many of the GFA team members are responding to the needs even though they have also lost their homes, churches, schools and Bridge of Hope Centers, he notes. “They are doing what they can to serve the community and to serve people, because they may be the only ones who actually have any sense of hope in a disaster like this.”

The damage is so widespread, it will take at least a couple years to recover. Add to that the potential of a food shortage, and the stakes raise even higher. Intense monsoon rains this summer had brought an increase in the two states’ regular rice crop, but now more than 1 million acres of agricultural fields have been destroyed. As two of India’s greatest producers of rice, the damage will likely affect the rest of the nation’s food supply.

With the government’s support, GFA Compassion Services teams plan to provide relief in as many affected areas as possible.

It’s just another disaster story, right? It may or may not make a blip on the evening news. There may or may not be a follow up :30 story. As the story fades from headlines in North America, Punnose acknowledges that this is a challenge they face when asking for help to respond to a disaster of this magnitude. However, he points out that, “If we aren’t concerned, and we don’t allow our hearts to break, what happens is, if you do that long enough, your heart becomes numb to anything that God is trying to stir you with.”

Please pray for:
* Continued guidance and wisdom for government officials and all seeking to provide relief and rescue from the storm.
* God’s peace to reign in the hearts of believers affected by the storm.
* God to show His love to the people of India in the midst of this crisis.

The sense of relief is strong in the state of Odisha, where Phailin made landfall this weekend. 17 people died and more than nine million were affected. However, the survival rates are attributed to the massive evacuations that took place as the storm approached. While every death is tragic, considering Phailin was the strongest tropical storm to hit India in more than a decade, the toll could have been much higher.

Around half a million people fled the coasts of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha as Cyclone Phailin began its onslaught. It's the result of having learned the lessons of 1999, in which Cyclone Orissa killed 10,000 and did over $2 billion in damage. For what it's worth, Cyclone Orissa carried winds of 155 mph at landfall. Phailin arrived with winds of 140 mph.

Still, officials acknowledge that rehabilitation will be a significant challenge. Electricity has been turned off in 12 Odishan districts and may take a week to turn on again. Communications are severely limited.

Gospel For Asia Vice President Danny Punnose says, "The greatest difficulty in these kinds of situations is that you don't have a very fast clean up. So you've got contaminated water. Most people drink out of wells–open bore wells, and so you've got animals that are dead and you've got the chances for cholera and waterborne diseases spreading."

With many roads either collapsed or blocked by trees, officials are still waiting to see the extent of the damage along the coast. Some estimate 236,000 homes are damaged.

In Odisha, Gospel for Asia correspondent Ibhya Lall said more than 4,000 believers were affected by Cyclone Phailin. GFA has assessment teams on the ground because fast action is the key to surviving the aftermath of the storm. Punnose says, "We have about 200 churches that are actually in those areas that were hit pretty badly. You're talking about couple thousand believers there, plus you've got missionaries, and other people who are doing work in Bridge of Hope Centers. So there are quite a lot of people in those areas."

The reality of going home for many will be grim. "There's nothing to go back to. There are no farms, there are no animals. Their livelihood is gone, especially along the coast lines. Pretty much, their livelihood has been destroyed because it's all fishing," explains Punnose. Laying out a plan of action is easier said than done, he adds. "It's not just throwing food at people, but having a serious level plan that'll probably take us a couple of years to be able to really help a lot of these people get back on their feet."

What's more, many of the GFA team members are responding to the needs even though they have also lost their homes, churches, schools, and Bridge of Hope Centers, notes Punnose. "They are doing what they can to serve the community and to serve people, because they may be the only ones who actually have any sense of hope in a disaster like this."

The damage is so widespread, it will take at least a couple of years to recover. Add to that the potential of a food shortage, and the stakes raise even higher. Intense monsoon rains this summer brought an increase in the two states' regular rice crop, but now more than 1 million acres of agricultural fields have been destroyed. As two of India's greatest producers of rice, the damage will likely affect the rest of the nation's food supply.

With the government's support, GFA Compassion Services teams plan to provide relief in as many affected areas as possible.

It's just another disaster story, right? It may or may not make a blip on the evening news. There may or may not be a follow up story. As the story fades from headlines in North America, Punnose acknowledges that this is a challenge they face when asking for help to respond to a disaster of this magnitude. However, he points out that, "If we aren't concerned and we don't allow our hearts to break, if you do that long enough, your heart becomes numb to anything that God is trying to stir [in] you."

Please pray for:
* Continued guidance and wisdom for government officials and all seeking to provide relief and rescue from the storm.
* God's peace to reign in the hearts of believers affected by the storm.
* God to show His love to the people of India in the midst of this crisis.