Dear Brethren,
Cyclone Pam—a Category 5 cyclone and one of the worst in Pacific history—slammed into Vanuatu last Saturday morning. Witnesses described some of the aftermath as “a nuclear bomb site.” Communication throughout most of the 83 islands has been cut off. Mr. Graeme Hemphill, who pastors Vanuatu from Australia, has made phone contact with one of our members in Port Vila, on the island of Efate, where we have about 40 brethren. He reports that the brethren there are ok, though some have suffered property damage. While aid is reaching Port Vila, lack of food and lack of water may still become a problem there, because of the scope of the disaster. Commercial airline traffic is finally beginning to resume, and Mr. Hemphill has been able to book a flight for next Monday, to assess everyone’s needs, and bring aid and support. According to Mr. Hemphill, our brethren in Port Vila are “very happy to hear that someone is coming over to offer support and to help them get back on their feet. They are all looking forward to relating their personal experiences during their time of terror. I believe we have all learnt some sobering lessons from this experience. Truly life and all we are familiar with is fragile and can be gone in an instant.”
Members only. If you are an existing user, please log in. If you are a local area member, you may sign-up as a new user.
