Nepal earthquake & Heritage Children charity

Pashupatinath temple in Kathmandu, Nepal (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Trustees of the Heritage Children charity really appreciate all the donations received from ecclesias, individual brothers and sisters, the Swanwick weekenders and the Samaritan Fund. 

So far over 40,000 pounds has been received and all will be used to benefit those in Nepal whose lives have been tragically disrupted by the earthquakes. 

Since the first, on 25th April, some 358 aftershocks have affected the valley of Kathmandu, many 4 or 5 on the Richter scale, so you can understand that our brothers and sisters, now numbering 110, are still fearful and disturbed.

At present two trustees are visiting Nepal to make an assessment of need as well as assessing the plight of those members who are in isolation in Dharan and Sitali, so that necessary help can be given. 

It is already clear from correspondence with Nepal that the psychological effects on the members and their children has been marked, and one sister has been admitted to hospital for treatment.

On the visit, we will convey the love of all who have donated generously to this appeal via HERITAGE CHILDREN, and assure our brothers and sisters that the thoughts and prayers of the brotherhood are with them. 

Your brother by grace
Peter Fry

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Christadelphians coping in Nepal

Latest update from Nepal:

Bro. Jonathan & Sis. Jocelyn Wallace (ACBM) have been in contact with the ecclesia and report as follows:

Thursday 30/4/2015 – I have been on the phone to Brother Tarjan. Sister Nanu has gone into labour with her and brother Raju's first child they are trying to get her into the hospital, it is very hard as you can imagine at present as the hospitals are all overloaded.

Three brothers have left to travel for Sitali by motorbike. It's believed the village has been wiped out. Many of our brothers and sister have lost their homes. On Tuesday I found out that brother Nar was missing with his two children, but they are now accounted for and are safe.

Friday 1/5/2015 AM – I have spoken with the brothers and sister again. They are trying to help as many as possible and have spent a fair bit of money on essentials - food, water, & clothes etc. Some of the brothers have visited ecclesias in some remote areas taking food money and clothes. They also held a breaking of bread with brothers and sisters. Today they received the A$4,000 that was sent earlier in the week.

Friday 1/5/2015 PM – The brothers traveling to Sitali have reached there and report that the houses have extensive damage but the brothers and sisters are ok. They are helping the village having taken as much supplies as they can carry. They have also had a breaking of bread. The houses of many Kathmandu brothers & sisters have cracks as has the Hall at Chabahil. Sister Nanu is now in hospital in labour. Brother Raju and his mother and some of the sisters are there. Sister Kalawati said they have been helping as many as possible with food blankets and whatever they have. They have been using their own money for this.

ABCM contacts for Nepal: Brother Jonathan and Sister Jocelyn Wallace. Surplus funds from the Vanuatu Cyclone appeal are being redirected to Nepal.


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Related articles

• World › Aid begins arriving in Nepal's remote quake-hit villages (japantoday.com)
  The first supplies of food aid began reaching remote, earthquake-shattered mountain villages in Nepal on Wednesday, while thousands clamored to board buses out of Kathmandu, either to check on rural relatives or for fear of spending yet another night in the damaged capital.
  Frustration over the slow delivery of humanitarian aid boiled over in a protest in the city, with about 200 people facing off with police and blocking traffic.
  The protest was comparatively small and no demonstrators were detained. But it reflected growing anger over bottlenecks that delayed much-needed relief four days after the powerful earthquake that killed more than 5,000 people, injured twice that many and left tens of thousands homeless. Police, meanwhile, arrested dozens of people on suspicion of looting or causing panic by spreading rumors of another big quake.
  
• Humanitarian Operations in Nepal Aggressively Increasing (voanews.com)
  Most of the aid so far has been distributed to Nepal’s earthquake victims in and around the capital, Kathmandu.  People living close to the epicenter of the quake, in remote towns and villages along the foothills of the Himalayas, have been virtually cut off from aid.
  Landslides and rock falls have destroyed roads, putting these areas out of reach.  The only way to reach these rural inhabitants is by helicopter. Relief supplies now are being flown in and distributed to the survivors of this disaster.
  The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies reports it is increasingly focusing its humanitarian operations on these outlying areas.  The organization says its large network of volunteers is carrying out assessments of needs. 
  
• NEPAL - Religions united for earthquake victims: We are all brothers and sisters (asianews.it)
  The government itself has admitted to not having the means and preparation to respond to an emergency of this kind, and the displaced are still sleeping in the open for fear of further building collapses. Medicines, food, drinking water and even clean clothes are lacking. Given this situation, the Apostolic Vicar of Nepal Msgr. Paul Simick proposed to other religions to unite "to be more effective."
  
  Officials of the local Caritas will lead the operation, supported by Caritas India and Australia. At the moment, dozens of religious NGOs have responded positively to the appeal. According to Bishop Narayan Sharma, the faithful of the Church (Protestant), " prayers are not enough to heal an open wound and do not feed those who live outdoors. Prayer is fundamental, but it is important also to serve those in need. We still need international support. "
• World rushes aid to Nepal amid 2,300 deaths, new tremors (freepressjournal.in)
  The UN office here said around 6.6 million people have been affected in the Himalayan nation. The quake sparked an avalanche in the Mount Everest area, killing scores of mountaineers.
  The disaster appeared to spare none, VVIPs included. President Ram Baran Yadav spent Saturday night in a tent with his many guards after the quake caused several cracks in his office-cum-residence.
  
• Diocese of Scranton taking special collection for Nepal earthquake victims (timesleader.com)
  In union with Pope Francis and fellow bishops in the United States, Bishop Joseph C. Bambera is asking parishioners in the Diocese of Scranton to respond to the needs of the people of Nepal who have been affected by the devastating earthquake that struck that country last Saturday.
  
  Bishop Bambera has authorized a special collection to be taken up at all Masses of obligation in parishes of the Diocese this weekend, May 2-3.
  
  The funds will be used to support the efforts of Catholic Relief Services as that agency addresses the immediate emergency needs for such necessities as water, food, shelter and medical care as well as the long-term needs to rebuild the communities in the regions hit with widespread destruction.
  
• 'We are hungry:' Aid reaches epicenter, Nepal toll tops 5000 - Hawaii News Now (prgnewshawaii.com)
  Here’s an update on relief efforts to Nepal after the deadly 7.8 magnitude earthquake killed nearly 5,000 people and toppled many buildings and homes in the country.  Aloha, Russ.
• Kathmandu Chabad rabbi pilots helicopter in Nepal relief effort (jewishjournal.com)
  Lifshitz had been communicating with many of the Israelis stuck in the mountain regions in remote areas like Dhunche and Syrabrubesi, Chabad reported. He used satellite phones fixed with GPS that the hikers are carrying, then relayed their locations to the Nepalese government.
  His wife, Chani, with the assistance of Israelis stranded at the Chabad house, prepared and distributed hundreds of bowls of dal bhat, a lentils-and-rice local food staple, to people in their neighborhood, whose own supplies of food have practically run out. She also prepared another 2,000 meals to be distributed further afield.
  
• Nepal earthquake: Drone footage shows bird's eye view of Kathmandu devastation (ibtimes.co.in)
  Overwhelmed authorities were trying to cope on Monday with a shortage of drinking water and food, as well as the threat of disease.
  Many of the sick and wounded were lying out in the open in Kathmandu, unable to find beds in the devastated citys hospitals. Surgeons set up an operating theatre inside a tent in the grounds of Kathmandu Medical College.
  It is the worst earthquake in Nepal since 1934 when 8,500 died. More than 6,500 have been injured.
  
• Pakistan denies beef food allegations (nation.com.pk)
  Pakistani Embassy in Kathmandu has refused media reports that some food items, sent by Islamabad as relief aid to Nepal, contained cow meat.
  
  This is out-rightly untrue as the facts are different, said the embassy.
  "Pakistan is fully aware of sensitivities of our Hindu brethren in Nepal, who are passing through a very difficult time.
  While we stand by our Nepali brothers and sisters, we in Pakistan respect all religions and can never imagine showing disrespect towards their beliefs and values," it said.
  
  Pakistan was one of the first countries in the world to respond to the earthquake disaster in Nepal and immediately transported relief and medical assistance to the country, the embassy said, adding that their assistance contained food bags in which the contents are clearly mentioned.
  "In each food bag there are 22 small packs which contain a variety of food, which may be consumed for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

"What is the Gospel?" in the Rai / Dhanwar language

We've just received the translation of "What is the Gospel?" in the Rai / Dhanwar language from our new brother in the mountains of Eastern Nepal whose baptism we recorded in a recent Carelink. It's online at http://www.carelinks.net/doc/gospel-dh . There is hardly any Christian literature of any sort in this language! According to one website, "Rai have neither the Bible nor the Jesus film in their language. Currently, there are no missions agencies targeting them. There are only 22 known believers among them"- from http://www.prayway.com/unreached/peoplegroups1/2040.html  . So the true Gospel is now spreading here... all so exciting!

Raute ethnographic material

Brother Bishnu has for over 10 years been visiting the Raute people, a hunter-gatherer tribe of around 2000 people who live in the jungles of Western Nepal. He has learnt their language and is one of the few non-Raute people to have built up a trusting relationship with them. He has some amazing stories and photos of his experiences.

Raute elder drums at public dance in Jajarkot District, Nepal. Photo: J. Fortier (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Bishnu has taken a number of photographs of the Raute which make a unique collection of material, of interest to ethnographers and any serious student of hunter-gatherer indigenous peoples.You can see the entire portfolio at http://www.tacomaecclesia.net/raute.htm .