These past few weeks nature hit and hurt some countries. News from television and internet provide us the following information and data:
INDIA. Deadly floods are said to have claimed around 300 lives and more than 1M displaced in this country. These figures even get bigger if added to last month’s more than 1,100 people who died in the flooding in various parts of the country, according to the federal Home Ministry.
INDONESIA. The death toll caused by the devastating earthquake with a magnitude of 7.6 that struck Sumatra, Indonesia climbed to 608 deaths while 343 are reported still missing.
PHILIPPINES. Powerful typhoon Ketsana (local name Ondoy) which battered the northern part of the country is estimated to have killed nearly 300 lives, damaged P6B worth of crops, affected 3.9M people, and displaced more than 335,000 people. The flood is claimed to have been the worst in 40 years, having poured amount of water good for one month in just six hours, leaving 80 percent of the country’s capital submerged. To date, many evacuees are still tight packed in school buildings which are used as evacuation centers. Health problems are forecasted to rise as effects of the typhoon.
SAMOA. The earthquake-triggered tsunami that struck the Samoan islands swallowed up coastal towns and villages, including 139 peoples’ lives [American Samoa, Samoa and Tonga], leaving the country in much devastation. Then a second earthquake with a magnitude of 5.5 struck the day following.
*all images courtesy of BBC.Co.UK
Let us remember our sisters, brothers and children from the above-mentioned countries who are presently suffering due to the strike of nature which hurt them badly. Let us lift them up to God’s throne of abundant healing grace, especially those who lost family members and loved ones. Thousands of them must still be in the state of pain, shock and trauma to this day but may God's assurance of strength to the weak, richness to the needy, and comfort to the distressed dawn and settle with them each day of their lives. Let us pray that they may see good amidst the cover of badness, hope in seemingly hopeless situation, healing in the midst of pain, and beauty in the middle of ugliness.
Let us also double our efforts on MDG 7, Sustainable environment, as these natural disasters may be posing as wake up calls for all of us to be good and faithful stewards of God’s creations.
Of
the nine Areas of the World Federation Southern & East Africa is the last
to hold its Weaving Together Programme and Area Seminar.This will be held not long from now, on July 6 – 10, 2009 to be
exact at RainbowTowers
in Harare, Zimbabwe.
Adopting the Federation’s theme,
“Women Making A Difference” the Seminar has the following features: bible study;
creative Millennium Development Goal presentations; workshops on servant
leadership, endurance, peace and self-control; cultural evening; acceptance of
Unit's for membership and election of Area Officers.
The Area will also be tackling some updates,
actions and plans related to the forthcoming 12th World Assembly in
August 2011.This is of utmost
importance because the Area will play hostess to the World Assembly scheduled
at IndabaHotel
& ConferenceCenter
in Fourways Johannesburg, South Africa on August 10 – 16, 2011.
The Southern & East Africa Area is led
by Thenjiwe Gertrude Mncube, Area President and Spiwe Chisvo, Area Vice
President, while the hostess is Cynthia Pozzo, Unit President of Methodist
Women’s Fellowship in Zimbabwe.
“What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you-guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.” (2 Timothy 1:13-14) (Read by Max McLean. Provided by The Listener's Audio Bible.)
(Read by Max McLean. Provided by The Listener's Audio Bible.)
