April 6th: Returning to Aceh

Bumi Sehat Tsunami Relief Update 6th. April 2005

It¹s almost dawn Thursday morning in Bali.  Team 1V Bumi Sehat Tsunami
Relief Project is leaving for Aceh.  Team III will roll out of Aceh by twos
over the next few days.  Those of you who know and love, Harvest (Canadian
midwife) Carolyn (Canadian Doc) Ida Tanjung (Indonesian field manager/saint)
Eric Gansen (Dutch miracle worker), Christine Foster (American team leader,
doing what most humans could not even look at)  --- know that they are
astonishing people.  Along with Ibu Isha, Isnyadi, and Bang Hanafi, plus
uncounted numbers of Tsunami survivors, they lived through the night of the
8.7 Earthquake.  
    Many of our friends, family, supporters, have asked; "Why don¹t you go
to Nias?"  The answer is two fold.  A.) Nias is now flooded with relief.
(Thor and Lakota decided to stick with the Bumi Sehat klinik/human resource
center team rather than go to Nias).   B.) Bumi Sehat is in an area so hard
hit by the Tsunami in Dec. that there were nearly no buildings to fall down.
So many people died in Dec. that few were left to die in the next big quake.
AlsoŠ the Bumi Sehat klinik/ human resource center is located in Cot
Seulamat, Sama Tiga, Aceh.  In this spot we are within walking distance of
over 2000 living Tsunami survivors, indeed maybe more are scattered in the
forests inland from the devastation.  We have set up what we pray is a
sustainable place, where people come from far and wide for medical help and
more.  Through our klinik our team has been able to locate people who had no
potable water, no food, no shelter.   Putting these small rag-tag
communities of traumatized people together with the large NGOs who can help
them survive and perhaps (God-us willing) recover, is an important part of
what we do out there.
    Nias is in the news, and yes it sorely needs the help it is getting.
But, if we abandon coastal Aceh to work someplace else, people will suffer,
perhaps even die (ie malaria victim would not get diagnosed or treated,
should we change relief locations).  The crisis is not over in Aceh.  The
survivors are homeless, but for tents and military barracks.  These are the
lucky ones.   
    The IDEP relief boat, the "Endless Sun" will arrive this week in our
area, carrying 300 kerosene stoves, so essential to survival.  They will
have a heap more to deliver to our area ­ thank heaven and all the donors
and volunteers.  
    As team IV enters Aceh, a conflict zone, a geological hot spot, a
malarial swamp, we ask that each of you keep a candle lit in your hearts for
us, and mostly for the people we hope to help.  Pray for peace in the
conflict.  Pray for peace in the Earth¹s crust, Pray the anti-malarial meds
we are taking work.
    Melanie Templar, our Mom on the ground, logistics angel, is going this
week to visit her ailing mom in England.  We are actually terrified that she
will be gone.  Our project has deeply depended upon Melanie for every detail
of our safety and well being.  Please bless her and pray she returns
quickly.  Meanwhile Abang, Sandi, Endang and Lakota will be trying, yes all
four of them, to somehow do Mel¹s job.
    An aside, the Bumi Sehat Bali crew is moving forward on the Youth Center
plans.  A hug to Ibu Pong for her vision and support.  Also, Mitzi and
Robert Brown have come to our rescue in helping support more midwives at the
Bali Birth Center.  It has been so busy this week with babies a-borning,
that I am not packed as the care warms up to take us to the airport.  The
Entire Bali Bumi Sehat staff has made amazing sacrifices to make the Aceh
relief work possible.  It should be said that Ibu Robin, ibu Petra, and Ibu
Melanie¹s families are to be hugged and loved for all they contribute behind
the scenes.  To the community in Fairfield, IowaŠ you rock and you help us
keep the faith.  
    Thank you all for loving us, loving what we do, for supporting all of it
in all the many many ways you CARE.
Blessings on you all, in Gratitude,
Team IV:  Ibu Robin Lim, Thor and Lakota Hemmerle, Margo Berdeshevsky, Josh,
Bang ŒNafi, Ibu Isha, Isnyadi, and the medical volunteer we pray joins us in
the next few days, once the fickle universe decides who that will be.
Peace, Peace, Peace and most of all love