Letter from Burma

Once, this was Thabyekyaing village, a quiet coastal village in
Labutta township, Ayeyawaddy Division.
Once, the laughter of children filled the air as they played football
or toke-si-do in the fields and yards.
Once, men went out on fishing boats or worked in the fields. Women
planted rice, fetched water and firewood and kitchen fires burnt
brightly.
Once, on Sunday mornings, the church bell would ring and people would
gather to sing, praise and worship god and listen to the pastor, Rev.
Maung Bay's or his son, Pastor Klo Htoo's sermons.
Once, on Lenten days the monastery gong would sound and the Buddhists
would go to hear the Sayadaw's sermons while observing a fast.
Once, the village was shady with fruit trees, the gardens with
vegetables and the fields green with rice plants or yellow during
harvest time.

Now, there is an eerie silence over what once was Thabye Gyaung. The
sound of laughter, song and raucous shouting is stilled. The trees,
the fields, the houses, school, church, monastery, clinic are no more.
Now, what remains is death and destruction, bloated bodies, shattered lives.

On the night of May 2, the cyclone Nargis with gale force winds, rain
and sea water that rose to 17 feet and higher destroyed the village
and all the life that had made up that village.

The pastor, Thra Maung Bay, MIT (Burma Divinity School Certificate)
Class of 1969 died in that disaster. Once, in 1992 thra Maung Bay had
faced flood waters, that time of a political nature in what is known
as Bogalay Ayay-Akin (Bogalay Affair). Pro-democracy forces had
infiltrated the delta region from across the border. Thra Maung Bay
was interrogated, tortured and sent to prison. But once released, he
went back to his village and people and ministered to them as best he
could in spite of his broken health. His son, Saw Klo Htoo, following
the steps of his father went to seminary, Karen Baptist Theological
Seminary for his Bachelor of Theology and after graduation became a
pastor. But on that fateful night, Pastor Saw Klo Htoo also died,
never fulfilling his dream of studying at MIT. Mrs. Maung Bay, a KBTS
graduate, survived as she was visiting relatives in Rangoon at that
time. Now, she is alone, without family, home and village.

This family's, this village's, tragedy is replicated in the areas
struck by Nargis Cyclone, Haingyi Island, Labutta, Bogalay, Daydaye,
Pyapon, Mawlamyinegyun and Rangoon and nearby towns. The latest govt.
figure of deaths (12 May '08) is 85,000  the final figure will be
higher. Relief work is going on but at a slow rate. Relief goods are
accepted but not personnel with expertise. Some camps are experiencing
medical problems. Some peop0le still in isolated pockets are without
food and water. In Bassein, there are over 2000 survivors in Ko Tha
Byu Camp with more arriving every day.

In the Myanmar Baptist Convention, the hardest hits are Karen Baptist
Convention, Pwo Karen Baptist Conference, and Myanmar Baptist Churches
Union and Asho Chin Baptist Convention. KC reported over 39 villages
totally destroyed in Bassein area alone and 13 pastors dead. The
Self-Supporting Kayin Baptist Churches also report destruction of
churches, seminary and houses.

MBC Headquarters suffered damages totaling about kyats 1500 lahks. It
was to host the Myanmar Council of Churches Bienniel General Meetin
May 20-24 but now had postponed to middle of June.

MCC's main meeting hall is wrecked and some glass windows were blown
off. Judson church's roof was also damaged and worship services could
not be carried out.

MIT's buildings' roofs were lifted off and the computer lab with 12
computers totally water logged. Our newly appointed chaplain, Dr. Khin
Kyu Kyu has just moved in to the Guest Apartment and she agrees with
Neil and Diana Sowards that the apartment should be named "Falling
Waters," though very different from Frank Lloyd Wright's model house,
"Falling Waters" in America. Trees fell on Alan Po's, Ashee's and U
Tha Wah's houses. The roofs are all gone. Alan and Nyunt moved to
Maharsaung Dining Hall just in time.

The Rangoon streets are blocked with fallen trees and electric posts.
Water and electricity is a problem. BARS classes have been suspended
until further notice. Summer School closed for a few days but have
re-started. Master of Ministry classes started today but some students
from Bassein area are too busy with relief works to attend.

MICT had pushed back the opening date of 2008-2009 academic year to
September because of lack of electricity, water, building repairs and
rising costs of rice and other food commodities. MIT will hold a
meeting on May 14 on how best to carry on with limited resources. Dr.
Simon and Faculty are determined to begin classes as scheduled. The
main costs will be diesel oil to run the generators for light and
water and food costs. It's a challenge as we face the ATESEA
Accreditation team visit in August.

Say Pa and I had the roofing over one bedroom blown off and water in
the bedroom so our computer also is water logged. 23 fell in our
compound. Some mango and jackfruit trees planted by my mother but
still bearing fruit. Workers were very scarce at this time for repair
work and cutting trees and clearing the land. Our loss is minuscule
compared to the loss of family, homes and villages suffered by so many
people.

You will want to know how to respond to this disaster. We certainly
need your prayers. The people also need aid to recover from
destruction of this magnitude. Please send donations to MCC, MBC, KBC,
PKBC who are directly doing ground level relief work. MCC is
coordinating with various NGOs and ecumenical partners to provide
immediate relief. Send financial help only to trusted individuals.
There are many people profiting from this disaster. The merchants are
raising their prices and even some relief goods do not reach the
victims but are being sold off. So be careful in your response.

MIT needs help with buying 12 computers for BARS program, roofing and
other building materials for staff houses, Mahasaound and Ann Judson
Villa, diesel to run generators (for now only water is available for
Mahasaung where there are 2 section, for male/female use), funds to
buy food commodities for 180 hostel students.

Cry for bleeding, suffering Burma – she is so small, her people
struggling so long for survival. It seems as if not only political
forces but God herself/himself is determined to teach us some sensible
lessons. Sermons nowadays sound like platitudes. Our land and our
people are being put through the wringer, squeezed dry till there is
no more life juice left. Cry with us, cry for us in solidarity in our
despair.