Missing Sri Lankan family found safe after Asian tsunami

Missing Sri Lankan family
found safe after Asian tsunami

By Rod Matthews

VARSITY LAKES, Queensland, Australia—Lynton Silva, pastor of our congregations in the hill country of Sri Lanka, telephoned me Jan. 21 with the wonderful news that Ravi and Mala, who lead a Bible study group in Batticaloa, and their children survived the tsunami.

We thank God for his love and mercy! The family had not been heard from since the Dec. 26 tsunami.

They were not at home when the tsunami struck, but were visiting friends farther away from the sea. After the wave caused such devastation, they went back to their house to find it demolished, and with everyone else, faced the fear of further tsunamis coming ashore, so they decided to head inland.

Lynton said that Ravi was most grateful to learn of the worldwide concern that had been expressed for his family.

I regret that we still have no news of the other three adults in Batticaloa who are still missing.

Previous trip

Silva had made an earlier trip through the eastern areas of Sri Lanka devastated by the tsunami. His journey included visits to Ampara, Batticaloa and Trincomalee.

In Ampara, where we have a group of 20 people that meet when Silva or one of the leading men from Badulla visit, he found all the people safe, but all had suffered loss of property and were living in temporary shelters. He and his wife, Iona, spent time with them in prayer and encouragement and left them with dry rations and used clothing before going to Batticaloa.

What the survivors need

Based on the information Silva has from local sources, a simple dwelling could be built for less than A$1,000 (US$770). They will assess the need in each area with a focus on the 20 displaced members in Ampara and the 12 who survived from our group in Batticaloa.

The generosity of our members around the world has been incredible. It seems that our own people will be well looked after in the rebuilding efforts. More than A$4,000 (US$3,080) has already been sent to the church’s Colombo account for use in relief operations.

Donald Pieris, our elder in Colombo, along with his two sons and a few members in the southern suburbs of Colombo, help distribute relief supplies, mainly dry rations such as rice, powdered milk, vegetables and lentils of various sorts and drinking water, to people who are making their way back to whatever is left of their homes.

The faculty and staff of the Worldwide Educational Institute (WEI), our school in the northern Colombo suburb of Wattala, including a few students, are helping in the densely populated coastal or canal bank areas near WEI. A home for disabled children is a focus of these relief efforts.

Mohan Jayasekera

Our church in Sri Lanka is not large, but the contacts we have there through Mohan Jayasekera and members will enable us to make a contribution to the national effort that is significant in the light of our size. We have already established a relationship with Pastor Reginald Ebenezer, a friend of Jayasekera for many years who heads the Canaan Peace Prayer Mission, an organization whose work includes establishing orphanages and facilities to help tap the talents of the physically disabled.

The church has already made a contribution to his mission to help children in orphanages obtain educational materials and cloth for school uniforms and other clothing needs, as authorities attempt to resume classes.

Jayasekera has also been in touch with the head of the Dutch Reformed Church in Sri Lanka, who was a childhood friend and who is a member of the National Christian Council, whose help has been sought by the President’s Special Task Force for reconstruction (he has been instrumental in getting convoys of relief supplies moving into some of the more remote areas), the Anglican Bishop of Galle (Jayasekera’s cousin) and one of the national board members of World Vision Sri Lanka to help facilitate and coordinate our church’s involvement and the effective use of the resources we have available from our worldwide family.

Relief organizations remind us that funds will be needed for months to come. Through the generosity of our own people around the world, we are in a position to assist with the vision and patience needed in the long term. In meeting this challenge, valuable relationships are being established as we work together with the rest of the Christian community to demonstrate in practical ways the love of Christ in us.

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