Disaster Relief

Many of you know that I am a certified disaster relief worker with Mission to the World. I was involved in the disaster relief efforts in Sri Lanka after the tsunami. You may be wondering why you haven't heard that I am on my way to China right now. There are a couple of factors going on here. The first, I was placed on "hiatus" from disaster relief until the conclusion of my language acquisition (one more month). Secondly, and more importantly, is how Mission to the World operates with disasters around the world. The primary factor is that we must be "invited" from a missionary on the field to come to the disaster. The reason for this is because unlike most other relief organizations, we are as interested in the physical health of people in distress, and the spiritual health as well. So, when we go into a country in distress, it is important for us to have in-country missionaries to care for those once we have left. We NEVER want to leave a spiritual orphan out there. So, for now, we are not going to be involved in the disaster in China physically, but we will be with them in prayer.