Responding to a sea of need in Pakistan

A month of solid rain has devastated Pakistan, a predominantly Muslim country of 176 million souls.
The record-breaking monsoons have, in the words of BBC reporter Ben Brown, turned the Indus River into a sea, sprawling for miles. At least 1,500 people have died, news reports estimate, and more than 20 million are homeless. Especially hard-hit is Pakistan’s Punjab region.
Governments and aid agencies have pledged to help, but aid to those in need has been “painfully slow,” Brown reports.
Thus far the floods have spared Sialkot, a city in northeastern Pakistan near the Indian border. The members of the Church of Christ there are safe, said Hadayat Din, a Pakistani Christian who lives in the U.S.
But even Pakistanis safe from the floodwaters are feeling “the ripple effect of this devastating flood,” including food shortages and rising prices for necessities, he said.
“Please pray for both Christians and Muslims in Pakistan,” Din said.

We have started getting e-mails here at The Christian Chronicle from readers who want to help. I called several relief ministries associated with Churches of Christ to see if any have plans to send aid to Pakistan. Most said they are still looking for possible avenues to help. (If that changes, please post a comment.)
The Woodmont Hills Church of Christ in Nashville, Tenn., is collecting funds for relief in Pakistan, said Bruce Anstey, a member of the church’s missions committee. Woodmont Hills supports work in Pakistan and plans to send funds through Pakistani church members to help those affected by the flood.
“We want you to pray for those who lost their loved ones, and for those who lost everything they had,” said a Pakistani Christian in a message to Woodmont Hills’ missions committee. (Bruce asked that the Christian’s name be withheld for security reasons.)
The small Churches of Christ in the region near the flooding plan to what they can to help the flood victims, the Pakistani Christian said.
But the needs are great, he added.
“Though we can not help all .. we shall do as much as we can,” he said. “God will surely reward us in heaven for this act of kindness.”
To contribute, or for more information, e-mail [email protected] or see www.conmergence.com/whmc.

• Feedback
  Is it possible that all the furor over the building of the mosque in NYC might go away if the funds required for the construction were instead directed to those Pakistani brothers (and others) who are literally dying for basic necessities? Just wondering. 1 JN 3:17

  DARREL

  August, 26 2010

  Pakistan is a country that does not sit well in the public eye due to terrorist activities and their acceptance of terrorists, therefor it is hard for the world to show sympathy. I mean the word does feel sympathy for Pakistanis but the world also fears Pakistan and it’s hard to feel sympathy towards something or someone you fear. However despite fears and doughts, I think the whole world contributed quite well seeing how it is Pakistan and the disaster was a flood and not a hurricane or earthquake. See floods aren’t as camera friendly as hurricanes or earthquakes. In other words floods don’t seem as intense through a camera lens as other natural disasters do.

  Thomas

  January, 26 2011