World Vision Work in SE Asia

I got an email tonight, after making a donation to World Vision, that stated the following:

"Dear Friend,

"World Vision has been so blessed by generous donations to our Asia tsunami relief efforts. I wanted to take a moment to thank you for all of your thoughts and prayers for our staff. I also wanted to provide you with an update of what we're doing in the region and invite you to become a part of our response to this crisis. Click here to view a slideshow demonstrating World Vision in action, or
click here to donate now.

"World Vision has been working in Asia for more than 40 years, so when the tsunamis hit, we already had nearly 4,000 staff on the ground responding within hours of the disaster.

"In the past 11 days, World Vision has been carrying out organized and orderly distributions of survival packets containing food, clothing, bottled water, medicines, sleeping mats and other essential household items from buckets to pots and pans. We have also been caring for children who are separated from their parents, perhaps orphaned by this disaster.

" • In Indonesia: Two cargo ships containing relief shipments of tarpaulins, sarongs (clothing), kitchen utensils and buckets are heading toward the devastated province of Aceh in northern Indonesia.


" • In India: World Vision has provided immediate relief for more than 3,000 families, with plans to reach an additional 35,000 in Chennai and the coastal villages of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh districts. Through coordinated efforts with teams of doctors and local churches, World Vision is offering vital aid and distributing relief goods including medicine, food, water, blankets, and clothing.

"Similar efforts are taking place in Sri Lanka, Thailand, Myanmar and across the stricken region. World Vision has worked in Asia for more than 40 years, and thanks to your support, we intend to see these families through the long, hard work of rebuilding their homes and communities — the effort will be a marathon, not a sprint.

"We need your help today to respond to this growing crisis, and to rebuild the lives of children and families. Please visit us at www.worldvision.org to give now. If you have responded already, please accept my sincere thanks.

"To see World Vision in action, I invite you to click here to view our slideshow and witness how your gifts are helping children and families in Asia rebuild their lives. Thank you for your prayers and generous support."

The letter is signed by Richard Steams, the president of World Vision, US