A rescue team helps flood victims in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Indonesia (MNN) ― Five days of severe flooding has damage estimates topping 450-million dollars (USD) in central Jakarta. The deluge of water crippled the city's commuter and goods supply networks, damaged telecommunications in the business district, flooded thousands of homes and killed 44.
Back to the Bible's Dave Hansen, says Frans Silalahi is their national director. He's en route home to oversee response during this time of crisis. While 60% of the city is under water, there are a few places that survived intact. Silalahi's home is one of them.
Interestingly, his home happens to be right next door to the Back to the Bible office in Jakarta--and neither was damaged. They're one of the few groups who have electricity and clean water pumped from their well.
As a result, "He actually will be planning to open up the office and his home to get kind of a refugee center, if there are those people whom he can help. We've committed to him 'anything you can do to help people, we'll be right behind you.'"
With more rain in the forecast, Hansen urges prayer. "Pray that when Frans gets back into Jakarta that he'll know how to try to reach out to people who at least live in the area that he's in who are having difficulties or who have been evacuated out of their home. Pray that they'll be able to share the love of Christ with them by meeting some of their human needs."
Ministry has been growing. KAMI, as Back to the Bible's Indonesian ministry is known, recently launched a second radio station. This one serves the people of a remote part called the Central Celebes. Silalahi also reports that people are receptive to the hope of Christ.
Prior to the floods, he trained staff members to assist callers responding to the Heart to Heart call-in program. While there, he was amazed at how many calls came in until 2:00 a.m.--including text messages and prayer requests from the non-Christian sector of the listening audience.
In meeting with inmates in a local prison, he learned that many of them are also listening. Only a few months into broadcasting, response to their programming from the Sumatra station is twenty times that of all other Indonesian stations combined.
Please be in prayer for the staff as they face new
challenges in the post-crisis days ahead in central Jakarta. Click here if you want to help.
