Dear Friends,
You may have heard that on July 23rd, after weeks of heavy rain, a dam burst in impoverished Attapeu Province in southern Laos. The flood waters raced downhill, wiping out numerous villages and drowning hundreds of people.
Since that time, the Communist government in Laos has banned all foreign media from the area, as they don't want to be embarrassed in the eyes of the world. They also claim only a small number of people died, which is ridiculous. As the below pictures show, the devastation is massive. Thousands of homes have been destroyed, while hundreds of people are still missing.
We support many Lao evangelists in southern Laos, and they quickly sprung into action, mobilizing a team to assess the best way to help. Their initial relief efforts include providing water, rice, shelter, mosquito nets, blankets, insect repellent, and hand sanitizer to the flood victims.
The poor people in this remote part of Asia, where Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia meet, will likely need help for some time to come. Most of all, they need the Gospel, and our colleagues always take every opportunity to share their faith so that those in need are not only helped physically, but they are introduced to Jesus Christ.
If you would like to support the rescue and aid efforts, we invite you to do so online via our Persecution & Relief Fund, or by mailing a check to one of our Asia Harvest offices. 100 percent of donations marked "Laos flood" will be applied directly to this need.
Please pray for the survivors of this disaster, and for the kingdom of God in the forgotten Asian country of Laos, which is home to more than 100 unreached tribes and people groups. Thank you for your prayers and support.
Until All have Heard of Jesus,
The team at Asia Harvest
www.asiaharvest.org