FAITH IN THE COMMUNITY: Why we should remember horrific floods in Nepal

By the Rev Sam Cullen, team rector, Holy Trinity with St Columba, Fareham

You may remember hearing in August about devastating floods in Nepal. A glacier collapsed, sending a huge wall of water down 60 kilometres of valley in a few seconds.

More than 1,500 people lost their lives, while thousands of others remain missing. Children have been left without parents, and parents are grieving for the loss of their beloved children. Entire communities, including bridges, homes, schools and dams, have been swept away.

These kind of stories hit the global headlines, but we easily forget about the devastation these events cause, and also how many years it takes for people to rebuild shattered lives.

I have just visited Nepal, where I heard some of the stories from those affected. The people living there have asked us to share their stories, to pray for them – and to help financially, if we can.

We were fortunate to be able to visit the Nazarene Church in Kathmandu, and to meet the first Anglican priest ever to serve in Nepal – the Rev Rinzi Lama. He has created 50 churches throughout Nepal.

Worshippers at the Nazarene Church have been reaching out to affected families, sharing God’s love through practical help and compassionate service. They have distributed food to 191 families, provided blankets and mattresses to 182 families, and offered roofing sheets to 46 families to create temporary shelters.

Although their resources are incredibly limited, God has enabled them to support families at their time of need.

They asked us to pray that those who are missing would be found, that God might provide shelter, clothing and food for displaced families, for the resources to enable to Nazarene Church to help others, and that God might bring healing restoration and peace to those affected by the disaster.

While we were there, we also had opportunities to meet with Tibetan refugees and to bring clothing for the children. We also brought resources for schoolchildren in the village of Daduwa, but we were unable to visit the school due to the road conditions and land slip following the monsoon.

It was a privilege to see some of the amazing work that churches and communities are doing to help those experiencing such hardship. We should continue to remember those affected by the flooding, and those who are doing their best to help.

You can find out more and offer any financial support you can via www.inf.org.uk