Helping a different religion

As we continue to see scenes of the terrible tragedy in Japan, I'm reminded that it will be a year on April 14th since the catastrophic earthquake took thousands of lives and destroyed much of the infrastructure in Yushu County on the Tibetan Plateau.

We are always concerned about the ongoing welfare of the people after a disaster, so CA's Programme Officer and two local staff went back to visit some of the most remote and forgotten communities that we had helped before. Aid didn't stretch that far after the earthquake, so we wanted to make sure that these people are still cared for, and also to assess the quality of the donated aid items after months of hard use.

We were surprised by their reaction to our help.

One such remote community is in Shang La Xiu. In Buddhist dominated Tibet, the local temple becomes a community centre. In Shang La Xiu there is a small cloister where 53 nuns live.  They are the only 'social workers' in this vast and isolated area.  Several of the buildings in their cloister collapsed and other monasteries were quick to help with repairs, but these women needed further aid so that they could serve their community.

Knowing that they were able to identify the neediest families after the earthquake, we left them with 53 heaters, 53 quilts and warm clothing to distribute. These were lifesavers in the coming bitterly cold winter when temperatures drop below -20 degrees Celsius. There is no electricity in that area, so the unique stoves used by Tibetans in this region are fuelled by yak dung.  

Wherever we distributed donated goods, we ensured that beneficiaries understood that these were donated by a Christian organization and that we help people regardless of race, religion, or ethnicity, in order to demonstrate the love of Jesus.

Our staff members found that recipients are hugely impacted by the fact that they are being assisted by someone from another religion. Because these people live so far from everything and receive little or no support from any source, they were quite overwhelmed when they first received the support we gave them. But what was more overwhelming to them was the fact that we returned a year later to check on their welfare, and thus show that we really care about them.  

In the parable of the Good Samaritan, the Samaritan didn't just give money to the inn-keeper to look after the wounded stranger, he also said, "When I return..." (Luke 10:29-37)  We believe we too must return and check on those who have been 'wounded' in some way, like the earthquake victims.

I'm so grateful that you are 'going' with us prayerfully and financially.