Relief Work

Pate received a visit from two plain clothed officers at 12:15pm. They claimed to be on duty. They asked many question about the nature of our work and activities. We cooperated with them because they claimed to be officers from the government. They took down our resident address and telephone number and they went off.

At 1:30pm, they came again. This time, they talked with Mangte. He told Mangte that his name is Ko Naing Win and he is a Sargeant. However, when we asked him which department he works for and his military serial number, he could not provide any proof of authority to us. His mobile number is 09-802-2673.

Finally, he said, “all money you have from another countries must come through the Myanmar government”. I made an official report to the local police department and they promise to help me if that man come back to interrogate us again.

Since then, we have received multiple phone calls at my parents house this evening asking for our personal detail. My heart beat faster whenever the phone began to ring. Pate’s administrator became very fearful and she is asking Pate to give a leave of absence. Honestly, I am worried and I felt very uncomfortable with this situation.

I have called back to the phone number which we managed track through our phone system. I managed to talked to him on that phone but he is still could not confirm which authority he is working for. I wish he could tell us and even if he was from the intelligent services, at least we could have cooperated and be at peace about the situation.

June 24, there were men that claim to be in authority that visited my parents frequently to ask them for money. My parents felt very unsafe.

I reported the incident to one of minister's office senior official and he assured us we will receive due protection from the authority from unauthorized threats.

We received threats

Levi

June 20, 2008

On Friday when we are out of the field, I came by boat to a place where I can make phone call. The boat ride took three hours. When I called, I was informed by Pate that his office in Yangon received two anonymous phone calls. The anonymous caller said to Pate’s office staff, “ I know you are not afraid of the military but remember the place you are helping in the Delta area is a war zone which have two military camps nearby”.

Pate quickly responded to install a phone with the ability to track phone calls. The administrator who answered the phone was afraid and I became concern too. On the way back to Daunt Gyi, while wading through big waves on a small boat, I saw a military camp. The person who call us really knew about the military camp nearby but I thought to myself that if something happen to us in Daunt Gyi, this military camp may help us. I started to worry about our team members life.

However, on the way back while experience big waves, I screamed even more due to the condition of the waves and boat motion beside worrying about the threat that is upon our team. I hope we can ride on bigger boat that can withstand big waves in the coming days.

Response to help victims of Cyclone

May 30, 2008- Friday

This morning iLoveMyanmar team left Yangon for Daunt Gyi with loads of medicines, rice bags, instant noodles, rice packages, Potatoes, Onions, Dried Bean, Chillis, Sardin, Mosquito nets, 200 Karen bibles and 300 pieces of water cleaner for 10 villages. Beside this initial team, our team will leave from Yangon everyday to bring food and medical supplies to villages.

The response from local people has been very warmth. We are amaze that the locals are dropping off food supply for victims of Cyclone at our office in Yangon. We wish to thank everyone who has so generously help to support our relief and rebuild efforts. We also appreciate so many friends and organizations partnering with us in this work.

Friday Night Team, Saturday Morning Team, Sunday Morning Team. There will be team leaving at interval to bring various supplies to affected areas.

Please pray for their journey safety. The iLoveMyanmar team is going to the frontier that no other teams has reached. The journey is difficult and full of dangers.

We appreciate your prayers. As soon as the team return, we will update the photos from the trip.

France embassy in Myanmar donated 5 Water Guard, 20 liter each.

Mr. Bob Boyle of Valerie group of Volentiers donated Medicine

Ko Too Win Myint (Manager) and Swe Zin Thet (Human Resources manager) of Deitheim Co. Ltd.

Dietheim Co. Ltd donated

their famous product MaMa instant Noodle

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Supplies for victims inYangon

by Mangte

May 20, 2008: We purchased 438 rice packages from stores. We also bought 525 of dried beans and 400 package of salts. There are supply available in the country but they are very expensive but we are moving forward for the needs are urgent.

A Joyful day at church for everyone

May 21, 2008 - At 8am I received an urgent from the Chin Baptist Church Office. They exhorted me to do something right now as there are too many people in the church compound although we are not schedule to beginning relief supplies distribution until 12 pm. People were crowding in front of the church hoping to get in. I had to call up a larger group of people to help.

The local authority were concerned with the crowd gathering and we were inspected the local officers and I was invited to the local office for an interrogation. However, they allow us to proceed and we settled all the people in the second floor of the church. Rev. Dr. Robert Thawn Hlei started to give a loving message towards the people that gather in the church. He talked about our need for the daily food and also our need for spiritual food for eternal life. He shared the salvation by Jesus Christ to them and prayed for them.

We started the gift distribution at 12noon and while the victims were waiting, we taught them songs. Some of them gathered to pray for baby Emmanuel Lim. Everyone was happy that day; the givers and the receivers. We thank God for Rev. Dr. Robert Thawn Hlei and the Chin Baptist Church for their support.

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Disaster at a Catastrophic proportion- no one to bury the dead

by Pate

The Myanmar Government has just released a figure for death and missing population at 133,655 people. Until today, the official government statistics has 77,738 death , 55,917 missing and 19,359 injured. Many locals believe the death toll is significantly higher than reported and survivors are still living under great risk on a daily basis.

Our team has seen location that many relief workers had no access too and the needs are great and with our little capacity, there is limit in what we can do for them.

A river of death

It is more than two weeks after the Cyclone hit Myanmar, the famous Ayerwaddy River of Myanmar is still filled with dead bodies that is rotting in many places. These bodies are actually obstructing the navigation of many boats using the river. Often boats will knock on human dead bodies that is floating on the river. The river banks are also filled with many dead bodies in various location. We saw dogs actually consumming human flesh that was up at the river banks. Some villagers attempted to tie these corpses with ropes and than dragged them into deeper water but there is just not enough people around to bury the dead or transport the corpses into deeper water. The stench from the Ayerwaddy River due to the dead bodies is so strong. Many of these most needed areas are not accessible by foreigners and foreign relief workers.

When I saw this horrific crisis, I nauseated. Mostly not because of the stench but the state of the survivors and so little help are available to them. I know the situation can be better. There are thousand of people that are still waiting for their first help to arrive. These are the matter that I really abhor and causes me to vomit. I believe there are much aid coming into Myanmar from nations that love the people of Myanmar but these people are not getting anything.

Waiting for Food

All along a 20 miles stretch of road, I saw people lining up at the road side waiting for help. I drop several candies for the children at the road side and suddenly about ten adult men rushed to get the candy that I dropped for the children. It is unthinkable to see adult fighting with children over the candies. The situation is very desperate. See also CNN video

More stories from Daoh Gyi

A certain area of Daoh Gyi has been classified as dangerous by the Government but our group went anyway. We understand the concern of the Government to protect us from harm and lawlessness and we appreciate it.

We travelled with the guidance of local villagers. One medical doctor and nurse and five of our team members went to Daoh Gyi to help victims of Cyclone. While we were there for three days, we helped delivered 2 new born babies. We also helped to build temporary church building for Christians. The medical doctor and nurse gave treatment to over 120 from various villages from around the area. This is the first time, they get aid since the Cyclone hit them.

Daoh Gyi has 150 houses and 1000 people. There is no house left after the Cyclone. The people took refuge in two buildings in the area i.e. a school building and a food storage building. The people who took refuge in the school building were all dead.

After the Cyclone hit, the survivors in the area who took refuge in the food storage area did not have food for three days and then they dried the food that is still salvagable in the building. It took three days for the food to dry and they began to cook porridge out the dried rice.

When our team arrived in that area, many survivors from surrounding areas came to see us. Almost everyone has tears of gladness on their cheek when they see that someone really remember them and care enough to come.

We distributed the supplies that we secretly transported. This is the first time they ate salt in 15 days. The supplies we gave them can last them for about two weeks.

The local believe that the death toll are much higher than what is announced. Neydalin village near Daoh Gyi has 200 home and 1500 people. All homes were destroyed and no a single person survived the Cyclone and the flood. This is imaginable.

I have never experience or can imagine anything like this can ever happen in front on my eyes. We have seen places that most people have no access to and I know there are many places like this in the Ayerwaddy Delta area. May God help us.

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A Trip to Taapah

by Johan and Mangte.

17 May 2008

We travelled from Yangon at 4:30am with contingent of 1 truck, 1 car and 1 minibus. It was still raining heavily.

At about 11:30am, we finally arrived at Ma Oo Pin. Upon arrival, we were received warmly by a police officer, a local doctor and a Buddhist monk. Then, we proceed to Tapa Village and at about 12:15noon, we arrived at Primary (Elementary School). The school building was badly damaged; the roof was blown away by the Cyclone. The school has 3 staffs and 104 students from 1st to 5th Grade. They cannot convened the school on May 15, 2008 as the school has been turned into a refugee shelter. They had no food, no books and even no safe environment to think about schooling.

This village had 91 houses and 520 people before the Cyclone. The Cyclone and the flood took away their houses and destroyed their rice farms. Since they were mostly farmers, they have now have no job and no home. For the past two weeks, they collected whatever salvageable from the village and pull their resources together and have taken shelter at the local Buddhist temple and the primary school. They had some wet rice. They cleaned and dried the rice and try to make food out of it. If it rains heavily again, these two remaining building may not stand another storm.

Begging for food at the road side

They lived in desperate situation. They cannot afford to rebuild their home so they waited for help at the road side daily. For miles and miles before the road that region, you can see people lining up waiting for help. That’s their only mean of finding help.

International aid distribution concentrated in the city area where they are allowed to access not some of these most needed areas in the Irrawaddy delta region. There are not enough refugee camps for these victims. If they can access refugee camps, they may be able to get clothing but now they had nothing. There are six villages in this area that did not receive help. Occasionally, we see a few kind hearted people dropping off food from their car and then these victims fought over the food drop. Often the stronger people will get the food leaving the children and women with nothing. This is a very grieving sight.

In such dire situation when we arrived with three truck loads of supplies, they were in awe and an utter gratitude. Old and young men and women and even children line up in front of us. We work with those local authorities to get a proper family name list and then we began to distribute rice, dried beans, potatoes, onion, candle, cooking pot, water container, spoon, clothing, blanket, instant noodle, medicine and water bottles systematically. Everyone in that village received their needed supply and then we proceeded to distribute to other villages. The monk was the person who help us get organize to distribute the supplies. There was an incident where people from the other 5 villages rushed violently towards the food supplies and began to fight over the food supplies but the monk put them under control. It has been a very fruitful day.

The people in these villages had always depended on the river for their water supply and they still have access to those supply even though the Cyclone had hit the area. There is no healthcare in the area. They never had access to medicine directly in the village. If someone is seriously ill, they will travel 9 miles into the nearest town to seek treatment. These people will not be able to start farming this year due to the destruction and flood but will probably be able to start farming again next year. Until then, they will have food problem not to mentioned their children are unable to attend school due to the destruction.

Although we began our day at 4:30am, we did not feel the tiredness or hunger. God has sustained us with His love and strength. The main thing that sadden me most is the scene of old men fighting with children for food. It was a horrible side of humanity. I am actually afraid to be on the road because of such violent and what human can do just for food and survival.

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91 Homes to build

May 16, 2008

There is place known as Taa Pah which is 4 hour drive away from Yangon City. 91 houses in that area were swept away taken by the flood. The survivors are taking refuge in the nearby Buddhist temple. iLoveMyanmar team of 25 volunteers comprises of Burmese and Kachin people travelled to Taapan with supplies of blanket, rice, onion and potatoes. We plan to rebuild several homes for them but they requested we build 91 houses for them.

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Relief supplies distribution points:

Chin Baptist Church, Yangon and several other

On May 21, iLoveMyanmar will be distributing relief supplies such as rice bags, dried beans, salt packages from Chin Baptist Church, Yangon. iLoveMyanmar will also be mobilizing volunteers to distribute these supplies in Hlai Thar Yar, North Dagon, South Dagon and Yuzana.

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iLoveMyanmar united volunteers from various background

May 15, 2008

The number of volunteers serving with iLoveMyanmar from Yangon increases day by day. On May 15, young men from local churches, Kachin tribes and even Buddhist organizations served on teams that help victims in the region of Labutta. There is such unity among these volunteers regardless of their religious or ethnic background.

They like the name i Love Myanmar. We have actually printed 1000 T-shirt which has “I Love Myanmar" in front and “Emmanuel Foundation” at the back of the T-shirt.

Another Team of volunteers from Kachin Youth Group has been mobilized to help victims at Ma Oo Pin region with two trucks load of supplies.

Volunteers of iLoveMyanmar getting ready to leave

for Labuatta area to help victims.

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Stories from Tabeciang Village, Laputta Township

May 14, 2008

We spent some time with people who arrived in Yangon from Tabeciang Village in Laputta Township. They relate to us the follow stories:

By 3-4pm, we experienced raising flood water and it came very fast. We responded by running to the nearby church building for shelter. Then the wind and rain came violently at the church building. We decided to leave the church building as it is getting unsafe. As soon as we leave the church building, it collapsed. After that, we were scattered everywhere in the flood. Many people attempted to look for higher ground and the only option they had were trees. Many people tried to climb trees to escape flood but children and women did not climb the trees in time and many of them were swept away by this violent flood water.

Naked women were raped

When the violent wind calm down a little, many of us realized we had no clothes on. The violent storm stripped our clothes off. We lost of our sense shame and dignity in the midst of our great despair. Many young and old men and women gathered together to protect one another in the midst of storm but many were scattered. Due to nakedness, several women were actually rape in the process. A group of people from our village caught six men who had committed rape during this period of time. We were living in hunger, thirst, sickness, danger and nakedness.

Volunteers prepare cooking for Refugees

Story of one man with two children:

There was one man with two children who escaped the flood but was exposed to the cold, rain and strong wind for the entire night. This entire family died the next day. Apparently, the violent wind and rain carries much debris, mud and sand and that actually killed this family and others. Their body turned black in the process. The wind and rain stopped at around 2am in the morning and the houses in the area were all destroyed. People ate nothing for days and some found coconut for source of drink and nourishment.

Women and Children were higher in the death toll

In many circumstances, many of more children and women died in this disaster. We, the men were extremely helpless and heart-breaking to see our wives, daughters and children swept away by flood and have no capacity to save them thus in many areas, men were left alive but the other families were died in the process.

Pregnant woman in the midst of the crisis

There is among the refugees, there is a pregnant woman was due to deliver a baby. She made it to the clinic. Shimon, another refugee lost his two beautiful daughters. There was another 2 year old boy who lost all his family members. Most of Tabeciang village refugees are now taking refuge in Pathein. Pathein getting too crowed and refugees travelled further into Yangon city for refugee. There were 26 other children who were affected and has no family to care for them. The rescuer help to get water to the children refugees three days after the Cyclone hit Myanmar. These children are now gathered together with other villagers who survived the Cyclone. These people need some pocket money, rice, cooking oil, some vegetable, medicine, cooking pot, water container and clothing. Please continue to pray and reach out to help these refugees.

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Christian village dringking water from dead bodies in the water

Bokalay Myone, Daoh Kyi Yua - the name of the village

May 13, 2008

Daoh Gyi is a Christian village, there were about 150 homes with about 1000 people. They were a farming community. After the Cyclone hit, no homes was left. Aid from NGO and Authority have not reached this community yet.

Now, they have built a temporary tent on a hill. All of them are staying together in the same place. They are collecting rice from the rice field which has been dried from the flood. They are eating porridge. Before they collect the rice from damaged rice field, only the children and elderly people were served the porridge. The flood is returning to their village and the village has almost disappear now because of the flood waters. They still have not gotten any help.

They drink water that is polluted with dead bodies and carcasses that floated from other places. There is simply no point in taking a bath in the water - because it is polluted.

Kachin Youth Volunteers packing Blanket

for Daoh Gyi Village

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Helping Ma Oo Pyin

May 13, 2008

Ma Oo Pyin city has 10,000 victims who came from Phiapone and Lapuatta. They are refugees who take refuge in Buddhist temple and High School buildings. Their daily food ration is provided by Government relief agency.

I spoke with a couple who served as the chief Doctor of Ma Oo Pyin city and a retired General who explained the needs of the people to me. He mentioned the victims really need clothing, blankets and medicine as there are many who are sick especially with diarrhea.

There are those among the victims who had not eaten for one week. Relief supply did not reach all of them in that city. They were either rob on the way or intercepted by certain authority. Even the United Nation agency do not easily access that area.

U Soe, a retired police officer will take responsibility to ensure that our supply reach the neediest victims. In this area, there are many children who were made orphans by the Cyclone disaster. iLoveMyanmar volunteers are working with Buddhist monk in the area to take down their name and seek options to assist these precious children.

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Please Pray for Labuatta

May 13, 2008

iLoveMyanmar’s volunteers are going to Labuatta with the volunteers from Labuatta Association who lived in Yangon. Members of the Labuatta Association themselves were affected by the Cyclone in Yangon.

Labuatta was an area severely hit by the Cyclone Nargis and have to be accessed by boat. iLoveMyanmar sponsors the boat rental for these volunteers. It has been one week since the Cyclone hit and no help has arrived in Labuatta yet.

These volunteers who themselves were victims of Cyclone in Yangon decided to move in to Labuatta to help the survivors. The nearest village to Labuatta has only one house still left in good standing. Most survivors lost everything they had in their lives.

Karen Refugee from Labuatta

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A life changing Experience

by Pate

May 12, 2008

I was travelling to Bo Chuk Yua. The only way to get there is through muddy country road. When we arrived at Thanhlin, the driver of our rented car refused to go further due to the bad road condition and bad weather as it was raining heavily. He raised the price on the way in prevent us for going further but I pleaded with him with more payment.

When we get to our destination, the house of the family we wish to visit had been badly destroyed by the storm and flood. They were cooking the last serving of rice porridge as they run out of rice today. In fact, our visit surprised them, their bodies were shaking and shivering. Pastor Pa Cin survey their food supply at their home and realized they really run out of rice today. God sent us just in time to relief them. God is good and will not let His people suffer. When we asked about their family, we found out their father is 71 year old and he is blind and he cannot work. They had several grandchildren. Two of them are 5 and 8 years old. We asked them to let have the privilege to send them to school. My heart was broken and was in deep sadness after hearing their story. It is like my strength had been sucked off me. We gave them the relief supply packages that we gave everyone else. They were grateful.

On the way back to our house, I was hungry but did not have any appetite. I can still feel what they feel. I am a change man. I start to contemplate on matters of life that I had never pondered before. This day and my experience with this family changes my outlook of life significantly. I prayed to God to change my tears into food for the poor.

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Extend of damages affecting Christian communities

May 12, 2008

Among the Christian communities 286 villages with 9786 households were destroyed and the death Toll is now over 7000 people and about 100,000 people became homeless and lost all their properties in delta area. Almost all the people in Christian villages are Karen people.

My dear friend, Rev. Mar Gay Gyi was appointed Chairman of the emergency relief committee of Myanmar Council fo Churches (MCC). They are trying to response to the need with other church organizations. Myanmar Baptist Convention (MBC) and Karen Baptist convention (KBC) also formed their own relief committee and response team and they are trying to put together a corporate response to the great needs with the help of Local and international partners.

"The need is so great that what we can do right now is very limited. These days whenever I pray for the victims and think about these people, I cry. Please pray for us." (An email from Rev. Mar Gay Gyi to Levi)

There are some other Christian organizations in Myanmar such as the independent churches, Seventh Day Adventist, Catholic etc. are also very involved in relief effort. Many of these Christian organizations headquarters in Yangon are also affected. I encourage help and partnership with not just one organization but every organization who is playing various roles in relief and rebuilding of lives. Different organizations are focusing on different areas of need.

The stories of three widows who are victims of Cyclone Nargis

by Pate

May 11, 2008

12:30pm - I started my journey accompanied by Pastor Thawng Cin of Falam Baptist Church, Yangon. I was very encouraged when two bible school students, Thangte and Certe decided to travel with us when they heard Pastor Cin decision to accompany me.

Needy people are all over the places. We need to decide where to go and who to start with. The Scripture talks about taking care of the fatherless and widow as expression of true religion so we decided to visit widows that have the most need. We brought along rice bag and cooking oil. We cannot get any dried beans today. We travelled to look for the widow of Ram Ling Hmung, a Christian journalist who passed away a year ago. Their rented home was blown away by the Cyclone. She and her children are running out of food and water. When we get to her house, we saw people helping her to fix her house. Everything was destroyed. The house did not look like a house and had to be built from the ground. We provided her with rice bags, cooking oil and 100,000 ks (equivalent to USD$100). This is the standard help package we wish to provide for every widow and orphan who had been victims of this Cyclone disaster.

Then we proceeded to Pi Par Lang’s house where she lives with her little boy. Her house was totally destroyed and flooded during the Cyclone. They have no place for their sanitary needs. They simply “do their business” with a plastic bag and throw it away. They had no access to any food supply. While we were there, her little boy asked for noodles or in local language “Khausoi”. She could not afford to pay 300 ks or about a quarter dollar for noodle. We arrived at a time when they were really discouraged. We did not know what to do for them except the encourage them and pray for them. We also gave her 100,000ks, rice bags and cooking oil.

Finally, we travelled outside of Yangon to a place call Daw Pung to visit a widow name Pi Nawn Par who lived with her daughter. Both of them have been sicked since the day of the Cyclone. At the moment when they saw us coming, they cried aloud. Their house was totally destroyed by the Cyclone. They have much despair and trouble, unspeakable troubles. They could only cry. Then they told us what they went through when the Cyclone hit their home. When the violent storm started to hit, a local Buddhist monk invited them to take refuge in a nearby Buddhist temple but refused to go. Instead, they hung unto one pillar of their house the whole night, wading through the storm. The 120 mph wind, rain and storm hit them hard through the night and destroyed their house but they hang on to the pillar. She pointed to us her house that was destroyed by the Cyclone. There was no more house but a pile of debris. One of travelling companion, Ms. Certe wept with her when she told the her story and we were all moved to tears and cried together. She continue telling us her story.

The temporary home of the widow of Ram Ling Hmung

The next day, she decided to travel into the city to find comfort in the church on Sunday morning. It took her three long bus journey to get to the church. It shocked her when she saw all the destruction along the way for she thought the destruction only affected a small local area. The bus fares was so expensive on that day that she could not afford to take the bus home. Instead she walked for 40 miles home to her house that was no longer there. As we looked at her destroyed house and hearing her story of courage and faith, my tears kept flowing. I could not control my tears. On that Sunday morning, no one really noticed her misery in church as everyone was having their own trouble and misery as the entire city was affected by the Cyclone one way or the another. We left her a gift from Jesus for Jesus saw her every move and her broken heart. Jesus also saw her faith and her courage. I felt on that day that Jesus used us to help her. It was Jesus that sent us to her and the gift and love was from Jesus to her and not ourselves.

On our way home from this journey, we did not speak a word to one another. We were silently reflecting on our experience with the three widows and their families. I want to thank God for Pastor Cin and the two bible school students from MIT, Thangte and certe for their love and prayers on that day.

We visited many more people that day. These stories is about the three widows are just the highlight of our journey.

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Missionary family still missing

May 10, 2008

In the city of Bokalay, Ayeyarwady Division, there were 50 to 100 Christian missionaries and their family have been missing. Their fate remaining unknown until now. Bokalay was one of the hardest hit area by the Cyclone.

According to Myanmar National News, 95% of the city of Bokalay was destroyed or swept away. The city of Bokalay is no more and dead bodies are everywhere. Eyewitnesses who travelled to the area were deeply affected by the horrific scene that they saw. (Andrew)

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Taking Clothes from the dead bodies

May 10, 2008

In Labuatta, victims of Cyclone who are alive are taking clothes from the dead bodies as they had not clothes to wear.

The United Nations staff members who are station in Yangon is beginning to collect clothing and food from house to house in Yangon. The United Nation staff had no choice as their supply from international aid cannot yet be flown in as they plan for

The people who are donating their clothes are people who are themselves affected by the Cyclone in Yangon. Victims in Labuatta urgently need clothing and food and volunteers are trying the best to get it from inside the country from those who are less affected. (Andrew)

Click to view dead bodies images.

(Viewer discretion advised)

Packing T-Shirt to give away

Helping victims of Cyclone in Yangon

by Pate

May 09, 2008

In Yangon, some land phone lines and mobile phone is functioning again. Some residences and offices are also getting some electricity today. However water supply pipe line to Yangon city may still be broken. Water supply may not be restored soon and there is not specific source of clean water. The street of Yangon is mostly not crowded unlike usual days. One of the reason may be people were afraid and they had not cleaned themselves for days. In some townships such as Sanchuang and Tamwe, some residences of apartments and condominium bought generators to pump water from underground. According to sources from inside Yangon, Gasoline price is now US$90.00 per gallon. Generators are no longer available as available stocks have all been purchased.

As many roof tops are affected, there is almost not more supply of roof tops that people can purchase to fix their roofs. Many homes, used plastic roofs to cover their houses. Source from Yangon informed me that one piece of nail is costing USD$3.00. The price of rice bag is 300% more than usual and yet most shops are not open for the fear of civil unrest

iLoveMyanmar has dispatched volunteers in Yangon to help affected household. Thus far, bags of rice, bags of dried beans, salt and dried fish, have been given to help these families. In a few days, our volunteers will be helping some homeless family rebuilt their homes. It is heartwarming to see Myanmar people helping one another in such moment of crisis. Due to the difficulty of getting transportation, it is difficult to move around to find out who are people we can help strategically as needs are so enormous everywhere.

Cungte carrying rice bag

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Phone Call with Myanmar Embassy in Singapore

May 06, 2008

I completed a phone conversation with Mr. Kyaw Shwe Tint, the first Secretary of Myanmar Embassy in Singapore. He said the Myanmar Government will take an offering from U.S.A, while I heard from CNN news the Myanmar government would not accept aid from the USA. (Levi)

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Children Slept through the Storm

May 05, 2008

My brother left me a message that actually made me laughed even in the midst of such difficult season. He said that while the storm hit the neighbors and when he saw roof flew away, trees were rooted out, he got so worry about the children we adopted. He went over to the children's apartment as soon as he could. When he arrived, the children just got up from their sleep and knew nothing about the storm. The children slept through the storm, protected by Jesus through the concrete building. The children were shocked when they saw their neighbors buildings were destroyed in the morning.

Praise be to Jesus for His sovereign protection. (Levi)

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