Gentle readers will doubtless want to give to help those affected by today's devastating earthquake in Indonesia. We recommend that such gifts be directed to IDES, the International Disaster Emergency Service, a ministry of the independent Christian Churches and Churches of Christ.
IDES boasts an efficient operation with low overhead. All funds go directly to Christian church missionaries on the field and are distributed quickly to those who need help. As it happens, the earthquake is in a region, central Java, where a number of churches have been established and a network of Christians who can act are nearby. As it happens, we have visited the area, having taught at a college in Salatiga in the summer of 2000.
IDES has funded impressive work in the Bandeh Acheh province of Indonesia, devastated by last year's tsunami. A small team sent to that region has been able to build dozens of "temporary" houses (wood structures that should last for 20 years at a minimum) for homeless families, while the British and Danish Red Cross, the agencies authorized by the government to build "permanent" houses in that area, have not yet built a one. In fact, IDES has funded the brick factory from which the Red Cross will purchase brick when it gets around to building its houses.
Disclaimer: we have served on the board of IDES since January 1 of this year. But we joined the board because we believe in this organization's work, not the other way around.
1 comment:
Thanks for the link.
It shouldn't be too long before Clinton and Bush Sr. get their faces on TV to exploit this tragedy just as they did with Katrina and the 2004 Tsunami.
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