Speaker brings tsunami struggle home
By Mary Moorefield
Staff Writer, The Courier-Tribune
ASHEBORO - For four weeks now, much of the world's attention has been
focused on Southeast Asia and the aftermath of the deadly tsunami. Sunday
morning, members of an Asheboro church got to hear firsthand from someone
who has been there.
Dr. Tony W. Cartledge, editor of the "Biblical Recorder," a
publication of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina, spoke to
the congregation of Balfour Baptist Church about his journey to Sri Lanka
to assist in the relief effort for the worst natural disaster in recent
memory.
The nation of Sri Lanka is shaped like a teardrop hanging off the coast
of India.
"The teardrop shape is quite appropriate these days," Cartledge
said.
According to government officials, the death toll in Sri Lanka stands
at 29,653 with 4,719 still missing.
Cartledge traveled with experienced missionaries Eddie Williams of Spruce
Pine, who served as team leader, Larry Osborne of Granite Falls and J.E.
Skinner of Williamston - whom he dubbed, "The Three Volunteers."
They worked through N.C. Baptist Men, Hungarian Baptist Aid and the Baptist
World Alliance.
After buying supplies in Colombo, Sri Lanka, the team headed for the
town of Galle. As they traveled farther down the West coast, they began
to see the tsunami damage.
Something that struck Cartledge was the level of destruction.
"Hundreds of miles of coastline are devastated," he said. "Train
tracks were twisted like a corkscrew. It's amazing what that much water
can do."
Once in Galle, the team of N.C. Baptists met up with Swedish Baptist
pastor and native Sri Lankan, Christopher Gammedehewa, who served as their
contact in Galle.
The team expected to spend most of its time manning water stations and
cooking, but instead their efforts were needed to pump water out of village
water systems. Until the water was purified, some villagers refused to drink
from the wells for fear that dead bodies had been in them.
They also visited a refugee camp where they delivered school supplies,
which N.C. Baptists helped fund through offerings and giving programs.
Cartledge was deeply touched by the massive loss the Sri Lankan people
have suffered. Many have lost their entire families and everything they
own.
North of Galle, in the fishing village of Dodanduwa, P.H. Piyarangth
told his story to the team. He touched his hands to his chest, then spread
them open with a mournful look on his face and said, "Look what happened.
I'm a poor man. My mother is dead." His home, his brothers' homes and
his mother's home - which had stood for more than 300 years - were flattened.
His mother was washed out to sea. He said she couldn't run fast enough.
Some survived because of their experience with the sea. That was the
case for Piyarangth. He said he survived because he knew when low tide was
supposed to be. He knew something was wrong when the sea level dropped quickly
three hours earlier than expected. He was able to run to higher ground for
safety. Other than his mother, the rest of his family survived.
Of all the devastation and destruction Cartledge and his team witnessed,
he said he will most remember their ability to handle adversity. Seventy
percent of the nation is Buddhist. They believe strongly in accepting whatever
comes and being content.
"The people there are very resilient," he said. "They're
trying to rebuild their homes, really working to put their lives back together.
They had positive attitudes."
Above all, Cartledge said, he and his team were there to work. And through
that work, show Christ's love.
"We wanted to leave something in the way of hope and Jesus Christ,"
he said. "We want to show Christ's love to people whom Christ loves."
According to Cartledge, four teams of N.C. Baptists will be spending
time in Southeast Asia: One team is already there with two more ready to
go and a medical team will be going to Indonesia, which Randolph Baptist
Association's associational missionary the Rev. Frank White will be a translator
for. (White spent 10 years in Indonesia as a missionary.) Also long-term
rebuilding teams will be sent in through Samaritans Purse. The group can
rebuild an entire home with $2,500.
To read more about the effort and Dr. Tony Cartledge's experiences,
visit <www.biblicalrecorder.org>. For more information on the Rev.
Frank White or contributing to the tsunami relief through the N.C. Baptist
State Convention, contact the Randolph Baptist Association at (336) 625-4175.
Copyright 2002, Stephens Media Group
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