Orissa Response

        	              

The state of Orissa is located on the Eastern side of India. In the late summer and early fall of 2008, a wave of persecution hit the Christians in villages of Orissa. During this time of persecution, the homes of Christians were burned down and the believers were driven out of their villages and lived in the jungles for months. Many believers were tortured and killed.  Some had their limbs cut off and were left to bleed to death. The roots of this wave of persecution are complex, weaving politics and caste with religion. 4,000 homes and hundreds of churches have been burned; 59 people killed; 50,000 people have become refugees; and there have been many rapes and forced re-conversions. 




Unlike many natural disaster victims, the individuals impacted by this tragedy had:



    

  • no warning of the attacks (no time to salvage belongings) 
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  • no insurance to replace their losses 
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  • little or no governmental protection or relief or temporary shelters for refuge 
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  • no network of church volunteer teams coming to their aid
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Responding to the need



EFCA TouchGlobal has responded to this urgent need. In November, ReachGlobalcontributed $20,000 to help rebuild houses and launch ministry in southern Orissa. They have also helped by providing tarps, food, cooking vessels, sleeping mats, mosquito nets, and blankets to the refugees. Continued rebuilding and refurnishing some 40 houses and three churches and providing training and coaching to local pastors will require another $100,000. Two Indian national organizations in partnership with ReachGlobal and EFCA TouchGlobal Crisis Response had pastors affected by the persecution. These organizations are now working to assist the persecuted believers in resettling and rebuilding their homes. 



What you can do


Pray


    

  • Pray for the killed victims’ families.
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  • Pray for those left behind who are homeless.
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  • Pray that God will reveal the life of Jesus in the believers’ faithful and bold testimonies in this time of persecution. 
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  • Pray for justice to prevail.
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  • Pray for relief to come to assist the hurting.
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  • Pray for the teams that are doing advocacy work and helping the people to rebuild their homes.
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  • Pray for urgent financial help needed to rebuild.
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Give


Initial relief efforts 



In 2008, our ReachGlobal-affiliated India ministries ministering in Orissa provided blankets, sleeping mats, mosquito nets, food, cooking utensils, clothes, tarps, and medicines to families whose homes were burned in the mid-year persecution. 



Rebuilding 



Our current priority is to rebuild the 41 houses burned during the persecution. The cost to rebuild an Orissa home ranges from $1,800 to $2,700. Using an average cost of $2,250 per house, rebuilding all 41 houses will cost significantly more than the funds available. Six of the 41 houses have been rebuilt. The most recently-constructed houses switched to a cement slate tile roof (rather than thatch) as an extra measure against future loss. Work now continues to rebuild houses as funds permit. We encourage your church or Sunday School class to come alongside the national believers with a gift of $2,000 to rebuild a home.




As God blesses and leads, please make contributions online using our secure server or mail check to:




EFCA 

Orissa Relief for Persecuted Pastors/Families/Fellowships 

901 East 78th Street 

Minneapolis, MN 55420




Please indicate "Orissa Relief - 21709-3995" on your check.




Questions? Email crisisresponse@efca.org.




Return to the India page. Find out more about the ministry of EFCA TouchGlobal.