In our last newsletter, I wrote about the terrible fire that made hundreds of poverty-stricken families homeless. Sadly, this fire became much more of a tragedy than I previously reported.

In the place they were evacuated, measles and other diseases broke out. Twenty-two people died in this refugee camp from the heat, disease, malnourishment, and unclean water. Many of the ones who died were babies and children.

I went with our church back to help these precious people rice to help them survive. Although it seems almost like we barely made a dent in the overwhelming need, at least we did what we could for them.

My heart breaks for the Badgao people. I am fighting back tears thinking that perhaps we could have done more for these people and save more of their lives.

These people are squatters, not just because of poverty, but also exclusion and discrimination. They are given no opportunity to succeed. It’s almost unbearable to visit the refugee camps and see their living conditions. Please pray for their salvation, healing, wholeness, and restoration.