Port Vila, Vanuatu, South Pacific:   Nazarene Compassionate Ministries Coordinator for Asia-Pacific, John Watton, and Melanesia South Pacific Field Strategy Coordinator, Harmon Schmelzenbach, are on the ground in Vanuatu, and send the following report.

We had a wonderful time Sunday, March 22, giving thanks to God with the people who gathered together at the Prima church plant just outside of the capital city of Port Vila. The worship service consisted of singing, praying and people sharing their testimonies of God’s protection during the storm. Pastor Gideon is a great leader!!

Pastor Gideon – Prima Church Plant.

This congregation at Prima is tiny and the members live in an informal settlement not far off a main road that leads back to the city. Many of the structures in this village were flattened in the storm. Jimmy and his family are part of the church. He has a heart of gold!!

Jimmy cleaning up the debris.

Even though his own home lost its corrugated roofing sheets in the wind, and his own household items are still scattered in his yard, Jimmy worked hard in this community after the cyclone to help many people restore the roofs on their homes. Although Jimmy has been unable to speak for many years, he related to us through gestures what had happened on the evening that the cyclone descended on their community.

None of the structures in their little settlement were sturdy enough to withstand the force of the wind so Jimmy directed adults and children to take refuge inside a 40′ shipping container located in a nearby construction yard.

The storm ended up rolling the 40′ shipping container across the ground into a wall.

He carried some smaller children to the container and went back again and again to the village for more. When there were about fifteen people huddling in this big container it began to be shaken and rocked vigorously by the cyclone. Jimmy was afraid it would fly away so he led the people into another container that was located in such a way as to be less likely to be tipped by the wind — eventually the group shifted locations once more until all the people were sheltered in a cement block residence located in the construction yard. In the intensity of the storm, one young man in this group was injured; he struck his head on the container door and he fell unconscious inside. This 40′ container he was in began to be tossed by the cyclone and the wind rolled it across the yard where it crashed up against the construction yard security wall — destroying a section of the wall.

After reviving, the young man found his way out of the container and to the group.

Jimmy (in red) relaying his story of God’s protection.

All the time that Jimmy was ‘narrating’ this account to us, he would pause and press his hands together in praise of God, the protector of those under his care!

After the storm subsided some villagers took the injured boy to the hospital where he was treated; Jimmy indicated that the boy has since been released and is now back in the village doing well. Praise God!

The congregation is so very grateful for the rice, water and tarpaulins that the Church of the Nazarene brought to this church plant at Prima – immediately after the cyclone had passed. The chief of the village expressed his deep gratitude to God and to the church for the needed provisions that arrived at a key time in the life of his community. This was the first help that they received.

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The little church structure they were originally worshiping in was knocked down by Cyclone Pam but the church has worked hard to clean up the area. The congregation has faith and optimism that God will help them to know the way forward.

The evidence of the storm’s destruction is everywhere in this hard-hit community, yet the gratitude and praises were raised to God today. It was inspiring to be with them.

Specific Prayer Requests for the Nazarene Response

United Nations Cyclone Pam Situation Update for March 22.

• Approximately 14,000 homes have been reported to be destroyed or damaged throughout the provinces of Penama, Malampa, Shefa and Tafea.
• While food and water supplies have been reaching people on the 22 affected islands, more is still required.
• Initial food packages have been dispatched to Erromango, Tanna, Aniwa, Futuna and Epi islands, serving approximately 7,400 households.
• A yacht arrived in the Shepherd Islands and has started producing 10,000 litres of safe drinking water per day with its on board water processing unit.
• Around 4,000 children were vaccinated against measles and received Vitamin A supplementation.