12. Volunteered doctors and dentists to work at the infirmary of the Peraliya refugee camp
 
Our relief teams would scheduled their visits to these camps and daily and tried doing something different and worthwhile. On our last day brethren from the Dehiwala church of Christ sent a truckload of 100 relief goods (25kgs. each) which we distributed to Akurala and Peraliya. We also had a farewell lunch at Akurala, where we prayed together with the refugees and had a short message given to them by bro. Sarath from Galle.
 
Let me share with you some excerpts from Larry Buck’s daily journals and how he spoke about the work that God allowed us to do to bring glory to His name in Sri Lanka. Larry is the special representative of Bread for a Hungry World, and he wrote:
 
“Today started as a winding down day. The team from Manila is leaving tonight. Everybody is exhausted. I think they have been going on adrenalin and not realizing how tired their bodies really are. “
 
“It seems hard to believe, but one of our medical teams came across a village a bit inland that had 1000 kids in it. There has been only one visit from a doctor since the Tsunami. Many of the families had come from the coast and had nothing. We have two medical teams going back there today.”
 
“We all continue to discuss how God has used each of us like pieces in a puzzle. Each and every person here has been allowed the satisfaction of knowing that the work has been like a giant puzzle and each has been a small part in making the picture. As people come to know Jesus out of this campaign, which will happen, all of us at home and here alike, will know we had the blessing of knowing we were allowed to be involved in this opportunity....in the history of this country,...has never known of any group of Christians who has come and been able to freely operate as we have. Certainly, never 38 Christians down deep in the lives of these people.”
 
“I am probably guilty of bragging on the Filipino Christians. But when you watch them, in comparison to the other aid workers, there is such a difference. A difference that others see as well. There are no smoke breaks, no cursing, they ALWAYS smile at the people with compassion; they treat all the other doctors and patients with respect. There is no intellectual arrogance by our doctors. You do witness this if you stay around these camp hospitals very long. WE pray and worship at night instead of taking part in nightlife.”
 
“When we were putting this together. I was concerned about whether 40 people would be the best use of the funds donated. There are some of you who gave for strictly the humanitarian relief. Two of us could have traveled here and given away all the money by ourselves. While the boats, rope machines, and what ever else we give, is good to get people back to some sort of life. The long term lasting change and repair of these lives has been most impacted because of the personal caring interaction of the Christians who came. I feel we have been good stewards of the money you sent us here with, while at the same time making changes that will last long after the boats are in the scrap yard.”
 
In all of this I think the best reward was to be told on our first day by a man who had lost much in the tsunami—”I now believe that God is greater than Buddha!” Because Jesus cares, we were sent by God to Sri Lanka and we pray that the seeds of love and caring grace that our Christian teams gave will one day bear fruit when they rebuild their homes and their lives. We pray that we can continue to build on this friendship and relationship we have established with them, so that as they rebuild their lives, they will learn to rebuild it on the foundation of Jesus our Lord and Savior that will not be shaken, washed out or fall down.

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