In early May 2008, Cyclone Nargis swept with great fury over parts of Myanmar, claiming around 140,000 lives and leaving over a million people with their homes and livelihoods destroyed. Miraculously, none of the YWAMers or their familieswho live there were hurt.

Local YWAMers immediately started to help cyclone victims in the outskirts of Yangon. Two weeks after the storm, a team of 22 staff, includingdoctors and nurses, travelled to the Irrawaddy Delta with all the aid theycould gather, to help survivors who fled to the edge of the disaster zone.Within a few days, they ministered to and medically treated, several thousand traumatized survivors, who lived in unimaginable conditions. During a 3 dayreconnaissance trip from there by boat to the coast, a small team foundhorrifying scenes and heard heartbreaking stories. Most survivors had lost family members and death was everywhere. However, there were also stories ofheroic and miraculous deliverances from the storm and the following 5 metersurge wave, which killed more people than the storm itself.

Encouraged by the openness of the authorities towards local relief efforts and generous donations from all over the globe, by faith, YWAMinitially committed to rebuild 4 villages for around 600 people each. In theend they worked in 30 villages, fed 2,200 people for 9 months, 7,380 people for5 months, 800 people for 3 weeks and provided food supplies for further 5,000people. So far, they have built 137one-family houses, 15 bigger houses that serve as community centres and 65toilets, donated 1 truck, bought 11 motorized ploughs and rice seeds for 2,000acres, distributed 60 fishing boats with nets and crab traps, carried out 27water projects (wells and ponds), offered job skill training and ran spiritualand trauma counselling retreats, provided medical care for thousands, trainedvillage nurses, distributed clothes to thousands and much more. They are stillbuilding one-family houses and are looking into the possibility of buildingschools and even storm shelters, provided they receive the necessary funds.

YWAM is regularly sending local staff and Discipleship Training Schoolteams to meet the spiritual needs of cyclone survivors and they plan toestablish long term ministries. God is using this tragedy to transform Myanmar.As we and many others are demonstrating God’s unconditional love, many barriersare broken down and hearts opened!

YWAM Myanmar would like to thank the global YWAM family for their love,prayers and support! which carried them through a very difficult but fruitfulyear!