Floods Ravage Southern China

Wednesday, June 13, A.D. 2007

Days of torrential rains have caused extensive flooding across southern China. The floods have affected more than 9 million people, destroyed more than 48,000 homes and damaged another 94,000. Nearly 600,000 people have been evacuated. In addition, several hundred thousand acres of crops have been damaged or destroyed.

Long-time Disciples and Church World Service partner and Action by Churches Together (ACT) member, Amity Foundation, is preparing a response to the floods. Amity is also involved in current relief and recovery operations in response to the recent earthquake in Yunnan, China (see June 7 update). Week of Compassion is supporting Amity’s quake response and will also assist its flood recovery efforts once an appeal is made through the ACT network.

Good Intentions Often Create Donation Dilemma

"While disasters of any kind can bring out the best in people, they sometimes can also bring out the worst donations. The sometimes overwhelming onslaught of unwanted or unusable items has been termed by many as the 'second disaster'," writes Nancy Hogland of the Disaster News Network. Indeed, the residents of Greensburg, KS, have received some interesting and varied donations! Read the full story.

Disciples Seminarians Depart for Bosnia

Later today, WOC Directors Amy Gopp and Johnny Wray will accompany eight Disciples seminary students on a ten-day mission trip to Bosnia. This is the third such opportunity in three years provided by WOC to up-and-coming church leaders to see humanitarian work in this small Balkan nation that, just over a decade ago, emerged from a bloody and vicious war. In addition to a variety of long-term sustainable development projects, the students will be exposed to refugee returnee work; peace and reconciliation efforts; and interfaith discussions with leaders from Bosnia’s Orthodox, Catholic and Muslim traditions. The Church World Service Balkans Program will host the group. This year the students will be representing Lexington Theological Seminary, Lexington, KY; Brite Divinity School, Ft. Worth, TX; Phillips Theological Seminary, Tulsa, OK; Union Theological Seminary, New York City; Eden Theological Seminary, St. Louis, MO; Candler School of Theology, Emory University; Disciples Divinity House, Vanderbilt University; and Disciples Divinity House, University of Chicago. A travelogue of the group’s experiences will be posted later on the WOC website.

WOC Map/Poster

Click here for the latest additions to the WOC interactive map/poster. For a complimentary copy of the map/poster for your congregation, call the office at 317.713.2442 or send an e-mail to ecleveland@woc.disciples.org.