February 24, 2006

Recently, Denise and I were honored to be guests on King 5 TV and a talk show on PTTV hosted by Glen Gately who represented the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Port Townsend. I wish to welcome all bloggers who saw the shows and have logged in.

As you read the news and feature stories documenting the Kashmir Relief Effort by ADRA Pakistan, I trust you will come to the conclusion that God did a great work through the team effort of many. And about all we did was simply to show up.

Our team effort is certainly not over. Phase one, of three phases has been completed successfully. The second phase has already begun, with regards to funding. In a few weeks it will be time to plant. By then, ADRA Pakistan will be doing need assessments, distributing seeds and other agricultural products to enable Kashmiris to start making their own living again.

If you wish to donate, you can send a check to:

World Medics
PO Box 1606
Loma Linda, CA 92354

or logon to their website
www.worldmedicsinc.org

Thanks so much for your interest, prayers, and gifts.

Dr. John and Denise McGhee

Update #38 - Little known facts from behind the scenes

Last Friday morning I had the privilege of visiting at length with John McGhee by phone, as he and his wife, Denise, had recently returned to the U.S. following two months of hard work as the emergency director of ADRA Pakistan. I'd like to share a few items of interest that John told me on the phone that he did not include in his letter yesterday.

While you so generously gave of your means to help the Kashmiri people in such desperate need of help, John worked very hard on that end to stretch those dollars. He felt a HUGE responsibility to spend very carefully all that you gave in faith and sacrifice. John told me that he had really tried to make the vendors feel that they were an important part of the life-saving team. When they quoted him a price, as for a razai-quilt, he would tell them, "Okay, that is your business price. Now tell me your worship price. You are doing this for Allah [God]." Most of the merchants appreciated the spiritual emphasis John put on the relief effort, and at times he was able to purchase relief supplies for 1/3 or less of the price that other NGOs were paying! Surely the Lord was multiplying the assets while He was holding off the winter snows.

God also blessed with safety. In the whole two months and thousands of miles traveled in the relief operation, ADRA staff had not one accident or injury. The day John left Pakistan, our ADRA driver in Bagh, Mohammad Iqbal Shaw, was beat up while protecting his truckload of hygiene kits. The culprits were caught. Iqbal has recovered. And all of the kits are accounted for.

Another of God's blessings is that ADRA had nothing stolen from their operations site, either in Rawalpindi or in Bagh. In many less-affluent countries, it is common to have a considerable amount of pilferage and loss. And other NGOs did have some in their relief efforts. In their final accounting for what had been purchased and what had been delivered, John and the two others most closely with trucking and distribution, one in Rawalpindi and one in Bagh, compared their figures. All three men came up with the same figures: only 2 sheets of metal roofing were unaccounted for, and the 113,000 quilts purchased, they could account for all but five. A fantastic record!

John has said that some 90% of the Kashmiri people have lost a significant portion of their livelihood in the earthquake. That is one of the big things that the new director of ADRA Pakistan, David Syme, will be looking at and working on. This week my husband, George, has been in Pakistan and has had opportunities to visit with Dave. A number of you have expressed an interest in helping with "phase 2" of the relief effort. Hopefully we will be able to share more information with you about that in the near future.

Meanwhile, I just want to thank you again for being such an encouragement, such a blessing, and such an important part of the ADRA Pakistan team.

Mernie Johnson
georgeandmerniej@cs.com

Update #37 - The Final Answer: No one left freezing!

John McGhee has just sent his final report of the Pakistan earthquake relief effort. I will share that with you today, then I'll send another newsletter tomorrow with some additional information that I found very interesting after my first phone conversation with John in many weeks.

Mernie Johnson

Rawalpindi Director's Tent to Bagh Commander's Tent

Friday, November 18, 2005, Rawalpindi, Pakistan. My first day on duty as ADRA Pakistan's country director. Grabbing the ADRA keys and mobile phone nestled in my running shoes perched on bare ground beside my bed in the Rawalpindi director's tent, I swung out of my sleeping bag, yanking on day-old socks in the dark. It was time to take Conrad Vine, out-going ADRA Pakistan director who brilliantly laid the groundwork for the first phase of Kashmir relief, to the Islamabad International airport.

Friday, January 13, 2006, Rawalpindi, Pakistan. My last day on duty as ADRA Pakistan's country director. After two months of emergency disaster management, it was time to pass on the ADRA keys and mobile phone to David Syme, in-coming ADRA Pakistan director for the second phase of Kashmir relief. Before this day ended, we had traveled six hours on mountain roads to Bagh, observed the distribution of quilts given by ADRA Switzerland. As "official" guests, we had eaten three meals comprised of special Eid meat butchered the previous Wednesday, and had been feted as the Pakistan army's guests of honor at a military briefing followed by an official dinner hosted in the Bagh Commander's tent at 10:30 p.m.

I had started both Fridays by jogging from the Rawalpindi Seventh-day Adventist church and ADRA office compound through two military check points on my way to the army athlete's sports facility where, a generation ago, I had coached the army brats' swim team and helped nicotine addicts from the army basketball team quit smoking. I had ended both Fridays by staring into the darkness, shrouded by a tent, my body craving sleep, my brain unable to shut down

If you read all 37 accounts produced by Mernie Johnson, you know why my brain couldn't shut down. Because you know more details about the ADRA Pakistan Kashmir earthquake disaster story than has been told about any other ADRA project ever.

You know why our ADRA team kept the office lights on 20 hours a day.

You know why volunteers worked their tails off while receiving "heart transplants".

You know why, amidst many bright colors from 18 donor flags, green and white still rules.

You know why the rain and snow waited for one month before collapsing Ellen's tent.

You know why Radek, the truck shepherd, was on call 24/7 for 7 weeks without a break.

You know why ADRA Pakistan needed a team of 70 contract workers to deliver 113,500 quilts as well as 8,500 shelters for 75,000 people.

Just one reason: we had to cover exposed Kashmiris before the winter froze them to death.

It was that simple, heart-rending truth that forced me to appeal to you for two vital arms of support to hold me up when I most certainly should have fallen and failed both ADRA and -- most importantly -- the survivors on the mountains of Kashmir.

I asked you to powerfully intercede, asking Allah God to delay the brutal the winter storms.

I asked you to donate 8 million dollars to provide a shelter and ten quilts for each exposed family.

On almost a daily basis, Mernie provided you with information. And your compassionate hearts responded through thousands of prayers combined with generous, often sacrificial donations. I will never forget the girl who raised $1,000 by asking all who attended her birthday party to put money in a box for Pakistan instead of buying presents for her. Nor will I forget the fact that countless numbers of families liquidated their entire Christmas present budgets into ADRA donations. All of your gifts grew into a sum total of $1,300,000!

ADRA Pakistan tried to manage every dollar received from you with care. And we were able to hold the administrative / distribution costs down to under 5%. [Bob Hancock: While the 5% overhead cost is simply phenomenal and outstandingly praiseworthy, readers of this blog should know that no donations made through this site were spent on overhead. Special arrangements were made to facilitate 100% of donations being able to go straight for relief supplies!]

Are you ready to hear the "final answer" about whether or not we left Kashmiris exposed in the mountains when the snow finally began to fall?

1. Did Allah hear your prayers of intercession? Yes, He did!
Ten feet of snow should have blanketed the mountains by December 1, 2005. By January 13, 2006, there was less than ten inches of snow on those same mountains.

2. Was enough money raised to provide enough shelters? Yes, it was!
A total of $2.3 million was donated in less than three months. Because God multiplied these donations through helping us find and negotiate quality products for minimal prices, ADRA became the lead provider of shelters in Bagh while coordinating closely with several other Non-governmental organizations and the military. One NGO (which will remain nameless) spent $63 million providing about the same number of products in another part of Kashmir as ADRA spent in Bagh.

According to the commanding military general of Kashmir who reported to me on January 13, 2006:

100% of all families living above 5000 feet (snowline) now have shelters covered by steel roofing sheets which have been secured to wood frames built from remnants of their fallen houses.

95% of all families living below 5000 feet now have similar shelters.

No one will freeze to death.

Unfortunately, however, several hundred people, mostly children, will still probably die of respiratory-related illnesses.

You are the ones who deserved to hear the Pakistan military single out ADRA as the most active shelter and warm quilt provider in the Bagh district. Let's praise Allah, not ADRA.

You deserved to be interviewed with me over national Pakistani TV and hear a caller rave about the low distribution costs as he commented, "I see other NGO teams driving around Islamabad in fancy sports utility vehicles while your team takes taxis." Let's praise Allah, not ADRA.

You deserved to be featured with Denise and me over Seattle King 5 last Sabbath at 5:35 p.m. and hear the commentator say that the Seventh-day Adventist Church sent a couple to Pakistan who were life-savers during a time of crisis in Kashmir.

Let's praise Allah, not ADRA.

Update #36 - A Volunteer's Journey

Although yesterday's newsletter could have been the last, I have received a long letter from Carol Mattison Myers, one of the volunteers we sent to help in the relief effort. Tonight I would like to share excerpts from Carol's letter. Though it may be a few days before I have more to share, I do hope to share more news on the future plans for earthquake relief. Now for Carol's experience….

"It was a warm day in Los Angeles, and I was about to head off on another trip - this time on a trip like Abraham's journey into the unknown. I from Oregon, and Ellen Park from central California, were about to board China Airlines bound for Pakistan to work as volunteers with ADRA in the earthquake relief effort. Once on board the 747, we found it very crowded. But I can say one thing: Though the flights were long, the flight was not boring, not one minute of it. Ellen was a constant amusement.

"On arrival in Islamabad Ellen and I got our bags, went through Immigration, then went out to where we met Dr. John McGhee, who seemed so happy to see us. We went outside to get a taxi - it was so small that I wonder to this day how we got everything in! We weaved in and out of traffic, nearly scraping fenders and running over people. There were traffic lanes, but no one seemed to stay in them -- even the side of the road was ok to drive on. Once at the Mission compound, our eyes fell on the neatly made beds on the unfolded couches. But before we slept, Dr. John McGhee gave us a lesson in Muslim religion and customs, which proved very helpful over the next few days and weeks.

"The next day we were briefed on routine. We went shopping with John to get our official 'uniforms' - the local shalwar and kamise and the duputa [scarf]. We repacked our suitcases, downsizing because of space constraints, then we went over to the hotel in town to send out e-mails and talk to our kinfolk.

"The following day seemed to go like a tornado. At 1:30 we left for the airport in Islamabad to climb aboard the UN helicopter which would take us to Bagh. What an experience! We flew for about 45 minutes over the mountains, dotted with what were once dwellings, now just piles of rubble. Once we landed, we got our baggage and stopped by the Kashmiri guards who kept the register in which we had to sign our name, citizenship, proposed length of stay, and what NGO we were with. Then we climbed into the SUV that transported us through the streets lined with ruined schools and shattered stores, rough roads, and houses that looked like they would topple over if you blew on them. In a matter of minutes and we were at the camp where a big sign heralded the local ADRA headquarters. We were led to our green army-looking tent with blue tarps for the floor. Inside were three cots with thick blankets and sleeping bags.

"Our days usually began about 5 A.M. as we were awakened by the loud speaker calls to prayer. After we had our own devotions, we would be up to meet the ladies and men going out on the mountain. After the morning meetings and giving the workers water and food as they needed, Ellen would start taking in truck receipts and preparing reports for the NGO meetings at the UN. I would make sure camp was cleaned, the dish-washing process was sanitary, the office supplies were in place, and the office was up and running. I paid truck drivers, taxi drivers and employees. I usually didn't go off camp site, but when I did it was with a guard or another woman.

"I almost left after being there for a few days because of the devastation, the long hours of work, the physical pain (I fell and hurt my ankle, but thank God I didn't break it). And the inconveniences -- the first few days we couldn't get a shower, there was no place to brush our teeth, and we had to flush the toilet by bucket. I am glad that I didn't leave because God had a blessing for me and taught me to see blessings in everything. God's word does say we are to praise and give thanks in ALL things.

"Though there were many small earthquakes while I was there, there was just one that we felt. I felt no real fear at that time, but I could imagine how the people in earthquakes must feel.

"Through this experience I have made life long friends -- Pakistani, Kashmiri, American, and even Czech. Three of the girls called me mother. So I have now 3 more daughters. I wonder how to keep up with them. But I can pray for them and I will. I also have new brothers and sisters, and they are on my prayers list too. Now I have to send some chocolate to my daughters in Kashmir. They want coconut chocolate. Kids sure can get picky, huh!?

"At Christmas some of us from Bagh went down to ADRA headquarters in Rawalpindi for a few days. During the Christmas program there was a special tribute to the ADRA team. They got us all up to thank us. But what's to thank? To God be the glory. But it did feel good to know that many people were praying for us. After Christmas we went back up to Bagh, and soon I found myself closing up my books and handing over the safe keys to Ellen and saying goodbye. Not an easy task because I had gotten quite fond of my "family" there. I went down to Islamabad and helped with office work for a few days there. Then I found myself saying goodbye to folks there, and to Pakistan.

"On my trip back home, I met and visited with several very interesting Pakistanis, several of whom were going to Mecca for Hajj. I was thankful to have some good discussions with some of them. Hopefully God will bless those conversations with better understanding.

"I got home to a wonderful husband who has fed me and pampered me. And I have come back with a new set of concepts and dreams and a new openness and acceptance. Through life to this point I have been struggling with seeing everything in life as being black and white. No longer. Now I see the world and life in a whole color pallet of bright colors. I am beginning to see in all the faces around me God's created beings. I see people who are starved for love and care and for a listening ear.

"God wants all of our hands collectively, our feet collectively, our mouths and our ears unitedly, to show and to give His love to each other. I think the religion of heaven is going to be the golden rule -- the greatest command -- Love God with all your heart, and your neighbor as yourself.

"I challenge you go on a mission trip, take your children or grandchildren, and see what God does for you. I never thought that I would care what people do out there. But now I do. And I have become very aware that Christ is coming back soon, and I think the biggest change in me has been that I no longer want to just say the words. I want to live and love the great commission. How about us doing it together?"

- Mernie

Update #35 - It is finished. The saved are saved and the lost are lost. [update: No One Lost!]

Dear Friends,

For the past week, I'm sorry that there haven't been many newsletters sent out. As I write today, I'm again on my way out of town and possibly out of internet range for several days. Yet I do want to write just a bit even though I don't have a lot to report. The news from our ADRA team in Pakistan has been scarce recently, partly because most of the emergency relief workers in ADRA have begun returning to their homelands.

California volunteer Ellen Park has had trouble getting e-mail out of Bagh. But I think she may have left Pakistan and might well be landing in the US just about now. In the one short message she did get through to me in the past few days, she included a comment from one of the locally-hired ADRA staff in Bagh. "The Kashmiris and we-all of us around here - thank you and all who have come from all over the world to teach us how to serve humanity. Before the earthquake, before ADRA, we did not know how to serve humanity. Now we know - because of you. We will be thankful to you forever."

John's brother, Dr. William McGhee, left last Thursday. Before leaving, however, he was part of an hour-long live television interview. It was aired on ATV, one of the most listened-to stations in Pakistan. Hopefully we will hear more about that from Bill in the next few days.

Radek Spinka -- the "shepherd of trucks" -- has also left recently. John did write a brief note a couple of days ago as he was saying farewell to Radek and some of the other ADRA team members. He said, "The word on the street here in Rawalpindi among the truckers is that no other NGO sent as many shipments, for as sustained a time, with as good organization, as did ADRA Pakistan."

John McGhee himself has been trying to tie up loose ends and prepare for his and Denise's departure from Pakistan in little more than 24 hours from now. As John prepares to leave Pakistan, he has also been briefing and turning over affairs to the new interim ADRA Pakistan director, David Syme. David has served for many years as an ADRA director in various parts of the world. He will be in Pakistan for the next month or slightly more. During that time, he will be writing proposals for upcoming aspects of the earthquake relief effort in Kashmir.

News reports yesterday indicated that heavy snows and rains have been falling in the quake-stricken areas of Kashmir in the past few days, halting much of the relief effort. Yet God has miraculously blessed and delayed the harsh winter weather, allowing us to send in several extra shipments. It reminds me of a Bible study group in our home in Singapore several years ago. The singing was a very special part of the Wednesday evenings. When the song leader would announce the "last song", we would sing it, but then someone else had a choice. So we would sing "one more last song." And still another at times. Two or three weeks ago, John wrote that he was placing his final order for quilts. At that time, some of us closely connected with the relief effort cried, thinking of the finality of it all. But then more donations came in and the weather held stable -- so he was able to place "one more final order." And then another. And we have been so thankful for your continued generosity, which allowed more people to receive help.

Now the last final order has likely gone in. The next project is scheduled to begin in March, when the snows are over and reconstruction and spring planting can begin. Hopefully I will be able to tell you more about that in a future newsletter.

I am not sure how many more newsletters will go out from here, or how often. As news comes in, I will certainly share it with you. Meanwhile, I again want to thank you for your generosity, your prayers, your support, and your interest in what has been happening in Kashmir.

May God guide you and bless you with His special care and blessings in this new year.

Mernie Johnson


P. S. Some of you have wondered if I was in Pakistan writing the newsletters. No. Actually I almost went, but John and my husband and I decided that I could be more useful to the relief effort right here at home, answering phones and e-mails and writing the newsletters. At times, when it has been difficult to get the news from there, I could have wished that I were there on site. I am thankful, however, that I was able to be at least a part of ADRA Pakistan's extended team - as have each one of you. Thank you again.

Update #34 - Eid Mubarak

Winter in Pakistan - Newsletter # 34 - Eid Mubarak

Today Muslims around the world are wishing each other "Eid Mubarak" - A blessed Eid. Last Friday, John McGhee told me that any new orders would have to be placed on Sunday in order for them to be ready in one week's time. Due to the Eid holiday this week, most businesses are closed in Pakistan from Monday through Thursday.

Some of you may wonder, "What is Eid?" Because it is one of the most sacred events of the year for a Muslim, and because of its parallel to Christian beliefs, I thought it would be fitting for today's newsletter to tell you a bit about it.

In the Muslim faith, there are actually two Eid holidays - Eid al Fitr and Eid ul Adha. The first, Eid al Fitr, is known as the small or sweet Eid. It would be somewhat comparable to Christmas celebrations, with everyone getting new clothes and children receiving gifts. Preparations for this Eid start at the beginning of Ramadan, the month of fasting, and end with the Eid holiday. In Pakistan, breakfast on that day is based around a special sweet preparation of vermicelli noodles. It is first a day of worship, then of visiting family, friends and neighbors, offering Eid congratulations. Those who are financially able must give Zakat on that day. Muslims believe that wealth belongs to Allah (God) and is held by human beings in trust. Zakah is a portion of one's wealth -- generally 2 ∏ percent of one's savings -- that must be given primarily to help the poor and needy.

The second Eid is today - Eid ul Adha. It marks the end of the Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, known as hajj. It is also the day of sacrifice, or Qurbani. To understand the Muslim thinking, let me take you back to the Bible story starting in Genesis 15. There we see that Abraham and Sarah had no children, yet God promised Abraham that his "seed" -- his descendants -- would be more than he could count. Then we read that Sarah, doubting that in her advanced age she could ever bear children, suggested that Abraham take her maid, Hagar to bear his offspring. When Hagar did become pregnant, the despising between Sarah and Hagar began, and Hagar ran away. Then an angel told Hagar that her son was to become the father of a great multitude, and his name was to be Ishmael.

Muslims believe that Ismael (Ishmael) was the son promised to Abraham. They also believe that Abraham received a great test from God, in which he was told to go out and sacrifice the life of his long-awaited son. As in the Bible story of Abraham taking his son Isaac to the mountain to offer him as a sacrifice, when Abraham went to carry out God's command, God spared the son's life and provided sheep to sacrifice instead. Thus Muslims today still believe in Qurbani as the ritual sacrifice of an animal, and every Muslim who can afford to buy an animal is required to perform this sacrifice.

Many Muslims will purchase a young lamb and then raise it as a household pet, teaching their children to love the animal. Thus when it is time for the Qurbani, the sacrifice is truly a sacrifice. A headline in today's Daily Times newspaper in Pakistan reads, "Children don't want their 'playmates' sacrificed on Eid." The article quoted one woman, "My son got very emotional when I was talking to the butcher. He said that we should buy a new animal for the sacrifice and keep the sheep." A young businessman told reporters, "I can't watch when animals are slaughtered on Eid, nor can I eat the meat of the slaughtered animal. When I was about nine years old, I became so attached to a goat so much that I even fought with my parents over its sacrifice." In reality, the whole intent of the Qurbani sacrifice is to remind every person that Abraham's actions showed that each individual should be willing to sacrifice his or her most precious assets for God.

Eid ul Adha is a day of brotherhood, when each good Muslim feels it is important to help those less fortunate, both in their own communities and in other areas. Some groups in Pakistan planned for a mass sacrifice, following special preparation procedures for the meat to be shipped into the quake zone. Various Muslim organizations have recently had online donation sites, on which their fellow believers could contribute the price of a goat or portion of a cow to try to make this Eid a joyous occasion for people affected by the October 8 earthquake.
Today I again want to thank each of you for the sacrifices you have made during the past several weeks to help your fellow human beings. Thank you for trying to make this day -- this winter -- more endurable and more joyous for those in the Bagh region who might otherwise not have survived to enjoy another Eid.

Mernie

Update #33 - Details on helicopter efforts, discrepencies in reports of remaining shelter needs

Likely you have seen Pakistan earthquake relief operations on television. Although ADRA Pakistan has trucked much of its relief effort into the Bagh area, ADRA has received considerable assistance with helicopter deliveries and personnel transport as well. Since helicopter operations began, there have been only a few days when weather prevented helicopters from delivering relief supplies to the quake-stricken areas.

According to News International, Pakistan, by the end of December our United States helicopters had delivered more than 14 million pounds of humanitarian assistance to the earthquake struck areas since helicopter operations began October 10. The US is currently operating twelve CH47 Chinook helicopters along with four S70 Australian helicopters. During the past 80 days, US helicopters have flown more than 2,900 sorties, carried 14,156 passengers, evacuated 3,715 injured, and delivered more than 14 million pounds of humanitarian aid. The commencement of sling loading operations in November has allowed the US military to increase the rate at which it delivers aid.

In addition, the United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS), under the auspices of the United Nations World Food Programme, has also had sixteen MI-8 helicopters flying relief operations and plans to add more. (Although WFP organizes and manages the service, it is a common service for the benefit of all eligible users.) The MI-8 is specifically designed as a transport helicopter. Its interior seats are removable, it has tie-downs on the floor for securing cargo, and it has an internal winch for pulling loads in through its rear clamshell doors. In the earthquake relief operations, a more important feature now is its cargo sling system capable of carrying up to three tons.

Helicopter sling loading provides a significant advantage for the relief efforts. Traditionally, loading cargo inside a helicopter takes approximately 10-15 minutes, requires a landing maneuver and another 10-15 minutes to unload at the delivery site. When loading internally, the amount of humanitarian aid delivered was typically limited to about 5,000 pounds. By using sling loads, the CH47 Chinook is able to deliver more than 10,000 pounds of relief supplies to an affected area, hover, drop the supplies, and quickly fly out.

UNHAS has also provided a large number of cargo nets for the relief operations. After the supplies are dropped on the ground, the various NGOs and the Pakistani military work together to collect the nets for reuse.

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Several people have asked how many families are yet homeless. John McGhee has responded that there is still a great need. The number of NGOs still delivering shelter and quilts is diminishing, and those still assisting in that regard are spread over the entire quake-affected region. John writes, "I have frequently asked the UN agencies for an accurate picture of how many people are still without shelters. They say it is impossible to know for sure.

"But most of us on the ground are aware that plenty of reports have been verified of villages where the data indicates families have received shelters, but in fact, they have not. According to our project director in Bagh, "so many people are begging for shelters. We simply cannot provide enough..."

"So the fight for life goes on."

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Please continue praying. God continues hearing and answering prayers. An example: John has to make a downpayment on every order, then he must pay in full upon delivery. No exceptions! All of which caused him a couple of sleepless nights last week when the delivery date was upon him and funds had not arrived. But God is never, ever late (though sometimes we humans may think He is, according to our own time schedules!).

Just in time the wire transfer arrived. Isn't God good? Praise God, from Whom ALL blessings flow.

Mernie
georgeandmerniej@cs.com