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Flooding in Bangkok
18 November 2011
SIM workers Chris and Paige Stark live and serve among the Thai people just outside of Bangkok. Here is a glimpse of what they are facing:

It’s been a month since the flooding reached our community. Chris recently returned to our area with a relief boat and supplies to assess the damage and to see how he can help. The church plant that opened two months ago was hit with neck-deep waters and, though the waters have gone down, people remain confined to the second floor or their homes. Children play on the roofs. Almost everyone has been out of work for the entire month, so the need for relief gets greater the longer the floods remain.

Chris and a local pastor are traveling by boat distributing basic food supplies this week. We have opened a special SIM project that will go towards helping the surrounding community through the church.

Paige and the children remain in southern Thailand. Thank you for remembering us and praying for us!

If you would like to give towards flood relief efforts, please visit here.

3 November 2011

Bangkok's 12 million residents are being warned of flood water up to five feet (1.5 meters) which could take as long as one month or more to recede. Supermarkets are trying desperately to keep shelves stocked as people rush to buy drinking water and food. Thailand is now facing a crisis, the worst flood in memory. "The Flood of the Century" is what some are calling it.

For weeks we have seen bulldozers reinforcing the sides of canal and river walls. The plan has been to divert the water to go AROUND Bangkok. Unfortunately this has not been possible.

We live in the province just north of Bangkok called Pathum Thani, directly in the path of the water. For a couple weeks our neighborhood has been building barriers to protect from flood waters and it would have worked to keep out a couple feet of water. But on Saturday, October 22, the water rose too fast and has continued to rise. We had stocked up on food and had decided to stay if we would only need to be there 4 to 5 days. Our things had been lifted to the second floor. Unfortunately the water didn't stop rising when we thought it would and it looks like it will not recede for a few weeks. The severity in our area is much more than predicted.

We evacuated by boat and thankfully were able to get our car out. Many are not as fortunate. The water is still rising. Because Bangkok is so important, they are trying to contain the flood to the east and west, which means that the water sits in our area longer. We have left our home and have found temporary housing in southern Thailand. Please know that we are safe.

Please pray:

  • For people still in Bangkok. The water is bearing down on the city and the next week to 10 days are crucial. Many have left but it's not possible for all to evacuate. This is a very serious situation. Pray for essentials like food and water for those that have to wait for the water to recede. Often the water gets so high that electricity for an entire area must be cut off. This is when survival becomes much more difficult for those that are not prepared.
  • For many have lost everything in this flood. Businesses have been wiped out and therefore many people are uncertain about their employment. Pray that they would seek security and comfort in Christ. Pray that God would use this crisis, in His infinite wisdom, to bring many people to know Him.
  • For a university student who left his dorm when the floods came. He came to stay with us, thinking that our home would be safer than his. He evacuated with us and will continue to stay with us during this time since he has nowhere else to go. Pray that we would be able to encourage him in the Lord, as he is still a new Christian.
  • For wisdom in how to help. It can be overwhelming since we can't help everyone, but at the same time we want to help as many people as possible.

Thank you for your prayers!

The BBC: Thailand floods 'a national crisis'


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