A Call to Prayer

"Bear one another's burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ," wrote the Apostle Paul to the churches of Galatia. (Galatians 6:2, NAS) It is with heavy heart that I ask you to join me in taking up the burden of our Tongan brothers and sisters, who mourn the loss of so many lives on August 6 when the ferry Princess Ashika sank while en route to the northern islands of Va'vau.

Sunday August 23 was a National Day of Prayer for the Tongan community in North America.
 
As many of you know, the ferry disaster was a personal tragedy for many in our Conference. For example, three of our pastors lost persons near to them: the Rev. Siosifa Hingano, pastor of Genesis UMC in San Jose and Chair of our Order of Elders, lost three cousins; the Rev. Heilala Ahio, pastor of First Tongan UMC in Palo Alto, lost a first cousin and her husband and three children; and a pastor cousin of the Rev. Siosifa Setoki, pastor of Fale Hufanga Tongan UMC in San Carlos, lost his wife and three children.
 
But in reality, "it affects everyone," as the Rev. Richard Thompson, pastor of First UMC in Bakersfield, put it. His wife knew two people who were aboard the Princess Ashika. One, a crewmember, survived, but the other, a middle-aged woman, did not.
 
(In fact, all the women and children aboard were lost, as they were trapped below decks when the ship capsized and sank.)
 
To give you an idea of the scope of the tragedy, Pastor Thompson, who has just returned from Tonga, says that in a nation of some 100,000 people, the loss of life is comparable to the deaths of a quarter-million people in this country. We hear about "six degrees of separation" – but he says, "In Tonga, it's one degree."
 
We grieve with the Tongan people, both in that country and in this one, many of whom minister and worship as a part of this Conference.
 
And we also mourn the loss in that ferry disaster of an ambulance, which could have had such a positive impact on the lives and health of the people of Va'vau. The ambulance was donated by the Sanger Fire Department, and was decked out with all the equipment that we expect to see in such a vehicle – but which is anything but standard in Tonga, where the only ambulances are simple vans, unequipped for anything but transport. It was filled with medical supplies that represented a two-year project for two of our churches, Bakersfield First and Sanger UMC.
 
Many of you may be wondering what else, besides offering prayer, you can do.
 
Three relief funds have been set up in Tonga to provide monetary help to the families, and the government there has allocated a considerable sum for victims' assistance, as well. It is believed that the ship and its cargo were insured.
 
Richard Thompson says when he was interviewed by the press in Tonga about the gift of the ambulance, before the tragedy, he was asked why it was going to the northern islands, when there was nothing like it in the whole country – including the mainland, the most populous region. His idea now is to take two ambulances to Tonga in 2011, when Bakersfield First will host another UMVIM team: One for Va'vau, and one for the mainland.
 
While we are praying for the families of the victims, let us seek guidance as to what should be our next steps, and how each of us can play a role in this good work that is happening among us. 
 
"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
 
"Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers." (Galatians 6: 9-10, NIV)
 
Photo of the ambulance, seen lying on the seabed near the sunken ferry, taken by Royal NZ Navy, courtesy New Zealand Herald, www.nzherald.co.nz.

By: Warner H. Brown, Jr. On 8/24/2009
Topics: Article