Press

Compassion Frisco Continues to Reach Out to Tsunami Victims in Indonesia

Frisco Enterprise
May 19, 2006
By Polly Jeter

Although it has been almost a year and a half since the devastating earthquake and tsunami ravaged South Asia and the islands of Indonesia, there is still a desperate cry for help.

The December 26, 2004 earthquake was considered the second most powerful in history, registering 9.1 on the Richter Scale. A mere thirty minutes after the earthquake, a tsunami hit, with waves towering 30 to 70 feet high and traveling 500 miles or more per hour. The Aceh Province on the northern Indonesian island of Sumatra was especially devastated, as an estimated 160,000 people perished in that sector alone.

"It was like Katrina to the tenth power," said Bill O'Brien with Compassion Frisco, "And these people simply do not have the resources to come back like we do."

Bill and Dellanna O'Brien served as missionaries in the Indonesian island of Java from 1963 to 1971. After learning of the devastating tsunami, the retired couple knew they had to help these people they had grown to love in any way they could. In January 2005, Compassion Frisco was launched through the combined vision of the O'Briens and Preston Trail Community Church (PTCC) in Frisco.

This non-profit organization partners with individuals, businesses and other agencies, such as PTCC, Catholic Relief Services, World Vision, Joyful Children's Fund and U.N. Habitat. The program has an intense, five-year commitment to help Indonesia recover its future.

The O'Briens travel to Indonesia in three-month stints to offer aid and support. "We find out the need and leverage getting help," said O'Brien.

Aiding in the reconstruction of a hospital was one of the first projects undertaken by Compassion Frisco. Through matching grants they purchased a generator for the facility, and Catholic Relief Services provided funds to dig an artesian well.

Compassion Frisco is currently involved in rebuilding the central park in Banda Aceh. Once complete the park will provide a place of leisure and reflection for tsunami survivors. The park will include botanical and flower gardens, plazas for sitting and walking, refurbished historical monuments and a children's train that encircles the grounds.

"The park will allow survivors to catch a glimpse of hope for the future," said O'Brien.

Another program provides seed money to help women start small businesses. So far eleven women were awarded $100 to $200 each to set up micro-businesses, which vary from salon services, to making small cakes to sell in stores, to harvesting oysters to sell in the market. As part of the loan agreement, each woman must agree to pay back her loan in order to help others start their micro-businesses.

Compassion Frisco also partners with agencies to provide training courses at the community center. Here people may take classes in sewing, cooking, salon work, English and computers. It also promotes youth athletic events, such as soccer, basketball, volleyball and skateboarding.

While the landscape of Aceh today is dotted with thousands of small homes built by Habitat for Humanity and other agencies, an estimated 60,000 people in the area still live in tents.

"The tents are now rotting from the rain," said O'Brien."Sometimes they fall down in the middle of the night and they have to try to put them back up."

Typically these tents have mud floors, however, Compassion Frisco along with the aid of Catholic Relief Services installed wooden floors in 1,000 of them.

Many Indonesians still suffer from trauma surrounding the tsunami that took family members and destroyed their homes.

"Fear, anger, guilt and grief plague them. In their culture it is taboo to express these things. They will tell you about loved ones they've lost with smiles on their faces, because they don't want to appear crazy," said Mrs. O'Brien.

Compassion Frisco offers trauma counseling, and also trains staff members of schools and other agencies to recognize symptoms of trauma and how to deal with it. Trauma materials developed by Michigan University were recently translated into their native language and Compassion Frisco is seeking funds to publish them.

While in Indonesia, the O'Briens are not allowed to initiate a discussion about Christ, distribute Bibles or other Christian literature, or invite people to attend church. However, they are able to offer aid, make friends and respond to questions about their faith. "Love is spoken in many different ways, and I believe through our actions we demonstrate love," said O'Brien.

For more information about Compassion Frisco log onto compassionfrisco.org.