Nine Seventh-day Adventists—three children and six adults—are known to be among the fatalities in 20 congregations located around the Bay of Bengal, part of the South Asia region struck by a deadly tsunami on Dec. 26, 2004, church leaders report. Families in each of the 20 congregations suffered severe property and business losses as well.

Aid is coming into the region from Adventist church members as well as the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA). While ADRA’s relief is targeted to all in need, members of the world Adventist church family are also reaching out to their brethren in India.

In the Tamil Nadu region, ADRA continues to provide 7,250 internally displaced persons, or IDPs, with food. Two water purifying units are also providing drinking water in this region.

At the same time, losses among the Adventist family of believers are being keenly felt. News reports are not available from all areas affected by the disaster; however, the church’s regional headquarters in India has provided details about the intense, local impact of the tragedy.

In the Southern Tamil region, in Periyathazhai, 300 families are being fed three meals a day in an Adventist church building.  These are all fishermen, and include 30 Adventist families in two villages who lost their fishing boats and nets.

In Idinthakarai, a fishing village on the Tuticorin coast, 10 Adventist families lost their boats and fishing nets and are staying in an Adventist church near Vallioor. There, where it’s expected that families will suffer economic loss for at least three months, the church is feeding 50 people three meals a day.

There are seven Adventist churches on Rameswaram Island, whose membership includes 40 fishing families; all have been asked to vacate their villages.  A new church was scheduled to be dedicated there on Jan. 1, but this was not possible as no one is allowed back on the island.

In one Karaikal village, several Adventist families suffered individual losses, and building materials for a new school—valued at U.S. $5,000—were also lost in the tsunami. The local pastor’s motor scooter was damaged, as was his bicycle, both essential in reaching the community. The local church building was also damaged. In a second village, 20 families who had been preparing for baptism were among the 600 families who lost everything, including houses.

The North Tamil region was also affected. In Cuddalore there are 15 Adventist families whose houses were damaged. In Pondicherry 10 Adventist families had houses damaged. The Adventist Church is feeding 200 people in Pondicherry every day.

Also hit were the Andaman-Nicobar Islands, where Adventist work is concentrated in Port Blair. The church was damaged and will need to be replaced, officials report. On Nicobar Island, one church elder had a furniture workshop that was washed away.

Adventist officials also met with the chief minister of Kerala state, Mr. Oomman Chandy, and donated funds for relief activity in the state. The church is also distributing rice to affected people in the region.

“The Adventist Church in Southern Asia is doing what it can to help care for our members,” said Pastor D. Ronald Watts, president of the church in South Asia. “Presently only feeding is going on and such immediate help as needed.  More help will be extended as funds become available to help members,” he said.

More than 750,000 Seventh-day Adventists worship weekly in nearly 2,000 congregations in the Southern Asia region.