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Members of the congregation repeated that material needs aren't the only concerns: emotional shock among the victims also needed spiritual and mental healing. One member said Americans shouldn't "just donate stuff, which is needed for sure. Give them spiritual goods also."

The Banda Aceh area has previously greeted Indonesian Christian missionaries with hostility and even driven some out of the area. The Movement for Aceh Liberation is battling the government for independence from Indonesia. Pastor Rachmat hopes that "out of this horrible disaster, there will be a spiritual breakthrough too."

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CityBlessing.org has links to the many City Blessing churches in the United States, Indonesia, and elsewhere, including the New York City congregation. Its Indonesian Relief Fund site has more information on the post-tsunami efforts.

Christianity Today's coverage of the tsunami includes:

India's Christians Prominent in Casualties and Aid | Velankanni basilica, Christian fishermen among hardest hit. (Dec. 30, 2004)

Dispatch: Disaster Prompts 'Neighborly Love' | The director of Youth for Christ in Sri Lanka meets Christian survivors straining to deliver aid to victims despite their own losses. (Dec. 30, 2004)

Temptations in Disaster | A ministry leader in Sri Lanka advises his colleagues on spiritual disciplines during a crisis. (Dec. 30, 2004)

Tsunami Survivors Desperate for Aid | Christian groups worldwide mobilize massive relief effort to South Asia. (Dec. 29, 2004)

More coverage of the tsunami's impact on Indonesia is available from The Jakarta Post.

More tsunami coverage in general is available from Yahoo full coverage, the BBC, and most other news sites.

Past Christianity Today coverage of Indonesia is available here.

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January (Web-only) 2005, Vol. 49