Heavy rains hit Yingjiang County in China’s southwestern Yunnan Province, causing floods and landslides that killed three Christians.
Gulika Village and Aiguoshe Village, whose members are all Christians, were damaged due to flooding and the erosion of steep slopes.
On June 24, three villagers in Gulika Village, Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture, died in the disaster. Yang Tiancai, the backbone of a Christian family, left two children who are under ten years of age, and his elderly parents. Two months ago, his wife passed away of uremia. Her treatment took all of the families savings and put the family in debt. The family is in financial difficulties.
In 2004, a landslide struck the village. In the same year, the village moved to a new location which is now called Gulika New Village. The new village was also affected. Many fields were submerged, livestock drowned, and houses washed away.
Fortunately, more than half of the villagers were working on a hillside when the flood occurred, avoiding any more damage. Heavily in debt due to relocation, they face a more difficult situation after crops, shacks, and woodland were destroyed. Local Christians found more than 100 people who were farming had returned, but there are others missing when they had to quit searching owing to possible secondary disasters.
On July 18, a huge storm struck the county, affecting 15 villages and one farm with three persons missing.
Large fields in Aiguoshe Village were inundated, and two houses were swept away. Local villagers, who survive on the crops they raise, are now homeless. They need to temporarily live with relatives.
Due to the coronavirus, the church in Dehong Prefecture is in lockdown. Local churches have appealed to believers to pray for those families and villages afflicted by the floods. Some Christians visited vulnerable families and helped clean up the mud inside the homes.
During the pandemic and disaster, the Yingjiang County CC&TSPM and teachers of the Yingjiang Christian Training Center, which was established in 1994, launched a prayer campaign for the county.
(The author is a pastor of Yingjiang Church, Dehong, Yunnan.)
- Translated by Karen Luo
云南盈江县水灾中有基督徒村受损严重 请弟兄姐妹代祷
2020年6月、7月，云南省德宏州盈江县强降雨，导致山区村庄、农耕地山体滑坡严重受灾，有村民死亡、财产受损。6月24日，山体滑坡灾害中受损比较严重是的盈江古里卡村新村（全村都基督徒），7月18日洪涝滑坡灾害中受损比较严重的是爱国社村（全村基督徒）。
盈江6.24山体滑坡灾害：
6月24日强降雨引发山体滑坡灾害中，古里卡村有三位村民——杨天才、曹雅各、栋兴发死亡。其中，杨天才家中只留下不到十岁的两个孩子、83岁父亲曹四和71岁母亲，家中没有劳动力，杨妻两个月前因尿毒症医治无效而死，治病花费家里所有积蓄并欠下债务，家庭处境非常艰难。
古里卡新村在此次灾害中也受损严重：农田30亩、旱耕地100多亩、沙木地50多亩被淹，村里许多家庭牲畜被淹没死亡，村民约20多间窝棚被冲走，还有村民蒸香茅草的大蒸子也被冲走。古卡村在2004年曾发生过山体滑坡灾害，当年全村搬迁至50公里外的新村，即现今的古卡新村。
这次灾害发生时，他们大约一半以上的村民在山中地里干活，因没有在窝棚里而避免了更多损伤。村民们原本因搬迁建房而负债，现在又遇到灾害农作物严重受损，窝棚、林地都严重受损，所以处境现在更加艰难。
灾害发生后，古里卡全村和全县教会弟兄姊妹进山寻找失踪人员，但担心二次灾害而无法彻底寻找，只是把山区农耕地的100多位村民安全带回了家。请主内肢体弟兄姊妹们继续为古里卡受灾村庄和家庭祷告支持。
盈江7.18洪涝滑坡灾害：
7月18日，盈江全县出现暴雨局部大暴雨天气，致15个乡镇和1个农场受灾，3名群众失联。并且县自来水水源、进水池毁坏，全城停水。灾情发生后，全县受损公路、桥梁等。
7月21日，县公安局指挥中心的消息称，“7·18”洪涝滑坡灾害3名失联人员中2名失联人员遗体被找到，相关部门仍在全力搜救另1名失联人员。
这次洪涝灾害中受损比较严重的是爱国社。村寨地处盈江县水源保护区木乃河下游，由于水源山区森林覆盖面大，旱季木乃河水流量就大，今年进入雨季后水流量已是很大，近日强降雨后山体滑坡造成木乃河沿岸村寨民房、农耕地严重受灾，受灾情况：水田30亩，旱田30亩，坚果地10亩，玉米地10亩，花椒地5亩，2户家庭冲毁，村寨内水泥面道路1公里冲断无法通行。
本地老百姓生活主要靠种植各种农作物，农闲时出去打工来维持生计，但今年由于疫情无法出门打工，近年来农产品收入也大大减少，现在又遇到洪涝滑坡地质灾害。许多村民无家可归，寄居到受灾不严重的亲戚家里。
出于防疫的需求，德宏州教会目前仍暂停实地崇拜。全县教会听到受灾情况，线上通知各教会弟兄姊妹为灾情、受灾家庭和村寨祈祷。弟兄姊妹也去看望慰受灾家庭，村民为受灾家庭清理淤泥和家具等进行自救。
在疫情和灾害中，教会很难在讲台信息中帮助受灾的家庭，盈江县基督教两会和培训中心的教师们在培训中心主持全县教会救援工作，发动全县教会为疫情和洪涝滑坡灾害祷告，为灾区奉献。在疫情和自然灾害中，许多人对生命意义反思，在灾难层出期间经历主、亲近主，生命改变，更加爱主。
请主内肢体们继续为盈江县灾情及受灾古里卡村和爱国社村寨、家庭代祷帮助！谢谢！
以马内利！
盈江教会 曹富成传道
Heavy rains hit Yingjiang County in China’s southwestern Yunnan Province, causing floods and landslides that killed three Christians.
Gulika Village and Aiguoshe Village, whose members are all Christians, were damaged due to flooding and the erosion of steep slopes.
On June 24, three villagers in Gulika Village, Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture, died in the disaster. Yang Tiancai, the backbone of a Christian family, left two children who are under ten years of age, and his elderly parents. Two months ago, his wife passed away of uremia. Her treatment took all of the families savings and put the family in debt. The family is in financial difficulties.
In 2004, a landslide struck the village. In the same year, the village moved to a new location which is now called Gulika New Village. The new village was also affected. Many fields were submerged, livestock drowned, and houses washed away.
Fortunately, more than half of the villagers were working on a hillside when the flood occurred, avoiding any more damage. Heavily in debt due to relocation, they face a more difficult situation after crops, shacks, and woodland were destroyed. Local Christians found more than 100 people who were farming had returned, but there are others missing when they had to quit searching owing to possible secondary disasters.
On July 18, a huge storm struck the county, affecting 15 villages and one farm with three persons missing.
Large fields in Aiguoshe Village were inundated, and two houses were swept away. Local villagers, who survive on the crops they raise, are now homeless. They need to temporarily live with relatives.
Due to the coronavirus, the church in Dehong Prefecture is in lockdown. Local churches have appealed to believers to pray for those families and villages afflicted by the floods. Some Christians visited vulnerable families and helped clean up the mud inside the homes.
During the pandemic and disaster, the Yingjiang County CC&TSPM and teachers of the Yingjiang Christian Training Center, which was established in 1994, launched a prayer campaign for the county.
(The author is a pastor of Yingjiang Church, Dehong, Yunnan.)
- Translated by Karen Luo
Floods Ravage Yunnan Villages, Claim Lives of Christians
