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Here’s the news as of Thursday, 9pm Nepal Time.

High Mountain villages of Gadlang, Nessing, Tipling & Sertung:

We’ve finally heard word from this region and, like most other remote areas in Nepal, the situation is bad. All the houses and most other buildings are down. They are built with dry stone construction and do not withstand earthquakes. Shelter is limited and people are cold and hungry. They have begun to kill their animals for food. Aid has not yet arrived. The road into Gadlang (the rest of the villages are only accessible by foot) is blocked from landslides. From Kathmandu, you can only get 20% of the way. We are still working on getting supplies airlifted in, but this is proving difficult. Given this grim picture, we are grateful that no fatalities have been reported at this point! There was a rumour in Nessing that Mingmar, one of their girls who lives in the Kathmandu Vineyard, was killed. The village was mourning her, while at the same time, those in the outside were dealing with the possibility of huge losses in those villages. When word came through that she was alive and that there were no fatalities in the village, both sides were relieved and humoured at the power of rumours!

Kathmandu:

The situation in Kathmandu is getting worse. 1,000s of people are attempting to leave the city because of unstable structures and the stench from unrecovered bodies in the rubble. Rain is falling which does not help the situation. Rations are in effect for basic commodities and prices are increasing. The team is using all their connections to acquire relief supplies. There are basic food hampers being given out from the Kathmandu Vineyard, which continues to provide shelter to a number of people. Due to limited supplies, they are being careful to not become a major distribution hub while at the same time attempting to be generous.

Kothgaon & Chhampi:

Since they are closer to Kathmandu, the teams have been working up in these villages daily. With international and local expertise, a helpful demolition and temporary shelter strategy has been developed. Because supplies are limited, using reclaimed materials has become key. As demolition commences, they are retrieving personal belongings, food and building supplies such as bamboo and tin. A prototype for temporary shelter was finished today using reclaimed bricks for the floor, bamboo and tin for the walls and roof. Tarps and plastic are also used when available. This will become a model for the other villages.

Nareshawr (Gorhka):

Damage is less extensive than initial reports indicated. Still, aid is critical and we will be delivering supplies on a regular basis as available.

Strategic Plan:

A plan has been developed with local and international expertise and will be implemented by the HRV’s Earthquake Disaster Management team and Winnipeg Centre Vineyard. We are working and consulting with other agencies to collaborate and assist where needed. Reporting and documentation will be handled on the ground in conjunction with WCV. The Earthquake Disaster Management team has a template through which they will filter all needs. We will stick to our 6 point plan which is:

1. Critical first response to immediately accessible regions
2. Demo – excavation with excavator (not yet acquired)
3. Demo – 6-Person, 5-day Local Teams
4. High mountain Teams: Gadlang, Nessing, Tippling, Sertung
5. House Rebuilding
6. Sustainable Infrastructure Rebuilding

More details of these steps and philosophy will be available soon.  Check back.

Quick Points:

Over 100 houses amongst our community members are down. We are providing aid and support to these and their neighbours. We are empowering our people be good neighbours in this time of great need.

Airlift is critical for the high mountain villages.

A 4×4 truck will be purchased in the next few days. This will be critical in our efforts in the coming months.

Thank you!

Thanks to all who have contributed financially and have provided prayer support for us and those directly affected.  We are so grateful and overwhelmed by your response.  The need is still great.  Please help us spread the word.  God is with us!  We are relying on his wisdom, his connections, his provision, his presence, and his love to sustain us and propel us forward in this disaster.  Please continue to pray.

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