Biola Students Part of Tsunami Relief Effort in Thailand
A group of ten Biola students started planning a mission’s trip to northern Thailand to teach English in September 2004.
The missions trip was coordinated through Biola's Student Ministries and California School Projects, an Christian organization reaching out to 300 high schools in the LA area. After the tsunami struck, a missionary in Thailand asked if they could change their plans and assist with the tsunami relief effort. Four of the members, traveled to in northern Thailand to teach English, and six members of the team worked on the relief effort in the south of Thailand in Ban Nam Khem, a small coastal town in the Khaolak area of the island.
The Thai fishing village of Ban Nam Khem lost over 3,000 people (a little less than half the population) and about 90% of the housing. When the team arrived in Ban Nam Khem, they were amazed by the destruction. They witnessed cars folded in half, large boats grounded on shore over 1/4 of a mile from the ocean, and fishing boats on top of houses.
The Biola team worked at the refugee camp, Ban Muang, by building temporary housing, giving gifts to children through the organization "Operation Christmas Child," working in the kitchen, and acting as security guards. The refuge camp is the largest in the area.
The team used every opportunity to share Christ with the survivors. "We have developed a good rapport in the community and hope to show the "Jesus" film," said Mark Hopson, head of the Biola Southern Thai Disaster Relief Team. "We are also praying for an opportunity to show the Jesus film in one other key location where a village leader has already prayed to receive Christ."
Hopson was interviewed on FOX News on Sunday, Jan. 9 to discuss the team's involvement in the tsunami relief efforts.
The team returned to the states on Monday, Jan. 17.