The deadly tsunami that ravaged the south and north-east of our island in December 2004 simply destroyed the lives of survivors mentally, emotionally, financially and in many other ways,. Additionally, the tsunami left them bereft of basic facilities like homes and livelihoods. In the same way that our Lord Jesus Christ was filled with compassion for those who suffer, we too have felt driven to reach out to our brethren in the south and north-east in their time of need. This ministry thus seeks to meet the immediate and long-term needs of survivors.

The ministry consists of those with a gift for reaching out to people through counseling as well as those whose hearts are burdened to help the less fortunate. They met on ‘need basis’ very regularly during during the first year after the tragedy. Presently, we conduct prayer meetings on the last Sunday of every month, at Matara, the main focal point of our assistance; many have been emotionally and physically healed by the power of the Holy Spirit and through these messages which bring true salvation.

Some of the projects that we undertook are listed below:

Counseling

Soon after the disaster, members of the Risen Lord Community realized that one of the most urgent needs of survivors was for counseling to help them come to terms with their terrible experience.

In the first phase of their relief project, volunteers underwent trauma counseling organized by Sahanaya and conducted by a team of specialists from the Ministry of Health, Israel. Two Canadian psychologists also provided training. Volunteers underwent training on counseling, sharing and role play.

In the second phase of this project, a suitable location was found in Matara for volunteers to stay while conducting the counseling programs. The first program was held at Matara Convent on 6 March 2005. A core group of nearly 20 school teachers and parents were given an initial introduction to counseling. Apart from helping these people to overcome their own adverse experiences, the objective was also to train these to counsel family members and friends. They experienced the personal healing touch of the Lord and they reported feeling relieved and consoled thereafter.

On 13 March 2005, a second session was held with same group who reported how they were able to help family and friends with the earlier training in counseling that they received. The second session delved deeper into an understanding of counseling. There were group sessions and role play and the facilitators from the Community of the Risen Lord helped the groups identify strengths and weaknesses in their counseling methods.