It has been a long time since we have updated you - both on our family and our work among the Rohingya. A lot of events have taken place since our last blog post in March. But we did send you all an email on the 11th of May announcing the death of Christine's mom, Faith Lindell. It was (as has always been the case over the years) the prayers of God's people who sustained us in that difficult time. And hearing from nearly 100 of you was truly a gift of God's grace to us!

In regards to the fire (this feels like old news to us), the initial emergency response to the fire was really well done (that is what we reported on). Unfortunately it has been a fiasco since then. The positive thing is that families took the emergency shelter materials they received and began to rebuild their shelters by buying other supplies themselves. While there was significant dithering on a new shelter plan (without which new shelters could not be built) and site management plan (particularly to try and rationalize support facilities and create more fire breaks in camp 9 which was entirely burned to the ground), 90% of households have now rebuilt their shelters. That is simply a travesty - the fact that the Rohingya had to do this on their own without the assistance of organizations ready to help but unable to do so because of road blocks. There is an ongoing extensive community engagement effort with the affected Rohingya to try and make some improvements to the camps and rebuild more substantial shelters - some two stories with metal frames (but this would require demolishing the ones they have just rebuilt). This is an ongoing issue, and it is hard to know how it will be resolved. 

Lydia, Christine, Phil & Annika after the
memorial

The LD clan playing frisbee golf on the weekend we went
camping just before leaving for Albania

In the meantime, we found out about Christine's mother's diagnosis of glioblastoma. Christine & I were scheduled on flights to return to the States the day that the new lockdown (to counter what has ended up being an ongoing surge in COVID-19 cases) started on the 14th of April in Bangladesh. So our flight was cancelled when they banned all flights in and out of the country. She was finally able to fly back on the 22nd of April. Christine went into quarantine after landing, but was out of quarantine 5 days before her mom died on May 8th. I returned a week before mom Lindell passed away.  Christine & I, along with all the kids and extended family, were able to be at mom's bedside throughout the day on the 7th. It was a wonderful time of singing hymns, sharing scripture and releasing mom to go to be with the Lord. Needless to say, it was incredibly healing for us to be with mom at this time. We are very thankful to have made it home in time to say goodbye. 

We had a wonderful memorial service celebrating mom's life and life in Jesus on May 13th. With a loosening of COVID19 restrictions in Minnesota, it was possible to invite extended family to join us for the service.  Following the unexpected passing away of Christine's mom there was alot of business to be settled and ongoing work by the daughters on deciding what to do with mom & dad's personal belongings. As many of you know, Christine's dad is in a memory care unit. He was moved into a new apartment in nursing care shortly after mom's death as well. So there were really a lot of moving pieces before Christine & I left the States on the 24th of May. Lots of work still remains to be done which is largely taken on by Christine's two sisters who live in Minnesota. 

As you can see from the pictures, we did have some time to spend with the kids both during the time we were in Minneapolis,  and during the weekend away with them camping.

We also had the privilege of getting COVID-19 vaccines while in the States (and, believe me, this felt like a privilege when we had thought for several months that we would be able to get the vaccine in Bangladesh, as humanitarian aid workers - but it never worked out). We are incredibly thankful to have gotten the vaccine.

Phil, Christine and Rudi's family - Tela, Miri and Rei

Our Bangladeshi visas expired on May 9. The fact that the document Medair has with the Bangladesh government expired on the 14th of June meant that it didn't seem to make sense for us to get new visas that would have only been good for 2-3 weeks. So we were looking to work remotely from Europe (since there is only a 4 hour time difference between much of Europe and Bangladesh). After navigating the 11 hour time difference for 5 months last year, Christine & I were not interested in working remotely again this year from the US. We could have worked from Switzerland (where Medair is based), but the canton in which HQ is located was not open to having Americans enter. So we were stuck. About that time I went to the airport to pick up Annika's boyfriend Rudi. When he heard that we couldn't go to Switzerland, he suggested that we go to Albania where Rudi is from! So that is what we have done. Rudi's family have welcomed us royally, found us an apartment to rent (which had internet already), stocked the apartment with food and have helped us navigate life in Albania. We have settled into life here, working remotely with our teams in Bangladesh. 

We thought we would be able to get visas once we got here, but it has gotten incredibly complicated. We are continuing to look at different possibilities for getting visas, but it is also possible that we will end up working out the rest of our contract here in Albania. This would not be our desire! But we are thankful every day that we don't have to navigate an 11 hour time difference with our colleagues in Bangladesh!

Bangladesh is definitely continuing to experience a surge since April - and while morbidity in the camps had remained lower than in the general populace, just this morning there was a message saying that the test positivity rate in the camps is 25%. You have probably seen the reports of the COVID crisis in India (as this made international news while we were back in the States). The Delta variant (sometimes called the Indian variant) has definitely made it to Bangladesh. This is part of what is pushing up the cases in Bangladesh. This weekend the government announced a stricter lockdown from Thursday for a period of 7 days. It sounds like it will be difficult go out of one's home, offices will all be closed, and it will make it difficult for economic activity to continue. It remains to be seen what this will mean for services in the camps (which have continued, this year, at a slightly higher level than last year during COVID). Through this severe lockdown the government is really looking to try and get the  COVID infections under control. Infection rates for those tested have gone over 20%. On April 19th of this year, Bangladesh had the most deaths reported (nationwide) in one day - 112. Last Friday the nation logged 108 deaths from COVID-19. All of these factors have pushed the government to declare the severe lockdown. 

The test positivity rates of COVID-19 had remained lower in the camps than in the general populace - until now. The high positivity rate in the camps is very worrying. There have been certain sections of the camps that have had higher rates.  And quarantine and isolation facilities in those sections of the camp are now entirely full. These facilities are nearly empty in other areas of the camps. We are thankful that the Rohingya now have much more confidence in health facilities than this time last year! They are going to health facilities for treatment and have been willing to go to quarantine facil.  

Over the last couple of months we have also had a few staff who have contracted COVID-19, both those who work in the camps and those who work at the base. So we are working very hard at infection control measures at this point. When a family member contracts the infection, then our staff have to isolate at home. And we have procedures to follow for staff returning to work after an infection. 

We are very concerned about the COVID-19 situation in Bangladesh. We will try and update you more regularly. Your prayers mean so much to us and to those who we serve!

Praise: 

1. To have been by mom's bedside before the Lord took her home!
2. For the faith heritage we have from both of our families!
3. For the privilege of getting vaccinated against COVID-19. 
4. For the opportunity to have camped one weekend with our kids while in the States. 
   
5. That the Rohingya have greater confidence in camp health facilities and are coming to the health posts that Medair runs, and accepting to be put into quarantine or isolation units as well - this is super positive! But the population density in the camps remains a condition ripe for breeding the virus.

Prayer:

1. For peace based on justice in the Rohingya's homeland - the coup has only make the possibility of the Rohingya returning to Myanmar more remote.
2. For getting COVID-19 under control in Bangladesh (and the subregion). 
3. For safety from COVID-19 for Medair staff and refugees.
4. For us to get visas to return to Bangladesh - it looks like it will take a greater miracle than any of the previous visa miracles!

Rohingya camp fires - another update

 Greetings all, 

Lean-to's popping up on the scorched earth

When Rachel, the Country Director, and Phil went out on Wednesday to encourage the shelter staff in their hard work, we saw up close and personal the devastation wrought by the inferno! As mentioned earlier, our shelter team had already distributed some emergency shelter kits and the team was continuing the process. People immediately set up their small lean-to's so that they could begin to have a little bit of shelter from the elements. Hot season seems to be in full swing now, so the shade was really needed!

Here are the numbers, from International Organization of Migration (IOM), regarding how many households are affected (around 17,000 households from one fire!): 

Refugees returned immediately from where they had fled during the fire and reclaimed their spots on the sites of their burned down shelters. All were sifting through the ashes of their lives to see if they could find anything of value. Signs of resilience were quite evident. Some were clearing away rubble and cleaning up their little piece of land.  Some Rohingya had already set up tables to begin again their business of selling small items in order to support their families.  LPG gas bottles were being handed out so families could cook again. 

Google Earth view of the scorched earth where Medair
SHE team is working

In addition to the shelter kits other organizations responsible for the affected camps were distributing solar lights, water, and food. These few items really helped people to begin to reestablish themselves on the site of their home. 

One of the factors that enabled this immediate response is that sectors working in the refugee camp (whether they are shelter, health, nutrition, or food security) have prepositioned emergency supplies. Prepositioning emergency supplies is mandated due to the known vulnerability of this location in the case of monsoon flooding or cyclones. Thanks to this prepositioning, the day after the fire these supplies were being distributed to those in need because the supplies were already in the camps!

Transporting the kits to 8E - SE Asia style!

Medair is also going to be distributing Home Isolation Kits to households in 8E most likely tomorrow. As mentioned in the first update, we are also in the midst of a surge of COVID19 here in Bangladesh. As Rohingya have lost everything, including essential buckets, containers and other hygiene related supplies their vulnerabilty to COVID19 is increased. The kits will give them some basic cleaning supplies, hand sanitizer and some face masks. 

Here are a couple of links to stories put out by Medair. One has a video in it of one of our SHE staff and Rachel: 

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/medair_bangladesh-medair-responds-to-deadly-fire-activity-6781122778608214016-kXjh

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/medair_bangladesh-activity-6780896194735415296-QwVv

If you are interested in supporting these efforts in some way there are also links in these two articles to donate. But you can always go on medair.org to make donations. Right now there is a link on the home page with more information on the fire (where you can also donate). 

Praise for:

1. 

   The kits being loaded into the distribution point out
   of which we took the prepositioned emergency 
   shelter kits

   Preparedness (a big part of humanitarian aid work) which allowed needed supplies to get to those needing them in short order
2. The hard work of many teams (including the Medair SHE team in particular) responding to the need even during this weekend. 
3. Successful surgery on Christine's mom's brain tumor.

Prayers for: 

1. CiC's (Camp-in-Charge) to give us the permission to start our kit distribution tomorrow - it looks like we have it, but these things can change quickly
2. resilience and comfort for those who have lost so much
3. the next steps to get the Rohingya into more permanent housing - rain is forecasted for Tuesday!
4. the reestablishment of paperwork for those whose paperwork went up in smoke
5. Christine's mom - thanks for all the prayers and expressions of solidarity with the Lindell family!

Update on Christine's mom (Faith Lindell)

I want to give you an update on my mom following her surgery on Wednesday. Her brain surgery showed that she had a glioblastoma - one of the most aggressive types of brain cancer. She came through the surgery quite well and spent an overnight in the ICU. Yesterday she was recovering well enough to be moved into a regular room and has been up, standing a couple of times. The tumor was located on/close to the speech part of her brain, which is how we first realized something was going on. Mom had all of a sudden started having difficulty finding words. The surgeon informed my sister that he thinks he was able to get 80-90% of the tumor, which is actually more than he was expecting given the type of tumor. We are not sure what the next steps will be - typically for this type of surgery there is radiation and chemotherapy which follows.

One of the risks of this surgery, given the location, was damage to speech. Mom has been able to say some words and already has a speech therapist who has come to work with her. So we are hopeful that with time and a decrease in the swelling, that her speech will improve.

We are grateful that the surgery went as well as it did and grateful that the surgeon was able to take out as much of the tumor as he could. We understand this is an aggressive type of cancer so at this point, we are most grateful to still have some more time with mom. 

Thank you for all your prayers and well wishes. And we'd like to ask for your ongoing prayers.

We appreciate it alot.

Christine

Updates on refugee camp fire and prayer request for Christine's mom

Personal loss, sadness and tragedy - today we mourn the loss of so much here in the Kutapalong refugee camp. This day comes to a close with results from rapid assessments on damage caused by the massive fire that swept through the camp yesterday. As we hear of the loss of life, belongings and homes of thousands of refugees here in Kutapalong refugee camp, we also are saddened by the discovery last week of a brain tumor in Christine's mom.

Annika, mom (Faith) and Nathan

Faith Lindell (Christine's mom) experienced a very sudden onset of not being able to come up with words when she was talking. A CT scan last week revealed a brain tumor. Siblings and grandkids have rallied around her and dad during this difficult time. We are grateful for so many family members living close to her in Minnesota. It is difficult to be so far away. Mom will be undergoing surgery on Wednesday morning (central time USA) in St Paul, Minnesota. We ask for your prayers.

In addition we ask that you continue to join us in praying for the ongoing emergency here in KTP.

This morning our shelter team headed out early to camp 8E to begin their emergency response to the loss of homes from the fire yesterday. 12 hours later they finished up for the day and have sent some photos.  The team did their initial assessment of the damage and then began distribution of emergency kits. They managed to do an initial distribution of 228 kits. The team will be back in the field again tomorrow and will continue with the kit distribution. They will likely be working on emergency response for some time to come.  

In the areas of the camps where the fire swept through nothing has been left untouched

Shelter team setting up for distributions

'The tiny beginnings of a new home' for 228 families today

Shelter kits include the following items:

Rope 6mm: 1bundle
Tarp: 1 pcs
Floor Mat: 2pcs
Mosquito Net: 1pcs
Blanket: 2pcs
Jute Bag: 3pcs
Face Mask: 3pcs
Muli Bamboo: 3pcs

Initial rapid assessments show 8 adults and 3 children died in the fire that swept through yesterday. Approximately 10,000 homes were destroyed and 100s of other facilities (health posts, hospital, distribution sites, schools, etc). We will continue to hear more details in the coming days.

 

The Fire

Fire service making its way to the scene

 You cannot imagine how gratifying it was to receive emails of concern and solidarity from Minnesota, Canada, South Africa, Madagascar, Illinois, Ohio, Colorado and Indiana - the first one from South Africa within 10 minutes of sending out the email! And we know that many others joined in prayer. We join you in believing that the prayers of God's people change things in the heavenly realm as they overturn realities on earth! Thank you for your prayers for the Rohingya (as you will see, we still need them)! As we were receiving these expressions of solidarity from you, we were also receiving news that the fires were being brought under control. 

The news is not good. This is what we know:

1. There was a response from the Bangladeshi fire servce, thankfully!
2. As we were writing the email, we were receiving news of deaths of adults and children. Those numbers will only become clear today, and in the days to come. There was loss of life.
3. I was messaged the image of an incinerated child which must be making its way around social media.
4. We heard news that the new fence put up was deterring people from safeguarding their meager possessions. 
5. At least these facilities, who cared for the Rohingya, have been lost to the fire: an IOM (International Organization for Migration) Primary Health Care facility, MSF (Médecins sans Frontière) clinic, a PHD health post in Camp 17, Turkish hospital, Camp 8E and Camp 10 LP gas distribution posts (for LP gas that is given to the Rohingya for cooking purposes).
6. We understand that LP gas canisters have some sort of venting system that would keep them from exploding (this is to be confirmed). At one point the logistics cluster was putting out an urgent message to remove oxygen tanks from health facilities in the path of the fire. We pray that was able to happen. 
7. A rapid assessment team was able to make it into Camp 8E by 8:30 pm. Here is their assessment:
8. 

1. The fire spread beyond the camps into surrounding areas. We know of two Medair Bangladeshi nutrition employees who lost their homes which were just outside the camp limits. 

   

   A map of the mega-camp with an estimated population

2. It remains to be see if all fires are yet under control. 
3. There was a massive migration of people from affected areas in the camps to unaffected areas (they could not move outside the camp because of the fence, I presume). The rebuilding process will be immense.
4. There has been a call to reassure refugees that documents attesting to their refugee status, and giving them access to services, will be reissued as many may have been lost to the fire. This is part of the loss for them. 
5. All our Medair shelter staff were able to get out of camp 8E safely.
6. All our Medair nutrition staff are safe and accounted for. 
7. The Medair Mobile Medical Team (MMT - part of our health team) is standing by for deployment (with many other teams which were being mobilized last evening), and the Medair ambulance is ready to serve as well.
8. The Medair SHE team will be leaving Cox's Bazar within 1.5 hours to go to camp 8E where they are the emergency shelter focal point. 

There is much more we simply don't know at this point. 

This morning we join our voices in lament with our Hebrew

A view of the devastation

ancestors in the faith and with the Rohingya who must also be expressing such sentiment: "1 ¶  How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? 2  How long must I bear pain in my soul, and have sorrow in my heart all day long? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me? 3  Consider and answer me, O LORD my God! Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep the sleep of death…." (Psalm 13). May the God of all comfort be the consolation of this people, the Rohingya in the camps, who are declared non-people in their homeland and who suffer as refugees in this land, and across the world. May this God answer their wailing and their prayer, "How long?"

Pray for: 

• the consolation of a people for whom this suffering is simply stacked on top of a mound of other adversity and torment.
• for the Medair shelter and MMT teams to bring material, emotional and spiritual comfort as they deploy to these areas.
• the COVID-19 surge happening in Bangladesh (the vaccination campaign in the camps is due to start on the 27th of this month).
• those who lost family members, belongings, and the little documentation they were able to bring from Myanmar.
• all those responding to this crisis - they they will alleviate suffering and bring comfort.
• organizations who have lost facilities.
• that our upside-down God can bring good out of this bleak situation!
• for humanitarian aid workers and other Bangladeshi who have lost their homes to the fire, or been affected in other ways. 

We leave you with Psalm 90:

1 ¶  Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations.

2  Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

3  You turn us back to dust, and say, "Turn back, you mortals."

4  For a thousand years in your sight are like yesterday when it is past, or like a watch in the night.

5  You sweep them away; they are like a dream, like grass that is renewed in the morning;

6  in the morning it flourishes and is renewed; in the evening it fades and withers.

7 ¶  For we are consumed by your anger; by your wrath we are overwhelmed.

8  You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your countenance.

9  For all our days pass away under your wrath; our years come to an end like a sigh.

10  The days of our life are seventy years, or perhaps eighty, if we are strong; even then their span is only toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away.

11  Who considers the power of your anger? Your wrath is as great as the fear that is due you.

12 ¶  So teach us to count our days that we may gain a wise heart.

13  Turn, O LORD! How long? Have compassion on your servants!

14  Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, so that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.

15  Make us glad as many days as you have afflicted us, and as many years as we have seen evil.

16  Let your work be manifest to your servants, and your glorious power to their children.

17  Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and prosper for us the work of our hands— O prosper the work of our hands!

Bangladesh as a model for the US?

Christine ran across this article recently: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/10/opinion/biden-child-poverty-bangladesh.html

As someone who has worked to address child malnutrition her whole career this really affirms the importance of investing in children for Christine. She loves the ending quote from Kristof, the writer - 'Bangladesh reminds us that investing in marginalised children isn’t just about compassion, but about helping a nation soar'

I have no doubt that the Biden Rescue Plan would be contentious for more than a few readers of this blog. We agree with the writer of this article that childhood poverty in the US is a blemish on the face of US economic strength. And wouldn't it be amazing to cut childhood poverty in half in the US? This really should be a priority for the church as well, not leaving such initiative to government! 

The bridge built over the last year not far from our base

But the real reason we are bringing up this article is because of its mention of Bangladesh as a model for development. We are constantly amazed at the progress in Bangladesh (though our understanding of Bangladesh as a whole is pretty limited). This is where Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS) was first invented, reducing mortality from diarrheal disease not only in Bangladesh, but quite literally, around the world for millions of people. The factor most directly connected to improving child malnutrition rates is education levels of girls/young women and Bangladesh has seen that improvement through their commitment to getting girls educated and gainfully employed as adults. 

We have been amazed as, over the last year, a formidable bridge was built over a stream that we cross when we go walking for recreation in the rice paddies not far from our base. Concrete footings were sunk into the bed of the stream. And it seems that this work was all done by hand using all local labor. Now people in this area have better access to markets for their products. And roads, big and small, are constantly being improved. Bangladesh has really made amazing progress, as Kristof points out. 

Our focus here is really the Rohingya. But Medair Bangladesh employs around 160 Bangladeshi staff for our work with the Rohingya. We rub shoulders with them every day. We pray together for the Rohingya (though we come from 4 different faith traditions). And Christine & I enjoy getting to know our Bangladeshi colleagues, and their country, better. 

 End of year party - female staff got matching blue saris to celebrate

It is possible for all of us to get jaded to the realities around us, and accept them as immutable. However, few things are, in fact, unchangeable. Bangladesh is showing us that. We pray that Bangladesh will continue to lead the way for change which happens all around the world! 

Praise for: 

• Small wins in getting permissions to continue our work in the camps (we have approval for all the Nutrition facilities)
• Phil's enjoyment of the challenges of the PC position and being able to contribute to the program as PC.

 Prayer for: 

• More small (and big!) wins in terms of approvals for our work 
• the SHE team has, thus far, only gotten permission to move ahead with 200 households (and only verbal permission) - please pray that hearts would be moved so these families living in housing that needs upgrading before the monsoon and cyclone seasons, can have access to this assistance. 
• The thousands of Rohingya refugees who have been moved to Basan Char island from the camps - the UN is doing an assessment this week - pray that this improves the situation for those moved there.
• A disabled boat off the coast of India full of Rohingya refugees that has not been rescued for 3 weeks! The situation of people on board has to be dire at this point. There is currently wrangling around where the refugees will be taken which is also hampering the rescue. 
• Like many other places in the world, we seem to be having a bit of a surge in COVID-19 cases here in BGD. You prayers for the sparing of the refugees, and the country as a whole, are greatly appreciated!

A widow with three children in a dilapidated house

This widows house before the SHE team worked on it!

Greetings all, 

Because we most often talk about nutrition activities in our blogs, you may not be as aware of the fact that Medair also does shelter (SHE) and health (HEA) work as well in the Rohingya camps. The Shelter team recently posted these two pictures of a widowed woman whose shelter they rehabilitated. Widows can be fairly marginalized in the western world too. But imagine being this woman - widowed with 3 children under the age of 12, trying to make a go of it in the largest refugee camp in the world! She needed a hand! And the Medair SHE team gave her one! 

James 1:27 says, "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress,...." This feels like a pretty direct answer to that Biblical injunction on how we should care for widows and orphans!

Most of the SHE team's work involves empowering (through training and provision of the necessary supplies) the refugees to do their own shelter rehabilitation. But as this woman fell into the category of an EVI (Especially Vulnerable Individual) and had no relatives to help her build the house, the SHE team was able to do the work for her. 

As this woman's well-being has been improved by the provision of this new shelter, we pray that she would also experience God's shalom in every area of her life!

After the SHE team's work!

Praise for: 

• obtaining new visas (for us as well as our Country Director)
• restarting work well again after our time off!
• the opportunity to serve widows and orphans
• protection of our immediate family members from the virus and ongoing employment for our kids (thus far!)
• the work of our SHE staff!

 Prayer for: 

• the SHE team getting permission from the Camp-in-Charge (CiC) to work in Camp 12 - this authorization has been hung up in beaucratic red tape since the beginning of the year
• the NUT work in Camp 23 where relocation of all the refugees out of the camp is happening (calling into question our work there)
• continued good health for Christine and I
• ongoing protection of NGO staff and refugees from the virus