Dear friends,
 
We have not sent you detailed news in the last month, but it is time to send you a general update.  Nine weeks on from the Tsunami, and your generous gifts are being put to very good use in Sri Lanka.  After an immediate sum of £1000, we sent £5000 to the People's Church in January, and have now followed this up with a further £5000.
 
Pastor Dharshan Fernando sent us this (edited) report earlier this week:
 
"We have been overwhelmed with work and I myself  have  been travelling down to the south of Sri Lanka a couple of times. Many of the Tsunami affected people are still in great distress, even with the aid received.  It is great to hear about the monies raised.  It will be of great help.
 
Let me update you on the work of the People's Church. We are now into development work. We are intending to build 100 homes in a given community for 100 families. We are intending to build 10 such communities around the nation. At present we have 300 families in the east base camp in Thirukkovil. In the same district we have another base camp in a place called Koamari where we have a camp (I have forgotten the amount of families there)
 
Besides this in the south of Sri Lanka (at Galle) we have almost secured a land and a community of people where we hope to start building a 100 homes . In the south people do not like to live in camps and tents so much . Most people have moved in with relatives friends or to temporary shelters.
 
Similarly in a city called Kalutara (which is the close to the capital) we have our teams still working with a given community and are working with government to secure a land for housing. In these four bases we have sent out our pastoral team from our church who are permanently moving into these areas to live and work with the people affected by the Tidal waves.
 
Besides this we are working in three other areas of which one is in the North of Sri Lanka where the LTTE (The militant controlled areas) and two in the deep south where we have two of our churches belonging to our head organisation the Assemblies of God of Ceylon.  (I am kind of coordinating one of the deep south camps temporarily )
 
Besides this we have just seen a 16 acre property (One hour away from Colombo) and are in the process of purchasing it for an orphanage and an elders home.
 
I hope I have been clear. It is late and I am a little tired.  Please do keep in touch. We appreciate all your love and support.
 
God be with you all
 
Sincerely
 
Dharshan"
 
Now that the DEC appeal has closed, HoverAid has decided to close its Tsunami Appeal on 26 March 2005.  However, for anyone who would like to continue supporting the relief work in Sri Lanka, HoverAid will be pleased to continue providing a channel for gifts (and Gift Aid) to the People's Church.
 
Yours,
 
Mike Holdsworth
for HoverAid
HoverAid website:  www.hoveraid.co.uk
project website:  www.geocities.com/hoveraid_sri_lanka/