At the MWiB Connexional Forum this weekend in Leeds there were occasions when the weather howled outside our meeting room and we looked out to see the trees around Hinsley Hall being rocked by the wind. I will write more about Forum later in the week, but this morning it feels important to share this update from the President of the World Federation of Methodist and Uniting Church Women, urging us to pray for Fiji. The picture is of a child climbing through the remains of a home destroyed by Tropical Cyclone Winston. Full details of the photo and a report are available by following the link at the end. Ann Connan writes:
“Pray for the Pacific Island nation of Fiji which has been devastated by the strongest cyclone ever experienced in the area. After doing considerable damage in Tonga’s northern island of Vava’u, the winds strengthened to 350 kilometres – category 5 – as it moved over small islands in the north of Fiji and then the main island of Viti Levu.
Pray for the families of those who lost their lives.
Pray for the emergency services as they clear roads to enable authorities to get to remote villages to assess damage, and as they work to restore power and water supplies.
Pray for Aid organisations as they respond to the overwhelming need.
Pray for the morale of the people who, after many years living in an unsettled political environment, will need all their faith and internal fortitude to recover from this event.”
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-02-21/fiji-cyclone-winston/7187176
