MAF staff in Sentani, Papua, report that many are displaced and some have died due to heavy rains, flooding, and landslides in Sentani.

According to Mike Brown, MAF program manager in Papua, “Roads are getting cleared, but there are long waits to go just a few miles. The death toll I’m hearing is between 50 and 80 right now, but that will probably be rising. We are getting reports that at least five of our national staff have had flood damage to their houses. Some with a couple feet of mud inside their homes. Several others with just a bit of water that started to come into that house.”

Flash flood damage to the home of an MAF national staff member in Sentani, Papua Indonesia.

“Today was a great team effort by all the mission orgs and the national church here in Sentani,” said Mike. “It was awesome to see our staff and their kids jumping in and helping out in any way they could. A lot of people in the community received shelter and food in their time of need. Christ’s love was shown by our MAF team and the mission community as they served tirelessly from early morning to well into the evening.” 

MAF Disaster Response funds will be available to address some of the immediate needs that the MAF team and community are facing.

Flash flood damage in Sentani, Papua Indonesia.

MAF’s Linda Ringenberg wrote, “There are around 300 or so refugees who have been staying at the school gym since last night, and many more who have been staying at the Wycliffe complex where we hold church. Both areas have been quite busy today caring for the wounded, giving clothes to those who needed them and feeding them breakfast, lunch and dinner … The government, churches, and even local restaurants all were at the school today evaluating needs and bringing boxes of donated clothing, food, and other supplies for the people. Many of these people have lost loved ones, and tonight our school official has authorized the authorities to bring up the bodies of those who have been found from the local neighborhood to have a wake tonight and a mass funeral service tomorrow before they are buried. It is very sobering to see so much loss and sorrow.”

Prayer Requests

• Pray that God would comfort the hearts of all who have lost not only their homes, but their loved ones.
• Pray that God would be glorified as He fills and works through his servants who are providing aid.
• Pray for the whole disaster relief effort to run smoothly, even though there really isn’t one leader, but many working together to care for the needs of these people.
• Pray for the neighboring town of Doyo, where the Adventist Aviation complex is located. Most of their complex and runway and hangar are completely destroyed and many people on that complex lost their homes.