SOUTH BEND, IND. (ANS) -- Christian humanitarian relief organization Feeding The Nations is buying $25,000 worth of food and water for the cyclone-stricken country of Myanmar, also known as Burma.

According to a news release, FTN said that through its Finnish office the organization has direct contact with missionaries on the ground in Myanmar. The agency said these relationships allows it to get assistance inside the country, when most other American aid organizations struggle to get past Burmese officials.

FTN President Steve Sumrall said in a news release, “Those affected by the cyclone are in desperate need of basic provisions and we are blessed to have a way to reach them, especially during a time when the government is not accepting aid from America.”

Cyclone Nargis swept the densely populated southern delta of the Irrawaddy Division on May 3. Reports estimate that 100,000 people have lost their lives in the catastrophe, and hundreds of thousands of people are in need of assistance. Due to political differences, the Burmese government does not want to accept the American government’s aid.

Finding ways to work around the government’s hesitation, FTN said in a news release it is working with people within the country who will purchase the food and supplies in Myanmar and distribute it to those in need. FTN said it has 16 area leaders who will help deliver the food to the hurting victims.

Pastor Mung of the largest Christian church in Myanmar described the situation first hand in the FTN news release. He said, “We have no food; we have no water and many of our church members have lost their homes. They have no place to go. In this chaos it is impossible for people to find anything to eat. We need your help desperately.”

FTN’s mission is to deliver food, medicine, new clothing and other necessities to families who lack these essentials due to famine, war, poverty or other natural disasters.

For more information, visit www.FeedingTheNations.org 

Jeremy Reynalds is a freelance writer and the founder and CEO of Joy Junction, New Mexico's largest emergency homeless shelter, http://www.joyjunction.org He has a master's degree in communication from the University of New Mexico, and a Ph.D. in intercultural education from Biola University in Los Angeles. His newest book is "The Face of Homelessness." Additional details are available at http://www.HomelessBook.com He lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico. For more information contact: Jeremy Reynalds at jeremyreynalds@comcast.net. Tel: (505) 400-7145. Note: A higher resolution JPEG picture of Jeremy Reynalds is available on request from Dan Wooding at danjuma1@aol.com.