The day after Christmas 2004, one of the largest earthquakes ever recorded struck off the coast of Indonesia and triggered a tsunami that swept into multiple nations bordering the Indian Ocean, wiping away entire communities and bringing devastation. An estimated 228,000 people were killed and nearly two million were left homeless in a dozen nations including Thailand, Sri Lanka, and India. Hardest hit, though, was Aceh Province, Indonesia, which bore the tsunami’s terrible brunt and took the lives of some 169,000. As international disaster relief groups flew in to offer aid to stricken countries and communities, Southern Baptist volunteers were among those responding with compassion and care.
By mid-February 2005, contributions from Southern Baptist churches and individuals surpassed $10 million—an unprecedented amount—to be used for tsunami-related aid projects across South and Southeast Asia. “We were there early, and we were there with people who knew the language and culture, supported by volunteers who [met] needs,” said Don Dent, then IMB’s regional leader for the Pacific Rim. Southern Baptist volunteers fed the hungry, met medical needs, cleared mud out of houses, and dug mass graves for villagers. Dent explained that Christians serving these Muslim, Hindu, or Buddhist communities, were having an impact and asked Southern Baptists in the US to keep praying “that God will open a door that no man can shut.”
The local government funded art projects in the tsunami survivor camps. Southern Baptists provided ongoing relief work for a full year after the tsunami, bringing food every day to a number of camps, as well as doing children’s activities and English language classes. Southern Baptists also provided funding for fishermen to rebuild their boats and replace the nets they lost in the tsunami.

The day after Christmas 2004, one of the largest earthquakes ever recorded struck off the coast of Indonesia and triggered a tsunami that swept into multiple nations bordering the Indian Ocean, wiping away entire communities and bringing devastation. An estimated 228,000 people were killed and nearly two million were left homeless in a dozen nations including Thailand, Sri Lanka, and India. Hardest hit, though, was Aceh Province, Indonesia, which bore the tsunami’s terrible brunt and took the lives of some 169,000. As international disaster relief groups flew in to offer aid to stricken countries and communities, Southern Baptist volunteers were among those responding with compassion and care.
By mid-February 2005, contributions from Southern Baptist churches and individuals surpassed $10 million—an unprecedented amount—to be used for tsunami-related aid projects across South and Southeast Asia. “We were there early, and we were there with people who knew the language and culture, supported by volunteers who [met] needs,” said Don Dent, then IMB’s regional leader for the Pacific Rim. Southern Baptist volunteers fed the hungry, met medical needs, cleared mud out of houses, and dug mass graves for villagers. Dent explained that Christians serving these Muslim, Hindu, or Buddhist communities, were having an impact and asked Southern Baptists in the US to keep praying “that God will open a door that no man can shut.”
The local government funded art projects in the tsunami survivor camps. Southern Baptists provided ongoing relief work for a full year after the tsunami, bringing food every day to a number of camps, as well as doing children’s activities and English language classes. Southern Baptists also provided funding for fishermen to rebuild their boats and replace the nets they lost in the tsunami.

Agricultural missionary Dale Carter taught at the Baptist Institute of Corrente, Brazil, and operated more than 70,000 acres of ranch land owned by the Baptist school in 1981. According to FMB’s magazine, The Commission, Baptists had a very early beginning in Corrente. During the 1890s, pioneer Baptist missionary Zachary Clay Taylor boarded a boat on the Francisco River after preaching at Barrá, Brazil. A fellow passenger was Joaquim Paranaguá, a federal senator and member of a prominent Corrente family. The senator overheard a priest organizing people on the boat to attack Taylor and throw him overboard and intervened. The senator and several others in Corrente put their faith in Christ. A Baptist church was organized in 1904.

A cat waits on a fishing dock for fishermen to bring in their catch of the day. The early morning hours bring large fishing boats into this northern port town of Morocco after a night of fishing. The boats unload hundreds of pounds of fish, and people load them into trucks to sell in markets or sell them on the spot in the docks. The fishermen use the time in port to repair any nets that might have been damaged over the journey.

Men prepare to unload their catch of the day. The early morning hours bring large fishing boats into this northern port town of Morocco after a night of fishing. The boats unload hundreds of pounds of fish, and people load them into trucks to sell in markets or sell them on the spot in the docks. The fishermen use the time in port to repair any nets that might have been damaged over the journey.

A man unloads his catch of the day. The early morning hours bring large fishing boats into this northern port town of Morocco after a night of fishing. The boats unload hundreds of pounds of fish, and people load them into trucks to sell in markets or sell them on the spot in the docks. The fishermen use the time in port to repair any nets that might have been damaged over the journey.

While riding a boat up a tributary of the Amazon Basin, an IMB missionary talks with a village leader from the Shuar people group about his culture. A volunteer team joins the missionary and leader on the trip.

In the wake of flooding along the Tapanahony River in the interior of Suriname, an IMB missionary travels by boat to visit a friend and flood victim living on Daktaa Island. IMB missionaries use Radio Paakati, the first radio station of the Aukan people, tp broadcast Bible stories, news, obituaries and music to the Aukan people.

The refugee journey is long and treacherous. Here, refugees on their way to the Congo reach the southern city of Moba, only accessible by boat. This rusted vessel is holding 200 passengers, taking them through the night on a 10-hour ride to the southern port city on Lake Tanganyika.