Helping Local Churches Build Disaster-Prepared Communities 

Unpredictable weather and sudden disasters keep pushing us to help churches and communities become more prepared. Thanks to your support, local churches in East Nusa Tenggara are now being equipped to become strong and ready places when disasters occur. 

Praise God, two disaster preparedness trainings were successfully held in May 2025 in two different areas: Kupang Regency and Rote Ndao Regency. In each session, we saw how God’s love was clearly at work, moving local churches to come together and build resilience in the face of increasing disaster risks. 

On May 24, 2025, 68 participants, including representatives from 19 partner churches, teachers from School of Life and Super5, and members of the Superbook community, joined the Hydrometeorological and Geological Disaster Preparedness Training at GMIT Elim Naibonat, Kupang. This training aimed to strengthen their understanding of disaster risks such as floods, drought, extreme weather, and earthquakes, disasters that had frequently affected the region throughout 2024. 

Participants didn’t just learn theory; they also created contingency plans, learned emergency response SOPs, and practiced earthquake simulations. The sessions were led by the OBI team together with experts from several institutions. 

Meanwhile, from May 20–22, 2025, 38 church leaders, including pastors, reverends, and classis representatives from across Rote Ndao, took part in the Disaster-Ready House of Worship training. In collaboration with the GMIT Synod and JARKOMKRIS PB I, this training has equipped churches to become centers of recovery and strength during times of crisis. 

Participants were invited to reflect on the church’s role in disaster response through the lens of faith. With biblical foundations like Acts 11:19–30 and Nehemiah 2:1–10, they explored the disaster cycle, psychosocial support, and created community-based action plans. 

We are truly grateful that God is working through the hands of OBI Partners. Thank you for being part of this mission to build churches that are not only spiritually strong, but also ready to help in times of emergency. 

Because of your support, the church is no longer just a place to pray, it’s a place of refuge, a place to rise again, and a place where hope is restored.