Published: March 22, 2006 10:50 pm            

Seeing images of a tragedy

John Reichmann spared members of the Cullman Kiwanis Club the most graphic details of the tsunami that struck the coast of Southeast Asia during the Christmas holidays in 2004.

His video presentation on Monday was enough to paint you the picture of the destruction of the massive wave caused by a 9.3 magnitude earthquake, the second largest ever recorded.

The photos from the CD actually showed the wave as it appeared on the horizon and as it crashed ashore. The person who took the photos probably won a photo-journalist award (it is amazing how the person survived). Reichmann did not show the bodies tossed all over the place. He wanted to spare us of the most horrifying details.

He didn't need to. The photos of the destruction after the wave came ashore painted enough of the picture to make you understand how horrible of a natural disaster it was in an event that took more than 250,000 lives.

His photos showed the twisted debris from the destroyed homes and businesses from an area known for its tourism and fishing villages.

It is almost Hurricane Katrina times 10, if that can be imagined by those from here who helped out in the aftermath of one of our nation's worst natural disasters.

The countries hit by the Tsunami are still trying to recover.

Reichmann is one of four men from Cullman, and 30 from Baptist churches throughout Alabama, who recently took part in that recovery effort as part of the International Mission Board project. It was the sixth such group that has been sent, with a follow-up group expected to go later. He was a member of one of the four 10-man teams during the trip helping the people of Thailand rebuild from the destruction.

"Most of the devastation has now been cleaned up," Reichmann said. "The group I was with initially was a cleanup crew, going into homes that are almost done. We had other groups who went into homes to paint."

As with many mission teams, their trip also had a spiritual purpose in addition to helping with the physical needs of those less fortunate. The group also went over to witness to others about Christ in the country of more than 62 million people where Christians make up only a sixth of one percent of the population.

Reichmann said Thai officials were leery of groups coming over to share their Christian faith, but said they were welcome because they were helping in the rebuilding effort.

While they spent most of their time working on the physical and spiritual needs of the people of Thailand, they also had a chance to sample the culture — especially the food — something he found pretty pleasurable.

He also saw a sad side that had nothing to do with the tsunami. The children of the country are often targets of tourists who are sexual predators.

He cited an incident where members of the group he was with went to talk to a group of children.

"They surrounded a little girl who was with them to protect her (from would-be predators)," he said.

‰ Scott Turner is the managing editor of The Cullman Times. His column appears on Thursdays.

        

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