I spent a few days with my brother and his family last week. They’re home for a six month furlough and it’s been more than two years since I saw them. We assembled a basketball goal and caught up on (too many) missed birthdays. Basketball (my eyes tell the story) has become a traditional part of each visit and I fear the next time we play, Blane (47) and I (57) will no longer prevail over Ryan (15) and Spencer (13). More to come on the visit.
Tag Archives: Blane
Blane Mays helping in Banda Aceh
My brother Blane has returned from Banda Aceh to his home in Bandar Lampung, following two weeks of helping with the tsunami disaster relief effort. He will return to the areas for a couple of weeks at a time between now and June when he returns to the states for six months. It is still unclear how long foreigners will be allowed in the area, which has been closed to same for the past five years and only opened because of the tsunami.
Report from Indonesia.
My sister-in-law called from Indonesia this week with a report on my brother, Blane. He’s somewhere in the Aceh province of northern Indonesia, helping coordinate relief efforts.
Most of the cell towers were destroyed so calling home (1,000 miles to the south) is iffy, but Tonya got a call a few days ago. Blane says it’s far worse than anything shown on CNN. And the corruption is beyond description.
Because he speaks the language and knows the culture, his role seems to be more one of coordination than hands on. But it’s ugly, stressful work. They only allow team members to do body recovery for a couple of days at a time before rotating to other tasks. No shit.
He’s scheduled to return to Bandar Lampung late this week and we’re praying for safe return. On a brighter note… I learned that he, Tonya and the kids will return to the US (Tulsa) in June. Every four years, they return for six months furlough. I’m sure he will have some amazing stories to share.
Blane Mays.
My brother is now in Northern Sumatra and heads to Aceh on Wednesday. He reports:
“The death toll is greatly underestimated by CNN and other news organizations because hundred of thousands of bodies are under rubble. The figure is closer to 300,000 dead. Please pray for me and the other workers who are trying to bring comfort and hope to the survivors.”
“Please pray for these first teams who will be helping remove bodies that are badly decomposed; that our community development foundation will be able to quickly install clean water units; that the cease fire will hold between Acehnese rebels and the govt. Also, our teams will not be taken hostage or caught in crossfire.”
Roger that.
Blane Mays update.
Blane reports he and the family were out of town (Bandar Lampung) when the earthquake/tsunami hit and didn’t realize it had happened until they returned. That seems pretty amazing. His organization is sending disaster relief teams to assess needs but foreigners are not currently allowed into the province of Aceh due to the civil war going on there. He thinks the disaster will open some doors. Bottom line for the Mays family: Blane, Tonya and kids safe and sound.