PCCR News and Updates

We’ve completed our first building here in Nepal and have moved on to the next. The work is taking longer than we initially anticipated, with 1–2 feet of mud covering the entire building and no equipment, everything has to be shoveled out by hand. Once the mud is cleared, we use a water pump drawing from a nearby creek to wash down the walls and get the building as clean as possible. It’s hard, labor-intensive work, but we’re making progress one building at a time! One of the biggest blessings has been the kindness of the local people. After finishing the cleanup, they’ve welcomed us into their homes, invited us to dinner, shared meals with us, and taken time to show us around their farms. Even in the midst of all the damage and difficult work, these moments of connection have been a wonderful reminder of why we’re here. We’re thankful for the opportunity to serve the people of Nepal and look forward to seeing what we can accomplish in the weeks ahead. Thank you to everyone who is praying for us and supporting this work! ❤️

Nepal 🇳🇵 As we continue working alongside the local community here in Nepal, it’s been really special getting to know more of the people around us. A few speak some English, and they’ll often stop by to watch what we’re doing or even jump in and help. One day, while we were all standing around looking at just how bad some of the damage was, one of our neighbors said something that really stuck with me: “Back in the day, we used to compare our houses to see who had the biggest one. Now all our houses are on the same level.” And honestly, it’s pretty accurate. Some families have lost entire lower floors of their homes under the mud. In many cases, they plan to clean out the floors that are still above the current dirt level, while leaving the lower floors filled with mud, and simply move forward with life. Despite everything they’ve lost, the people here have been incredibly kind, and grateful for our help. We’re thankful for the opportunity to be here and help however we can. Help support recovery efforts in Nepal: https://plaincompassion.givingfuel.com/nepal-flood

A few thoughts on closing down the Ukraine Project: In any disaster, our main focus is to identify and meet the needs that are not currently being met or that the local community are not able to handle on their own. This was the case in Ukraine during most of our time there. But increasingly, more Ukrainians are emerging who are willing and able to do front-line evacuations, including civilian volunteers and volunteer police units. Front-line evacuations come with a significant risk already, and where speed and communication are essential, language barriers pose yet another real security challenge. With most of our volunteers not speaking the Ukrainian language, translators are necessary, which can make communicating clearly and quickly more difficult during high stress and dangerous situations. In addition to this, with the significant increase in drone technology and activity, some of the most effective anti-drone measures fall under the defensive weapons category and therefore do not align well with our organizational standards. So in order to maintain the integrity of these standards while also minimizing the potential of becoming a liability to our local partners, we have made the decision to discontinue our operations in Ukraine. We participated in evacuations as long as it made sense to do so, while also considering other projects we could help with that were consistent with our mission and vision. Some of these projects included the IDP Shelter and multiple Rebuilding Projects. With our decision to close this project, we recognize that the work in Ukraine is not finished. The war is not over, the needs of the people are still significant. Hope is still needed. As we transition, we are leaving the work to our dear friend and partner Chaplain Leonid and those who are supporting him. He will continue operating the IDP Shelter and plans to continue front-line evacuations alongside the local volunteers who are working with him. Continue to pray for the pe… Read in full →