Hello Everyone! This may very well be my last group email! I am creating a web space to post my bulletins and news items, so that I can deal with email letters on a one to one basis, without having to constantly repeat myself. You can find the web link below, please check back as often as you wish for photos and news, I really will not be upset if you never look, and are greatly relieved not to be getting mass emails from me. Also, please share this link with anyone you feel may be interested in my current status.
Just to recap, the last year of my life has been a momentous one. Last August, I was offered an internship with Samaritan’s Purse in Vietnam, working on a water filtration project. When the tsunamis struck in December, I was reposted to Indonesia, and offered a contract for the remainder of the year. I was still in Indonesia when my younger brother Alastair was killed in ahead-on collision near our home in Canada in February, but I was able to return home for three weeks. My first year with Samaritan’s Purse (SP) was completed in July, when I returned to Canada for my sister Meredith’s wedding and one month home leave. I returned to Indonesia August 7, to start my new contract for one year.
My position in Indonesia has primarily been in a support role, in logistics, procurement and operations management. SP currently has 17 different projects in the tsunami affected areas of Aceh province, and I am responsible to provide those projects with the materials, equipment and personnel necessary to complete the work. These projects include building houses, water and sanitation, building midwifery and health clinics, food distributions, various livelihood projects, such as agriculture and fishing, a women’s support and training centre, and computer training centres. I work closely with our Human resources manager, and the support teams at our 4 different bases of operation to keep the supply chain moving. I currently live in the city of Medan, an area not affected by the tsunami, but the largest urban centre on the island of Sumatra. This enables me to work with the airport and port facilities, and provides access to a much bigger purchasing supply of stores and manufacturers. This position may change in the very near future, and I will keep my new site updated.
If you have any specific questions, I really do want to hear from you, and don’t forget to share an update on your own lives as well!
From Indonesia,
Chris Sheach
Operations Manager, Medan
Samaritan's Purse Indonesia
