A social worker affiliated with Gospel for Asia (GFA) lost five family members in the Easter Sunday bombings that took the lives of over 250 people, the humanitarian mission agency announced Thursday.
The female social worker in question serves at a GFA-supported children’s center. The GFA-supported Bridge of Hope centers provide education, meals and medical care to children impacted by Sri Lanka’s civil war.
In a statement, GFA founder K.P. Yohannan explained that the social worker was in “utter shock and great grief” to learn that her five relatives were killed in blasts at two churches on Sunday.
The bombings killed four members of the same family: parents and their two children.
“Please pray for God’s comfort and peace upon the bereaved families,” Yohannan said in his statement shared with The Christian Post.
“Pray that God will give them strength during this difficult time … and for protection upon all families and communities in Sri Lanka as insecurity and uncertainty continues.”
According to GFA, the funeral services were already held for the social worker’s family members.
The Sunday bombings targeted churches as Christians celebrated Easter and three hotels in Negombo, Batticaloa and Colombo.
Officials on Thursday released an updated death toll, one that lowers the number of lives lost by over 100 to 253. A Colombo police spokesman had previously said that 359 lives were lost in the bombings, which would have made the bombings the deadliest attack claimed by the Islamic State.
Authorities have also discovered dozens of detonators. GFA reports that a bomb was defused on a street near one of its supported offices.
GFA is one of the world’s largest international ministries that seeks to serve the “least of these” in Asia. Its national workers in Sri Lanka will be part of the effort to bring healing and restoration as the country moves forward.
SEE THE ARTICLE ON CHRISTIANPOST.COM
To join GFA’s prayer network for Sri Lanka, go to: www.gfa.org/pray/sri-lanka.
Read more news on Sri Lanka on Gospel for Asia: Digital Media Room.
