As an RA leader at Liberty Hill Baptist Church in Hampton and paramedic, Willy Walls has seen a scrape or two. However, he wasn't prepared for the cuts and abrasions among the survivors of the South Asia tsunami in Banda Aceh, located on the northern tip of the island of Sumatra.

Walls was among a three-man disaster relief team from Georgia that ministered on the island of Sumatra in early January. The team returned on Jan. 22 following a two-week stint in the area ravaged by the Dec. 26 tsunami.

The tidal wave killed an estimated 200,000 residents in several nations and has prompted a world-wide outpouring of humanitarian relief. The Georgia volunteers served alongside disaster relief workers from Oklahoma as among the Southern Baptist Convention's first responders to the crisis. They coordinated their effort through the North American Mission Board and worked alongside personnel from the International Mission Board.

Jim Richardson, Georgia state director for disaster relief, said the teams provided medical aid through six clinics while surveying needs on which to base future trips. More than 1,000 people received medical help through the Christian witness provided by the Georgia volunteers.

"I mostly cleaned bandaged wounds and gave out medicines," said Walls, a deacon at Liberty Hill. "A lot of care [first given to survivors] wasn't much at all and we were trying to treat those wounds."

Most of the patients attended to by Walls, Richardson, and Doug Todd, a member of Emmanuel Baptist Church in Blackshear, hadn't received adequate treatment for wounds suffered after the 30-foot swell of water dragged them down paved streets and into jagged piles of churning debris. After a couple of weeks, infection had set in.

Todd had helped in the disaster relief effort following the Florida hurricanes last fall, but conceded the damage was nothing compared to Indonesia.

"There was total devastation," said Todd, also a paramedic.

"It can't be described with words or pictures," echoed Walls. "There was destruction as far as the eye can see. Imagine the pictures on TV and see it in 360 degrees."

Being a witness to the wreckage left behind hasn't deterred Todd from returning, however.

"I hope I get a chance to go back," he said. "We saw miracle after miracle. Our food supply seemed to increase as we stayed there. Another time, there was a girl with a broken leg brought in by her friends. Her parents at first didn't want her to come, but afterwards they were very grateful."

Richardson has seen the aftermath of bombings, terrorist attacks, war, hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, etc. in nine years at his position, but nothing compared to this.

"It was the worse thing I've ever seen in my life," he said. "Areas were completely destroyed by the water."

Richardson said that disaster relief medical teams will be going to the stricken area through April. Each team will consist of 6-8 volunteers.

Despite the devastation, Richardson saw a positive in the first trip to Indonesia through the building of relationships in the village where the team served. He said leaders were receptive to the help provided and would welcome return visits.

Giving money, rather than physical supplies, to the effort is the best way to help out, said Richardson. Donations can be sent to him at Disaster Relief Ministries, Georgia Baptist Convention, 2930 Flowers Road South, Atlanta, GA 30341. Gifts should be designated for tsunami relief.