Three days ago, God gave peace to Darlene Briskey.

Yesterday, he added comforting news.

"The kids at the Shalom orphanage in Myanmar are okay," said Briskey, of Hicksville. "This was such a relief."

World headlines of a horrific cyclone hitting Myanmar (formerly known as Burma) had pummeled the hearts of Briskey and her fellow members at Family Christian Center in Defiance since the tragedy became known last weekend.

The country initially reported a preliminary death toll of up to 10,000. By Tuesday, that number had grown to at least 22,000 with another 41,000 missing.

A top U.S. diplomat said yesterday that 100,000 may have died.

Last fall, the Defiance church held a pie auction to raise funds to build the Shalom orphanage in Yangon, a city of 6 million people. They raised more than $15,000.

In late November, Briskey visited Yangon for two weeks as part of an American delegation representing churches and other charitable organizations assisting Myanmar orphanages.

There she met with a widow with the American name of Emily, who has dedicated the rest of her life to taking in abandoned and orphaned children.

"When I told Emily our church had raised money for her orphanage, she was so happy," said Briskey. "They were living in small bamboo huts with just enough room for 20 orphans to sleep like sardines. All the cooking had to be done outside."

Briskey not only gained a friend halfway across the world, she also fell in love with the 20 or more orphans living with Emily.

"Emily takes in kids who have nowhere else to go," said Briskey. "They range in age from 2 to 16. They are beautiful and precious.

"Children are the bottom of the bottom in Myanmar, especially the ones that are abandoned," she added. "I literally saw children living in dumps, literally sleeping on pieces of garbage."

Since her visit, Emily has updated Briskey on the construction progress several times via e-mail. The last pictures, one of which was published yesterday on the front page of this newspaper, were taken in early April.

"When I heard about the devastation in Myanmar, my heart sank," said Briskey. "All I could think about was Emily and those kids. I was scared. But on Monday night, God gave me peace of mind. I knew there was nothing to do but pray, wait and hope."

An e-mail received about Wednesday noon answered her prayers.

"As you know we faced hard weather," Emily wrote Briskey. "But by the grace of God, we all are fine. Thank for your prayer for my children and my country. God bless you. Please continue to pray for us."

Family Christian Center took up an offering last night for orphanages in Myanmar and the church hopes to send another large check within the next few days. The money will be sent to Heaven's Family, a faith-based non-profit organization whose mission is to care for widows and orphans around the world.

Area residents wishing to sponsor a orphan may do so at www.heavensfamily.org and clicking on "Orphan's Tear." A $20 contribution provides one orphan with food, clothing, shelter and Christian nurture for a month.

Persons wishing to donate the old-fashioned way are encouraged to mail or drop off a check to Family Christian Center (located in the Kroger Plaza at 1834 E. Second St.) and put "Myanmar" on the memo line.

"It was just a relief to hear that Emily and her kids are fine," said Briskey. "They live far away, but they are so close in our hearts."

Briskey and her fellow members at Family Christian Center are to be commended.

This is yet another example of the wonderful people of rural northwest Ohio reaching out to make new friends halfway across the globe.

After all, we are one humanity in one world.

May we continue to strive to make it a different place, a better place.