en Oakwood College students leave today for a month-long tsunami relief mission in Sri Lanka and then a four-month stay to help the hungry in India.

That means five months of living in tents. Five months of no warm showers. Five months living off beans and peanut butter.

It's a sacrifice they're delighted to make, but the question is, will their help be wanted?

In the small, mostly Buddhist island country of Sri Lanka, more than 800,000 people were displaced and 38,000 people died from the massive wave on Dec. 26. Two weeks ago, the Sri Lankan government announced it wanted to make it illegal for Christians to offer aid to tsunami victims.

If the bills pass, Christians caught giving aid could be sent to prison for five to seven years.

The missionaries - all members of NAPS, or National Association for the Prevention of Starvation - are Christian. They say they aren't worried.

"We are going over there to provide relief, but we are Christians and we won't hide who we are," said Lakicia Foster, 19, who came from the Virgin Islands to study at Oakwood.

"The fact that we're Christians won't bother the people who are hungry and in need. Help is help, and love transcends. We will not be rejected."

The cost of the Sri Lanka mission is estimated at $80,000, which includes sustenance and transportation for the 10 workers as well as food for the victims and construction supplies for an orphanage.

The missionaries took a year off from school so they could prepare for the relief mission in India. Preparation includes fund raising, ministering in juvenile detention centers, giving motivational talks in schools, feeding the homeless, domestic mission trips, - such as hurricane help in Florida - and living a spare life.

"Last year, when I worked in a refugee camp in Zambia, Africa, the real shock was coming home and seeing how many shoes I had in my closet. Those kids had no shoes. It's an awakening."

For the five months she'll be gone, Bishop will have three changes of clothes.

NAPS was founded in 1978 by Dr. Anthony Paul, president of the group and a biology professor at Oakwood. Many of the NAPS students major in nursing or biology.

One graduate, Andrew Griffiths of Jamaica, was accepted to medical school at Loma Linda University but postponed entry so he could spend the year helping with disaster relief.

"This is a fun way to serve humanity," said Jodi-Ann Hudgson, 21, of Canada. "You know how you can throw pebbles in a pond and watch the ripples? We have no idea how far our ripples are going to go. They'll just keep going and going."

Those going on the mission, besides Hudgson, Foster and Bishop, are Taurus Montgomery, Lenworth Sealey, Sybille Pierre, Sonja Artis, Alecia Webb, James Maddox and Andrew Griffiths.

Visit www.napsoc.org to make donations and see progress reports on the Oakwood College group, or call 256-726-7056 for more information.