When Tsunami survivor Raja Wijekoon of Sri Lanka first saw the devastation aftermath of Hurricane Katrina unfold on television, he couldn't believe his eyes. The horrific images were eerily familiar.

"The hurricane destroyed buildings, people crying without hope, people removing dead bodies. I almost broke into tears," he said through a translator on Saturday evening at Southeast Christian Church in Louisville. "The only thing left to do was pray."

Through an unwelcome twist of fate, Wijekoon found himself preaching the same message to Kentuckians that he had told the people of his native land less than a year ago when an earthquake-tiggered tsunami killed thousands.

"Every bad thing can become a good thing. This is the time to do the will of God and build a society that loves one another," said Wijekoon, the founder of a spiritually based ministry, Voice of New Life, in Sri Lanka.

"We need to help each other personally, person to person," he told the congregation.

Wijekoon, 54, was visiting the church to thank the ministry for its financial assistance in helping tsunami victims rebuild their lives and repair the homes destroyed in December by the massive wave.

Wijekoon encouraged churchgoers to provide help once again - this time for their fellow citizens.

"Of course, the tsunami was destruction for us in Sri Lanka but it was also a blessing. Through the rubble, a new city came up. Now you have an opportunity to serve your own countrymen," Wijekoon said.

Bob Russell, senior pastor of Southeast Christian, said Wijekoon "puts a face on the gifts we've given. It shows that we're really reaching people, not just sending money."

The church, like others around Kentucky, was collecting financial contributions, clothing and food items to help with relief efforts on the Gulf Coast.

Wijekoon, who lives in Galle, a coastal city on the southern edge of Sri Lanka, recalled the horror of watching his city get swept away. He stood on a small cliff high above the sea and watched the first wave engulf the land.

"One of my brothers came in and said that the sea was coming," Wijekoon said. After the wave hit, Wijekoon went down and offered his assistance.

"We removed dead bodies and helped remove people from the rubble," Wijekoon said.

The tsunami struck on December 26th, killing more than 176,000 people in 11 countries and leaving about 50,000 others missing.

About 31,000 Sri Lankas killed and 1 million more were displaced.

Even though Hurricane Katrina paled in comparison to the devastation caused by the tsunami, Wijekoon felt the same sympathy for the thousands now suffering in the Gulf Coast.

"We are praying for your country," Wijekoon said. "We are praying in tears."