May 14

I think the reports of the devastating losses we see here on the internet and in the news are pretty much the reports that you are getting there. Here, the disaster and the relief efforts dominate the news and other special reports. You can see the genuine concern and care for the people as Premier Wen Jiabao directs the government relief efforts, in his visit to Wenchuan, and as he comforts and reaches out to the people. In seeing him in television reports yesterday (Wednesday), my seminary students said that he hadn't had much of any sleep for the three days and some commented on how much it looked like he had aged.

This week, as always, the seminary community here in Nanjing has been a community of worship and prayer, with regular times of community worship either in the chapel or in class groups each day. However, this week the need for prayer was felt more deeply than ever, and many fervent prayers continue to be lifted to God. A special prayer service was held on Tuesday evening in place of the normal worship service and special prayers and reporting on the situation were a part of the normal Wednesday morning worship time. School leaders encouraged students and faculty to use all of the regular times of worship and prayer and their own personal devotional times to be in prayer for the people of Sichuan Province and surrounding areas who are suffering, for the congregations as they both deal with their own losses and reach out to others, and for the rescue workers who are trying desparately to reach those in greatest need. The enormity of the loss, the suffering and the need is unfathomable.

Pastor Gu is a young pastor who normally serves a church in the hard hit Mianzhu area. She is currently on leave to study in the master of theology program at Nanjing Seminary, is in my Theological English Class and was in Nanjing when the quake occurred. Actually, her family's hometown wasn't the hardest hit and her own family members are okay. Nonetheless, there still has been damage. Wednesday morning she wrote, "My hometown is damaged by the earthquake. Many buildings are fallen. The students are out of school. People are short of water and food. Many people are homeless. They sleep in the street, in a tent or under the crossbridges." The church and the people she serves are in Mianzhu, in one of the harder hit parts of the area. There many people have died, with students buried in the rubble of what once were school buildings and many adults buried in the rubble of what once were their places of work and the sources of the living they earned for their families. There are also many injured. Pastor Gu writes, "Many need medicines and medical treatment." She has been in touch with some of her parishioners by cell phone, when they are able to get through. They are asking some of the difficult questions. "Where is God? Why did God let this happen? Even the sanctuaries built to worship and praise God have been damaged--Why? ..." You can imagine all of the questions that would run through people's minds. You can see the pain and concern on Pastor Gu's face as she mininisters to and shepherds her flock from a distance and as she encourages them in their sharing of love with those in need around them. From the very beginning, she has wanted to go back to be with them, but that is impossible. There is no train and no plane for her to take, and even if she could get close to the region, she would not be allowed to go into the hard hit area where her parishioners are. Only the military relief corps and other official relief workers are allowed in. With so many dead and so many homeless, the fear is that sanitary conditions could easily deteriorate and disease could also strike. The government doesn't want any more than necessary exposed to additional risk. Wednesday, at dinner time Pastor Gu told me that things are a little better for the people in the area she serves because the government and relief workers were finally able able to get into the area and to airdrop some needed supplies. Nonethess, all the people there and throughout the areas devastaed by the quake continue to need our prayers. Pastor Gu, simply says "Please pray."

Most Sundays the seminary community is scattered throughout the local churches, helping with the ministries there. However, once a month there is also a Sunday morning worship service at 9:00 in the seminary chapel. That Sunday is this coming Sunday (May 18). As we continue to pray for the people throughout the disaster area, our offerings will be gathered to be sent through the church network to help relieve some of the suffering. As Jesus once blessed and multiplied the gift of a small lunch from a little boy--five loaves and two fish--to feed the 5000, so too, we believe that God in Christ will multiply whatever gifts we offer.

Although I haven't heard any specifics yet, I believe that many, maybe even most churches will take similar offerings to provide for some of the supplies and relief needed. Last night, at the English Bible Study at the Mochou Road Church, there was a spontaneous response--fervent prayers, discussions about how we as Christians can understand and how God calls us to respond, and an offering taken to help provide for the needs. No one knew that there would be an offering, so they didn't bring any extra money with them. Nonetheless, I know several who put all they did have with them in the offering box--a gift of love. This money will also be directed to relief through the church network.

Ben Chan has already shared with you many of the reports and some of the pictures coming from Amity, partner in much of our work here in China. Amity responded immediately, providing partners like us with valuable information about the latest reports and mobilizing very quickly to help with the relief efforts. An Amity staff person, Yue Yaoming was able to fly to Chengdu within hours of the quake. He coordinated the efforts to purchase supplies to provide some immediate relief--water, instant noodles and plastic tarps. Two teams of workers set out from Chengdu yesterday afternoon with three truck loads of these supplies for each team to distribute. They headed for Du Jiangyan and Baichuan in Mianyang Prefecture, two of the hardest hit cities. Amity asks for prayers for them as they work to get these relief supplies through to those still in need. As you know from Ben Chan's earlier reports, American Baptist International Ministries has responded immediately to Amity's appeal for donations to help with the relief work, and other overseas partners have been responding as well. In addition, Amity has sent the appeal out domestically and has set up a temporary donation booth for people right here in Nanjing to contribute. As of Wednesday afternoon, donations had surpassed 120,000 yuan (nearly $17,400).

Amity also immediately checked in on all of the Amity teachers, who come from various countries and who are teaching at teachers colleges in several provinces here in China. The teacher who was on leave studying Chinese in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province, was reached first and she is fine. Many of the teachers in Gansu Province, just north of Sichuan, also felt the tremors. The two Swedish teachers teaching English at Longnan Teachers College were most affected as their city is quite near the border between the provinces and the closest of our teaching sites to the epicenter. Buildings on their campus, including the one in which they lived were damaged. They were able to run out of the building safely as it shook and as some parts collapsed. They, three other foreign teachers, and all 4000 students were all moved to the soccer field where the spent the night under the stars and under blankets. For a while, two areas were separated off to be used in lieu of toilets. Sanitation was a concern for everyone. Later, the school was able to open the first floor of one building so that the flush toilets there could be used. The school provided everyone with two simple meals a day. Everyone felt fortunate that it did not rain, even though rain had been predicted. Some leaders from Lanzhou, the capital of Gansu Province, came to check on the safety of the foreign teachers. Because the building where they had been living had some large cracks in it, the foreign teachers were moved to the guesthouse at a university in another town not so affected, Tianshui. They were able to retrieve some of their things in the 15 minutes of packing time before they left. They are comfortable physically, but worried about their students. Please pray for them and their students. They did hear from some students on Wednesday to know that the military was arriving with supplies. Although the second semester would usually run into July here in China, they don't know if or when classes will resume. The school officials will contact them when it is safe.

Two former Amity teachers who had taught at Chengdu College of Education from 2003-2005 have been in touch with one of their former colleagues and neighbors. He was teaching on the third floor when the quake hit. He ordered the students to rush out of the building and he followed the last one with some of the ceramic tiles coming down just after they got out. His whole school also gathered on the sports field where they spent the rest of the day and the first part of the night. When the rains came, they did go inside the buildings again. He said they felt more than 3000 after shocks in the first 40 hours after the main quake. As he wrote, he was preparing to go to Du Jiangyan as a volunteer rescue worker.