Like You I’m struck with sadness over the disaster in China. I always struggle knowing how to pray in these situations (like the cyclone in Myanmar that is still in a critical phase). They have some moving & disturbing pics on npr.org
Here’s what I wrote in my journal today:
CHINA: God, I’m sad thinking of all the suffering, grief & loss over in China. I pray for comfort. I pray for strength for the aid workers. I pray for the church there. I pray for those still alive trapped. Spare them. I pray that you would heal those injured. I long for the day when there “shall be no more curse” on the earth (Revelation 22:3). Somehow, bring glory to Your name in the midst of this. Only You know how to do this.
Feel free to add suggestions to the rest of us on how YOU are praying.
This was made personal by a comment you may have noticed below. Let’s rejoice with Steven.
Comment:
Mom is the most important person in my life, as well as father.
God saved my father 4 days ago.
I am an international students from China, and now studying in San Diego. The day before yesterday, a huge earthquake happened in the central China. The city where my family live is about 1500 miles from that area, but my father was on a business trip there. And he almost went to the town where the epicenter is. God saved my father, he came back home less than 24 hours before the earthquake.
God saved his life, He is just the wonderful God, the Savior of all of us.
I hope the other people who are in the earthquake area will be fine.
Also, our friends “working” in a university in China, Dave & Karen Carlson sent this email:
Dear friends –
You’re probably reading about the 7.5-7.8 magnitude quake in western China. It was 330
MILES away from us, but we felt it “loud and clear” on a hilltop during a hike! We paused near
the top, Karen put her hand on my arm to steady herself and said “Whoah, I must be dizzy.”
Then I felt dizzy too. Then she said, “It’s an earthquake.” The whole hillside was rocking.
Fearing that the soil might be unstable, we ran the rest of the way to the top. The shrubs
were swaying, and the rocking earth lasted at least a whole minute! At the campuses down
below, we saw the students pour out of the classroom buildings. But there was no damage to
buildings here. Chengdu, a large city only 60 miles from the epicenter, doesn’t seem to be
showing any major damage in the initial news reports. Thank our father it wasn’t worse!Definitely a story we’ll tell our child about some day!
(if you missed the fact we’re expecting, check out our last newsletter athttp://groups.yahoo.com/group/carlsonschinanews)!!
Love,
Dave
