Current News about the Earthquake in China...

A lot of people have been coming to this site for answers about Lakeland, so that has been my primary theme for a few weeks now--unfortunately, it has been at the expense of some other very important news.

Last year I got to know a missionary to China who will remain nameless due to the political dangers in that country. He and his family have been living and ministering there for several years. They have also adopted three beautiful little girls from that nation who might have otherwise faced intense danger due to the one-child laws and the cultural "need" for giving birth to a boy.

As most are probably aware by now, western China was rocked by a massive earthquake just a little more than a week ago. On the afternoon of the earthquake, I received this report from this missionary:

Although we are safe, there are thousands of families affected by this disaster. Please remember the families whose children were in a school that collapsed, for those that were in buildings that collapsed, and those who were injured or killed from this tragedy. We hear that there are thousands that were killed.

The biggest tragedy is that 95% of them don't have everlasting hope. They have no one to turn to. They wail, they burn candles, they blame themselves. They must have done something wrong to cause this.

Often, when people go through a tragedy or a situation where they feel their life is hanging in the balance, they are more receptive to hear the Good News.

And just today, I received this e-mail second-hand from the missions coordinator at our church:

Thank-you for your thoughts and your prayers. We are doing well.

Last night at 10:30pm, the government (via the television and through cell phone text messages), communicated to the people in our region that another earth quake was coming. At 11:00pm last night, hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people poured out of their homes and found refuge in parks, on the streets, city squares, anywhere they could find that kept them away from buildings. We have 7-9 million people in our city. Today, they kept their kids home from school. They are still in the parks and they are scared to death. In the midst of disaster, we have the message of Hope.

During this time, we are trying to share and show a calmness, a confidence in the face of danger that cannot be shaken by rumors, bad reports, or disasters.

Stay in touch.

The news here in the U.S. has been reporting the government's seizing of foreign aide. People are finding it very difficult to donate to China releif efforts because of the corrupt government officers hoarding the goods.

For one thing, I believe we need to uphold all this in prayer before our gracious, loving King. But I would also like to share a trusted medium for financial giving in case you're interested. The following information comes directly from this family's most recent mass e-mail:

We just received an e-mail from our Regionl Director and he mentioned that a relief fund has been setup at HQ to assist in our team's outreach to the devastated thousands of West China. If you would like to contribute, send your gift to HQ, earmarked China Earthquake Relief. The details are still being worked out about how the funds will be used; but, we wanted to let you know that there is a fund setup.

I read the following account today:
Parents of the dead students built makeshift religious altars at the site, resting the corpses on any available piece of plywood or cardboard, and burning paper money and incense in a traditional honor for their child in the afterlife.

Help us share the Good News.

The "Headquarters" to which they're referring is the Assemblies of God World Missions HQ.

You can also view the donation information directly by going HERE.

God bless, and let's keep praying for China!
--Art--