“God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear, even if earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea.”

 Psalm 46:1

Earthquake

  At 2.28pm on Monday 12 May, a severe earthquake struck Sichuan province in western China. The quake was so strong that it was felt not just in surrounding provinces but also in surrounding countries. A few minutes later, the scene at the epicentre in Wenchuan county was one of total devastation. Thousands of buildings had collapsed crushing those inside; rocks had rolled down the mountains killing others. As of mid-June, the confirmed death toll had reached 69,142 with almost 18,000 still listed as missing. Around five million are believed to now be homeless. It was China’s worst natural disaster in more than thirty years.

The army was quickly mobilised and rushed to the area to rescue as many as possible from beneath the rubble. Their job was made more difficult as roads were blocked by fallen rocks and regular aftershocks continued to cause further damage. Experts and specialist equipment was brought in from overseas to help.

Gradually the focus turned to providing for those who had survived. Fifteen million people had been displaced, and hundreds of thousands of tents were needed for temporary accommodation, as well as for hospitals, schools and shops. Tent villages sprang up across the area. Food and water was shipped in. Donations from across China and around the world helped to meet the huge need.

As June arrived, officials began to put together a reconstruction plan for the region. An estimated 90 percent of houses in the immediate disaster area were unsalvageable. Beichuan, the worst hit town, was so badly damaged that it will be rebuilt elsewhere. Work began on putting together prefabricated units for those unable to return home.

While the physical damage is clearly evident, a much less visible but nevertheless huge emotional toll is also being paid. Many have lost loved ones. Millions are in shock, traumatised by their experiences. Several weeks after the earthquake, many across the region are unwilling to return even to undamaged homes, fearing that another quake will come. There is a sense of utter helplessness in the face of this unexpected natural disaster.

The Lost Children

Sunday 1 June was Children’s Day in China, but for many in Sichuan province it was a day of unspeakable grief. Parents marked the day by gathering at the sites of collapsed schools to mourn their offspring. "We've come back to the place where you were buried," a mother cried. "You are all gone. How can we live on? You've taken away all our hopes and dreams" (BBC). Thousands of children died in the earthquake on 12 May, as schools across the region crumpled like packs of cards. The earthquake struck in the middle of the afternoon when most children were at their desks or winding up lunchtime naps. 13,451 schools were damaged.

In a number of areas, the schools fell while surrounding buildings remained standing, leading parents to question whether building standards had been met."In all this rubble I don't know exactly where you died. So I lay down this flower for you. Son, I will love you forever," a father mourns. He tells reporters: "This was 20% natural disaster, 80% man-made disaster. Why didn't all these other buildings collapse? Only this one fell down. We are determined to fight for justice for our kids. We will never give up. We have to get justice." (BBC)

"So many children have died, and our responsible departments and our designers, architects and structural engineers should all reflect on this," an official acknowledged. He was part of an investigation team appointed by the government to check out the sites of the schools that had collapsed. "There were certainly problems with site selection, the building's structure and structural features, the construction and materials," he continued, explaining that steel reinforcement rods in one building's concrete were too thin, and pillar supports were not properly attached. "It was to be expected that a building like this collapsed in an earthquake and it would have been strange only if it didn't," he concluded. (Reuters)

In some villages, there is no need for the school to reopen - almost every child was killed. The few survivors wander round in a daze. “They may nod and agree when you tell them to be strong, but they are very hurt inside,” says one social worker (Reuters). It will be a long time before any semblance of normalcy returns to their lives.

AM-CCSM’s Response

A number of our co-workers in China had personal experience of the earthquake and were quick to respond to the urgent need. Several arranged for urgent supplies of tents, food and other necessities to be delivered to those most in need.

One couple reported, “The desperate need is for shelters and water and very basic supplies.” They arranged for a truck load of equipment to be delivered to a poor village that had previously had very little help, and they were looking to arrange a second truckload shortly afterwards.

Another couple, who themselves live very close to the epicentre and were staying in a tent after being forced out of their home by the earthquake, then made their way to a nearby large city in order to arrange a delivery of aid. Tents, rice, clothes, medicines and other basics were taken to a village where people were in desperate need. “It took two full days of driving to get there,” they reported. They then returned to the city to arrange a second delivery. As they have been working in this area for some time and have built good relationships with the authorities there, they are looking to help the local villagers rebuild their houses, which were all destroyed by the earthquake.

In another area affected by the earthquake, a partner organisation was already sponsoring local children. In late May, our co-worker made a visit to some of the children to see how they had been affected and to deliver some food and clothing. Access to the area was difficult as some roads were blocked and others in very bad condition. School had been suspended because of the earthquake and all the families were living outside in makeshift tents as a precaution against further aftershocks. They were touched by our co-worker’s visit and greatly appreciated the supplies she brought.

We trust that by the time you receive this letter, the most urgent needs will have been met. However, the rebuilding of homes and lives will continue for many months to come. Our co-workers will stand alongside these hurting people for the long-term. If you would like to contribute towards this work, please contact your local AM-CCSM office.

Beijing Olympics

Back in April, a team of AM-CCSM intercessors headed for Beijing to pray for China in the lead up to the Olympic Games. The team was able to visit several of the main Olympic venues. God also led them to pray in and around a number of others places including Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, the Mao Mausoleum, the Monument to the People’s Heroes, the Museum of Chinese History, the Great Hall of the People and the Great Wall. They sensed the Lord say that, “These places are all significant in the seat of government and power, and also in the hearts of the people of China.” God spoke to them in words and pictures, dreams and visions, and we trust that they have played a part in bringing His Kingdom to that land.

It is now just over a month until the Beijing Olympics begins on 8 August. This is a significant time for China and we want to encourage as many people as possible to pray for the Chinese people in coming weeks. To help with that, we are making available a number of extra materials on our website. Hear what an Olympic athlete has to say about this special opportunity. Download a prayer sheet giving suggestions as to how to pray for China at this time. Check out the special website at www.am-ccsm.org/olympics.

As well as asking you to pray individually for China during this vital time, we would like to suggest two other ways that you can support the Chinese church:

1. Could you gather together a group to pray during the Olympic opening ceremony on Friday 8 August? Use the special prayer sheet from our website to help you in your prayers.

2. Could you mobilise your church to pray for three minutes as part of your worship service on Sunday 3 August? You could encourage everyone to take home a copy of the prayer guide and pray as they watch the various Olympic events.

God does mighty things when we pray, so don’t miss this opportunity to stand with us to impact China powerfully for the Gospel.

A Traumatic Five Months

As we look back over the first five months of 2008, we see quite a list of major challenges that the people of China have faced. So far, it has certainly not been the triumphant Olympic year that many there had hoped for.

The year began with the worst winter weather for a century when huge areas of the country were devastated by blizzards and heavy snow falls. Roads and railways were blocked, power lines destroyed, houses collapsed, at least 107 died, and the emergency wards of hospitals were filled with people with fractured limbs. With public transport in disarray, the traditional homecoming for Chinese New Year became just a dream for many.

Then, as the snow began to melt, protests erupted in Tibet. They spread from the capital Lhasa to most of the ethnic Tibetan areas of China. In the ensuing violence, both Tibetans and Han Chinese were killed. Tibetan areas were soon closed to all foreigners and a government crackdown followed. A few weeks later, as the Olympic torch was paraded around the world, it was accompanied by numerous protests against China’s human rights policy.

In late April, two passenger trains collided in eastern China, killing 70 and injuring hundreds more. It was China’s worst crash in more than ten years. Just a few days later, the government launched a fight against the EV71 hand, foot and mouth disease that had already killed twenty-two children and infected several thousand. "Local Communist Party and government officials are on high alert. Health authorities are urgently taking measures to prevent the disease and treat seriously ill children," the Health Ministry said (Reuters). Yet even that faded into the background as the earthquake struck Sichuan on 12 May (see Days One and Two).

Many in China have viewed this catalogue of disasters with fear. “Is it God’s judgement?” some have asked. Our prayer is that these challenges of recent months might point many to their urgent need of the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.

AM-CCSM News

“We opened up a Bible school in ‘S’ province,” we heard recently from some colleagues in China ministry. “Our core curriculum for this two-year school is 90% from all of [your] materials. Our China team know your stuff well and feel it best suitable to be the main subjects taught to the students.” It is so encouraging to hear that our materials are being used in this way. Despite the tense situation in China in the lead-up to next month’s Olympics, we continue to print and distribute our materials across the country. We thank the Lord for continuing financial provision as we work towards our target of 1.5 million books this year.

In light of the security crackdown and extra cost of travel and accommodation around the time of the Olympics, this year we will not have our usual “Summer of Missions” during July and August. However, we do still have a mercy team travelling to China at the end of this month. They are hoping to serve in a new orphanage in central China, as well as return to the orphanage that our teams regularly visit. We would appreciate your prayers in the lead-up to and during the team. May the Lord’s purposes be fulfilled during this time.

This month also sees this year’s Antioch School of Missions (ASM) reaching its conclusion. The four students will be meeting together with some of the AM-CCSM leaders for a final debriefing week to talk about the next stage of their lives. Three of the four students plan to remain in China for the coming year. All will continue with language study whilst also becoming more involved in China ministry. Please remember them in prayer as they make the adjustment to this new phase of their China journey.

From our International Director

There is one of the Bible’s hidden bombshells of divine truth in Acts 10:4.

“And when he observed him, he was afraid, and said, ‘What is it, lord?’ So he said to him, ‘Your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God…’”
 

The verse of course is part of the conversation between the angel and Cornelius. Cornelius, we are told, was “a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always.” But he did not know the Lord Jesus. However, the angel came to take care of that, and led him to Peter, who led him to the Lord. The reason given is that the heavenly Father took note of the desires of his heart, even though he had no knowledge of salvation: “Your prayers and your alms have come up as a memorial before God.” The heavenly Father sees and records and responds and rewards. How much more when we who know the Lord Jesus pray and obey with acts of mercy will the heavenly Father record and respond. It is good to remember that, as you read this letter and pray for others in China, especially those in material and spiritual need.

Last night (as I write) the Lord reminded me of that in a very practical way. I went to speak at a student meeting on a university campus in Taiwan. The invitation came through a professor who had been my English student when he was studying mechanical engineering in Taiwan University over 30 years ago. One of the other leaders at the meeting had also known me then, as she had been in a university Christian group that I helped with at that time. She introduced me before I spoke with anecdotes about how my life and words had impacted her – some of which I hardly remembered until she mentioned them. But what blessed me more than anything was to hear the professor say that a number of those in his class 30 plus years ago (to whom I had sowed seed with my witness to them) had become believers when they went to study in the USA after graduation in Taiwan. My part was small; I took them off campus in the first week and fed them and witnessed to them, offering availability if they wanted to talk more. Then as the academic year went by I tried to respond to any opportunities. I sowed as best I could, and others watered and reaped in the coming years.

As we pray for China, and respond in acts of practical and spiritual service, the Father in heaven records as a memorial. And He is no man or woman's debtor. 1 Corinthians 15:58 says our labour is never in vain in the Lord. The evil one may say you are not making a difference as you pray in the Name of Jesus. You are. Cornelius tells us that very clearly. So press in – in faith.