May 19, 2008

China Notes 22

I’m sure you are all aware of the huge earthquake—7.8 on the Richter scale—that occurred in Sichuan province in western China last week (May 12). The death toll is already in the tens of thousands, with many more injured and millions now homeless. The earthquake was so strong that it was felt throughout much of China, even here in Nanjing (though here it was barely noticeable, and there was no damage). Even now Sichuan is being affected by aftershocks, some quite powerful.

China has responded to the disaster with a massive relief effort spearheaded by the army. The government is giving disaster relief a very high priority, and all China’s top leaders are taking turns spending time there directing relief efforts. (Of course, we should not forget that much of the frontline relief work is being done by the survivors themselves.) The relief effort is constantly on the news, and we are now in day three of three days of national mourning. Fund-raising is going on everywhere—schools, work units, and just about every other kind of organization; even our local Kun opera company put on a special fund-raising performance. Of course, local churches are also much involved raising funds for disaster relief.

One of the first organizations to respond to the disaster was the Amity Foundation, a Chinese non-profit organization that was founded by Chinese church leaders in 1985. The first Amity staff member arrived in Sichuan five hours after the earthquake to set up a disaster relief office, and he was soon followed by a team. Their focus in the following days has been on relief work in rural areas—getting basic supplies (food, plastic sheets for tents, quilts, etc.) to people in need. Other Amity efforts to date involve organizing and training teams of volunteers to assist in counseling for those whose lives have been shattered by the earthquake, and the first of these volunteers are now on the way to Sichuan.

The Amity Foundation is one of the main partners the Presbyterian Church works with in China, and Presbyterian Disaster Assistance has already began contributing to the relief effort through Amity. Other Presbyterian bodies, such as the Outreach Foundation, Peachtree Church in Atlanta, and even our small PC(USA) China Liaison Office have also contributed funds through Amity. As the effort eventually moves from the immediate relief stage to one of rebuilding, there may be a wider range of ways in which we can be of help.

We covet your continued concern and prayers for the people of Sichuan and other affected areas. As we have seen in the aftermath of Katrina, the healing and recovery process after such a disaster will be long and slow, and it will be important to sustain our concern and support even after the disaster begins to gradually recede from the headlines.

God’s peace,

Don and Wei Hong

The 2008 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 99