October 25, 2005

Dear praying Friends,

For the last week we have been listening to tragic tales from earthquake victims. Our ministry is to listen, weep, pray, and share God’s love in any way possible with patients and their relatives who have come to Bach Christian Hospital. It is run by The Evangelical Alliance Mission (TEAM) in the Northwest Frontier Province of Pakistan close to the epicenter of the October 8 earthquake. We praise God that quite a few former staff have returned from Sweden, Finland, England, Germany and the United States to help in this crisis. Since they know the language and culture already, they can shoulder the load with a minimum of instruction or supervision. Most of them we have known before so it has been a joy to work with them.

There are now over 54,000 confirmed deaths, a number which doesn’t count the dead in the many villages too remote to be reached or those which have disappeared completely due to avalanches and mudslides. At least double that number are injured and homeless. The scale of this disaster is beyond comprehension.

Most of the patients here come from Balakot city and district, with some from Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistani-administered Kashmir. The damage differs from village to village. The contour of the mountains perhaps determined the force felt in different areas. Earthquakes here usually are rolling but this time it seemed like the ground shot straight up bringing down roofs as it descended.

Six mountain peaks fell, producing landslides that buried whole villages, obliterated roads, changed the course of rivers, and have greatly hindered rescue efforts. Due to these landslides, in some places they heard a loud noise and the air was so full of dust it seemed dark as night for about an hour.

Much of the area is reachable only by helicopter or by donkey and mule trains. A steady stream of helicopters pass over our heads daily bringing food, tents, medical supplies, and relief workers from all over the world. Most of the patients have been carried on beds to where they can catch a van. A few have been airlifted by helicopter. They have no home to go back to. Tents are being provided as fast as they can be obtained, but the weather in that area is too cold for them to survive in tents when it starts to snow. Freezing weather is only days away. They will have to relocate to a warmer area to live through the winter in tents.

The stories we have heard these days are heartbreaking!

• Zaib Naz is a young mother with four sons and one small daughter. Her daughter was killed as their house collapsed. She is in the hospital with severe head and back injuries from rocks falling down the mountainside as she cut grass. She is thankful that she kept her boys home from school that day to help fix the house. Their school collapsed killing all the boys and teachers present. Her husband is a day laborer in Karachi, one thousand miles away. He has come now to help care for the family, but there is no income while he is here.
• Sadia and Nazaneen are young women cousins. Both were teachers in separate schools. Both had classrooms on the second story. Their schools collapsed killing all classes held on the ground floor and about half of those on the second. They were both injured by falling masonry. Sadia has a broken pelvis so is in traction. Nazaneen has a broken leg. Both gladly accepted a New Testament and are reading it. Nazaneen’s mother is in the next bed. She has five broken ribs, an injured arm, and a big stitched area on her head. They have lost many aunts, uncles, and cousins.
• Nasareen (3 years old) is being cared for by her old grandfather. When their roof collapsed, her mother, grandmother, and six other members of the family were killed instantly. She was trapped by one foot in a small space where she could breathe. Her father works away from home. It took the family two days to remove all the debris and rescue her. Now her crushed foot is being treated, but it is hard to imagine the trauma she must have experienced through it all.
• Sadam Hussain, a 16-year-old who has a very common name in these parts, was a student in tenth class. When the earthquake hit, the boys ran for the door but could hardly keep their feet. He fell at the doorway, his best friend fell over his legs and then the roof came down crushing them. His friend talked to him for two hours but gradually fell silent. Finally a crew of men came to dig them out. His friend and most of his classmates were dead. His one leg has multiple fractures. He has learned to manipulate his crutches cleverly. He is reading the Christian literature he has received in the hospital and enjoys discussing it with Fred.
• Khatija was cutting grass when her roof fell in on her two sons (4 years and 14 months old). She listened helplessly to the 4-year-old cry for two hours and then grow silent. Suddenly out of the ruins of her home came a little hand wiggling in the dust. Eagerly she dug out under the hand and pulled out her 14-month-old son, unhurt but with his face and mouth so full of dirt he couldn’t make a sound. How thankful she was for this miracle!

We have been touched by the local community businessmen who have since the earthquake provided free meals to all patients and their caretakers three times a day. It is now the month of fast for Muslims, so many who distribute the food are themselves fasting.

There are so many stories to tell. We’ll share more in a few days. Keep praying for these people whom God loves dearly. Also pray for all the hospital staff who are working long hours with more than a double load of patients.

In Christ,

Fred and Margie Stock