I was thinking of trying to write up another post on the retreat, but the Qinghai earthquake has been on my mind a lot as so many of our students are from China. (and I myself am Chinese) To think of a second tragedy hitting the nation just two years after the big Sichuan quake is pretty overwhelming. The tolls are currently at 1484 dead, 312 missing, and 12,088 injured (as of 4/18 midnight), not to mention the destruction. Even President Hu Jintao had to emphasize that children be saved from school building rubble and dug out at any cost.
There is so little to do but to pray for the people there to seek God in this sort of tragedy.
And then of course, there are ways we can help provide for the people who are suffering and need supplies–cotton coats, tents, etc., are being distributed right now. As I’ve been following the quake coverage, China has released 200 million RMB for funding, but has limited what foreign NGOs are able to do in terms of assistance. (only one has officially been invited to help by the Yushu County government, Plateau Perspectives) In case you were wondering how to help, here are two very good organizations I trust:
Let’s keep the Chinese in our hearts and prayers.