Thanks for your prayers! Tony was sent to Christchurch on Wednesday, Feb 23 - just 29 hours after the initial earthquake struck! The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade has had him working as a translator/interpreter for Chinese speaking rescue teams, so he's been right there in the midst of the destruction. He's finally going to get to see his dad Saturday morning for a half hour before getting back into it. Please continue to pray for his safety and the situation as a whole!
On the good side, many churches and Christian organizations are stepping up and reaching out to their fearful, hurting neighbors. Our church collected donated goods to fill up a couple trucks that drove down this morning. I was able to put up a notice at Hunter's pre-school on Thursday and by the afternoon picked up a whole bunch of goods donated by the school community! It was awesome how everyone just pitched in!!! The goods will be distributed by our church based in Christchurch which is awesome! Because our congregation there is part of the community, they are able to give immediate assistance which will be a relief to many people who are just in need now and don't have time to wait for 'official' assistance. You can follow some of this on: www.arisechurch.org.nz
And oddly enough, this photo was used in an email from an aid organization in NZ - click on this link to see Tony in action.
http://email.gettheskinny.co.nz/t/ViewEmail/r/BACDE2CA728735A7/71E1301C82B6F23C44D0DD5392A9C75A
