Devastation in China

An orphan child with tag indicating his need for special care remains in a stunned state despite the best efforts of volunteers and psychiatrists in the refugee centre in Mianyang, Sichuan southwest China 20 May 2008. With an official death toll over 40,000 more than 200,000 injured, 5 million homeless and continuing strong aftershocks the human toll of the 12 May 8.0 magnitude earthquake is huge and growing, drawing the people of the world's most populous nation together in grief. EPA/QIXING

I am sure everyone has heard about the earthquake in China. The death toll is now over 35,000. Many children are now orphaned and many parents have lost their only child. Below is a letter written by a family living in China. It will give you some insight on how devastating it really is for the people who live there.

The rain stopped, the sun shone (a very rare occurrence), and life, for some, goes on... For too many it has ended.

NPR (National Public Radio) just happens to be broadcasting live from Chengdu
this week. Perhaps some of you heard the phone interview on CNN the day following the 7.9. It was about the human tragedy of the parents' grief as they found out that their child had died at school that day. The story included the weeping and wailing, the burning of incense and money, but missed the real tragedy--that of losing their future.

You might recall that China has instituted a one child per family policy.
Considering that each mother and father have one child, each set of grandparents, one grandchild,the future of the family rests entirely on the one child. 5,000+ years of generations ended in one day, due to one event; ending with no hope.

In this culture the past depends on the future. There is a special holiday set
aside for "grave sweeping." This is more than decorating a grave with flowers, or flags; it is the time set aside annually to burn money, which "sends money to buy food in the afterworld for a person's ancestors. These ancestors depend on these gifts of money to keep them from hunger. The responsibility is passed from one generation to the next. For them, when the family line ends, so does the food--for eternity. Nothing is more important to the Chinese than food.

On a personal note, one of the four main rivers that feed into Sichuan was
contaminated by a toxic ammonia spill from a nearby factory. Today at noon a five day water shut-off was announced due to the spillage contaminants. A panic at the food stores ensued. Think about 11 million+ people living without water for 5 days! Or all running into the market and buying all the water off the shelves! Or even 11 million+ people panicking!! Whoa! Suddenly the govt announced that the water was fine and would not be shut off! Now the dam which is nearby is cracking and threatening to flood!

Good news of the day--the Chinese Premier met personally with our dear friend
Brian who is a doctor based here in Chengdu with Heart to Heart. They appeared on China TV, and he agreed to allow Brian and others with him, to go into the heavily affected areas and give medical assistance!! They have been able to send up seven small teams into the neighboring area of Beichuan. Please remember them. They are working with those recovered from the rubble, near the epicenter, and we continue to feel afterschocks.