I’m hesitant to write yet another post about China and the earthquake … but the following email, which I just received from Melody, a friend living 80km from the epicenter, is quite amazing:

Thank you Lance, for your concern and the prayers from your church. I am ok, so is my family. Chengdu wasn’t affected much by the earthquake because of its unique geographical features, no building is crashed here. But the rest of my hometown was damaged severly. Lots of pretty mountainous areas disappeared together with their people. The pandas are doing ok though.

Yes, all chinese people are pulling together because of this tragedy. And we have never felt so much love among us. Which is quite comforting. Lots of people are willing to sacrifice for others. Many school teachers died saving students, P.L.A. soldiers kept on saving others when some of them lost all their family members, all the taxi drivers in town drove out of the city to the dangerous places to help transport injured people for free … even beggers are helping, some of them donating all those small bills they have.

The earthquake destroyed our homes and families, but God will use it to create a strong bond of love among us. I can tell how much He loves Sichuan’s people.

Melody

It was really good to finally hear that Melody and her family are safe. Even more, it was awesome to hear her describe the upside to the earthquake. As devastating as it was, this disaster came at a time when the passion and fervor of the Chinese people is at its peak. Centuries of repressed emotion, terrible pain, and delayed gratification have been coming to the surface all year … and now, the quake has essentially provided lots of chances for love and compassion, things that the hearts in China so desperately need.

I’m convinced … disaster always has opportunity stapled to it. And I, for one, am eager to see what’s going to happen over there!

I’ve tried to explain to people that the area where I lived in China last year was pretty backwater. Sure, the infrastructure was fairly developed (in some ways), but the lifestyle and attitudes and society in general were pretty backwards, at times.

I just received an email from Grahm Dion, one of my “fellow Americans” in Loudi, that gives a good example of what I’m talking about.

last night was by far the strangest experiment in social psychology i have ever seen. of course you all know the earthquake that recently destroyed part of the west here. well, for the past week the country has been watching images of earthquake victims, all the time. and there have been many tears spilled watching tv, and relating to the victims. the thing is most chinese feel things as a group. if you ask them how they feel, they will tell you how everyone feels, not how they indivudualy feel.

so, last night, a rumor hit loudi that there was going to be an earthquake. not this year, not ths month, not this week,….but last night! it is completly rediculous. and i tried to calm the people i talked to, but they were completly incapable of thinking for themselves. so, everyone went outside with their blankets and things, just like they say on tv. they were living their tv experience and did not want logic to intervene.

it was awesome. the whole city of loudi, was outside last night. midnight. the food vendors were selling food, the police were telling people not to worry, there were public announcements on the signs, and just general, having a good time, paranoia. whee!

there was one chinese guy that asked me if my government told me about an earthquake coming to loudi. he was convinced that the u.s. government could predict earthquakes and was only telling u.s. citizens the results. so he is prodding me to tell him the big secret of when the earthquake is goin to hit. Awesome! like i said, last night was incredible. i wish you could have been here with me.

ok , gotta go teach.

much love,
grahm

Oh, man … I miss that place.

Dear Prayer Partners,

More than 100 hours have now passed since the earthquake struck. Though in disaster relief the first 72 hours is given as the optimum survival time, still today more than 100 were brought out of the rubble of collapsed buildings alive. The search for missing goes on.

The extent of the Sichuan earthquake tragedy continues to unfold. The government is already looking into the possibility that substandard construction is the cause of such a large number of schools collapsing. The official count of those killed is 29,000; however, the government has mentioned 50,000 deaths. Some remote areas are still not reached. Adding to the tragedy is the deadly dilemma that dams in the area may break, drowning rescuers and any remaining survivors.

Then there are the injured and homeless. Dr. Matthew Koh, President of MSI, reports from Mianyang that 10,000 are being housed in the local stadium. Outlying counties are still without electricity. We will be buying power generators for use in the counties. Water is in desperately short supply with some fighting for it when bottled water was being distributed. Crowded, unsanitary conditions are now becoming the breeding ground for epidemics.

Matthew and his small advance team of 4 arrived in Mianyang, a city of 5 million, on the 15th. Here more than 18,000 were reported missing. Doors were opened in a miraculous way as MSI was welcomed to work with the Mianyang Central Hospital. From there they were taken to 2 outlying counties to help with their county hospital. Originally, the team wanted to go to the Qiang minority area but the scene there is one of total devastation - only dead bodies.

Based in 3 centers, our medical teams will live in tents they are bringing in. Their work will proceed in 3 stages of service: 1. surgical; 2. internal medicine; and 3. post-trauma counseling. Later, people with skills in administration and management will be needed to train local leaders.

Following the advance team, a second team of 7 from Taiwan, lead by Dr. Chen from 2 Christian hospitals, and 10 more from Yunnan, lead by Dr. Russell Zinn reached Chengdu today. Dr. Leung Chung Ying will lead a medical team of 8 from Hong Kong tomorrow. Another team from Taiwan will go in on May 21. Dr. Philemon Choi from Breakthrough in Hong Kong will lead a team of experienced counselors to begin their important work in counseling and in training local people in post-trauma counseling.

It is marvelous to see how the Lord is providing for this mission of mercy. Dragon Air has offered free tickets and excess baggage allowances for all our teams flying in with medical supplies from Hong Kong. The Public Health officials in Chengdu and Mianyang have also provided free transportation. Contributions continue to be received from prayer partners and friends around the world.

Please stand in prayer with China and her leaders at this critical time of deep distress. Remember the missing, the injured, the thousands who have lost children, husbands, wives and other loved ones. With China’s one child policy, just think what it must mean to a family to lose their only son or daughter!

It is thrilling to see how Chinese Christians from other provinces in China are responding in an outpouring of love in this great relief effort. Pray that their Good Samaritan concern will alleviate suffering, bring comfort, and result in the advance the gospel. How can we not stand with them?

“I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.”
– Matthew 25:34-40

Your brother in His service,
Jim

As you’ve probably heard, there was a massive earthquake in the heart of China yesterday. It hit a pretty densely-populated part of Sichuan Province, collapsing tons of buildings, burying tens of thousands, and leaving at least 12,000 people dead (that number is steadily rising). From what I hear, many of the roads going into these towns are wiped out … and evacuation/aid efforts by helicopters have failed because of extreme weather. Thousands of people are buried … and the 50,000+ troops that have been deployed have had a lot of trouble just getting there.

Here’s where the earthquake was is in relation to Loudi, my home last year:

I have a couple of friends who are teaching, studying, or living in Sichuan. And I traveled there a couple of times last year, one time specifically to Wenchuan (it was described by our guide as the “Hong Kong for the Aba area”, the most prosperous county around). And when I read articles like this, I can’t help but think of my students in Loudi, packed into poorly-constructed six-story concrete buildings like sardines.

Last night I went to an emergency prayer meeting at the Cincinnati Chinese Church … several of the people there have family members in the affected area who they cannot yet contact. It was quite powerful for me … because I couldn’t understand the Mandarin they were using to lift their cares and concerns to the Lord, their emotions were totally amplified in my heart. So sobering.

Please pray for these people, both inside and outside of China, as they physically toil to rescue victims, as they struggle to reconnect with family members, and as they turn their hearts to Something Bigger. Pray for strength and wisdom for Melody, a Chinese friend in an underground house church in the area, and for Rick, a close friend who’s studying in Chengdu.

It was cool to find this random post about my marathon experience on the web today.

There are a lot of stories out there right now about the protests, riots, murder, and cultural genocide going on in Tibet in the past couple of days. Most of them, understandably, have a hard time putting their finger on verified facts … but this New York Times article is a pretty good read if you want to know what’s going on.

I wonder if these Tibetans really realize what they’re up against. And I’m pretty certain that China has no real idea about the tenacity and voraciousness they’re facing. You may not read about it, folks, but this story is going to persist for a really long time.

If you think the latest blast of winter weather here in America is cold, you should check out this Denver Post article by one of my fellow volunteer teachers in Hunan last year, Zach Reff:

Huang Zhi Ping was tired of being cold. His head buzzed, his ears stung, and his hands were too numb to take notes. So he took out a lighter and did what any other frozen 11-year-old would do: He lit a fire inside of his school desk. As his teacher, I suppose I should have been angry with him, but actually, lighting a fire seemed like a pretty good idea to me.

Welcome to winter in Hunan, China.

[continued]

Many people in Cincinnati have been talking about a new exhibit at the Cincinnati Museum Center called Bodies: The Exhibition. In it, twenty two meticulously dissected human bodies are displayed for for world to see … a fascinating concept that I wouldn’t mind seeing.

But there’s a big problem … the owners of the exhibit refuse to reveal the origin of the bodies. We know that they’re Chinese, but aren’t sure if these people were executed criminals or poor countryside folks whose families were bought out. Personally, I’m not sure what they’re trying to hide … but I have seen how people’s lives can so easily be trampled upon by the rich and powerful over there. And I’m not wiling to give $23 to that.

“We ask for your continued support in our grassroots effort against this exhibit, and to inform people of the other side of the story that the Museum Center is not presenting to the public. Please check out our central information site for more information on how you can help. It is essential that the Asian community speaks in a strong voice and that we show the opposition from the many voices within our Asian community.”

– Janice Tsai Jezek

Friday night at 10pm on 20/20, ABC will be airing an investigative report that looks into the questionable sourcing of the bodies. If you’re in Cincinnati or if you care about the interests of the Asian community, you should check it out.

I was planning to post a new challenge this morning to get you guys more involved in the Facebook Giving Challenge. I’ve even got some gift cards that I was going to give away as prizes … we all like getting stuff, right?

After reading the following message from Amy Eldridge, the director of Love Without Boundaries, however, I felt that that the best thing I could do today would be to pass her message on to you. I don’t want to cheapen it with gimmicks or distract us from the whole point. So here it is … do with it as you will!

My message is a bit long today but I hope you will read it to the end. We have just 24 hours left in the Giving Challenge contest on Facebook. 24 hours to try and stay in the lead. And we can’t do it without you.

As I type this, I am staring at the photos of 12 babies who are hurting because they were born with heart disease. Their eyes truly haunt me, first because they are orphaned and as a mother it is hard to accept that any child has to be sick without a mom or dad to comfort them….but second because I know that without surgery, the pictures I have of these children might be their last. Do you know how small a baby’s heart is? And how fragile an orphan’s life is when that tiny heart has a defect? These pictures are of children who are blue, children who are tired, children who NEED OUR HELP.

I also have on my desk the photos of children whose hearts we have healed. They stare out at me with pink cheeks and smiles, and in many…with their new adoptive families. THIS is what it is all about. Saving lives, giving a second chance, and allowing a child to find their family and know complete love.

In the next 24 hours we have a chance to give the GIFT OF LIFE to 10 more children in need. The charity with the most unique $10 donors at 12 noon PST on February 1st will win $50,000. Heart surgery in China averages just $5000 per child, so with that prize….ten children can have a second chance at life.

I am not going to ask you today to find 10 more donors, or even 5 more donors to help us. I am asking you to find just ONE person in your life that hasn’t donated and to ask that person to please help you save a life. For just $10. If all of us do this, we could have over a thousand new donors in just one day.

How often do we spend $10 on things that last just a moment?

$10 for two fancy coffees, $10 for a movie and popcorn, $10 for a dinner out. How about for today, for the next 24 hours, we all find $10 for something that will last a LIFETIME. $10 to save a baby’s life and allow a priceless child (who is orphaned and totally innocent) to get a second chance at finding a family to love them.

Find just one friend in the next 24 hours, and encourage them to join our cause and donate. $10 for the life of a child. Of all the money you have spent this week….this might be the most important.

Thank you EVERYONE for keeping LWB in the running for the top prize. We love our supporters and give thanks everyday for the amazing generosity, compassion, and kindness you show to those who live as orphans each and every day. We truly are a family, bound together by the belief that every child born on this earth matters.

Here’s the link! Let’s do it for the kids.

Amy

[AP Photo/EyePress]

Last year I often bought vegetables at this outdoor market in Loudi. Yesterday it snowed so much there that the market completely collapsed.

The harsh winter storms that have ravished China in recent days are the worst that country has seen in five decades. And these record snowfalls couldn’t have come at a worse time … it’s currently Spring Festival, a time when millions of people travel home to be with their families.

The transportation industry was hit particularly hard … snow and ice have crippled railway lines and highways, killing dozens of people and stranding over half a million at the Guangzhou railway station (and millions more around the country). Even more dangerous, however, are the effects to China’s food supply … if things don’t improve soon, the delicate system that feeds 1.3 billion people could be severely impacted.

Hunan is right in the middle of it all … troops have been deployed, workers have been killed, celebrations have been cancelled, and Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiaobao even traveled to the Changsha train station to reassure stranded travelers.

I’ve received several emails from friends who are stuck, missing their families, or just plain freezing their tails off. And my heart goes out to them … the frigid winter and crazy travel I experienced last year must pale in comparison to what they’re going through right now. I’ll tell you one thing … I won’t be complaining about the weather here in Ohio this winter!

Alright, now’s the time to step up.

If you don’t already have a facebook account, just create one. Then go to the LWB page, join the cause, and donate $10. That’s all!

Not only is the $50,000 monthlong contest neck-and-neck, but LWB is also currently in third place in today’s contest. If they get twelve more $10 donors today, they’ll get an additional $1,000 to help the orphans of China!

So what are you waiting for? You’re not seriously going to walk away from this, are you? Clickity click!

I need $10 from you on Tuesday. It could save lives.

Here’s the deal. Facebook is holding a contest to see which non-profit organization can get the most $10 donors this month. If Love Without Boundaries (the organization I work with in Loudi) wins, it will receive $50,000 to use for emergency surgeries for orphans in China. That’s a whole lotta cash!

Believe it or not, almost a thousand people have already donated to LWB this month … and it’s now in second place, 60 donors behind the current leader. I have more visitors than that to this website every day … so if you and a few of your friends will commit to donate on Tuesday, we can close that gap and win $50,000 for these precious and hurting children.

Here’s how:

If you don’t already have a facebook account, just create one. Then, on Tuesday morning before noon, go to the LWB page, join the cause, and donate $10.

It’s that easy.

If you’re seriously considering closing this window without doing anything, I ask you to reconsider. The sacrifice is so small but the payoff is huge … the race is so close that your choice is actually really meaningful, potentially mobilizing a network of physicians and caregivers to step in and rescue these kids who are desperately in need of surgery. Suck it up and give, dude.

I’d also love it if you’d spread the word through your blog or facebook account … let people know how far their $10 can go to change a life. Last year you helped to raise $5,000 for these orphans … now’s the time to add on another zero (and a whole lot more hope).

Let’s do this!

“Your Chinese is a little bit better than terrible.”

– Daisy Zhou

What a fantastic Christmas present. Thanks again to all of you for your generous support!