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[via mdog]

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.

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.

According to this Washington Times article, a recent ruling in California states that 60,000 to 200,000 families who currently home-school their children are doing so illegally.

“California courts have held that under provisions in the Education Code, parents do not have a constitutional right to educate their children in their own home,” said the Feb. 28 ruling by the California Appellate Court for the second district.

“It’s clear to us that enrollment and attendance in a public full-time day school is required by California law for minor children,” it stated, laying out the few exceptions to that rule, including if the child is enrolled in and attends a private full-time day school or if the child is tutored by a person holding a valid state teaching credential for the grade being taught.”

Are you kidding me?

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.

[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!

During my lunch break today, I was skimming some interesting news on the Internet, when I came across this dandy from the UK:

A pair of twins who were adopted by separate families as babies got married without knowing they were brother and sister, a peer told the House of Lords. A court annulled the British couple’s union after they discovered their true relationship, Lord Alton said.

Yep, that’s right … they met each other later in life, felt an “inevitable attraction”, and ended up getting hitched. Totally weird.

As I was reading the article, a former student of mine, who had the afternoon off from her high school, walked into the room to say hello. I love it when that happens … we chatted about life, catching up on the latest stories and shooting the breeze a bit. Eventually, I brought up the article … and her reaction was strong. She was absolutely disgusted!

Then I realized why … she’s a fraternal twin. And she has a brother.

Whoops.

I just read a China Daily article that reports, among other facts, that Wal-Mart just opened a supercenter in Loudi yesterday. That’s funny, because I was at the grand opening ten months ago …

Ok … so the story and video really aren’t that funny, but when I saw this headline, I totally cracked up:

Small Town Overcome By Mysterious Ape Sightings

This is seriously in the news? I love it!

Check out the beginning of this article about Hunan Province’s recent environmental improvement:

Fisherman Mao Kequn had a fabulous time this summer watching [fish] jumping up and down in his pond. “Thanks to the government’s efforts, my fish are no longer dying,” he says.

Mao, who lives at the south bank of Dongting Lake in Hunan Province, could still remember the heartbreaking moment last June. All of his fish died within a couple of weeks due to polluted water from a nearby paper plant. He was so frustrated that he decided to drive a truck of dead fish to the local government and file a complaint.

Oh, how I love Chinese people.

Back in June, I took a lot of heat for suggesting that some of the more popular views about global climate change are not as accurate as many people think. And now, four months later, Al Gore has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his work in this very area.

The night before he won, a British judge reached a decision in a court case about the distribution of Gore’s film, An Inconvenient Truth. Apparently, this film had been given out to every state secondary school in the UK as part of a five-pack of edumacational films. In response, one school governer, also the father of two children, took the Secretary of State for Education and Skills to court for this “unlawful” distribution.

At the heart of the matter wasn’t a copyright or political issue … it was the accuracy of the film. After reviewing the movie and the scientific evidence that was presented, the judge ruled that much of the content was based on inaccuracies and illogical arguments.

Perhaps worse than the film’s errors is their origin. The BBC reported that Gore knew the film presented incorrect information but took no corrective steps because he didn’t want to spotlight any uncertainties in the scientific data that may fuel opponents of global warming alarmism.

After determining which parts of the film were based on inaccuracies, the judge ruled that the film could still be distributed but that students must be warned of the film’s factual errors.

Based on the judge’s ruling, the footage that ought to be excised adds up to about 25 minutes or so out of the 98-minute film. What’s left is largely Gore personal drama and cinematic fluff that has nothing to do with the science of climate change.

In the end, I really like this judge’s decision … not because of what it exposes, but because it is a conscious effort to keep the dialogue alive. The students will still see the film but will have the opportunity to learn about the inaccuracies it contains and hear some of the other relevant perspectives on this issue.

That kind of intelligent discourse about real-world happenings is so important … and approaching it with maturity, not censorship, is the only way to go!

[Two-headed, by Lance Webel]

I think it’s stupid that Michael Vick is being suspended, sent to jail, and totally hung out to dry by the media for what he did. Sure, he broke the law … but had he taken drugs, gotten in a fight, or even beaten up his wife, the reaction wouldn’t have been nearly as strong.

I don’t get it … are dogs somehow more important and valuable than moles, snakes, rabbits, or mosquitoes? Do they have souls? Are people upset because dogs are usually domesticated, because they bleed more, or because they often have names? Or is all the uproar just because Vick and company were training them to kill?

Good news for all of you Cincinnatians … IKEA is coming to West Chester!

IKEA West Chester will present nearly 10,000 exclusively designed items, three model homes, 50 room settings, a supervised children’s play area, a 300-seat restaurant serving Swedish specialties such as meatballs with lingonberries and salmon plates, as well as American dishes. Other family-friendly features will include a ‘Children’s IKEA’ area in the showroom, baby care rooms, preferred parking and play areas throughout the store.

“Now that construction is underway, it is exciting to see actual physical progress towards the future IKEA West Chester,” said Michael Maier, IKEA real estate manager. “We will be bringing our unique family-friendly shopping experience closer to more than 100,000 IKEA customers in the Ohio Valley who currently are driving great distances to shop at our stores. This location also will attract new customers from Columbus, Dayton, Indianapolis, Lexington and Louisville as well as from the Cincinnati area.”

When the store opens in Spring 2008, IKEA West Chester will welcome 400 new coworkers into the IKEA family. Candidates interested in working at this employer of choice should look for all positions online at www.IKEA-USA.com, where they will be able to apply for diverse positions available in: home furnishings sales, interior decoration, customer service, safety and security, cashiers, maintenance, goods flow, receiving, warehouse and stock replenishment. Also, setting itself apart from other retailers, IKEA West Chester will offer approximately 60 food service opportunities in its Restaurant, Swedish Foodmarket, Café Bistro and coworker cafeteria. IKEA has been ranked in FORTUNE’s annual “100 Best Companies to Work For” list (three years in a row), Working Mother magazine’s annual list of “100 Best Companies for Working Mothers” (four years in a row) and Training magazine’s annual “Top 125” ranking of companies that excel at human capital development (five years in a row). IKEA will create 500 construction jobs and generate significant tax revenue for local governments and schools.

[via hp]

Imagine driving to the hospital to deliver a baby, being sent to another hospital with complications*, going under anesthesia, and waking up with this realization:

“[I] woke up from surgery and I had no arms and no legs. No one told me anything. My arms and legs were just gone.”

That’s right … Claudia Mejia of Sanford, Florida experienced that very thing. And the hospital won’t explain why they amputated her limbs unless if she sues them.

What a crazy world.

* added 8/17 for accuracy