Prayer for New Zealand

07 September 2010

You will have heard about the New Zealand earthquake. You may also be aware that Debbie Smith, our NZ regional coordinator, is organising the first Messy Church conference the weekend after next. I wondered how she was and she emailed back as below. Please would you hold Debbie, the homeless and anxious, the Anglican Diocese and the conference in your prayers?

'We are fine, but it has been / is pretty horrific.

'The initial quake came and went with such force - never been in anything like it. It was akin to being in a washing machine and being hit by a train all at the same time. It lasted for some 15 minutes. Aftershocks continue which are pretty full on even though they are less of a magnitude and only for a couple of seconds.

'Many buildings in central Christchurch are crumbled / collapsed, mainly the older ones before Kiwis built things for earthquake strength. I went to the hospital to work yesterday without much difficulty. Needless to say businesses are affected and some folk have lost their homes or are out of their homes because of the earth’s crust having come up with massive amounts of silt. Our home so far is OK. Many of the churches have been badly affected. Ours is OK thank goodness.

'NZ is prone to earthquakes; we get lots of them, mainly unnoticed. We have been waiting for a biggy from the Southern Alps - 300 years ago it struck and it’s overdue. This isn’t it!!!!! This one is on a different fault line and is 16,000 years old apparently. The experts here were completely taken unawares and state that it couldn’t have been predicted.

'I’m pretty sure that the conference will go ahead; at least it’s not this weekend which gives us time. I’m pretty organised and onto it - but diocesan staff can’t get into the Anglican Centre and senior staff are very preoccupied at present

'Water and power have been off and on but are settling. Concerns now are for gastroenteritis as main sewers in some places have burst.

'Lucy - please pray that things settle and that the conference can go ahead with people confident, thankful and looking forward to it. It is proving to be such an inspiration towards renewing vision for churches connecting with children and families it would be awful if we were robbed of the opportunity.

Much love
Debbie'