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day 6 after the earthquake – still praying for christchurch and New Zealand
The numbers
PEOPLE
123 confirmed dead
More than 200 missing
Nationals of more than 20 countries among the missing
329 people in welfare centres
About 120 patients moved to other NZ hospitals
About 180 aged-care residents moved out of Christchurch
About 1200 police in Christchurch, with 324 Australian officers sworn in yesterday
More than 600 search and rescue personnel including overseas teams
More than 1400 NZ Defence Force personnel working on the rescue effort
PROPERTY
60 per cent of properties in CBD deemed safe, 17 per cent as safe to access and 20-25 per cent deemed unsafe
More than 4000 checks carried out on residential properties
341 suburban properties deemed unsafe and evacuated
Power restored to more than 80 per cent of Christchurch
70 per cent of general practices up and running
read this and wept. these words say how i feel too… from http://idoyastorytime.blogspot.com/2011/02/christchurch-tears.html#comment-form
The bodies that have been recovered, and those yet to be found, they were just like us; three days ago they ate breakfast and had plans for the weekend. They are mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, cousins, aunties, uncles, friends. Yesterday the coroner assured us that the bodies were being looked after. "I am a mum and a grandma" she said. "There is always someone with them." I’ve done a lot of crying but at that I sobbed. Those bodies belong with their loved ones. There are hundreds and hundreds of people desperate in their grief to see the ones they have lost. To touch a hand, to hold the corner of a shirt. Who can imagine the horror of the damage that they will see? I can’t. Crushed limbs, faces unrecognisable. But something, hopefully something they can touch, talk to. This is what the mourners at Pike River were so cruelly deprived of.
And the rest of us, even those of us removed by distance and with our loved ones safe, even we need something to see, something real to help us comprehend the horror. I feel useless up here in Auckland. If I could jump on a plane and get down there I would. I would sweep up the broken glass in my sister’s house. Slowly work with her to pick up and clean up the chaos. I’d put on an orange jacket and walk into the war zone that is Christchurch’s CBD. I’d pick up bricks, I’d comb through rubble. I would work all night and through the day to find your mother, your baby. I would sit next to the body of your cousin, sing to her, touch her. These are all things that we ordinary people are not needed to do. Yet this is what deep down we long to do, all of us.
New Zealand is broken. We have lost the heart of one of our most beautiful cities. Per capita our loss of life is greater than the losses of 9/11. We are all hurting.
Are prayers and best wishes futile? No. Distance is no hindrance to those. We can sing too. We can let a song rise in our hearts, a lament that is waiting to be sung. As we sing it together, it becomes our desperate prayer.
I’ve linked it before, but this version of our national anthem was made for now.
thankyou for putting into words how we all feel. please read this and then go comment on the original post, share some love. God bless you!
in God i have my hope
in the darkness my hope is in Jesus
in hardship my hope is in Jesus
in suffering my hope is in Jesus
in God i have my hope
no matter what i face
no matter where life takes me
no matter the unexpected
i can trust Him
He is Good
He is Great
and i am His
my hope is not unfounded
it is not conditional on ease and blessing
He is my light and my salvation
in Him is all my trust
my hope is in Him
because He is love
and He loves me
hope brings life
hope brings light
hope brings the promise of tomorrows joy
hope brings healing
i rise because of hope
i stand because of hope
my hope is because of Jesus my Rock and my Saviour
i live in auckland. not christchurch.
but am very affected by the earthquake and the fragility of life.
the possibility of disaster is real. for anyone.
after hearing the news, or rather reading the breaking news alerts on facebook of the earthquake and its severity i thought about what would happen if it happened here. in auckland. or where my sister lives. or where my parents and brothers live.
the what ifs…
my father has a severe injury which has radically changed his life and has an implant (like a pacemaker, a neurological transmitter) that helps manage the pain levels. he has had several complications and other parts of his body that are injured or in pain or not functioning properly as a result. if he fell he would be injured. no doubt about it. it would be severe. my heart hurts to think of that vulnerability.
my sister lives and works in central wellington. on a fault. on reclaimed land. surrounded by sky scarpers and multi level buildings. she lives in an apartment on about the 7th floor. alone. i love her so much and have texted her often this week to reassure her of this. she is feeling very alone and though not in christchurch, she feels familyless and isolated. my prayer is that she meets Jesus and has peace.
my kids asked me what we would do if an earthquake happened and they were at school. sink. i think my heart stopped. its every mothers worst nightmare. as much as i trust Jesus with my life and my family, its a hard one. i reassured them that no matter what we would come. and that i love them so much.
its good to be saying i love you. its good to hug all the time. to demonstrate love. to make the most of the opportunity to love.
this is the song – our national anthem – that has been playing on tv1 in new zealand along with footage of the earthquake in christchurch.
its an amazing prayer for our nation!
it is sung by Cindy Ruakere and awesome maori worship leader here in new zealand so awesome that this very prayerful version is being used on the national news
i have taken the liberty to share how you can download it here from Karakia – where you can find more information about her latest album (and if you click on the link in my blogroll too it will take you cindy’s blog – i have all her albums and have huge respect for this awesome worshipping woman of God!)
People of Aotearoa; Cindy Ruakere would like to give you her rendition of our national anthem. Please download it, share it, sing it and pray it. Gather before God and cover our isles and our people in prayer.
Right click on the links below and download:
Cindy Ruakere: New Zealand National Anthem (Mp3)
christchurch cathedral before the earthquake 22.02.11…
God of nations! at Thy feet
In the bonds of love we meet,
Hear our voices, we entreat,
God defend our Free Land.
Guard Pacific’s triple star,
From the shafts of strife and war,
Make her praises heard afar,
God defend New Zealand
Men of ev’ry creed and race
Gather here before Thy face
Asking Thee to bless this place
God defend our free land
From dissension, envy, hate
And corruption guard our State
Make our country good and great
God defend New Zealand
Peace, not war, shall be our boast
But should our foes assail our coast
Make us then a mighty host
God defend our free land
Lord of battles, in Thy might
Put our enemies to flight
Let our cause be just and right
God defend New Zealand
Let our love for Thee increase
May Thy blessings never cease
Give us plenty, give us peace
God defend our free land
From dishonour and from shame
Guard our country’s spotless name
Crown her with immortal fame
God defend New Zealand
May our mountains ever be
Freedom’s ramparts on the sea
Make us faithful unto Thee
God defend our free land
Guide her in the nations’ van
Preaching love and truth to man
Working out Thy Glorious plan
God defend New Zealand
this is a song for the rugby world cup, but is a great song for NZ at the moment.
we are one. standing together.
rejoicing at the miracles.
weeping with the losses and the grieving.
together we are one.
one nation.
we will press on and rebuild.
we will love and care and connect even more so.
we are one.
i listened to this on my way to pick the kids up from school yesterday. it is the report of an ambulance worker in christchurch who has been on the front lines. its raw. heartbreaking. i prayed for this man and his colleagues and every medical and rescue worker. it will become a lasting memory of the earthquake.
NEWSTALK ZB PODCAST – DANNY WATSON TALKS TO AMBULANCE OFFICER
God come and bring peace.
bring strength.
love our nation.
love on our people.
come Jesus.
Holy Spirit breathe on our nation afresh.
come bring healing.
come bring comfort.
this is a repost of something i read on www.stuff.co.nz today and was profoundly moved.
it is the report by someone who was there. their feelings. the pain. the fear.
as a mother i totally relate.
as a human i totally relate.
as a kiwi i totally relate.
and i wanted to share it and remember it.
and pray for this writer and also for all those affected.
With no warning the earth roared and shook us ferociously. Like my colleagues in the features department of Christchurch newspaper The Press, I dived under my desk.
I’m a music critic and as we shook and my mind’s eye flashed images of my four children I was pelted with CDs including, ironically, an Underworld album.
The same thing happened to me on September 4, I was even hit by the exact same CD, but this was completely different and a much more visceral and potently deadly quake.
I was certain we were all going to die. Things seemed to be happening slowly but quickly at the same time.
I had a fight over something stupid with my partner before I left for work.
Just a few short hours later all I hoped was that I would have the opportunity to see him and hold him again.
Running late, I had given my children a quick peck before leaving. I wondered if it would be my last memory of them.
After what seemed like forever the shaking stopped and my colleagues emerged and checked each other.
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