Summary
On Sept. 30, a 7.6 magnitude earthquake hit the province of West Sumatra. Thousands of houses and buildings were reduced to rubble; 1,000 people lost their lives. An Open Doors worker flew immediately to Padang, the provincial capital. “Christians in Padang, especially those in the China Town area, have been crying foul, because of the little help they had been receiving from the local government.”
Open Doors, in partnership with the National Prayer Network (JDN), will deliver much needed food and medicines to the affected Christian families in Pariaman, Padang.
Full Story
At 5:16 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 30, a 7.6 magnitude earthquake hit the province of West Sumatra. In less than a minute, thousands of houses and buildings were reduced to rubble. Padang, the provincial capital town, was the worst hit with more than 60% of the infrastructure severely damaged. The earthquake claimed at least 1,000 lives. But more are still under debris, after a landslide that followed the earthquake. An Open Doors worker flew immediately to Padang.
Concern for the Brethren
“As soon as I heard the news, my heart wondered about my brothers and sisters in Padang. But there was no way to reach them, as communication services were unavailable after the quake.
“A friend from a Christian organization called me within an hour, and asked me whether or not I would be ready to fly with him to Padang. After much thought and prayer, I booked the last seat flying to Padang the next day.
“When I arrived, I immediately joined my friend at an operations base in the town center, inside one of the few houses that were spared from devastation. I stayed overnight to gather more information and assess the situation, as well as the challenges in sending aid. At night, I got the chance to move around on a motorbike. I visited a pastor of a Baptist church in town. I learned from him that none of the 62 families in his congregation was hurt, but some of their houses were damaged.
“I went to another church located in Padang’s ‘Little China Town’. The old Chinese buildings in the area were heavily damaged, with walls that had collapsed. Those that had existed for over a century were brought completely to the ground. There was no electricity, except in places where a power generator was running.
“The church itself was intact, and inside were a lot of people taking refuge. According to its church official, five of their church members were killed by falling debris as they tried to escape. In Padang, eight Christians were killed during the quake.
“These churches were heavily damaged beyond repair and must be rebuilt, if they should continue their worship services in the same area.
Christians Receiving Little Help
“Christians in Padang, especially those in the China Town area have been crying foul, because of the little help they had been receiving from the local government. SMS messages have been going around that reported of Chinese Christians discriminated in the aid distribution. In many parts of the country, Chinese Christians are mistreated for both ethnic and religious reasons.
“On my second day in Padang, I met two men from two Christian organizations. They were interested in helping the believers in Padang and Pariaman, but they could not do it openly. They asked if they could channel their help through Open Doors.
“In my visit to Pariaman northwest of Padang, 165 families and individuals (mostly Catholics) were affected. Forty-one (41) houses were heavily damaged and 72 may still be repaired. Although help from various sectors, local and international, has been overwhelming and the relief stage is almost over, these believers have yet to receive direct help. Some of them were said to have been lured to leave their faith in Christ in exchange for food packages or medical assistance.”
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