Mt. Merapi/Earthquake

We are doing well. The volcano, Mt. Merapi, is about 250 miles southeast of us. We did not feel anything from the last earthquake. Yogjakarta area is south of the volcano. There were over 6,000 killed. Many villages were destroyed and a lot of the towns had many, many homes destroyed. The towns are getting help, but many of the village people have been forgotten as they are hard to get to, or unable to get to because the bridges were destroyed. Some of our staff members have relatives in the area. Some were killed, and many of the relatives homes were destroyed. Both of our schools collected food and money to help the people. They are still suffering, and they also have the problem with Mt. Merapi. Many of the people from the villages around and on the mountain are leaving their villages because of the activity of the volcano. The news said that the top of the cone was enlarging which is a bad sign. Many people were removed from the mountain about 2 months ago, with some going back to attend their flocks, but now many more are leaving. They believe by offering food to the mountain and having a special ceremony, that they will please Mt. Merapi’s god and he will stop his anger and not erupt. Oh what hopelessness they have. However, all things work for the good of those who love the Lord! The area is opened up now for Christians to enter and minister to the people and show their love. Through natures disasters, our heavenly Father enables His children to walk in and reach the unsaved. It’s not something that happens overnight, but the doors are opened for us to enter. The Christians here who truly know the Lord are on fire and they don’t look at denominations when spreading the word of God. Churches of different denominations will join hands and go to other islands or someplace on Java and help them get water to their villages and spread the Gospel quietly through what they do. What amazing people this Indonesians are. Only about 5% of Indonesians are Christians and the area that our Seward, NE college kids when to the last two weeks, Nias, claim to be Christians, but many of them do not truly understand the bible. Even when Phil went to Medan and Lake Toba in March, the Christians are a combination of Lutherans and Reformed beliefs. Wherever we go, Christian people are begging for Christian material for Sunday school and church. Please keep all in prayer. One truly can't envision what life is like for these people until you see them. Jakarta is like any other huge city, but when you get out into the country, you see what life is like for most people.
God's blessings to all.