Vanuatu, South Pacific: After one of the strongest storms in the history of the Pacific roared over Vanuatu, we have been eagerly waiting for communications from the Potters. Here is a report just received today (March 19).
A friend has graciously offered for us to come to her house to use her internet today, so I am getting a quick note off to all of you.
Where do we begin to tell the story??? I think I won’t try to put it all in this e-mail, but will get a blog posted soon with some pictures and more details.
Black Sand Nazarene Church destroyed by storm.
Last Friday, March 13, the most severe Category 5 cyclone in the history of Vanuatu tore through our tiny South Pacific nation. Those of us in Port Vila on the central island of Efate experienced its fury from about 8PM to 1:30AM. Prior to the cyclone’s arrival we did everything we could to warn people of its coming. But, not everyone heeded the warning, so on Friday afternoon, as the winds were becoming strong and the Red Alert had been issued, we began getting phone calls from people asking for us to tell them what to do.
Our driveway covered with blown down trees.
We woke up Saturday morning and looked outside to a scene of incredible devastation. Huge trees were on the ground with their roots lifted 15-20 feet into the air. So many of the trees in our yard were broken off or uprooted. The driveway was completely blocked with large broken limbs. It took the afternoon for us to tow the limbs off the road in order to make it to our gate, only to find that two huge trees had been uprooted and were laying across the road leading out of our subdivision.
Isaac’s house after the cyclone had passed.
As we cleared the brush from the area around our gate, our neighbors came up after having walked around the loop. They were safe and only minor damage to their home, but some houses on our loop were completely destroyed. As we stood talking our missionary partners, Jenny, Bennett, and Junior Isaac came walking along the slippery, muddy alternative road that bypassed the fallen trees. We can’t describe the joy in coming together in that moment. They had survived the storm with a river of water flowing through their yard and into their home, but no structural damage. There was no cell phone service and they were coming to check on us.
Prima Nazarene church Relief.
We began Saturday afternoon traveling to some of the areas where we have friends, making sure that people were safe. The next day, Sunday, we were able to make it to most of the church communities in Port Vila with rice and drinking water. Huge trees and large pieces of roofs blocked many roads. In all our traveling, it was amazing to see the extent of the devastation, not just a small area, but everywhere the same devastation! What is more incredible is that as we asked the question, “Do you know of anyone from your village or family who was injured or killed?” there were only a few reports of injuries and no reports of death from among the Christians that we met with. God obviously had His hand of protection over us!
We immediately began to take basic supplies like bags of rice, bottles of water, hammers and nails and tarps around to the areas of our churches to begin to offer God’s comfort to scared and hurting people.
[perfect_quotes id=”7417″]
Tomorrow (Friday, March 19), Harmon Schmelzenbach (South Pacific/Melanesia Field Strategy Coordinator) and John Watton (Asia Pacific Regional Nazarene Compassionate Ministry Coordinator) will be arriving in Port Vila, as well as representatives from Heart to Heart International, to make assessments and guide us in making plans to assist in the recovery for the people of Vanuatu.
We have electricity to our house as of Day 5, but are still waiting for water and internet. We will try to post updates again soon.
We thank you all for your prayers! One thing that we realized as we listened to the roar of the cyclone is that as incredibly powerful as that storm was, our God is stronger still!
Please continue to pray!
Celebrating LIFE!
David and Sylvia Potter
Thank you for your continued prayers for all of those impacted by this devastating storm. If you would like to donate to the Nazarene Compassionate Ministries Relief Effort, please follow this link.
DONATE TO VANUATU RELIEF
SPECIFIC RAYER REQUESTS:
-
Pray that safe water, food and shelter can be provided for tens of thousands of Ni-Vanuatu islanders whose homes and food sources were destroyed this last weekend.
-
Pray that our Nazarene church leaders and Christian communities would continue to reach out in tangible ways to each other and to the devastated lives of those around them, in the name and in the love of Jesus!
-
Pray that the precious people of this island nation will turn and cry out to God for both their immediate and their eternal healing and hope in the midst of the chaos of this natural disaster.
-
Pray that God will provide wisdom and direction so that the Church of the Nazarene will in addition to being an instrument of God’s healing, hope and encouragement right now, will also become stronger than ever, expanding God’s Kingdom like never before across these islands!
SPECIFIC THINGS VANUATU CHURCH PEOPLE ARE DONG NOW:
-
Joining forces to cut fallen timber and clear endless amounts of debris.
-
Joining forces to rebuild each others’ homes.
-
Joining forces to rebuild neighbors’ homes.
-
Sharing what limited supplies they have with those also in need.
-
Praying, counseling and encouraging fellow islanders whose lives are completely devastated.
-
Having Bible studies with those in the shelters.
-
We have at least one Nazarene church building that survived completely intact. It was packed full of people during the storm and it has remained full of those families which continue to be sheltered and fed there.
-
Feeding the hungry.
