Earthquake Strikes West Java

Contributor: Sharon Kendall, serving in Indonesia

A major earthquake registering 7.3 on the Richter scale struck West Java, Indonesia, on September 2, killing at least 45 people. Another 50 are feared dead, possibly buried under rubble. The epicenter was in Tasikmalaya, a city of 1 million. The quake was also felt in Jakarta, the nation’s capital, 150 miles from the epicenter. A tsunami alert was posted, but no tsunamis occurred. All Alliance workers in the area are safe.

The former Bandung Alliance School for missionary kids sustained broken water pipes, and tiles were jolted from cement moorings and ceilings. In the portion of the building where the Bandung International Fellowship meets, some of the walls cracked severely. There was no damage to the former hostel and older portion of the school.

When the quake struck, Field Director David Nagel was working on the roof, repairing water storage units in preparation for converting the former MK school into a Praxis Training Center. The earthquake continued for quite some time while David remained on the roof watching the buildings sway back and forth. He didn’t want to risk climbing down a ladder from the flat roof. The Indonesian workers with him were holding onto pipes and crying out for God’s mercy.

Compassion and Mercy Associates (CAMA), the relief arm of The Alliance,  is monitoring the situation and is sending funds as requested by the field.

In December 2004, a 9.0 earthquake struck off the coast of Indonesia, resulting in a tsunami that killed more than 200,000 people in several countries of Southeast Asia. Through God’s grace and the generosity of the Alliance family, at least $1.87 million was given to survivors of the disaster. Since then, CAMA has been helping to rebuild lives and livelihoods through a variety of outreaches.

Learn More

Check out or Alliance work in Indonesia.

Watch a video showing CAMA’s compassionate response to the devastation of the 2004 tsunami.

What You Can Do

Pray for those who have suffered loss of family members and homes. Also, pray for God’s wisdom as Alliance workers reach out to survivors of this disaster.

Donate now to Alliance Great Commission Ministries to support our workers around the world, including those who serve in Indonesia.

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