Nearly 100 people have perished and hundreds more have been wounded after a powerful earthquake struck the Indonesian island of Lombok. Because of the magnitude of the quake (6.9) and the severity of the damage, the death toll is expected to rise. 10,000 of the island’s residents and tourists have been evacuated. Strong tremors were also felt in the neighboring island of Bali, where scores of people flooded the streets to flee trembling homes and buildings.
There are several GKII (Alliance) churches in Lombok. Despite the extent of the quake’s destruction, no fatalities or injuries have been reported among the GKII family or any workers who were in the area. One worker writes, “The new national church relief and development arm is considering opportunities to assist, and we are hoping that our small churches in Lombok can respond in loving ways to their neighbors. This is a great opportunity to pray, love, and give in this land of 1,000 mosques.”