At 4 pm this afternoon I got an sms from a friend telling me she was glued to the tv. I checked out BBC and watched in horror as a tsunami ripped through the northeast and eastern coast of Japan. The announcers were saying that the entire Pacific coastline needed to be on watch, as well as Indonesia (especially Sulawesi and Papua) and the Philippines. What is really sad is that although I can sit in the comfort of my home, on my couch in the middle of the island of Java (south of Sulawesi), and watch water destroy parts of a nation north of us, I know that there are areas within Indonesia that may not even be aware of the dangers ahead. Many of the isolated village communities within Indonesia have warning systems, but as shown when the last tsunami hit Indonesia, sometimes those systems are in disrepair. It's my prayer that all parts of our nation and those Islands to the east of Japan will become aware of the potential tsunami. Right now they say that Australia is also to be on the alert as its waters may rise and swell within the next 7 hours.
What is really ironic is that I am in Indonesia and my parents are 1/2 way across the world, yet the movement of water between us is a potential danger to both of the islands we live on (Vancouver Island and Indonesian islands). I phoned my mom at 4-something p.m. our time, and although it was 1-something a.m. her time, she didn't mind. It's amazing how good it is to hear a loved-ones voice even though you know that the chance of them being harmed is slim (Canada hasn't been put on the alert so far, according to our news here). I love skype.
Our prayers tonight are for those still waiting to hear news about their nation and the tsunami possibly coming their way, as well as for those in Japan who have been hit already. Lord, have mercy.
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