An update from our friend in NZ

[lawinkle]

Thought you might be interested in this email we received from a friend who lives on the South Island near Christchurch in NZ:

"Thursday update from inside.

On Tuesday 8 direct member of my family were in Christchurch, all are OK.

Christchurch is the commercial centre of the South Island currently shut down and cordoned off by military and rightly so in Civil Search and Rescue mode.

There is no logic that make sense of this natural disaster, stuff is stuff,  life is good, death is only ever one shake away, have a near neighbour that will not be coming home.

On the plus side..... Tuesday there was a navy boat in the port of Lyttleton, [full operation theatre and is housing  700 extra search people] over 400 world doctors were meeting in Christchurch..... Urban Search Rescue Teams from; Australia, Japanese, UK, Singaporean specialist teams now working in the rubble . Fonterra has released 34 milk tankers to cart water into Christchurch

Will be NZ worse natural disaster. It is ironical the 9/11 New York steel monument stands in the middle of all the destruction in the middle of Christchurch."

Please keep these folks in prayer. 

[Kay/NC]

So glad to see that your friends are okay, but sad to hear of their losses.  I guess we all need to remember that we should not take any place or any day for granted. 

Please keep us updated. 

[Steakmaker]

I hope the U.S. is down there helping. From what I here, NZ is one of the few countries in the world who still like Americans.

[Lisa Prater]

Such a devastating situation! Definitely keeping these folks in my prayers. My dad was in New Zealand years ago when he was in the Navy, and always said if there was one place in the world he could go, that would be it.