Now that Christmas has been posted and the New Year has started I find myself asking the question, "what in the world could be more interesting than a New Year's Post, you know a picture of me kissing my honey at midnight and a video of Braden tooting a horn really loudly and then having a melt down and Jake posed with 35 different cousins in pictures all hopped up on sugar at the same time". I know you can't wait for my extremely exciting New Year's post but you will have to wait.
When I was younger much younger I got to serve a mission in the Land Down Under! It appears that land down under it very much under right now. One of my missionary companions from Australia sent this letter to a few of us and it just has me thinking. What am I thinking??
1st - This year Rand and I have decided to be more prepared and I think that our 72 hr kits have to be ready at a minutes notice.
2nd - I feel so blessed (knock on wood) that we have been so fortunate without tragedy this year.
3rd - My heart aches for the people I love in Brisbane and I hope everyone is ok! I think of the days I spent walking down all those streets that are now covered in water with houses floating by and I wish there was something I could do!
Here is her letter (ABMers = Australia Brisbane Missionaries) - please keep this country in your prayers, I know we will!
Hello my fellow ABMers,
I wanted to let you know what is happening is our beloved Brisbane & Queensland, in the hopes that you will add your prayers and faith and petition the Lord to bless those people we served and loved on our missions.
75% of Queensland has been declared a national disaster with extreme floods, the worst in history. To mention a few incidents: Yesterday an inland tsunami swept over Toowoomba, I have seen news footage of a literal wall of water breaking over the town, cars riding waves over the height of rooftops, and houses and people literally washed away. There have been floods for some weeks in the northern towns and cities of Queensland, and today the situation became even more dire. Brisbane city itself is flooding, the Brisbane river has broken its banks, and by midnight tonight most of Ipswich will be underwater. Caboulture is currently completely cut off, and there is a list of 80 suburbs around Brisbane itself on alert or evacuation. There has been a mass run on the supermarkets and shops for food and water supplies, and people face the possibility of being stranded for days. By Thursday they estimate 6,500 homes will be ruined and over 16,000 people homeless.
At the moment the catchment dam which prevents flood waters hitting Brisbane itself is at capacity and it is still raining and water is rushing in floods toward the dam, they have no choice but to open the floodgates which are enormous, and the waves will hit Brisbane. Parts of the CBD are expected to be underwater, and I could reel off numerous suburbs of Brisbane you have all served in that are currently endangered. The majority of the disaster began to unfold in the past 12 hours. So far there are 8 confirmed dead, and over 60 people missing or swept away presumed dead. The flood has not yet reached its peak in depth of ferocity. People are evacuationg everywhere, and many areas have abandoned attempts to sandbag, and are just leaving with what they can carry. Freeways are jammed, as everyone tries to egt to higher ground, or home to loved ones, or to family and friends who need help. There are elderly and disabled people stranded, and it is looking really grim.
I have never seen floods like this in my country, it is on every news chanel here, and the stories get worse by the hour.
I ask that you please remember the people of Brisbane that you served and came to love on your missions, and pray for their safety. There is no question this disaster will effect people you knew on your missions, wherever you served, (Deb, Dalby is bracing itself for the worst tomorrow.) This is the worst flood in history, I didn't even know an inland tsunami (tidal wave) was possible until I saw the footage on TV.
I hope you are all safe and well and true to the faith.
Love your fellow ABMer
Kel
** Just watched the news - I am so sad!
2 comments:
Oh Shemri, how heartbreaking. My dad served there years ago and I'm sure is deeply saddened, as am I. We will keep them in our prayers. I'm sorry to hear such devastating news.
I read this to my husband since he is a former "ABMer." He served in Ipswich and Toowoomba. We watched a youtube video on Toowomba and it was crazy. Anyway... thanks for posting the letter. Hope all is well with the fam. Tell everyone hi for me. :)
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