This trip gets crazier every day. Yesterday was nuts! I saw some locals kill a pig in the middle of the street. The sound was horrible. It takes them like 15 minutes to kill a pig. Rather than just slitting it's throat, some guy with a machete comes out and stabs it in the back. He saws at it in the back for a while, and the pig just screams in pain the whole time. Of course there's like 15 kids around watching the whole thing. Why wouldn't there be?
Apparently the earthquake was an 8.7, and the epicenter was less than 100 miles away from the island. It was effin huge!!! The death toll on this island is already over 400 just in the two main cities. Who knows about the little villages all over the rest of the island? It seems like the main area that was damaged from the quake was this island, and the islands nearby.(Simelue and the Hinako Islands) It's been more than two days since the quake, and none of us have been able to send word back home. We hope to get a ferry to Sibolga, and then come right back after we send news.
The gnarliest thing that I've seen so far though, was this 6 year old kid with down syndrome. 3 weeks ago he got his hand stuck in a meat grinder. He only had his pinky and part of his ring finger left. His parents just put some yellow powder on it. The four of us took some antibacterial soap, and some antibiotic cream over to the family. I was standing right there while his mother scrubbed his hand with the soap. He was screaming his head off, and of course there were a bunch of other kids standing around watching the whole thing. Then the Dad, who had pigs blood all over his hands from the morning, applied the antibiotic cream. I wrapped his hand up with a roll of gauze, and then asked if I could pray for him. I prayed for him and then said goodbye to everyone. I think that was the gnarliest experience of my life. I wanted to just break down and cry right there, but I held it back. Three weeks, and they just let it be. They put some powder on it, and then he goes outside to play.
Jesus, I pray for everyone on this island. I pray that they would turn to you. I pray for Morris especially. I talked to him last night, and I think he's resentful to you. I pray that you would allow me the opportunity to speak truth into his life, with boldness.(They're killing a pig outside the house right now, and the sound is horrible)
I pray for Vince, Thoma, and Erwin as well. I pray that I would be able to speak your truth into their lives as well. I pray that they would see your love through me. I pray that you would give me the strength to speak boldly. I pray that you would give me the right words at the appropriate times. I love you Father, and I pray that I would be able to share that with them.
Please comfort Morris, and bring me back quicky to help.
Amen
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