Indonesia (MNN) — Only 12 hours separated two massive, deadly earthquakes in Indonesia’s East Nusa Tenggara province. After over a thousand aftershocks, many slept outside for fear they would be buried in rubble. 

As of this writing, at least 68 people are dead from the magnitude 7.7 and 6.4 earthquakes that struck Saturday. Thousands more are displaced. It is the country’s deadliest earthquake since 2022. 

The disaster destroyed thousands of buildings and also power lines, making the rescue efforts in remote villages even more difficult. Some were cut off for two days after the quake before receiving aid. One village required a dangerous overland journey along landslide-prone roads to reach. 

Juserdi Purba, a national director of ministry A3, says his organization is working to help displaced survivors. 

Image courtesy of Alif Salman on Pexels

“They need clean water, food, and medical care. And what we can do is channel aid through our network. We send money and ask them to buy the clean water and food and medical care,” Purba says. 

Tents in the rubble are serving as temporary emergency rooms because the hospital was destroyed. Residents say there has been no government guidance, and some people fled to the hills and are starving. 

The disaster cast a pall over Indonesia’s independence day on August 17, as authorities continued to conduct search-and-rescue operations. 

Pray for survivors 

Purba says, “We need the global church to pray to ensure the injured receive care, the government can coordinate effectively, and church leaders can unite together on how to help the people in the disaster site.”

A3 trains and equips Christian leaders around the globe to make outsized impacts on their communities. Much of its aid comes through alumni of the A3 leadership program. 

“We are looking for and want to see how we can help in the long term with the people in the disaster area,” Purba says. 

Pray for the physical needs of survivors to be met. Also pray that as Christians take part in disaster relief efforts, people’s hearts would open to the hope of Jesus.

 

Header image is a representative photo courtesy of Moytography on Pexels