Devastation

The devastation from last Monday's earthquake is so great. We continue to hear terrible stories here of the damage the earthquakes have caused in Sichuan. Today the government has declared three days of national mourning beginning with a moment of silence starting at 2:28 today, the time the quakes hit exactly one week ago. They have even suspended the torch relay during this time to show respect for all suffering in this terrible tragedy.

We have a Friend whose family is from Sichuan. Thankfully they are ok because they lived in the countryside where there weren't so many buildings to collapse, so he is going to Sichuan to help them rebuild and recover. Most people who have survived are living in tents, if that. Groups, including our university, have held countless benefits and programs to raise money to send supplies, aid, and food to the victims, but road conditions are poor because of the damage and it's difficult to get through. One friend's boyfriend is participating in the rescue efforts. So keep these people in your Thoughts. And be on your knees for the people of Sichuan. Weather is making rescue more difficult and too much rain could cause mud slides on top of everything else. Also some of the local dams have suffered some damage which could obviously cause more problems.

Here's an article I found this morning:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,356523,00.html