Donating to Earthquake Relief

Hey Everyone,

I'm sure most of you have been tracking the massive destruction in the wake of the recent earthquake in China. Hundreds of thousands of people have lost homes and families, and many are in danger of starvation and disease.

There are a lot of relief efforts underway, but I wanted to talk about Alpha Communities in particular. For those of you who are connected in GDI in some way, AC has been a member of our family network for more than a decade, working quietly in orphanages and hospitals throughout China and Tibet. God has been opening doors and giving them immense favor with the government in the aftermath of this disaster, and they've launched a large relief effort of their own. For me at least, it is especially meaningful to be able to not only do what I can to help the population there, but to do it by supporting a part of the GDI family that has been faithfully and sacrificially serving God on the ground in Asia for a very long time.

Here's a link to their website. Even $20 would provide real relief for someone in pain, and currently PayPal has waived all of their usual fees for any donations to relief efforts like Alpha Communities, so every cent goes straight to helping out.

Honestly this disaster has really impacted me. I can't really comprehend destruction and loss on this scale, it almost feels unreal to me, but I'm determined not to let it be just another thing that I say a silent prayer for and then get back to my own life. I'll confess I did exactly that when the Tsunami hit Thailand a few years ago, and it's always something I've regretted.

Events like this make me so painfully aware of how much I have to be grateful for. There are times when I'm tempted to even feel guilty for the safety and provision I take for granted every day, even though I know that's not really a right or helpful response.

This has been kind of a rambling post. I'm finding myself very emotional about this, and I'm struggling for words to express that without it coming across as a sanctimonious guilt trip. I trust that you all know my heart, and I trust your own ability to hear whatever God is saying to you personally about this.

Sobered and grateful,

-- J --