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Friday, 12 February 2010 00:00

The mood here in Lugan is much different; instead of waving, the children have their hands out for food or money, instead of the men offering a quick hand for help, they are grabbing for any  thing they can find.

We are in a church/orphanage compound that is run by Joel who is Pastor John's brother. By the grace of God, even though the buildings were hevily damaged in the compound, no one was hurt or killed here. That is not the case all around here; everywhere you look, there are houses, buildings and buisiness that are flattened or crumbleing. In many instances, you know that no rubble has been removed so there will deffinately be bodies under there. The reports that we have gotten are estimating more than 300,000 dead but the real figure will never be truly known.

The trip over was exciting as usual but both vehicals and the team arrived safely. You know you are not in Kansas any more when you are given directions based on where the cemetery and leper colonys are.

We are rughing it from here out, our tents are set up on the kids playgound under the stars and we will be boiling water for Raman noodles for the next few days.

Please continue to pray for our safety as security here is something that is more of an issue. Fortunately Joel's compound is completely walled to give us a large degree of safety at night.

Getting to know the team;
Bev Gibson:

Bev's remarkable story begins when her dad died in her teen years and she spent a lot of time in a rebellious state questioning and being angry at God. Finnaly she said "Okay God, I'm done. You can have what's left". Boy did He take her up on it! She went to nursing school, paramedic school, maxofacial school, international medicine school and finally got a degree to be a pastor.
She stopped counting after 220 mission trips in more than 120 countries. Somewhere in that time she found time to start a ministy called Vessels of Mercy which has a presence in 14 countries.
I asked what her most harrowing experience was because she is always running into harms way. She told about the time she and 3 others hiked into Thiland to give medical attention to refugees after guerillas bombed their camp. Apparently they wandered into a restricted area and were attacked by the guerillas. With bad attitudes and AK47's pointed at them, she thought that was going to be it. But after  taking everything but their shirts, the missionaries were released. The only problem was they were a TWO WEEK walk from their camp with nothing more than their shirts. She was the only one with survival training. They finally made it, albeit in poor shape.
After hearing a story like that it makes sleeping in a tent in a sleeping bag not seem so bad.
Bev is living proof of what God can accomplish when we totally submit to Him.