Dear Brothers and Sisters

Greetings from POP, Bangalore!

We are sad to hear of another earthquake in Christchurch. It is indeed depressing to hear of the pain and agony of the people.

The pictures are quite shocking and shows the intensity of the earthquake.

We as a community will uphold you all in our prayers. At our General assembly on the 19^tth of June we will intercede to the Father

That He will Comfort you all with His Presence and grant you the courage and strength to continue to serve the Lord and to look

At the future.

Roger keeping you and the team in our prayers as continue to give relief to people.

God bless

Colin

(Sr Co-ordinator)

Greetings all

The shaking and rattling continues with 65 recorded in 24 hours to 8.50am this morning! As far as we can assess all members are doing okay.

You will be able to follow our ‘day of earthquakes’ by clicking on this link. There have been forty [and counting] in fifteen hours to 11.00pm, including four big ones of 6.2, 5.3, 6.0 and 5.1. If you click into the latest in the ‘last 100’ file you should also be able to go down and see the location of the quakes from our home in the Burwood Cluster.

http://www.canterburyquakelive.co.nz/

The 6.2 and 5.3 with eight minutes between them really did shake and roll our house. It was quite an experience, enough said. They were powerful but damage in the city was far less than the big earthquake in February. Today our water and sewer remained intact, and although we lost power for about three hours, it was restored.

By late afternoon Veronica and I decided to go ahead with our pre-shake intention of pruning and tidying the garden and so we gardened until dusk and then called over to visit Mark and Kirsten and family for a time of fellowship- and a nice stiff rum and coke!.

It has been quite a day. Interestingly the geo-tech guys said six months ago that there could well be an aftershock in the 6.0 magnitude region before things really start to settle. Let us trust in God that this was it today and that things might start to settle now.

Thank you all for your prayer and some messages of concern.

Wishing you all a peace, joy and blessing filled Christmas.

Pray for us.
Roger and Veronica

Responses from around the world:

Jean and Marie-Therese Barbara [Beirut]

Dear Roger and Veronica- As we celebrate the first coming of the Lord and as we cry “Maranatha” in joyful and hopeful anticipation of His (unpredictable) second coming, I pray that the Lord equip you and prepare you in a particular way through your living out the unpredictability of the earthquakes. Be strong and strengthen the brethren! Jean and Marie-Therese

Caedmon and Nicky and family [Auckland]

Dear Roger & Veronica-There is not much we can say at a time like this after all that you & our dear brothers & sisters have gone through with the earthquakes. And yet what comes across is your tremendous positive spirits, faith & steadfastness. However, we would just like to assure you of our thoughts & prayers as we continue to journey together. Please convey our love & prayer support to all our dear brothers & sisters in the CC branch. God Bless. Caedmon, Nicky, Jemima, Kester & Isaac

Bob Bell [Sword of the Spirit, London]

Roger, Just saw the reports in the NZ Herald of the latest quakes. Distressing to see what you and the brothers and sisters in Christchurch are going through, and with always the expectation that more will come. May the Lord give you courage and strength in these very difficult times. Your brother in Christ. Bob

Greg and Maryanne [Auckland]

Dear Roger, Know that you and Veronica are in our prayers at this time.May God bless you and keep you both safe. G & M

Gary and Sarah Herbert [family in Manchester]

Hi roger &veronica, just heard about the latest big quake, hope everyone is ok. wishing you all the nest for Xmas and the new year. all our love. Gary & Sarah 

Janice [Patmos, Fiji]

Heard there's been another earthquake. Praying you're all ok. Janice.

Harry and Maureen and family [Auckland]

God bless Harry- he wanted to touch base by voice so he was the first call to get through at No9

Colin and Maria and family [Auckland]

Dear Roger and Veronica, I tried to call you at your home after hearing the news of the quakes in Christchurch. The phone rang for a long time but no one answered. Just to let you know that you and all the brothers and sisters in Christchurch LOG are very much in our prayers. Your concerns are ours as well.  When you are distressed, we are too. For we are one big family and we all eat at the same table sharing one meal with one Lord, one God. Colin and Maria Tan ["When the darkness closes in Lord, still I will say: Blessed be Your name." ... "Hope in God; for I shall again praise Him, my help and my God" (Ps 42:11)]

Richard Perry [Exec Secretary-Sword of the Spirit]

Thanks Roger for the update. We’re praying for you – may this indeed be the sign that things will now settle. “Pruning and tidying the garden” sounds nice!  At least you have summer. Peace in the Lord, Richard

Eroni Sotutu [Belfast]

God bless you all Roger! Eroni

Neil and Fe Caranto [Penang]

Hi Roger, just learned you folks had a massive earthquake. Trust you, Veronica and the community are fine. We'll keep you in our prayers. Take refuge, serenity and hope in our Lord Jesus as we remember His birth. Neil and Fe

Fr John Rea [Wellington]

Bless you Roger. Merely to let you know that this Marist community is praying for you and for all Christchurch residents at this trying time. With much love in the Lord Jesus, Fr John

Congratulations Cantabrians on the re-opening of Cashel Mall! Little by little….

Photo from flickr.com/photos/logangorilla/6268216129/

Bruce Yocum

Monterrey, México

Brothers and sisters in Christchurch,

I just discovered the site (yes, I am getting out of touch in my old age). So I wanted to send you my message of support. I have been in regular contact with Roger, and if he is not too overburdened with all of the challenge, he may have been able to find a way to pass on my support. As you know, our various communities and the Servants of the Word have been sending contributions, and all of us have been praying for you. We will continue to do that. I especially pray that the Lord will give you vision for how to make use of all this for the advancement of the kingdom and his glory and that he will continue to encourage you as he seems to be doing.

Peace in Christ, Steve

Dear brothers & sisters:

You are still in our prayers. The more the earth trembles, the more our prayers increase. Our sovereign God is in control & your faithfulness is exemplary. Hold on because faithfulness to God will pay.

Your brothers in Lebanon.

Photo of Earthquake damage at Sumner (Note: This is not Roger's house.)

My good friend Bob Bell, a member of the Antioch Community in London, recently sent me a note which said: 'You folks continue to set the standard for living a life in God and for God in the circumstances and despite them, encouraging us by your example not to batten the hatches and hunker down. May the Lord continue to give you strength of heart and spirit, and us courage and your radical faith in the Lord when our day comes.'

Bob's note meant a lot to me and I spent time reflecting upon it. At first it seemed sort of unusual in that Bob seemed to perceive us as not battening down the hatches during the now forty weeks of probably near 10,000 earthquakes and aftershocks [I no longer check] yet when I look at our home it sure seems we have battened down the hatches. For example we have pictures, paintings, ornaments and dozens of items sitting at floor level in large plastic boxes. We have cupboards that have doors jammed tight to stop contents spill. We keep our mobile phones on constant charge and the car filled with petrol. We have torches with full batteries in five or six places around the house, and we have many candles ready for use. And outside in the carport we have emergency food and water stored and last week added a waterproof storage box with two complete sets of warm winter clothes with hats and gloves in case we need an emergency exit in the middle of the cold and wintery night. And we have gotten into a system where Veronica and I automatically tell each other if we are going to get the mail, going upstairs [where we have significant damage], going to get something from the garage, or going to the corner shop, etc. I thought we were 'battening the hatches and hunkering down', but then I began to see that the Lord indeed has given many people in the Lamb of God 'heart and strength and courage' in the face of enormous challenge.

Ten days ago we had two very powerful aftershocks within two hours, one at 5.6 and the second more powerful at 6.3, making it second equal in strength since September. In seconds another one hundred and fifty buildings inside the Red Cordon were added to the demolition schedules, and the government later announced the additional damage was estimated at another $6 billion. Again we lost power and sewage. Today the Prime Minister declared the estimated cost of rebuilding Christchurch now stands at $15-20 billion. Indeed a colossal amount. When the 6.3 struck I was out of my office in a second and again ran through the swaying house calling out for Veronica. I swooped her up from the dining room floor and headed for the back door some four or five metres away. As I crossed the area of our original foundation, before the kitchen was extended before we purchased, the whole floor lifted under my foot in a wave motion and I yelled 'outside NOW the house is going…' But it stood, and I bless God for those builders of yesteryears!

Maybe we should all be wearing printed tee shirts saying '10,000 and counting.' These are challenging times, but the Lord is with us.

The above was printed in July's Lamb of God Chronicle.

A separate note from Roger, Sunday, 26 June 2011, regarding the Government Land Use Announcement:

We missed our home to demolition in the Red Zone by about 50 metres. We have an unusually high Government Valuation, so if we had been condemned to demolition we would have been fine financially. We would not get near the Government Valuation by selling, and of course prices will now depress further for a while until the east is rebuilt by Earthquake Commission and Insurers.   

We see God’s hand in many ways. If our home had been taken [and it was so close] we would have ended up with significant amount of money. That money, no doubt, would have tried to persuade us to purchase or build again in a ‘safe area’, well away from the cluster. The ‘battle in the mind’ would have been interesting.

The Lord has kept the Burwood cluster intact. Not one home is lost to government buy out then automatic demolition. If you look at the maps you will see the cluster will be like a geographical bulge reaching south to the Avon River. The surrounding Red Zones will be levelled to the west and east and south over the river.  

When God brings stability, and it will come, our children will grow up in a delightful area of greenery and open lands, wetlands and an abundance of wildlife.

A little touch of ‘promised land’ eh?

Peace in the Lord,
Roger

The Impact of the Recent Government Decision on Land Use and Its Impact on the Lamb of God Cluster

On Thursday 23 June 2011 the New Zealand government announced its decision on future use of land in the wake of the devastating earthquakes of September 2010, February 2011 and June 2011. The government's decision has major long-term implications for the future of the Lamb of God cluster in Burwood, and therefore for the future of the Christchurch branch of the community.

Land which is condemned cannot be built upon in the future. Any homes on condemned land must be demolished, and the owners will have to relocate. The government is offering help to those on condemned land, but it would have been extremely difficult for the community to maintain any sort of cluster had they been forced to move.

The area to the east, west and south of the cluster was largely condemned, but thanks be to God, the land of the brothers and sisters in the cluster was deemed safe for rebuilding. Many of the homes of community members will have to be demolished and rebuilt, or very extensively repaired, so there is still a long road to travel before life can be normal again. But in spite of the difficulties, the possibility of future life in the cluster was preserved.

The two maps below will help you to see how close a call this was for the community. The first map is a close-up of the cluster area. As you can see, they are surrounded by condemned or questionable land. Some of the homes are on land 20 meters or less from condemned land!

The second map is an overview of the Christchurch area, and it allows you to see that the cluster is right in the midst of some of the hardest hit areas of the city.

Assessment of the damage to the homes of our brothers and sisters, decisions about demolition and rebuilding and sorting through all of the issues of insurance and so forth will take many months, so for some time to come they will still be living with uncertainty. There are also serious issues of employment, since many Christchurch businesses have had to close, and there will be many difficult practical issues to face - for example, where they will live while their homes are being demolished and rebuilt or being repaired. Furthermore, the infrastructure of the city - roads, water supplies and sewers especially - will take literally years to repair.

But in spite of all, they are still together, and still can live together in a community cluster. For that we must be grateful.

For more information on the government land use assesment, visit cera.govt.nz which contains a very interesting 4.5 minute video.

(download)

Click here to download:

impact-of-the-recent-government-decision-on-land-use-HikIBcHaiAEmtkxFtuxb.zip (192 KB)

Queridos hermanos del Cordero de Dios :

Nosotros los miembros del Programa de matrimonios de Convivencia Familiar Cristiana, de Ciudad de Dios, estamos orando porque nuestro Señor les de la fortaleza  la valentía para resistir estos embates de la madre naturaleza que solo Dios sabe por qué suceden. Que Dios tenga piedad de ese bello país y que cesen dichos terremotos y temblores. Que todos uds pongan su confianza en Aquel que todo lo puede y que es nuestra fortaleza. Estamos con Uds.

Atilio C. Bravo S

SEÑOR, DAME SABIDURIA PARA ACTUAR CONFORME A TU VOLUNTAD

Y VOLUNTAD PARA ACTUAR CONFORME A TU SABIDURIA.

Dear Brothers of the Lamb of God:

We the members of the Program of Family Harmony in Christian marriages, City of God community (Nicaragua), pray for our Lord give you the strength and courage to withstand these attacks from Mother Nature that only God knows why they happen. May God have mercy on this beautiful country and an end to these earthquakes and tremors. That all of you put your trust in Him who can do everything and that is our strength. We are with you.

Atilio C. Bravo S
Lord, give me wisdom to act according to your will
And the will to act according to your wisdom.

Hermanos en Cristo:

Nuestra familia y nuestra comunidad, Ciudad de Dios les acompaña con oraciones, pidiendo a nuestro Dios protección y bendiciones para todos y cada uno de ustedes, nuestros hermanos de Lamb of God.  En Ciudad de Dios, su comunidad hermana en Nicaragua, les tenemos presente, especialmente en estos momentos de tribulación.

Les animamos a que no quiten la vista de Jesús, el Cordero de Dios, quien dio su vida para que nosotros tengamos Vida en abundancia.

Un abrazo fraterno.

Pedro y Gretchen Villarreal

Translation (via Google Translate):

Brothers in Christ:

Our family and our community, City of God, accompany you with prayer, asking God for protection and blessings for each and every one of you, our brothers in the Lamb of God. In City of God, your sister community in Nicaragua, we are present, especially in these troubled times.

We encourage you to not take your eyes off Jesus, the Lamb of God who gave His life for us to have life in abundance.

A fraternal embrace.

Pedro y Gretchen Villarreal