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Down in a valley, surrounded by the beautiful, snow topped Hindu Kush mountains, sits the town of Balakot, epicenter of the earthquake that has left 3.5 million people homeless and has killed 80,000 people.
While the mountains are certainly very beautiful, when one diverts their eyes down and sees what the people there are struggling through -- well, it's a horrifying sight; whole villages have been leveled, leaving families with many children who still have no shelter at night and we are now 4 months after the earthquake.
I wish there were some way my words could accurately portray the level of devastation and the picture of the landscape; homes completely crumbled, temporary tents and shelters everywhere, pit latrines and water tanks dotting the landscape, and of course, people, traumatized people everywhere. Let's add to that washed out roads and destroyed bridges, and enough mud to blow any man's mind.
There was one Islamic girls school for the primary ages that was full when the earthquake hit and 300 precious children were killed in that one very spot in just a few short minutes. I cannot imagine the reverberations something like that would cause if it were to happen in the United States; our nation would be in shock and we would be instantly mobilized to the scene to help.
If the humanitarian aspect of this earthquake were not enough, there is also the spiritual aspect. This area of Pakistan has been a closed area to the Gospel for hundreds of years and has been an Islamic stronghold. Now, with the opportunity offered by the earthquake, foreigners are welcomed, their gifts are accepted and their words have weight.
As a Christian, I felt guilty that I had not been there before this. Why had I not gone earlier to help? Where was the church when these people were still in such need? But then Jesus affirmed in me that our team, one that He had sent, WAS the church and what mattered was what I did in the future with what I saw; forgiveness had already been Graciously given.
So, now I am at home, preparing to go back and asking boldly of everyone to give sacrificially to help these struggling people, for in helping them, we have surely helped the King.
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