In the course of a year, over twenty thousand earthquakes shake the ground. Most are never felt, just quiet shivers as the earth readjusts its position. But a few are deadly. Those ones shake houses, cause tsunamis, and bring death.
One such earthquake struck the Middle East on February 6th. Early in the morning, families scrambled for safety as a 7.8 magnitude earthquake ripped the ground open. To put that number in perspective, the San Francisco earthquake of 1906 had a magnitude of 7.9.
Both the countries of Turkey and Syria were devastated. In the days following, almost two thousand aftershocks struck the two countries, making it extremely dangerous for any relief work to be accomplished.
Several aid groups sprang into action, knowing time was of the essence. A human being can only survive approximately three days without any water, and death would come sooner if oxygen was limited. The sooner rescuers began to search, the better.
Unfortunately, it isn’t as easy as it sounds. When earthquakes strike, they impact the foundations underneath buildings, causing them to become extremely unstable. One misstep, and the rescuer could join the tally of deaths taken by the earthquake.
Regardless, brave men and women still put their lives on the line, pulling people from the rubble. Day and night, volunteers knowingly put their lives on the line to save others. Their effort paid out. Though some people didn’t make it, rescuers still pulled countless people out of the rubble to safety.
One such child, reportedly named Aya, the word for “miracle” in Arabic, survived ten hours under the rubble. While not a long time for most victims, Aya was a newborn, still attached to her mother via umbilical cord when rescuers found her. Though her immediate family didn’t survive, Aya, born amidst chaos and death, still breathes, proof of God’s loving mercy.
Other miraculous stories have been reported as men and women survive hundreds of hours under the rubble, a feat that should seem impossible. Though rescuers were warned that there wasn’t hope after several days, volunteers continue to find victims alive, even over a week after the earthquake hit.
However, even as the number of the living continues to grow, the tally of death marches steadily on. The official number, forty-four thousand as of the writing of this article, will only continue to climb as more and more buildings are searched.
Almost ten million people have been affected by the earthquake, with four million of those people already relying on humanitarian relief before the earthquake. Nearly half of that tally are children, many malnourished and already without homes.
Those numbers are high. Those numbers are scary. Those numbers aren’t just numbers. They’re people who need prayer.
They need people to approach the throne of God, heads bowed in intercession, praying for miracles. Workers and volunteers on earth are providing for victims’ immediate needs: food, water, clothing, and shelter. Yet the people of Syria and Turkey also have another need. One that TPSers, even thousands of miles away, can satisfy.
These people need prayer.
They need spiritual healing and God’s comfort as they grieve. They need his enduring strength for the long days ahead. They need his salvation so they can face the most terrifying reality of their lives.
So pray. Bend your head to the Creator of the Universe and plead on their behalf. The Bible says that God hears His children, so make noise. Let your prayers rise like incense, pleasing to the Lord.
Pray.
https://www.cnn.com/middleeast/live-news/turkey-syria-earthquake-updates-2-13-23-intl/index.html