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Collapsed building. Mawewa School can be seen in the background.[/caption]Tragedy Strikes a Mawewa School FamilyWayne O. is a Mawewa School Class 1 student, and the eldest of three young children – his younger siblings are twins. His family has known hard times, but nothing prepared them for the tragedy that struck the evening of Friday, April 29. At about 8 pm, a neighbor who lived in his six-story residential building noticed a crack in the wall that was bigger than usual - apparently, cracks in the wall are a normal occurrence - but this fissure was different and appeared very quickly. He informed the neighbors that something bad was happening and told them to evacuate.In the way of humans, committees formed in the hallways as people tried to figure out what to do because it was still raining heavily. Wayne’s father made the decision to leave the building, so they went to the ground floor. Before they made it to the door, Wayne felt dust hit his face, and he ran for his life.When the dust settled, Wayne, his parents, and younger brother were out of harm’s way as they looked on in horror at the collapsed apartment building. His younger sister, who had been standing nearby with neighbors, was nowhere in sight. Wayne and his parents searched through the rubble and surrounding area to no avail. It is with great sadness we report that her body was found several days later by recovery workers.Wayne and his family are now living with a relative. Wayne is back in school, which provides him with a safe and familiar environment to beginning emotional healing. The parents of our Mawewa School students are pooling their meager resources to aid the family during this time of displacement and loss. We thank God that Wayne, his brother, and parents survived the building collapse, but our hearts are heavy with their profound loss.As of May 8, 140 people have been rescued, 49 are confirmed dead, and recovery efforts continue. We thank God for the rescue workers and for those who are safely back in the arms of their loved ones. Please join us as we pray for consolation and comfort for Wayne, Maureen, and their family, and all those who were injured, lost loved ones, and whose living circumstances have been significantly compromised.

Lord, we pray for those who have been devastated by this tragedy. We hold in our hearts these families forever changed by grief and loss. Bring them consolation and comfort. Surround them with our prayers for strength. Bless those who have survived and heal their memories of trauma and devastation. May they have the courage to face the days ahead. We ask these things in the mighty name of Jesus, Amen.

"I waited patiently for the Lord, and He inclined to me, and heard my cry." Psalm 40:1