Many children have been wounded and traumatized by the May 12 earthquake.

Isolated in the mountains of the Sichuan province, a small Chinese town was completely cut off by the devastating earthquake. The determined villagers chose to stay instead of walking to the nearest tent city so they could harvest their crops. But they were running out of food to eat and spending the cold nights without shelter, sleeping under the trees.

One of our SIM workers learned about this situation from a villager who came to the camp seeking medical help for her baby. He helped deliver tents and food to the 800 townspeople.

Focusing on Restoration

SIM and our partners have been involved in small-scale relief efforts like this one since the May 12 quake. Now, we are transitioning from providing basic relief to restoring individual lives and rebuilding villages.

SIM and its partners are conducting trainings for those who are caring for traumatized children. Additional training programs for caregivers, parents, and teachers will also be offered

Many local believers and SIM workers are visiting the tent cities to listen to people tell their stories. One of our associates says this is meeting a great need. "I find they need people to whom they want to talk." He told the story of a couple he met: "When the husband and wife started talking to me, tears were streaming down from their eyes."

"The sorrow and mourning is beyond description," another associate wrote. "Two days ago, a group of young people at a tent city invited us up to see the graves of their classmates and teachers…'This was my teacher, this was my best friend, this was the best basketball player in the school,' is what this group of 9th graders told us as we walked from terrace to terrace up the side of the mountain."

	Local believers, SIM workers, and partners are visiting the displaced people living in the tent cities. Here, evacuated teens share an activity together.

Planning for Reconstruction

The "adopt a village" focus will work in close partnership with local believers and officials to restore infrastructure to towns that have suffered extensive damage. Seeking to build long-term relationships with villages, our goal is to bring lasting hope by:

• providing equipment for schools and hospitals,
• organizing special activities for children displaced by the quake,
• initiating agriculture projects, and
• offering micro-loans to help kick-start the local economy.

While the initial media focus on the earthquake has ended, the real work of helping people recover from the disaster has only just begun.

Thank you for your partnership that is allowing us to provide compassionate relief.

Find out how God can use you to show Christ's love in China.