Pray for American Samoa on Sunday, October 18, 2009
Lectionary Text and Prayers for American Samoa: Mark 10:35-45
Rev. Samuel T. Tialavea Sr., General Secretary, Congregational Christian Church in American Samoa, a Global Ministries partner, recounted in an e-mail impact of the tsunamis:
“Traffic on the one and only main road, added to the chaos and folks were frantic. As tsunami waves hit, homes were destroyed and buildings were damaged. Public transports were stricken and people began to flee on foot. Power outage for half of the islands, leaving thousands with out utilities for an uncertain period of time. Communication lines by telephone have been restricted, with cell phone services in many localities non-operable. It has been a nightmare for many. For those of you familiar with American Samoa, extreme damages to those waterfront communities have been highlighted by the graves of family members being washed out, surfacing cadavers on the road, or swept out to sea. Villagers and volunteers have rallied to assist families in some of these places to re-bury the remains of their loved ones.”
Rev. Tialavea went on to express his appreciation for the messages of support he is receiving and asks for our continued prayers.
Prayer for the Pacific
One: Dear God; Creator, Sustainer, Pain-bearer; Today we mourn with all our sisters and brothers whose lives were ravaged by last week’s earthquake, tsunamis and typhoon.
All: We pray with all those whose sense of security and safety was washed away. We mourn for those who lost family and friends; for those who lost homes and business; for those whose communities lost vital services and infrastructures; for those whose communities no longer exist.
One: As we mourn and pray, we also recognize our call to help restore and rebuild that which can be restored and rebuilt; to comfort those in need of comforting; to reach out to those who may need a hand.
All: Within the worst moments of human experience there are still the seeds of holy hope.
Many: In the midst of natural disaster, there are still these seeds of hope.
One: In the midst of starvation and disease, there are still these seeds of hope.
Many: In the midst of oppression and injustice, there are still these seeds of hope.
One: In the midst of violence and neglect, there are still these seeds of hope.
All: May we nurture hope as it grows through our gifts, our service and our advocacy. Amen.
Prayer by: Rev. Mike Denton, Conference Minister – Pacific Northwest Conference of the United Church of Christ.
Global Ministries International Partners in American Samoa:
- Congregational Christian Church in American Samoa
Global Ministries Missionary in American Samoa:
None at the present time