Flooding caused by downpours struck a rural church and believers in China’s central Anhui Province.
After two days of strong rains, during a Sunday evening service on July 19 water began to rise in Bolin Church in Liuan County.
Several of the estimated 50 participants stayed at the church overnight, worrying that their home in a nearby polder area would be submerged. At 10 at night, they told a deacon in a call that the rainstorm was becoming worse.
The deacon came to the church quickly, knowing that the water had entered the courtyard. By midnight more than ten co-workers and believers were at the church, pumping water outside of the church. A deacon who is in charge of the church injured his foot during the process.
First founded in the 1990s, the three-story church has an attendance of 200 to 300 on average. Believers meet on the second floor.
As the flood reached its windows, the small old church building suffered much. The washing machine, refrigerator, and television were inundated. The first floor of the current building was flooded where there is a small chapel, prayer room, reception room, air conditioner, tables, and chairs. Thanks to the efforts to pump the water out of the building, there was only slight damage.
On the second day, the flooding stopped. One day later, the waters had subsided. The deacon led the congregation in cleaning and disinfecting the building in preparation for future services.
The couple who live on the second floor went back home. As of July 23, the water level reached two meters high, less than the height of the second floor.
In general, many members had to live in temporary shelters set up by the local authorities inside a middle school. The deacon said, “We have never seen such floods in the past decades.”
As the waters ebbed, they had to walk between temporary housing and their own homes, cleaning the houses from time to time. The vehicles that belong to the church could only drive a portion of them. It took believers, particularly the elderly, more than one hour to walk to and from their residence.
He added, “Some areas are more severely affected than us. Since we can’t help others, we don’t want to burden other brothers and sisters. I only ask you to pray for us.”
He revealed that no official or soldier came to help them as local church properties mattered little to the government. A cross-removal campaign is still ongoing in the province's Wuhe County.
- Translated by Karen Luo
安徽一农村教堂与信徒家受水灾 请求代祷
近日，安徽省部分地区受水灾的消息牵动着人们的心。安徽六安一农村教堂上周也经历了水灾，教会执事带领同工及弟兄姐妹第一时间抢险救灾，尽最大努力最大程度地减少了损失。家住附近圩区的很多弟兄姊妹家中仍未完全退水，急需代祷。
据教会执事介绍，7月17-18日，当地连续下了将近两天一夜的暴雨，雨量很大。7月19日，主日早上一堂聚会还很正常，晚上一堂有50、60人在一楼小堂聚会，刚开始还没有水，在聚会期间开始涨水。
当天晚上，家住附近圩区的一对信徒夫妇担心家里被淹，就借住在教堂。大概晚上10点左右，他们给教会执事打电话说：“不好了，今年的水好像不一样，像猛虎一样来势汹汹。”听闻消息，教会执事马上赶到教堂，看到水已经漫进院子了。
接着，教会执事打电话召集了十来个同工和信徒，夜里12点开始往外抽水。经过一天一夜的努力，情况基本得以控制，第二天水不涨了，到了第三天水退了。由于晚上水来得猛，大家不顾一切地抢险救灾，教会执事在这个过程中脚有些受伤。
该教堂分两次建造，第一次是上世纪90年代建的砖瓦结构的小房子，第二次是2012年建的一座三层楼，平时聚会在二楼。教堂整体地形相对比较高，比圩区弟兄姊妹家的地形高得多，所以教堂以前的老房子建得比较矮。
这次发洪水淹到老房子窗户的位置，人站在那里的话，水位能到人的胸前那么高。老房子的厨房、饭厅等设施比较齐全，里面的洗衣机、冰箱、电视都被淹了，有一定的损失。楼房水位大约在50公分，一楼有小礼拜室、祷告室、接待室等，里面的柜式空调、桌椅等被淹。好在大家尽快把水给抽出去了，所以一楼没有太多损失。
待水退了之后，教会执事又带领弟兄姐妹们马上打扫卫生、消毒，大家齐心合力优先清理教堂，为礼拜做预备。
住在圩区的弟兄姊妹家二楼的水退了，一楼的水至少还有2米高（7月23日情况），积水全部退掉大概需要一周的时间。整体来看，受灾的信徒不少，他们现在政府临时安置的中学里暂住。
教会执事感慨，“我们这里几十年没有这样的大水。”据他介绍，附近的丰乐河通到巢湖，如果不是强降雨一般不会破圩。今年降雨太强，加上长江水回流，巢湖水位高，在多种原因作用下破圩比较快。
在逐渐退水的过程中，受灾的弟兄姊妹需要往返临时安置点和自己的家，方便及时打扫清理自己的家。现在教会的车辆只能够接送一部分弟兄姊妹。其他弟兄姊妹，尤其是老年弟兄姊妹往返只能靠步行，一走就走一个多小时。
教会执事表示，“还有比我们受灾更严重的，我们帮不了别人，也不能拖累别的弟兄姊妹。只请求大家代祷。”
Flooding caused by downpours struck a rural church and believers in China’s central Anhui Province.
After two days of strong rains, during a Sunday evening service on July 19 water began to rise in Bolin Church in Liuan County.
Several of the estimated 50 participants stayed at the church overnight, worrying that their home in a nearby polder area would be submerged. At 10 at night, they told a deacon in a call that the rainstorm was becoming worse.
The deacon came to the church quickly, knowing that the water had entered the courtyard. By midnight more than ten co-workers and believers were at the church, pumping water outside of the church. A deacon who is in charge of the church injured his foot during the process.
First founded in the 1990s, the three-story church has an attendance of 200 to 300 on average. Believers meet on the second floor.
As the flood reached its windows, the small old church building suffered much. The washing machine, refrigerator, and television were inundated. The first floor of the current building was flooded where there is a small chapel, prayer room, reception room, air conditioner, tables, and chairs. Thanks to the efforts to pump the water out of the building, there was only slight damage.
On the second day, the flooding stopped. One day later, the waters had subsided. The deacon led the congregation in cleaning and disinfecting the building in preparation for future services.
The couple who live on the second floor went back home. As of July 23, the water level reached two meters high, less than the height of the second floor.
In general, many members had to live in temporary shelters set up by the local authorities inside a middle school. The deacon said, “We have never seen such floods in the past decades.”
As the waters ebbed, they had to walk between temporary housing and their own homes, cleaning the houses from time to time. The vehicles that belong to the church could only drive a portion of them. It took believers, particularly the elderly, more than one hour to walk to and from their residence.
He added, “Some areas are more severely affected than us. Since we can’t help others, we don’t want to burden other brothers and sisters. I only ask you to pray for us.”
He revealed that no official or soldier came to help them as local church properties mattered little to the government. A cross-removal campaign is still ongoing in the province's Wuhe County.
- Translated by Karen Luo
Flood Damages Anhui Rural Church, Believers' Houses
