A letter from our dear, sweet friends Loren and Penny Hollingsworth

Dear Loved Ones, So many have written and I want to let you know how much we appreciate your love and concern. It has really meant so much to us. I'm writing this about 8:41 pm and don't know if I will finish it tonight or tomorrow as I am totally bushed. This is Tue. evening. We spent the morning at the government hospital in the wards talking to people and trying to help where ever we could. So many people have brought in clothes, food, supplies and are trying to help. It is all so sad and emotionally draining more than I can even explain.

Loren talked to a man who was sitting in a chair that said he lost his two young children and his wife. They died. I talked to a woman from Germany who had a terrible cut across one eye and her nose which had been stitched up and she said her husband was missing and she had no clothes, passport etc. A lady I talked to from Sweden said the same thing. They were in pain and shock and everyone was like that. Loren talked to a young girl who had lost both of her parents. People were trying to contact Embassy officials, find out when they could go home etc. We helped dress people with broken legs and broken arms as there are not enough nurses to do anything but the essentials. These people were in wards of about 40 people. All the hospitals are full (hope we don't need one anytime soon).

I have never seen anything like it and hope I never will again.

Most these people have not had a bath or been able to wash, had no clothes, shoes, etc. We plan on going back tomorrow to help more and follow up on what we tried to do today. Because everyone is so busy it is difficult for those who can help to get back to those who are desperately waiting for information and help. We've seen dead bodies and understand that there are more out of town on the roads that haven't even been picked up yet.

This afternoon we went to Patong Beach to help our deaf Christians clean up there shops. Everything was a muddy, stinky mess but their spirits were good. One couple lost everything in their store but hope to wash t-shirts etc. and sell them cheap for a little income. The beach itself was beautiful today with many tourist walking up and down the streets looking at the damage and some walking the beaches. The damage is all across the street from the beach where the stores were demolished along with cars, pickups and boats. Everyone was out trying to clean up their stores, rescue what ever could be salvaged. It all looked like a battle field and smelled like it too. They say there are still bodies buried under some of the rubble.

Since we live in Phuket City which is over the mountain from the beaches we experienced the earthquake around 8:05 Sun. morning. Loren and a friend had gone to Patong Beach to hold Sun. morning services with our deaf Christians who live over there and I was at home getting ready for services here. The quake seemed to last a long time to me and I didn't think we had experience any structural damage (since our building isn't built too well that was the first thing I thought of) and so figured maybe there would be damage from the quake somewhere else but not here. Turned out that the whole of Thailand experienced the quake it was such a big one. Anyway Loren came home and said he didn't feel it and taught his Bible class. Before it was over a girl who worked at a hotel called for someone to pick her up (she said she wanted to repent she wasn't ready to die) as there had been a huge wave and everyone had fled the hotel and she was scared. Loren and some others went to find her and couldn't (until about 9pm). In the meantime one of the deaf Christians came in to say his wife was missing. She had gotten on a motorcycle to go check their shop and when she saw the huge wave coming she jumped off the motorcycle and ran and he couldn't find her. We searched all the hospitals and couldn't find her. Finally at 4pm someone called to say she was all right. How thankful we were. Anyway in the process of checking hospitals our eyes were opened to the disaster we were hearing about. People were inside, outside all over and ambulances coming and going. Since then they have been flying helicopters and planes in and out trying to get injured people to Bangkok and home. Little did I know that morning after the quake what was really going to happen. We never know do we?

Anyway I hope I haven't written too much and some of it may be a repeat of information for some. Right now our death count is over 1,000 and there will be a lot more I think that haven't turned up yet. If you have food, clothing, a roof over your head and your loved ones around you, count your blessings. So many lost so much in a matter of seconds.

Thanks again for your love and concern of us, the Christians here and the people who are struggling with difficulties of unbelievable proportions. Time for me to go to bed. Tomorrow will be another long day I am sure.

Love to all, Penny &Loren
Phuket 83000
Thailand