What are the #1 needs of the Tsunami survivors?

While aftershocks are still likely, we can hope that the immediate effects of the earthquakes and tsunami in Japan are over. What comes next? IO9 has a list of the harsh realities facing the survivors, and what is likely to be the first relief they will need. Ironically, the #1 need after tsunami is WATER.

The first long-term problem facing tsunami survivors and disaster responders is procuring water. A huge amount of salt water has swept over the freshwater delivery system that modern society has installed. Furthermore, septic tanks and sewage systems have often burst open. Chemicals and pesticides can render water undrinkable and unsafe for any kind of contact. The initial deliver of bottled water and an ongoing system of scrupulous water testing is a must for the affected areas.

Please continue to pray for Japan. And consider giving whatever you can to the relief efforts.

8.9 magnitude earthquake + tsunami rock Japan

Amazingly, so far only 32 people are reported dead. But there are sure to be more deaths, injuries, and suffering to come from this horrible disaster. Please consider donating to the Red Cross who will likely be first on the scene to help survivors.

The magnitude 8.9 offshore quake was followed by at least 19 aftershocks, most of them of more than magnitude 6.0. Dozens of cities and villages along a 1,300-mile (2,100-kilometer) stretch of coastline were shaken by violent tremors that reached as far away as Tokyo, hundreds of miles (kilometers) from the epicenter...

Even for a country used to earthquakes, this one was of horrific proportions. It unleashed a 23-foot (7-meter) tsunami that swept boats, cars, buildings and tons of debris miles inland...

The U.S. Geological Survey said the 2:46 p.m. quake was a magnitude 8.9, the biggest earthquake to hit Japan since officials began keeping records in the late 1800s.
A tsunami warning was extended to a number of Pacific, Southeast Asian and Latin American nations, including Japan, Russia, Indonesia, New Zealand and Chile. In the Philippines, authorities said they expect a 3-foot (1-meter) high tsunami.

Earthquake in Haiti

A 7.0 magnitude earthquake ripped through Haiti yesterday, causing widespread destruction and death in a country where poverty and persistent political unrest had resulted in poor building standards. Photos from the scene are showing whole regions flattened, and the local authorities are saying hospitals can not handle the influx of wounded and dying.

Destroyed communications made it impossible to tell the extent of destruction from Tuesday afternoon's 7.0-magnitude tremor — or to estimate the number of dead lying among thousands of collapsed buildings in Haiti's capital.
The ornate National Palace crumbled into itself, the headquarters of the U.N. peacekeeping mission collapsed and swaths of rickety shacks lay in shambles. Clouds of dust thrown up by falling buildings choked Port-au-Prince for hours...
Associated Press journalists found the damage staggering even for a country long accustomed to tragedy and disaster.

Please be praying for the disaster-torn country. It remains to be seen if the Recession creates any difficulty raising relief money, but it is likely to put extra pressure on efforts to help.

Biscuit Update - Home and Sleeping

Well, it has been an eventful and uneventful day, depending on your point of view. The good news - Biscuit is home safe and snoozing next to me (as pictured below). The bad news - they could not do the endoscope because she was too swollen to put in an IV for the anesthesia. This means we still do not know what is wrong with her, but have to treat her on the doctor's best guess. This is probably okay as the doctor has been practicing medicine for 40 years and is renowned for his instincts and intuition. But it may mean that we are treating the wrong thing.

We start on some new meds today and see him again in two Mondays. Please be praying the new meds are efficacious and that she begins to feel better soon. As of now, she is just muddling through life.

Prayer Request: Our Dog Biscuit

Those of you who follow me on Twitter or who have spoken to me in-person the last few weeks are aware that our family has been going thru a minor crisis. Our dog Biscuit has been diagnosed with "significant" heart disease and some kind of gastrointestinal disorder. The heart disease is being treated with medication, but in order to treat her intestinal problem any further, she needs an endoscope. The endoscope, however, is dangerous because anesthesia is required, and anesthesia is always dangerous (potentially fatal) for a dog with heart problems. However, it has become clear she is NOT improving without this, so we have opted to have the vet do the endoscope today.

Please be praying for all of us and for little Biscuit today. Please pray that God guides the doctor's hands (both the vet and the anesthesiologist) so that they do their best to get the info they need without risking her life. Please pray that they can see what is wrong and know if there is a treatment. Please pray that we recieve comfort during this stressful day, and that once the doctor knows what is wrong that we have the required wisdom to know what to do next.

Thanks for your thoughts and prayers.