Dear brothers and sisters, peace be with you:
This week, under the assault of a tropical cyclone, Sri Lanka has experienced days of heavy rain, the likes of which we have rarely seen in the past three years. The rain has hardly stopped since Wednesday, and in the mountainous areas, it felt as if it were being poured down from the sky in torrents. By the weekend, reports of floods and landslides emerged from many regions. Bridges and roads were washed away, obstructing travel, and some houses were submerged in muddy water or destroyed, causing serious loss of life and property. At one point, about a third of the country experienced simultaneous power outages, water shortages, and internet disruptions.
This cyclone was very different from the rainy seasons we are used to. It wasn’t like a monsoon that simply brings moisture and rain, but an entire intense weather system striking all at once—gales, torrential rain, and storm surges arrived simultaneously. This combination makes floods, flash floods, and landslides more likely to occur in a short period, with potential disasters on hillsides, along rivers, and on the coast all at the same time. Consequently, the devastation caused by one cyclone is often more widespread and sudden than that of a typical rainy season.
However, praise the Lord, He cares for His church. The saints in all the churches are safe. Although there was property damage, no one was injured. In the church in Colombo, two families’ homes were flooded, with damage to furniture and belongings. The brothers and sisters have hosted them in the meeting hall and in the saints’ homes, supplying them during this time. In the northern and central regions, some saints’ homes were also flooded, leaving them full of mud and in need of a slow cleanup. Last Lord’s Day, because several main roads were cut off, meetings in various places were also affected.
Praise the Lord, in the days following the disaster, water and electricity are gradually being restored in the affected areas, and the internet is slowly coming back. Many brothers and sisters have successively sent news that they are safe, which has been a great relief to all of us.
During these days, what has touched me the most is the mutual care among the saints in the church. The brothers and sisters pray with one accord every day and support and supply one another in life and with material goods. One brother proposed that once the water fully recedes, we should go together to help the affected saints clean up their homes—not just giving materially, but also being willing to personally offer their time and labor to bear the burdens with the members.
Outwardly, it seems like a natural disaster, but in the Lord’s sovereignty, all things still work together for good to those who love God. These circumstances have, on the contrary, made us feel more deeply that the love among the members is not just in word, but in concrete action. As John said, “Let us not love in word nor in tongue, but in deed and truthfulness.”
In these trials, the church in Sri Lanka, through your intercession and in the bountiful supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, is gradually becoming solid and mature, growing and standing firm in the Body of Christ.
May the Lord continue to bless His testimony in Sri Lanka, causing His church in this land to become stronger and more victorious.
亲爱的弟兄姊妹，平安：
这一周，斯里兰卡在热带气旋的侵袭下，连日豪雨，雨势之大，是我们这三年来少见的。从星期三开始，雨几乎没有停过，山区的雨更像是从天空一阵一阵倒下来一般。到了周末，许多地区陆续传出洪患与土石流，桥梁和道路被冲断，往来受阻；也有房屋被泥水淹没或冲毁，造成严重的生命财物损失。有一度，全国约三分之一的地区同时停电、停水、网络中断。
这次的气旋，和我们平常习惯的雨季非常不同。它不像季风那样只是带来湿气和降雨，而是整个强烈天气系统一口气袭来——暴风、豪雨、风暴潮同时到位。这样的组合使得洪水、山洪与土石流更容易在短时间内发生，也让山坡、河川、沿海都有可能同时出现灾情。也因此，一场气旋所造成的破坏，常常会比一般雨季的范围更广、更急。
然而，感谢主，祂顾念祂的召会。众召会的圣徒们都平安，虽然有财物损失，但无人受伤。可伦坡召会有两个家庭家中淹水，家具与用品受损；弟兄姊妹已接待他们住在会所和圣徒家中，供应他们渡过这段时间。北部和中部地区也有圣徒家进水，家中一片泥泞，需要慢慢整理。上周主日，由于几条主要道路中断，各地聚会也因此受到影响。
感谢主，灾后这几天，受灾地区的水电逐渐恢复，网络也慢慢回来。许多弟兄姊妹陆续传来平安的消息，让我们都松了一口气。
在这些日子里，最让我感动的是，召会中圣徒的彼此相顾。弟兄姊妹天天同心合意祷告；在生活与物资上，彼此扶持、互相供应。有弟兄提议，等水完全退去，我们要一起去协助受灾圣徒整理家园——不只是物质上给予，也愿意亲自摆上时间与劳力，与肢体同担重担。
外面看似是一场天灾，但在主的主宰里，万有仍然互相效力，叫爱神的人得益处。这些环境反而让我们更深感受，肢体之间的相爱，不只是言语，而是具体的行动。正如约翰所说：“我们相爱，不要只在言语和舌头上，总要在行为和真诚上。”
在这些试炼中，斯里兰卡的召会在你们的代求里，在耶稣基督之灵全备的供应里，渐渐扎实、成熟，在基督的身体里长大并站立得稳。
愿主继续祝福祂在斯里兰卡的见证，使祂的召会在这片土地上越发刚强、得胜。
