On December 26, 2004, a magnitude 9.0 earthquake just off the western coast of northern Sumatra, Indonesia, triggered the most devastating tsunamis in recorded history. According to estimates, the dead and missing exceeded 280,000! Even in Somalia, Africa, an ocean away to the west, waves claimed approximately 290 lives.
Indonesia: Although this country suffered the greatest loss of life, no brothers or interested ones were killed. Because of earlier violence, many Witnesses had fled the region of Aceh—the worst-hit area—and moved inland. The island of Nias was also badly hit, but the brothers managed to flee to safety.
India: No brothers died, although many lost homes and other possessions. In the city of Pondicherry, Lakshmi was out in field service when she heard about the tsunami. She went to her home, a mud house about two miles [3 km] inland, and found it badly damaged. The brothers helped to clean and repair it.
In Madras, 13-year-old Naveen was playing cricket when he saw huge waves. He alerted his mother and sister and fled with them to safety. Even so, they waded through inrushing water that carried along all kinds of household items as well as many bodies.
Seven-year-old Lini was with her uncle and her cousin at a beach near Kanniy?kum?ri when waves carried her inland until she got jammed in a wooden fence. Water kept washing over her. Her uncle and cousin survived, but the uncle lost his glasses and could not see well. Still, he kept searching for Lini. Before long, he heard her cry out to Jehovah between surges of water and was able to rescue her. Lini now tells everyone that Jehovah heard her prayers.
Andaman and Nicobar Islands: Mary and her eight-year-old son, Alwyn, were visiting relatives when the quake shook the house. All ran outside. Mary saw a wall of water racing toward the shore. Just then, a bus arrived. She and her son jumped in and got away. Others, however, ran back into their homes to grab belongings and were washed away. After traveling a short distance, everyone on the bus felt another tremor. They fled the bus and ran to a high point where about 500 people had gathered. Before their eyes, surging water carried the bus away and came within two feet [half a meter] of where the people were standing.
After the water receded, Mary returned briefly to her home. She managed to find her Bible and the booklet Examining the Scriptures Daily, which were a source of strength in the ensuing days. When news came that ships would take the people off the island, hundreds ran to the shore and waded out in the ocean in anticipation of boarding a boat. For hours each day, Mary and her son waited in waist-deep water, surrounded by floating corpses. Six days after the tsunami, a boat finally took them away. Because many blamed God for the tragedy, Mary was able to give a fine witness. In fact, her sister-in-law is now studying the Bible and attending Christian meetings.
Prasanthi and her five-year-old son, Jehoash, had gone to Hut Bay to visit her aged father, Brother Prasad Rao. While there, they felt the earthquake, saw the waves, and fled to higher ground. Water rose 15 feet [5 m] above the road and covered Prasad’s home. His beds, refrigerator, and television and the congregation’s supply of Greatest Man books all floated away. Later, survivors found some of the books and began reading them. For five days, Prasad, Prasanthi, and Jehoash ate salvaged food and endured clouds of mosquitoes and flies. When boats arrived, Prasanthi and Jehoash, along with many others, waded in chest-deep water to their rescuers, even though crocodiles were swimming nearby! Prasanthi, incidentally, was six months pregnant. Her father joined them later.
All the houses on Teressa Island were washed away. The 13 brothers and sisters there spent six days in the jungle, suffering from hunger and insect bites, before being evacuated to Camorta Island. There they found shelter with Mark Paul, a brother who lives on high ground and whose home is used as the Kingdom Hall. Earlier, on the day of the tsunami, instead of the usual 10 to 12 attending the congregation meeting, 300 were there! Since then, 18 new Bible students regularly attend meetings, having seen firsthand the loving support Jehovah’s people extend to one another.
Sri Lanka: Waves hit two thirds of the coastline of this island, causing extensive damage. The tsunami struck on Sunday morning when most of the brothers were at congregation meetings outside the danger zone. Ten congregations were affected, and one sister lost her life when her house was dragged out to sea. The brothers deeply mourn the loss of this fine sister. A number of interested ones were also killed, and many brothers lost relatives. One elder lost 27 family members! Nevertheless, “the brothers have come through this tragedy without a spiritual ‘dent,’” writes the branch.
Bethel was packed with relief supplies, and most of the Bethel family focused on relief work. Local brothers with vehicles ferried supplies to the disaster areas. Within four days, all the brothers had been contacted and given food and clothing. When asked what else they needed, they replied: “Bibles and books! Ours were washed away.” Their needs were promptly filled.
Circuit overseer Gerrad Cooke was in Colombo at the time. He drove for seven hours on a road that is dangerous after dark because of wild elephants. When he arrived at 10:30 p.m., he and a local brother—whose own house had been inundated—immediately set off to visit families and distribute supplies, working well into the early morning hours.
Thailand: No local brothers were injured or killed, and none lost their means of livelihood. However, some foreign vacationers are missing, presumed dead. They include one Finnish brother, one Swedish couple, an Austrian brother, and a sister’s unbelieving mate. Two Swedish couples had joined the local group for field service away from the coast. When they returned to their hotel, they saw nothing but death and devastation.
On the Monday morning after the quake, the presiding overseer of the Phuket Congregation received a phone call from the Thailand branch informing him that a Finnish sister, Kristina, was in a hospital 90 minutes away. He and another brother immediately went to the hospital. Writes the presiding overseer: “I have never seen so much misery in my life—people without mates, parents without their children, children without their parents. Some were crying for help; others were staring at the ceiling or the floor. The situation was so emotionally heartrending that occasionally we had to leave the room to regain our composure and pray for strength.”
The brothers found Kristina as she was being prepared for surgery on her broken leg. She had lost all her documents. After the operation, the two local brothers prayed with her and stayed by her side until midnight. A few days later, she flew back to Finland. Despite her adversities, “Kristina was courageous and strong,” the brothers report. Sadly, her husband died in the tsunami.
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