Jeff Adams

Anyone who follows this blog must know that The Summit begins in the morning. Today, however, has been quite a day. This post will have two distinct parts – Chile and The Summit.

Very early this morning I was finishing getting dressed and ready to head out to teach my mission class in Shepherd School when the news flashed across the TV of a massive earthquake in Chile. The epicenter was near Concepción. I was just there last August. Vivid images flashed through my mind – friends, places, memories. Santiago was affected – airport closed, hospitals down, major highways and bridges ripped apart. At that moment they only had 80 some confirmed deaths. Then, I heard that it ranked 8.8. I stopped in my tracks and grew quiet.

If you know anything about earthquakes, you realize how extremely rare a quake of this magnitude is. As horrible as the Haitian quake was, this is many times more powerful. I don’t expect the same loss of life simply because Chile is a modern country with solid infrastructure and strict construction codes to withstand earthquakes. But 8.8!!!!

When I got done teaching  I sat down at my computer to try and sort things out. By this time the tsunami warnings had been issued. Having just been in both Concepción and Santiago and with many friends there from over the years, my thoughts quite naturally fell to them and their families. Having just been in Argentina last month for a major student mission congress (CIMA2010), over 400 students from Chile participated and I must have met most of them!

Thank God for Facebook! Over the course of the day I heard from a number of my friends, especially from Santiago. To this point, all are well that I have heard from. Some I have not. I still have no word from Concepción. I continue to pray for Chile and ask you to join me.

The other part of the day was a contrast. Most of our special speakers arrived today and this evening we all went to Jack Stack for some great KC BBQ and fellowship. There were 16 of us in a private room and the conversation flowed like water from a fire hydrant. A couple of times I sat back and looked around the room in amazement. Sitting in the same room were men who are working in some of the most challenging situations on earth. The many connections, common friendships and shared vision filled the room with great energy and anticipation. Hearing what God is doing in their respective areas was, as I said in my previous post, like going back to the first century.

It’s going to be a great week.