On May 27, 2006, the words of a well-loved chorus, "Though the earth may shake and the mountains may rumble," took on special meaning for Indonesians as a 6.3 magnitude earthquake rocked the island of Java.

For weeks, Indonesians had been carefully watching Mount Merapi, the world's most active volcano, as it expelled rivers of molten lava. Many expected a major eruption, not realizing that the danger was beneath their feet.

The heaviest quake damage occurred in the southern suburbs of the city of Yogyakarta. Over 6,200 died and thousands of others were wounded. More than 46,000 homes were destroyed and 650,000 people were left dwelling in tents.

At Indonesia Nazarene Theological College (INTC) in Yogyakarta, the only injuries were minor and all buildings were still standing. Repeated aftershocks occurred throughout the day and night. Campus students, afraid to go back inside the buildings, pulled chairs out into the courtyard and spent the day there consoling each other, praying together, and singing, "Though the earth may shake, and the mountains may rumble, I will be faithful and hold fast to Your promises, Lord."

The next day, a group went to assess the damage in the hardest-hit area, distributing bottled water, instant noodles, and rice. The Nazarene Compassionate Ministries team met to strategize the best response. The need for emergency food and water was great. For the next few weeks, daily caravans of cars were loaded with food, water, tents, clothes, and medicine to take to the affected areas. Classes at INTC were suspended for two weeks so students could offer assistance to victims in the area surrounding the campus.

An outdoor kitchen was set up and in the first week, 1,400 meals were delivered to aid workers and victims. One group of students immediately set to work cleaning away the debris of fallen homes. Another group of students began a daily hospital ministry, visiting, counseling, and praying with victims—some still lying on mats in the crowded hospital lobby.

A family living half a mile from campus had been sleeping outside with no shelter. They were supplied with blankets, food, and soap while students erected a tent to shelter the family. Near a Nazarene church plant in Klaten, about 15 miles southeast of Yogyakarta, all 100 homes were destroyed. A command post was set up at this location and for an entire month meals were provided for 300 people daily.

Vacation Bible School activities for more than 100 children were also held for over a month. Relief work will be ongoing for several more months and rehabilitation and redevelopment for many years. Homes need to be rebuilt, and children are in need of counseling and special attention.

In the midst of the overwhelming damage, Nazarene Indonesians continue to trust in God's Word: "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging" (Psalm 46:1-3).

Rosa McCroskey is a missionary serving at Indonesia Nazarene Theological College in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

Holiness Today, September/October 2006

Please note: This article was originally published in 2006. All facts, figures, and titles were accurate to the best of our knowledge at that time but may have since changed.