This collection of stories comes to you directly from the website of the HKBP. The Indiana-Kentucky has secured the services of an Indonesian translator to help make this information available for you to read. In order to retain the authenticity and "flavor" of these accounts, we have chosen to retain the grammar and spelling as we have received it.

" Even Water Threw My Son and My Pregnant Wife, Finally We Saved"

We run away from the house to a field when the first earthquake hit the
ground. At that field, there were the Tampubolon and Siagian families.
After the earthquake calmed down, people from Oulele came in a rush by
motorcycles, cars and it was really crowded with people in schock. We're suddently facing all those bigs woods and houses blown by big waves of water rushed toward us. I cried out for Jesus to beg his mercy to save us.
I took my wife's hand (she is from Panjaitan clan is pregnant) and took
also my son to keep ourselves away from that horrific disaster. We saw a store and it had a second floor. We reached that second floor as quick as possible, unfortunately, waves of water were than us, and blowed us to the ocean for about one hour. We witnessed how everything was being blown about by the waves. For a second, my wife separated from me, she couldn't keep my hand. When I tried to reach her back, my son separated from me. I kept on praying to Jesus Christ. We were blowed by water about 1 km to the ocean and finally it threw us just to the second floor of a store. My son and wife are survived, unfortunately, not my sister. I work as a policeman in Banda Aceh District.
A.Simanungkalit
(News Reporter Teams, Rev. JR. Gultom, Rev. Samuel Sihombing, Simson
Tampubolon