Relief Floods

Written by Suan Lee Campbell and Jennifer Lu Thursday, 24 March 2011 08:49

Brisbane experienced a nightmare, and as usual Australia’s world-renowned mate-ship kicked in to respond.

On 10 January, after weeks of non-stop rain, the arteries of Queensland’s waterways burst. A flash flood claimed 35 lives, forced the evacuation of thousands, and swept away cities and farms. In just a few days, the damage rose into the billions with the worst flooding in more than 100 years. More than 40,000 properties were damaged.

Days later, Brisbane’s low-lying west side sat putrid and foul. At this point, our Campus Crusade for Christ Australia missionaries decided to cut short a conference to be part of the rescue work.

A combined initiative between Sunshine Coast Daily and Sunbus brought the compassion of the missionaries to Sumner Park, an industrial part of town. They were assigned to the wrecked warehouse of an Asian food importer and wholesaler who supplies hotels, restaurants and supermarkets. The crisis that ravaged the city caused the owner a loss of 12 trucks and five million dollars in food. The owner had no insurance to cover the destruction.

The closer the Campus Crusade missionaries got to the warehouse, the more they realised what they were about to experience. Debris lined the streets—years of work all undone by the flood.

The volunteers fell silent.

Inside the warehouse, products had split open, cooked under the tin roof by the sun’s heat, and left to rot like an open wound. The stench defies description. Mud, water, broken glass, and every Asian condiment imaginable painted the concrete floor like a slippery minefield.

The Campus Crusade missionaries were undaunted; men and women with gloves and boots dove into the muck where no backhoe could muster. The enormity of the task was daunting, but after several hours the floor began to reappear. The nameless products that created the giant mound of chop suey disappeared. Workers felt sore and tired, but through this act of kindness they showed the love of Jesus to a hurting business owner.