Solomon Islands Earthquake and Tsunami

You've been hearing about the situation in the Solomons on the news. Here is the official word from our colleagues:

A magnitude 8 earthquake and following tsunami hit Solomon Islands yesterday. It was centered about 200 miles NW of Honiara where we are, there was no damage to the SIL facility and the members and our national colleagues are safe.

However the Western Province capital of Gizo has been hit pretty hard. We would appreciate your prayers for people there - and especially the man who is the leader of the Bible Translation Organization for Solomon Islanders, Joshua Lui. He arrived in Gizo the night before the earthquake hit, and he was going to stay there a couple days to be with his daughter while she underwent surgery in the hospital there. But in the morning, Joshua and his relatives saw the water rising from the tsunami and they fled to higher ground. They are safe, but have lost many of their possessions.

Click here to see an interesting map from the US Geological Survey that plots out the quakes.