Published: May 14, 2008 11:44 am         

Shipshewana family hopeful regarding son

The family of Sheldon and Ellen Graber of Shipshewana have received some good news regarding their son, Chad, 28, who was teaching in the city of Wenchuan, China, when the area was struck with a 7.9-magnitude earthquake earlier this week.

Chad, a graduate of Clinton Christian High School, Goshen, has been teaching English at a university in the city of Wenchuan for the past four years, a mountainous area just miles from the earthquake’s epicenter.

According to Sheldon, the family is still waiting to hear news of their son’s condition and whereabouts, as nearly all forms of communication in the region have been disrupted due to the quake.

However, Sheldon said he was recently able to view several satellite photos of the area where his son teaches, and the buildings appear to be mostly intact.

“We still do not have any direct news of his whereabouts, but we do have pictures of the college where he and his wife, Jenny, were living, and the buildings are up,” Sheldon said. “We are not positive they were on campus when the earthquake hit. They should have been out of class, and we know that sometimes they do go out into the country, so we’re still waiting.

“But the good news is that the buildings are still standing,” he said.

Sheldon said he had received word from the agency in Thailand that Chad works for that several men have been sent in to Wenchuan from the city of Chengdu, the provincial capital and the largest city in the Sichuan Province.

Even so, Sheldon said it could still be some time before any word on the whereabouts of his son can be determined.

Aid has also been slow in getting to the area, as landslides and quake debris have blocked access to the one road leading into and out of the mountain city.

“We’re staying close to the phone,” Sheldon said. “The agency is sending three men into Wenchuan from Chengdu, and they are in the process of making their way in, so we’re hoping they make contact soon and let us know how they are.

“It’s a difficult trip though, and we’re not even sure if the road is open, but we do know there is relief going into Wenchuan right now, so we’re just waiting and trusting in the Lord for good news.”