( CNN ) -- New Zealanders Danica and Paul Weeks are no strangers to disaster . The couple 's eldest son , Lincoln , was born in the midst of an earthquake in Christchurch in 2010 . Just over three years later , in December 2013 , they were in a car accident after moving to Australia . So when Paul left for a mining job in Mongolia earlier this month , the couple took precautions , Danica says . Paul could n't wear his wedding ring on the mine site so he left it , and his watch , at home with instructions to pass them on to his two sons , `` should anything happen '' to him . On his way to Mongolia , Paul traveled on Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 . As she speaks to CNN 's Piers Morgan on Thursday , Danica grips her husband 's wedding ring while fighting back tears . It 's been five days since MH370 vanished , but with little information about the plane 's whereabouts the wait feels like an eternity . `` That 's the toughest part every day -- waking up and looking on the news and seeing that there 's nothing ; and there are no calls from Malaysia to say 'we 've found something , ' '' Weeks says . `` He was the most amazing husband and the most amazing father . He spent so much time with his kids , '' she says . Approximately 5,000 miles away , at a hotel near the Beijing Capital International Airport , Hu Xianquan waits anxiously for news of her husband , Mao Tugui . The couple last spoke on March 2 when Mao , a painter , was about to board a flight to Malaysia to attend an exhibition of his work . For Hu , like many families of those on board Flight 370 , grief is quickly turning to frustration . There has been no word of her husband for days and confusing reports about the search and rescue mission are only making the wait more agonizing . `` No one really updates us , '' she says . Questions and answers . While many Chinese relatives of passengers on board Flight 370 began traveling to Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday , Hu and her daughter decided to stay in Beijing , concerned that the language barrier would only make it more difficult to understand what was happening . Malaysia Airlines offered to transfer Chinese and Indian relatives of missing passengers to Kuala Lumpur for `` better care and comfort , '' but some have declined . `` I do n't see the point in going to Kuala Lumpur and seeing the same information , '' K. S. Narendran tells CNN from India . His wife Chandrika Sharma was on the flight . `` It 's better to stay in Chennai where I 'm surrounded by family and friends . '' Sharma , the executive secretary of the International Collective in Support of Fishworkers , had been on her way to Mongolia for a conference of the UN 's Food and Agriculture Organization . Her husband says he 's received little direct assistance or information from authorities about the search operation and relies on press conferences and news reports , but `` that has thus far amounted to nothing . '' See more of our coverage on missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 . Malaysia 's Prime Minister Najib Razak has appealed to relatives to be patient . `` The families involved have to understand that this is something unexpected . The families must understand more efforts have been made with all our capabilities , '' he said Wednesday . More than half the passengers on board Flight 370 were Chinese . Martial arts expert and stunt man Ju Kun was among them . The 35-year-old , whose film credits include `` The Grandmaster '' and `` The Forbidden Kingdom , '' was set to begin filming a new Netflix series `` Marco Polo '' in the coming weeks . Netflix and its production partner The Weinstein Company said in a statement that they were deeply saddened by the news . `` Ju Kun , who was on board , was an integral part of our production team and a tremendous talent . Our thoughts and prayers are with his family at this difficult time , '' the statement said . Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi posted a tribute to Ju on her Weibo account : `` He is a sincere , kind and hardworking man . '' Like many of those on board Flight 370 , Ju 's social media account has been flooded with comments from strangers , many praying for his safe return . Around the world , communities have gathered to pray for the missing and offer comfort to their loved ones . On Monday , Malaysians sang songs and lit paper lanterns at a candlelight vigil in Kuala Lumpur . Crowdsourcing the search . In nearby Petaling Jaya , members of the St. Francis Xavier Church have been holding special prayer sessions for Patrick Francis Gomes , an in-flight supervisor who was on board the flight . `` It 's still difficult for us to come to terms with what has happen . I can only say that my father is a quiet person but also can be a joker , '' his daughter Nikki Gomes told CNN . `` He is very dedicated to his job and took his responsibilities very seriously as all crew members would . '' Malaysia Airlines will retire flight codes MH370 and MH371 as a mark of respect to the passengers and crew , the company said in a statement Thursday . Many have turned to digital platforms to offer comforting words , and tribute sites have been created for the flight 's captain and crew . A Facebook profile thought to be that of Pouria Nour Mohammadi , an 18-year-old Iranian who used a stolen passport to board the plane , has scores of messages of support from strangers . `` I do n't know you but I pray that you are safe somewhere in this world , '' writes one user . `` May you and the other passengers and crew on Malaysian flight 370 , be found safe and may your journey continue to find yourself safe in your mothers [ sic ] arms again . '' Back in China , Huang Lu , a teacher at an elementary school in Guizhou province , waits for word of her friend , Huang Yi . The 30-year-old works for the technology firm Freescale in the company 's Tianjin office . She was on the plane with 19 other colleagues when it disappeared . The women have been friends since they were teenagers . `` She 's kind , lively and a good person to talk with , '' Huang Lu said . The pair kept in touch online . Yi , who has a five-year old daughter named Yuanyuan , would often talk to Huang Lu about family and raising children . `` I 've been waiting , worried since I heard the news . I hope to see a miracle . Yi , please come back , Yuanyuan needs you , '' she said . INTERACTIVE : What happened to Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 ? Dayu Zhang and Serena Dong reported from Beijing ; Sophie Brown wrote from Hong Kong . CNN 's Anjali Tsui and Euan McKirdy contributed to this report .
Relatives of MH370 passengers are anxious to hear news of loved ones . Martial arts star Ju Kun was among those on board the flight . Tributes and messages of support are being shared online . Communities hold vigils to pray for the missing .