AND LIFE CONTINUES

(If you have stopped by for the first time today, I suggest you start reading from A Shaky Experience.)

Earthquake or no, life goes on. That has never been clearer to me than now. I read the posts on Facebook and other loops where I participate and nothing is said. I don’t expect it, by the way, but it just illustrates to me how “relative” things are in a human being’s life, even though we share the same planet. What totally rocks my world isn’t even a blip on your radar, and vice versa.

I had the privilege, however, of receiving an e-mail yesterday from someone who has been reading my blog and became concerned because I had stopped mid-point during my story…that perhaps something bad had occurred. Thank you, J. Thank you for recognizing my blip. You will never know how much that means to me. So, today I will sum up things and bring it up to date. Otherwise, it could drag on forever. I love to tell stories.

We had lights, water, cable, and even Internet—amazing, all things considered. By the time I got online, I had already received frantic e-mails from friends, my sister, and my son, Josh, whose family had returned to Chile before him. I began to send notes out to calm everyone’s nerves (while trying to do the same with mine) and assure them we had not been hurt. Even though at that time, I had no idea about Steve. A lot of people prayed.

Steve finally got through to us sometime that evening. He had decided to stop at a hotel in Chillan and stay the night instead of going to Concepcion or Talcahuano (where, by now, total chaos reigned).  Obviously, he cancelled his meetings and would come home as soon as possible. The main problem was that since they had no television or radio in the hotel, he had no idea of road conditions. I knew by then that parts of the highway had buckled and bridges had gone down. We would just have to trust that he could get home. Somehow. . .

I promised to bring you up to date, and I will. Steve made it home. And we have not had a moment of rest, since. Well, that is probably an exaggeration, because we do sleep at night. But you know what that saying means. Besides picking up where we left off in our regular activities, we have working as liaisons to get relief down south. I have included a link to some pictures of Dichato, a town we have kind of “adopted.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hE1BZ7CTqE. It gives you a good idea of what kind of damage you can expect in other seaside towns down south, seaside or not, hit by the tsunami/earthquake. And what they continue to deal with.

My daughter, April, has not even returned to school, yet, as she continues to distribute food and clothing to more remote pueblos, as well as helping people who are suffering from PTSS. She is no psychologist, but she is an awesome listener and encourager, and will share from her heart with those in pain.

Since the earthquake, we have had more than 200 aftershocks registering over 4.9 on the Richter scale, several of them making earthquake category. Just day before yesterday one of 6.7 hit Concepcion. Again. So, buildings continue to crumble. But what is as devastating is the affect this is having on people’s emotions and spirits. One friend who went to Concepcion told us what most stood out to him—the looks on people’s faces. As if they were zombies.

I have been paying attention to the posts Chileans are putting on their Facebook profiles. Posts of hope and “Come on, Chile, get on your feet.” But what caught my eye yesterday was a post from someone I know who has never been overt about any Christian faith or religious beliefs or even given an opinion when I share mine. It was a call to remember why Jesus came to earth and for Chile to invite God back into the equation (my words, loose translation from Spanish). I gave a thumbs-up on that one.

Thank you for reading my musings, and I welcome any and all comments.

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