I'll start by first saying that everything down here in Dunedin is fine, thank you all for your thoughts. I'll go on by asking you to please pray and/or send your thoughts to those people in Christchurch and their family and friends who are still waiting to know if their loved ones are alive.
This is so surreal. I've spent the past week just marveling at the beauty of New Zealand's landscape and today one of it's largest towns gets rocked by an earthquake....only a matter of months after their last one. There is a huge difference; no lives were lost in the September quake. Prime Minister John Key has confirmed that at least 65 people have died and that over 200 are injured. These numbers will go up. The PM has also described this as one of New Zealand's "darkest days". I've been so enamored with this place's beauty that I've neglected to even consider that tragedy can strike here just as well as it can anywhere else. This is a truly sad day for New Zealand.
I was in a meeting at the bank trying to get my new account all set up when the quake hit. I didn't feel a thing and didn't even know about the disaster until about 2:30PM. I remember when I first saw the news of it, I didn't understand the magnitude of the damage and devastation. I found out later that some people in Dunedin did feel the effects of the quake. People in office buildings said they could feel their offices shaking and that they sought cover in the doorways. Disaster was striking and I was completely oblivious, helpless, and wholly unaware of the wreckage. Then I started getting texts, Facebook messages, and e-mails trying to make sure that I was OK. How sobering. I am miles away from Dunedin and still the fear of the quake caused my loved ones moments of panic and strife. I can't even begin to imagine what the people who have yet to here from their loved ones at ground zero must feel like. A total lack of stability? Complete and utter terror? I have no way of knowing, I have never been through anything like this. Even when the attack on Sept. 11th happened, I had no connection to those in NYC. This quake and the emotions pouring out of and into New Zealand take me back to those weeks of news reports and sadness. Claire picked me up from the library to take me home to Macandrew Bay and she was listening to the reports over the radio. She had already been trying to get in touch with her friends and family members in ChCh, I wonder how much relief she felt when she found out that her niece was OK and without injury. It puts so much in perspective when I see those around me trying to make sure their contacts in ChCh are alive. Imagine what it would be like to call a friend, only to get their voicemail because they were buried under a pile of rubble. I hope that this is not the case for my friends here in Dunedin, but the sad reality is that I am sure this is true for someone today.
I am currently sitting in the lounge in Macandrew Bay watching live reports of what is going on in Christchurch. People are being interviewed, from survivors to the PM...reports are bleak. My only hope is that those in ChCh will see relief soon and that they know the world is looking to them with love and empathy in it's heart.
Again, if prayer is a part of your lifestyle...please pray for those in Christchurch and the families and friends of those people in Christchurch. If prayer is not a part of your life, please give your deepest thoughts. My heart goes out to Christchurch tonight, I hope tomorrow will bring even a little reprieve from such a great sorrow.
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