Lingering over breakfast last Saturday, somehow conversation turned to the earthquake Chile experienced last February. Mama Isabel and I conversed at length about the topic and I came away from the chat amazed at God's goodness in the whole event. Because they experienced the quake personally and live in country, my Chilean family has a unique perspective that I never heard in the reports I read.
Chile is over three faults: the Pacific, the Neaza, and the Continental. The eathquake's epicenter was in Conception, some 200 miles from Santiago. There, the ground rose in places and sunk in others. Thanks to God, at least here in Santiago, there was not too much damage and in most cases it was confined to unfortified, older buildings. The Diaz family only had two glass vases broken, paint cracks in the walls, and some pieces fall from the ceiling in one room as a result of a wall moving slightly. The church is in much worse condition since it was an older building. It is undergoing much renovation. In the first news articles I read the death count was only about 200 or so. I was later told it was more, but I never found an exact count. Mama Isabel confirmed the first accounts I read: that no more than 300 people died. Though each death is a great loss, this is a low number for an earthquake. Interestingly, the majority of deaths were tourists who stayed closer to the sea instead of seeking refuge in the hills. They ignored warnings of a tsunami which did come counter to news reports. The waves weren't high, but they were powerful. It was a miracle that more people didn't die. For instance, if the earthquake had occured just one month earlier, in January, there would have been more tourists and more people by the sea. (Remember, winter in the states is summer in Chile.) More people would have been affected by the tsunami. Also, during the time of the earthquake, there was a festival in Vina del Mar. Vina is about an hour and a half away from Santiago. Normally, people stay at the festival until very, verrrry late. Morning late. The day of the earthquake, they finished before or around 3:00 a.m. The earthquake happened about 3:30. Mama Isabel told me the earthquake served as a wake-up call to the church because of its indifference. God had great mercy throughout everything. Chile has tremors every day. Earthquakes are not atypical. In fact, in the south of the country, they are expecting one. The timing of this last one amazes me and the way God worked so that many people were protected. To top it all, Chile is enjoying the best economy they've had in years...despite the earthquake.
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