Brother Bell suggested that we ride with him into the shattered part of Christchurch. Many of the pictures we took are blurry—taken from the window of a moving car. We came back with many questions. Where will all of these people live? Are we just taking up space here that is needed by others? How will they ever get back to normal? Where and when will the next one hit?
Army and police are at every intersection that leads into the heart of downtown where all the loss of life took place. Out in the residential area, there was not nearly the loss of life, but property damage is tremendous and the roads are nearly impassable.
These huge piles of dirt line the sides of all the roads. They are the remnants of the liquefaction.
New Zealand and Christchurch had the nicest roads. Now….
Notice the SUV across the river, stuck in a sink hole.
This bus has been stuck in front of Candace’s house for three days.
This stretch of road sank to the level of the lake that is off to the left.
Miriam and her family have been living in this tent, afraid to go in their house that was hammered by the quake.
Twenty five seconds can turn people’s lives upside down, as can a few words from a Doctor. My heart right now is with my nieces Sonja and Alisa. I love you both.
It's so depressing! That beautiful city is a mess. It's going to take awhile to get that all back to normal.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the post.
Hey mom, I just flushed again.
Our thoughts and prayers are with you. Even in disaster, the Lord extends His "tender mercies" - being in the least affected part of the city. Thanks for the updates. There is 24 hour coverage on the Aussie TV my son tells me, not so much here, your blog fills some of the blanks. A mission is usually an experience of a lifetime, guess that's true.
ReplyDeleteBarbara
I was speaking to a dear friend this week about her husband who passed away. We were remembering miracles that happened when he had his stroke. She commented, "Isn't it fascinating that some of the most marvelous moments in life, some of the dearest memories, happen in the darkest times." I've pondered that thought for days. It is so true and helps me look at what we all face with more faith.
ReplyDeleteWOW!! What a picture journal!! Is that why you were called to New Zealand -- to learn how to survive an earthquake, and to teach your family and friends how to better prepare??!! Here at home we are all so grateful you are safe -- even have food and water. You have had an actual survival experience. That price for petrol -- that's 2.07 per liter, right?? That's too much!! But then you were willing to pay almost any price as long as you got some -- right? Keeping the top half of the tank full is good advice. The check list you give is a good exercise for us here at home. Thanks for the update. We are so grateful you are okay. HANG IN!! (posted by Karen)
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