After Shock

The institute building has found new purpose.  LDS Social Services has sent three counselors from the north island to help people traumatized by the earthquake.  They offered to come after the quake last September, but no one felt they needed help.  Today, they were busy all day long.  They will be here three or four days a week for the next six weeks and I don’t think they’ll be wanting for work.  Old people, young people, and couples are all needing to talk to someone.  We have noticed that our young adults are wanting to gather more often.  Our house was packed for family home evening on Monday night, and on Thursday nights they come early and stay late for institute classes. 

Engineers also came to inspect the chapels.  They found that the damage is minimal and that after a few minor repairs, we’ll be back in business.  Church meetings will resume on March 20.  Until then, the bishops and stake president have given permission for families and groups of families to gather for sacrament services.  Last week we held a Young Adult fast and testimony meeting at the institute building.  It was one of the best meetings I’ve ever been to.  We will have our own sacrament meeting this week as well.  Our numbers are still down for some of these activities.  We have seen very few of the young adults from the Avonside and Opawa wards.  Their families have been hit the hardest and I know that many have left Christchurch for a time.  Riccarton ward (our ward) is growing as displaced families move further west. 

We are losing some of our wonderful young adults.  Tui Hawaikirangi moved to Australia to be with her family.  Stephen Henderson is going to Auckland for work.  Patricia is going to Bordeau, France to finish her masters in neuro-science.  Not one of them asked us for permission.  We will miss them very much.

Stephen Henderson and Matt Ziegler brought lasagna to our flat for dinner last night.  They said that we had to have a facebook page and set us up with one so that we could keep track of the young adults.  I’ve never learned to appreciate this social networking thing, but we’ll see how it goes.

Saturdays are turning into our busiest days.  Last week I taught a piano lesson in Christchurch, had sewing lessons for two of the young adults, and then went to Ashburton where twenty-one students showed up for piano lessons.  At some point I’m going to have to turn people away and I hate to do that.  I think I’ll just keep going until they get to the more difficult lessons and they’ll weed themselves out.  The ones who are not serious will start giving up.  I’ll hang on with a tight grip to the ones that are gifted and find some way for them to continue when our mission is over.

Shrina, Malina, and Tau

Front row: Marina, Rita, and Lote.  Second row: Jacob and Francine.  Back: Shirley.

 

Matthew concentrates as (from left to right) Mata, Trubecca, Star (behind) and Diana watch and giggle—he’s a very funny boy. 

This little Courtney reminds me of my red-headed grandkids at home.

I forgot to take pictures of the other six.  I’m thinking that Beverly Merrill should come over here on a music mission.  She could live with us and teach all these piano students one at a time.  I’d really love to turn the gifted ones over to her.  How do you feel about earthquakes, Beverly?

The aftershocks keep on coming.  We had one last night and one this morning that were well over 4 point tremors—pretty good shakers.   We also have many that are more mild.  Everyone is on pins and needles because some meteorologist has predicted a huge earthquake on March 20.  He says that the moon will be closer to the earth than normal on that day.  That will increase the gravitational pull and set off a big earthquake made possible by all these smaller earthquakes dislodging and disturbing the faults. (I explained that just as a physicist would—or would that be a geologist?)  I think it’s bunk, but I do have a good supply of drinking water just in case.  We are still boiling water, so we avoid dirtying dishes in very creative ways.  Paper plates and cups are way too expensive down here, so we eat out of pans or containers, we share a plate, or we eat on napkins.  Can we say, L-A-Z-Y.