E a Rt H qU aK e - The Days Immediately Following

During the first five days immediately following the earthquake, we were preoccupied with finding a way to get my parents back to the States. With electricity, water, and internet cut off for several days, it made it hard. I will be posting the full story of what God did in allowing my parents to get back to northern MN in time for my grandma's funeral in the near future.

It was frustrating those first few days. Everything was closed. Gas stations. Grocery stores. Our little bread store. On Wednesday, we were notified that our local church was gathering food and water to be sent up to a sister church in the "ground zero" city of Concepción.

Pastor Eric Raasch (above) is the pastor of the church in Concepción. I met him for the first time back in Oct. at the Pastor's Conf. in Uruguay. He was such an encouragement to me by taking time to converse with me about ministry, despite my language limitations. He and his family recently visited our church in Temuco when they were on vacation. The church members were anxious to do something for his family and members of the church in Concepción after the earthquake.

Our family donated some food and Gospel tracts to add to the rest of the items donated by our church members.

My dad and I offered to drive the gathered food items to the Bible Institute, where it would be packed in a truck.

Once all the items were at the BI, the truck arrived. A pastor from Temuco offered to drive the truck up to the church in Concepción the following morning (Wednesday). I could not go with them since I would be driving my parents to Osorno that morning.

The trip up to Concepción was not easy. Many of the roads were restricted, blocked, or destroyed. Pastor Marcelo was able to go in another car full of food and water.

Concepción looked like a war zone. Buildings destroyed. Stores looted. Neighborhoods blocked off. Police and military presence. Thankfully, both vehicles full of food and water were able to pass through checkpoints and arrive at the church property. This was a testimony of God's protection, since many people in the neighborhood where the church is located turned to looting the supermarket across the street from the church 20 minutes after the earthquake.

The truck and other vehicle were unloaded and all the items were stored in the church to be distributed immediately to church members. Several of the member's homes were damaged or destroyed. Thankfully, no one was hurt or killed.

Group picture (L to R): two men, Walter (Temuco BI student from Concepción - black and white stripped shirt), Walter's dad, church member from an UCB church in Temuco, Pastor Marcelo (21 de Mayo UCB church in Temuco - green shirt), Pastor Iván Reyes (UCB church in Villarrica), Pastor Raasch and his wife (front row), two men in the back, Pastor Víctor Oñate from Temuco - he drove the truck.

The first trip of food and water relief was a success. There are already plans for another trip this Monday. More about that in a future post.