Christchurch - 2nd Earthquake in 5 months

Devastation and fear. Miracles and hope.

The range of emotions resulting from the Christchurch earthquake is vast. It's hard to imagine the massive destruction that has occurred. Hearing stories from my friends who have family and friends down there puts things more in perspective and saddens my heart. The rallying of NZ has been amazing and their spirit is alive. With the death count up to 165 and several buildings still left to search for victims, the only thing one can do in this time of tragedy is hope. Hope and pray.

I can't believe we were just there on holiday less than a month ago, taking in the city's beauty and history. Signs of the 1st earthquake were evident but nothing compared to the grand scale of destruction unleashed this time around. I hear people talk about how it should have been Wellington that had this big earthquake because we are on a major fault line. However, the Lord chose to spare this area. Selfishly, I'm thankful we haven't experienced mother natures fury.

It definitely has put the earthquake fresh in our minds and the rush to be prepared should we not be so lucky next time. Everyday I find myself imagining what I would do and where I would go, how I would get the kids and how would Ben get home from work, where are the closest clothes if the kids are in the bath and are we wearing shoes? I guess all I can do is pray we don't experience this travesty and pray harder for those that have. Earthquakes are different from hurricanes and heavy snow (both of which I've experienced) because they are predictable. With an earthquake, you can be calling your dog into the house or running errands, like so many were on 22 Feb, when it strikes. That's the frightening thing. No warning. You just have to be prepared.

It's been a week now and the prayers are going strong and people are trying to figure out what to do next. Not only do the residents have to figure out what to do next, they have to live with the fear of the aftershocks. The aftershocks have been hitting, on average, once a day. Several friends have felt the tremors here in Welly, however I have not and don't particularly care to. I'll take their word for it.

Today a time capsule was found underneath the statue in the background of John Robert Godley, founder of Canterbury. Workers found 2 capsules dating back to the time the statue was unveiled in August of 1867. Today on the way to kindy pickup, it was neat to hear the mayor of Christchurch talk on the radio about its finding today (the one week anniversary) and how it was a "symbol of hope". Maybe even "good timing" for the city, something to rally around at this one week mark.

The first Christchurch earthquake which occurred in September, 2010, struck in the early morning hours which thankfully kept the death toll to zero. Everyone was at home asleep. This second earthquake was quite different in it struck right in the middle of the day at 12:51pm and had 1000's of people at work in the city center, where much of the destruction lay. Therefore, so many lives were lost simply because of the time of day.