CHILE EARTHQUAKE RELIEF PHOTO REPORT — March 2010

A couple days ago, John Mickan (missionary from New Zealand) accompanied me as I went down to the epicenter with food assistance for the families who work in their church and community with VIM DVD bible classes. As we traveled through the countryside on our way to Boyecura and Lipimavida there was a peaceful beauty, BUT........

,,,,,,,,,,,,,when we entered the fishing communities on the beaches we were met by chaos and destruction. Cement buildings withstood the tsunami waves, but the wooden structures were lifted and destroyed. Our Representative Hortencia, in Boyecura, found that her two story cement building stood its ground even though "the waves surged through both the lower and upper floors."

 
 

For income she rents out rooms in her building and provides meals. So when we arrived, she and her adult children were focusing on getting the sand out of the rooms and washing all the bedding and clothes so she could provide accomodations once again.

In the photo below she was explaining to John that they jumped into the pickup within seconds of the earthquake and that the first wave hit five minutes later. The garage that housed the pickup disappeared into splinters. The most emotional damage she suffered was that from the hillside above town, where she stayed for 5 nights, she spotted on that first night, people in her home with flashlights looting. "They were looting within 2 hours of the tsunami." And later, she found out that a couple of the looters were from her church congregation. "That was my biggest discouragement ... at least they left the wine and oil, but no food" (boxes on the floor - in the photo). She praised God for protecting her wine and oil.

So, the food we brought was received as having been sent from God!

 
 

She took us up to a balcony on the second floor to show us results of the impact of the second wave. It was so big that it caused damage on the roof which is about 23 feet from ground level.

 
 

Behind my van where John was unloading the food, you can see one of the new prefab buildings that the Chilean Government was quick to start assembling to provide shelter for people who lost their homes.

 
 

In Lipimavida, 50 kilometers further south, the highest wave was only about a meter. But it was enough to tear the front and back out of Edith's home. Her front yard was beautiful with grass and flowers. But now it is covered with sand and piled high with trash. Edith was not at her home when we arrived. Her neighbor told us that she had gone to stay in another town near Santiago.

 
 

We left the food with her neighbor who has a small store and who promised to help other neighbors by distributing it as the needs became evident.

 
 

Between Edith's home and the store is located the small church where our DVDs were used. Even though the waves were not very high, the walls were moved to the point you can see sun light coming through the corners of the church.

 
 

On the hillside, above Lipimavida, groups of young volunteers were assembling prefab buildings. John and I choked up with emotions when we saw the energy of these young people. I was so proud of them, that tears swelled in my eyes. Thousands of these buildings are going up throughout the disaster areas.

 
 

"I give you all the finest olive oil and all the finest new wine and grain they give the Lord as the firstfruits of their harvest. All the land's firstfruits that they bring to the Lord will be yours" (Numbers 18:12). I believe Hortencia was referring to this verse when she praised God for sparing her oil and wine.

Blessings to all, Larry and Nikki

Video Instruction Ministries
P.O. Box 1332
Silverdale, WA  98383, USA
www.gault4him.org