Earthquake

Hello hello. I'd like to say first - thank you to everyone that has showed their concern for our family and churches here in Mexico in the last 24 hours. It has meant a great deal to me and my family. 

We had the first earthquake about 12 days ago. The epicenter was in Chiapas, Mexico which is about 8 hours south of us. We definitely felt that quake but it wasn't too bad. 

Yesterday afternoon we had another one. The epicenter was in Morelos, less than two hours from us. It was a 7.1 quake and we felt every bit of it. It was pretty scary! I was next door to a middle school when it happened and as the ground began to shake, a roar arose from the school. A roar of yelling, screaming, windows shaking, buildings shaking. Kids were escaping down stairs and out of their classrooms, running for their lives. 

The craziest thing though was what we saw as the earthquake was coming to an end. We turned around in this open field we were standing in to see the volcano letting out a dark plume of smoke. 

We immediately sat down to call our family members and to look the quake up, see how big it was. Unfortunately we'd lost all phone service and electricity. We just sat there saying the same things over and over again, "that was huge. I cannot believe that just happened. I hope everyone in Mexico City is ok." 

México City is only a couple hours from us but when earthquakes hit, they suffer terrible repercussions because the city was built on a lakebed. I read on CNN this morning that the ground the city is built on "amplifies shaking like Jell-O on a plate." So far there's been more than 200 deaths, but they are still clearing out rubble and pulling people out. It is terribly sad - a school collapsed and they've been able to rescue only 4 kids that were alive. Twenty one have been confirmed dead and thirty of them are missing. A church on the side of the volcano collapsed with people inside after the small eruption pictured above. 

The church in Mexico City had some damage done to it. The two churches here in Puebla are fine. Contact was made with the pastor of the church in Morelos (the epicenter) and he said he honestly thought he was going to die. Their city has suffered a lot of structural damages, but so far only one death there. I think their church building is fine. 

We thank God for his protection, for safety, for keeping our houses and churches safe and sound. I just don't understand how you can have such strong shaking and cement buildings still standing afterwards. I thought cement was not flexible, but these buildings looked like play dough when the quake hit. 

I am thankful to be alive and whole! 

Bethany