Earthquake Experiences

God is our refuge and strength,

    an ever-present help in trouble.

Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way

    and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea.

Psalm 46: 1-2

September 5: Our second day of class, our family got to experience God's refuge and strength first hand.  At 8:42 a.m, a 7.6 magnitude earthquake shook Costa Rica as well as bordering countries.

Adam and I were sitting in our second session of grammar for the day; my mind wandering after a rough drop-off for Jacob at preschool. Small tremors started to shake the room. The teacher stopped mid-sentence and then mumbled something along the lines of, "everybody out!"  Our class poured out into the breeze way and Adam pulled me close to him in the large doorway.  Then the ground really began to shake. Our teacher just kept repeating “¡tranquilo!” over and over again.  As calming as she was, it didn’t stop silent tears from dripping down my face.  Jacob is on campus with us and we could see the children in the school yard but Asher is at home (a 15 minute walk) with our nanny, Marita. As the earthquake continued more and more hands were being placed on my back and shoulders . . . other moms knowing my stress. Now the teacher looks at me and says, “¡Tranquilo!” “My babies!” I mutter back at her. 

Staff starts shuffling adults towards the parking lot.  Probably safer than the doorway but the opposite end of campus from the preschool. Our teacher says, “go to them.” So with permission, Adam headed toward the preschool and got the thumbs up from Jacob’s teacher.  He was doing well.  Adam and I made our way toward the parking lot and started the attempt to make contact with our nanny.  No cell phone service.  All phone lines are down.  Panic is rising inside of me.  I am just repeating a prayer over and over again. “Lord, please calm my heart. You are in control.”  I want to run back to our house but we are being warned about aftershocks.  We also have no idea the conditions outside of these walls.  Our school chaplain and his wife ask us how we are doing.  I express my concern for our baby boy at our house with his nanny and the chaplain immediately responds with an offer to drive us there.  I send Adam with him because he tends to stay calmer than me and I know that our boys are sensitive to my emotional state.

The students gather in the chapel and our director opens our time of prayer with the above Psalm.  Staff and students pray.  I only hear murmuring. Words evade my ears.  I sit by myself while the director relays information about aftershocks and tsunami warnings.  I am fighting back the need to bawl.  Without my husband beside me, I only have the Lord to rely on.  The school did a great job of keeping everyone calm and informed.  What seems like years later, Adam shows up by my side and says the house, our nanny, and Asher are just fine.  I finally feel some twinge of relief.

October 23: We have now experienced multiple earthquakes since then but tonight’s was strong and long.  Our family was together this time and we gathered in the doorway donning our pajamas.  Fear immediately strikes me but quickly disappears.  The disappearance of my fear is solely the Holy Spirit calming me because I am certain there is no other way to feel peace when all your lights are swaying and your bodies shaking.  I can’t say earthquakes are anything that even crossed my radar before moving here but have definitely had an effect on my faith and understanding of God’s character.  Every day I choose to believe that God loves me, God is for me, God is sovereign, God commands His creation, all creation will bow down to Him one day, God is omnipotent and His power is shown through rainstorms, earthquakes, and everyday happenings.