Earthquake and Christmas Celebration

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

This Christmas turned out a little different than expected. The Christmas peace that was supposed to descend was stopped by a 7.3 magnitude earthquake on December 17, 2024. I myself was on my way into town to buy some Christmas gifts for friends and colleagues here in Vanuatu before the earthquake hit. Luckily, I stopped halfway to check out a local chocolate factory. We were nearing the end of the tour when it started shaking. It took a few seconds before I realized what was happening, but I quickly located a safe exit and ran for my life. As I ran, I was almost thrown to the ground by the strong forces. The ground rocked like waves out on the open ocean. Buildings around me swayed from side to side. I was afraid that the road I was standing on would suddenly split in two. After the earthquake was over, my whole body was shaking, and I had difficulty standing upright. My legs wouldn't hold me up. I tried to call colleagues to make sure they were not injured and to assess how safe it was to try to get home. By a miracle of God, I got in touch with my immediate leader and together we assessed the situation. After I called her, it turned out that all communication was cut and there were problems with communication for several weeks after, as various wires were damaged during the earthquake. 

The next few days were marked by a lack of electricity and water. We experienced hundreds of aftershocks in the coming weeks, and they are still happening. Aftershocks can actually last for months and years after a major earthquake. Several of the earthquakes were magnitude 5. Although they were not as big as the first one, they still caused dishes to rattle in the cupboard and the whole house to sway from side to side. Honestly, it was a couple of really terrible days. I couldn't sleep because I never knew when the next earthquake would come and I would have to run to safety. In addition, I was completely exhausted and constantly dizzy. Not fun. I was given the opportunity by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to evacuate the country, but I clearly felt that it was wrong. Personally, I desperately wanted to escape from everything, to get to a place where I could sleep and where the ground was still. Yet I had no peace other than to stay. Despite how terrifying it was, I clung to God's word: 

"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me." - Psalm 23:4.

Gradually, I began to feel God's peace and started sleeping soundly at night when I realized that God was the one who held up the roof and the walls. He was watching over me.

Damage

When I personally started to feel a little better, it was time to check out the damage where I lived and in the city. Fortunately, the FCC (Family Care Centre) did not suffer any major damage, other than the furniture being destroyed. A lot of broken glass and several days were spent cleaning and washing up. We are all grateful that the buildings are standing and that there is hardly a crack in the structure.

However, it was heartbreaking to see pictures and videos from the city where buildings had collapsed during the earthquake and people were still lying underneath. It took a few days for me to even take it in. I have heard several terrible stories of how people were killed and injured, but it is not appropriate to share. I did not know any of the people who passed away during the earthquake, but a man in my church lost his wife and together they have a beautiful daughter.

Christmas Celebration

Then Christmas Eve came and we were going to try to celebrate Christmas amidst all the misery that surrounded us. I took on the mission of "saving Christmas" and distracted myself by baking Christmas cookies for the big gold medal. I baked for two days to get my mind off things. Christmas Eve itself was celebrated with the others who live here at FCC. We cooked a delicious dinner and had a few good hours together. Despite the circumstances, I thought we managed to have a worthy Christmas celebration. 

Prayer

Thank you so much to all of you who have helped me through this defining event in prayer. It is only God who has allowed me to sleep, he has given me peace in my heart, as well as the strength to face each day. I am infinitely grateful that God led me to a safe place before the earthquake. I myself was on my way into the city, where the damage was worst. I could easily have been one of the people trapped inside a building or injured. Fortunately, I had angel protection and did not even fall to the ground during the earthquake. God's protection is truly real. Such an experience puts life in perspective, and I am grateful for every day I get here on this planet. It is not a given that tomorrow will come. Nevertheless, I do not live in fear, but with the certainty that our time here on earth is limited.

New everyday life and new challenges

Even though I now have peace in my heart, there are many around me who still live in fear. I am allowed to be someone who brings God's peace into conversations and different encounters. This is something I will be doing a lot of in the coming weeks. Next week an outreach team from New Zealand will be arriving to join me in various relief work. They will be in Vanuatu for about 7 weeks, and I will have primary responsibility for them while they are here. Together we will try to help the people around us both practically and spiritually. Several of the students who are coming are nurses and have good training in emergency relief.

The schools in the country are still closed, and it will probably take a while before they open as several schools were severely damaged during the earthquake. This means that it will probably not be until March at the earliest before we start traveling around with our Keep Safe program. Even though we cannot enter schools right away, we will still take the program with us when we go around to different communities to help them. A piece of good news is that my first team member at Keep Safe is moving in today and starting on Monday. She is from Vanuatu herself and has been called by God to help raise up the next generation of Ni-Vanuatu. It is a truly great answer to prayer. 

We enter 2025 totally dependent on God's guidance and protection. I am excited to see what HE will do this year, where He will lead and what testimonies we will be allowed to experience. I am excited for the new year and look forward to seeing how God will restore this nation.

God's peace to you all as we enter the new year.