Earthquake

As most of you probably already know there was a catastrophic earthquake in Haiti last night. With a 7.3 magnitude, I can only imagine the kind of real devastation it caused. The pictures in the papers and on the news will never truly show how much real damage these people are dealing with and will continue to deal with for countless years to come.

Here in the DR, I didn’t really feel anything when the quake happened. I was walking around the outside of my house and the tank that the rain water empties into, so we can drink it, started spilling out over the top. I thought it was nearly impossible how water could be spilling out over the top of this 10 foot-high tank, and as I walked over there to examine it, I wondered if an animal had somehow fallen in and was splashing around just to get out.

Moments later, my neighbor came running through the yard asking me if I felt the earth move. I sort of laughed, not knowing how grave the quake really had been and looked back up at the water tank that was now back to its original calm. Within seconds, a herd of people came flooding out of the Catholic Church that is my neighbor. An older woman had fainted when she felt the earthquake and at least 15 people were carrying her to the nearest car to race her up to the clinic in my town. No word today on her progress, but I’m assuming no news is good news right?

Francia and I watched the news repeat itself last night for over an hour. With no correspondents in Haiti, CNN Espanol just kept switching between a computer graphic image of the epicenter of the quake and a distant satellite photo of the area before the quake. Part of me was relieved to not see the real images. I couldn’t help but imagine if this earthquake would have happened in Santo Domingo or Santiago, what it would mean for all of us on the Eastern side of the island. What it means now for all those on the Western side.

Kathy, another Peace Corps Volunteer who is my sector’s leader if you will, called me a few hours later to make sure I was okay and nothing drastic happened. She didn’t feel anything in Santo Domingo. We talked casually about our recent trips back to the states over Christmas.

I hung up the phone feeling so lucky: I went to America for nearly three weeks to see family and friends over the holidays. I came back to a beautiful island where I have a monthly paycheck. No, it’s hardly any money when you convert it to US Dollars, but it’s a paycheck. I have a job, which is something many people my age can’t say right now. I felt an earthquake last night but wondered if it was some kind of animal enjoying a dip in the water tank. I am blessed and I am grateful. Please have your prayers and thoughts with all those in the world who are not nearly as lucky.