Update on Earthquake in Chile

I don’t talk much about my day job here, mostly because people come here to talk sports.  Still, several of you expressed concern over our safety after the earthquakes in Chile.  Though they didn’t affect us in Buenos Aires, we do have good friends and co-workers in Curico, Chile.  My boss recently visited.  Chile is experiencing constant aftershocks.  The problem is these ‘after shocks’ are still MAJOR earthquakes with magnitudes of over 7!  They should continue for another 6 months or so.  Here is his update for those who are interested.

Here are some of my impressions from the weekend:

• It didn’t take long to realize that you were in a country that just suffered a major earthquake. The international airport in Santiago is still not using most of their airport terminal which was damaged in the quake. We picked our luggage off of the tarmac and went through immigration paperwork in a makeshift tent set up on the runway.
• The day before I arrived they had a major (7+) aftershock in the city of Rancangua – which I ride through on the bus ride to Curicó. Apparently as a result – the highway suffered damage and we had to take a detour on some back roads for a portion of the trip.
• The damage in the city of Curicó – where are church plant is located – is significant. Major portions of the downtown area of the city are destroyed. Thankfully, most of our church family lives outside of the center of town and their homes suffered no significant damage.
• Having said that…the folks in Curicó are still pretty shaken up by the quake. There are regular aftershocks (although none were very strong while I was there) and many people – especially the children – continue to be pretty traumatized by it all. Some people are sleeping outside in tents, both from necessity and also due to fear that new tremors will cause more damage.
• Many of our church people have families who suffered significant damage from the earthquake. One family lived all together in a large downtown house – with 8 children, 4 elderly people and 2 adults. Their home was destroyed as well as the two storefront properties that served as their major income. There are many of these kinds of stories.
• The whole church met together in one of the families’ garages on Sunday night. With over 30 in attendance…all the lights went out a half-hour into the meeting. We met for another hour in the dark, singing and sharing together – with only some flashlights and cell phones as light. The folks ate some food together and left for their homes in pitch-dark blackness. It turns out there was a nationwide two hour blackout due to generator damage suffered in the earthquake.
• Pray that the church would have wisdom to know how to share God’s love in practical and encouraging ways to those around them. GBIM is still receiving funds for earthquake relief (www.gbim.org) and I can assure you your love gifts will be used and much appreciated. There are significant needs both in Curicó and in surrounding areas. You can also find some pictures from the quake at the GBIM website

–Steve Bailey