Once on the road began to see the effects of the great earthquake, when road made us feel firsthand the great changes in the product field ground motion.
Concepcion On arrival, via the route of Itata caught us pending the lifting of curfew, being at 05:45 am. After several minutes of waiting, the military said we had free passage.
The picture we get is distressing: a city half in darkness, many unlit streets, guarded by armed soldiers, which are still rubble on every block, cars destroyed under the weight of debris from demolished walls, poles down , cables hanging ... The sensation, perceived with all senses, is incomparable any image seen from a distance through a medium.
We get a family of Concepción, who greeted us very happy and we offer a breakfast, after telling us that, after 11 days, for the first time they eat bread and water. God willed that unwittingly we had prepared bread for the journey, stay packed in the back of the truck load making it impossible to get out before conception. There could, with great joy, check that basic food, initially prepared for our journey, God was willing to share on this family.
He immediately started to work, heading the company that brought the load packed in Viña del Mar in a truck. In the meantime, visit the pastoral houses and Concepción Concepción Norte, announcing that in the morning would return to the truck to deliver the aid. In North Concepcion, who had no news of our arrival, did not fail to thank God for this unexpected kindness received.
The transfer between churches and the transportation office allows us to begin to appreciate, and with the light of day, the large number of homes, businesses and buildings are completely destroyed or in serious danger of collapse. In each block are piles of rubble, demolished walls, tents in the middle of the sidewalk, safety straps around the perimeter of a building, soldiers guarding the entrance of a supermarket or a bank, a line of people waiting to enter a store, taps surrounded by people with buckets and taking water bottles and even a young man back in the village guarded by several armed soldiers, who remain in monitoring ...
The visual impact is tremendous. And in the face of pain warns citizens of the tragedy. The vast majority of people walking in the street does so because of some activity related to the effects of the earthquake: some looking at the work of a bulldozer, others looking the policeman on the corner trying to order a tremendous vehicle binding affects all the streets of downtown, other local entering a dangerously showing the possibility of a landslide to get some good metrial, other sweeping dust and other accumulated trash or debris on the sidewalk. After
get an image of social and structural damage in the city, with great joy we began our delivery Conception Church, whose church has been heavily hit by the earthquake, showing the violence of the earthquake. There, with the help of some brothers in the church, unload the first batch of food. After a while we finished the job. Bid farewell to the pastor Abraham Falcon, we are grateful on behalf of the church sent help.
Similar to Conception Church in churches of North Concepción and Talcahuano, where they distributed food and clothing, respectively, were welcomed by Pastor Joaquin Correa de Concepción Norte, and Pedro Vilugrón of Talcahuano.
After delivery at Talcahuano, the pastor invited us to lunch Vilugrón. In the table we received reports of some brethren of the church that described the horror and despair experienced during terrmoto and subsequent tsunami that hit that city. The shock still takes over their faces when we describe the terrifying noise of bending irons, falling ceilings and destruction of buildings when the sea came out, flattening everything in its path.
After lunch, the pastor leads us to see the temple, whose ceiling is almost completely detached. At that time, and as a balm to the spirit, invites us to read the word of God and make a prayer of thanks for
life even granted for mercy and for help received. DepEd us with the joy of knowing that we have provided a small grain to raise the depressed mood and bring some help to our brothers who have lost, in some cases, all material.
However, even not over the anguish that grips our being to see the destruction that reigns. Already finished the latest installment in Talcahuano time we get closer to the most central, and see with our own eyes the damage caused by the sea.
The picture is daunting ... foul and rotten smell dominates the air. Many people walk down the street wearing masks. The mud and water can be noticed in all the streets, leaving a dark gray color that all contaminated. There
hese re trash and marine debris everywhere. In the sea containers are dumped debris, sunken ships in the water and trash everywhere. In the streets are the poles down, debris fishing boats in the path of a building, completely destroyed and overturned cars at the entrance of houses, washed ashore along with trash, and finally, the image that has traveled across the country, a ship stranded in the middle of a population, several blocks from the sea.
The desolation and gloom hanging over the heart is inevitable. The feeling of helplessness and pain that they feel are not possible to perceive through a picture of the disaster. Can only be felt there, being alone with the vastness of the destruction
tion sent by a just judge, and three times Holy Ghost, which does not tolerate sin, and, approaching the day of his coming to judge the nations, met his eternal word inexorablamente when he says: "... and there will be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.
All these are the beginnings of sorrows. "
At that time we are encouraged understand that "we know that all creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth until now, and not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting adoption, the redemption of our body. "
After seeing and understanding that what we have seen is nothing that these principles of pain, and the day of our redemption is closer, we began our journey back home.
Arriving on Wednesday, around 23:00 hrs. Viña del Mar, where we are greeted by our pastor, conducted with immense gratitude to God a prayer for having saved our way and for his immense kindness he has shown so far with us. The joy and satisfaction of the task accomplished only leads us to praise and exalt the name of our Savior, because in the midst of the pain that still engulfs our country, God shows his love, and freely offers us salvation, which is the most precious to us and we cherish in our hearts.
God wants to bring comfort and peace to all families affected our nation, and especially its people, who despite suffering from physical pain, we know that God will never abandon them.
To our eternal God honor, glory and power everlasting. HORACIO
CONTRERAS Director Coro IEP
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