Monday, September 6, 2010

The Big One Hits

Saturday morning was unfolding as usual. A sleep in, a catch up with my husband before getting into the usual weekend morning errands. Breakfast, laundry, groceries all beckoned. Our boarder pounds up the stairs and burst into the lounge, the words "Have you heard what's happened?" tumbling out of his mouth.

Christchurch, our third largest city has been hit by a huge earthquake. I went to university there, have a lot of friends still living here, one of my bridesmaids is getting married there next weekend.

Turn on the TV and we're confronted by a city that looks like this...













The absolute miracle in all of it? $2b worth of damage (approx), buildings destroyed, flooding, holes in the earth and not one person was killed. No one. Two people seriously injured. That's it. Even our politicians are using the words "miracle" and "blessing" and "someone looking out for us". Which is pretty much the only explanation possible.

12 comments:

  1. I'm so sorry! But the most important thing is that no one got hurt.
    I hope all the damage will be repaired in time.

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  2. Prayers going up for your country . . . So glad no one was killed.
    cb
    http://sunnebnkwrtr.blogspot.com

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  3. Amazing! So glad to hear of no casualties.

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  4. Praise the Lord that there were no lives lost.

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  5. Hadn't heard. God is merciful, isn't He?

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  6. He certainly is. Especially when I think that at 7.1 it's the same magnitude as th eartquake that has caused so much death and devestation in Haiti.

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  7. May God use this close call to get the attention of those who haven't bothered to think about him.

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  8. Been watching this news on our TV. Have had many very nasty after-shocks up to 5.4 I believe. Last night it was reported the army had gone in to the city centre area to help exhausted police. So sorry to here this nes Kara. We went through the Newcastle earthquake back in the 80s. Horrible.

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  9. So sorry to hear there has been so much damage, Kara. I'm so pleased to hear there were no lives lost.

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  10. I bumped into a friend at the shops here (South Africa) yesterday and she related how an hour BEFORE the earthquake she felt she had to pray for protection for her son and his family who live in Christchurch.

    She did so, and God answered her prayer. The family were unharmed and only a couple of ornaments and glasses were broken in their home.

    God is good.

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  11. Hadn't heard the quake caused so much property damage, Kara. It is, indeed, a miracle that no one was killed. We live on a major fault line, too, so every earthquake around the world is a reminder to us to be prepared.

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  12. my brother and family are over there for 12 months living in Darfield which was almost the epicenter (it was 3 km south of Darfield) They are fine and only had a collapsed bookcase and some broken glasses

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