Earthquake - Part 1

A beautiful evening before the earthquake

A Christmas season like no other. It was a week before Christmas and in my mind, we live in a perpetual state of “August”… Until we would go into a restaurant at a resort decked out with Christmas decorations and music playing “I’ll be home for Christmas” in the background. Although, hearing “Riding in a winter wonderland” and “Sleigh Bells”, was a little weird with beaches, blue aqua water, palm trees, and warm island air.

December 17th, at 12:45 we were in our apartment. I was in the kitchen and Joe in the second bedroom where an office has been set up. We both heard this sound that kept getting louder so I walked over to the door jam where Joe was and the earth started rumbling, then it started shaking and becoming more and more violent by the second. Joe was thrown, as well as his desk and computer. I braced myself in the doorway and really thought our second floor apartment was going down. It was a 7.3 earthquake. Soon after it stopped, a knock came at our door and we were told to leave for higher ground because of a tsunami warning. Still stunned, we grabbed a few things and got in our car and headed up the hill. After about an hour and a half, we went to the mission home and worked with the Balls, who are the mission leaders in getting the satellite phone working so that communication could happen with the Pacific Area leaders of the church, and then onto Salt Lake.

EVERYTHING was shut down at this point… no power, water, or internet. We divided and conquered. Other missionary couples were all over the island at the time of the earthquake with other assignments so it was just us and we are still new and didn’t know where anyone lived yet. Joe went with the President to check on some missionaries who couldn’t be reached, and I went with his wife to check on others. We had no idea of the devastation in other parts of the island yet.

When Sister Ball and I got to one of the sisters apartments, with tears they said, “We are SO happy to see you!” The apartment looked like it had been in a blender (which it really had). We worked with them to get things as put back together as much as we could. Soon all missionaries (young and older) were accounted for and immediate emergent needs were met. The church put out a bulletin and sent emails to families announcing all missionaries were accounted for and safe.

Day 2 - Still no water, power, or internet, and fuel was being rationed. We were each sent out to minister and assess needs of the people in the areas we had been assigned... food, water, and housing. Our vehicles are rugged to be able to handle these roads, so we picked up the young elders assigned to our same area and off we went and saw at least 20-25 families. The need for water has been the biggest issue. Others had been sent to find any stores open to find as much water, canned meat, and useable food as possible.

With the missionaries visiting different villages

The Australian military had been sent in with rescue teams, water, food, other supplies, and soldiers to help keep things calm. At this point we had learned that several buildings had collapsed, there had been many landslides covering villages, covering cars (with people in them) and that the whole water front area had been shut down. Another landslide blocked a river which is a main water source for many villages on part of this island. Any and all of the technical rescue/recovery activities are being handled and controlled by the government and the Australian military.

A home in a villiage

Day 3 - It’s now been 3 days of 88 degree weather, 90% humidity, no running water, power, and still no internet. Imagine getting in a sauna and not being able to leave. That is what it felt like. They stopped hearing sounds from people who were trapped in wreckage and it became mostly a recovery mission at this point.

The mission home has a backup generator so all of the senior missionaries could use it to put our freezer stuff up there to save it. Efforts continued with the missionaries and church leaders here in Port Vila to meet the immediate needs of the members here. 40-50 huge pallets of food, water, baby formula and diapers were sent on a ferry from the island of Santo but did not start arriving until Day 5. There are 9 units of the church on this island and numbers of families with needs were identified in each area.

Annie:)

One home we went to was Annie's.... a young mom of 5 young boys. We asked about food and water and she showed me (as calm as can be) her water, which was the equivalent of maybe 4 gallons. I said, that is all the water you have? She said, Yes. I said, so basically you have enough for tonight and tomorrow morning? She said yes, with a smile. These people are so amazing, loving, connecting, and faith filled. She wasn’t even worried. We told her we would get water to her family and her village and made sure her name was on the list for all the supplies coming. In her “living room” she has a string of different pictures of Jesus on her wall. This is a common practice here in Vanuatu and only one example of what the people are like here.

Days 4 -5 - Our water was restored off and on and a bit muddy at times, but still no power or internet. The days were a blur but stories of rescues and other miracles started emerging.

Day 6 - Power and water was fully restored for us, but many parts of the island still do not have it. The first load of supplies came in. We all went to church that morning, singing Christmas carols and hearing talks of Jesus, hope, and healing in the sweltering heat. Power has still not been restored to the area we serve in as of Dec 27th. Later that afternoon we went to the docks to unload supplies and take it to the church to be distributed. The leaders of each church unit came with trucks and we got the supplies separated and loaded and then took everything to the different areas we were assigned.

Relief Society Pres, Elders Quorum Pres,
and counselors in branch presidency
loading their truck

More trucks loading food and
supplies to be distributed

Days 7-8. - Two days before Christmas we had a few more loads arrive to be distributed. We were able to do laundry (tons and gross) and some grocery stores had started to open. We decided that the young missionaries needed to still have the Christmas dinner we had planned and could now get the food to prepare for the next day, which was Christmas.

Supermarket packed with people after it reopened.
Mariah Carey's "All I want for Christmas is you"
was blasting in the background.

Two Starlink systems had arrived. One for the mission home and one for our apartment complex so that we could do what we need to do. It was a Christmas miracle for sure. Christmas Eve we had a potluck get together with the 13 other senior missionaries at our apartment and listened to Christmas music. It felt amazing to do something normal with what had been going on.

Christmas breakfast at the Warwick. We
were given matching island dresses.

Day 9 - Christmas Day. All of the senior missionaries went to a beautiful buffett breakfast at the Warwick on the beach. It was in an area that was not too damaged and they appreciated the business. The food was amazing. That evening, we had a Christmas BBQ feast for the young and older missionaries at the mission home as well as a Christmas program with music and the story of Christ’s birth.

The miracle of Christmas is in the hope found in Christ. That is the best news of all. The rest of it is just details… messy, messy details, but when we focus on what matters the most we can find joy in the moments like the sweet sister with all the boys and only a little water. She knows where her hope is found.

President Russell Nelson said, “The joy we feel has little to do with the circumstances of our lives and everything to do with the focus of our lives.”

May we focus on what matters most and on He who is the master healer of all…

We love you! (and we love air conditioning!! :)

The Kwans