Earthquake - Part 2

Adorable Nivan children playing

It’s been 3 weeks since the earthquake happened and it feels like things should be mostly back to normal but they are not. We have gotten so many aftershocks I can’t count and they have been in the 5.2 range. We did get one that was 6.6 that woke us up in the night.

The waterfront area is closed because of a few buildings that collapsed and others that are not safe so the banking, government offices, and other major businesses have been displaced. Everything is still in flux and they are not sure where all of that will land permanently or even semi-permanently. The mission office is also downtown where there is still no water or power. That building seems to be ok but the ones around it are not so for now, the basic mission office stuff has been moved to the different senior missionary apartments to work from “home” where we now have power, internet, and water (most of the time).

A room in the mission office right after the earthquake

With as hard as things are, and all of the destruction and devastation to this island and the people, there have also been more miracles and blessings than I can count.

Cars that were smashed by the Billibong coming down on them

There is a young man who has been working really hard getting ready for a mission and had received his call. He was going to open it that night which was the day the earthquake happened. He was in a building, bottom floor at a store when it hit. He started running for the door and fell three times because the quake was so violent. He literally got out of the building as the bottom floor collapsed, grazing his back. He will leave for his mission to Papua New Guinea around June.

If look close you can see that the first floor
collapsed, and there are Christmas
decorations and other shopping items.
The Billabong Shopping center was the main building that completely collapsed. People were Christmas shopping on the bottom floor, and offices were on the second floor. There is a sister from one of the church units that was inside when it collapsed and was trapped for 29+ hours in the dark, heat, and humidity. She had somehow been thrown under a desk and things collapsed around her. After her rescue she said that it was like angels were there keeping her distracted. They were teaching her about the importance of the temple like she was watching a movie in her mind. She was completely unharmed physically. A recent post she made on Facebook says, “Life without God is a life full of fears, but a life with God is full of peace…”

What is left of the Billabong after rescue 
workers sifted through all the wreckage.

FSY, a youth week long Christ focused conference for kids ages 14-18 was the week before the earthquake. Youth from several islands had ferried over to this island for the conference. 1000 youth in total were in attendance at the Malapoa College campus. The last group of 300 youth left on the ferry on Monday, the 16th around the same time the earthquake happened the next day. The road to the ferry had several landslides that did cover cars and caused loss of life. 

Landslides on the ferry road where hundreds
of FSY youth were just one day before the earthquake.

The Paynes, who are the senior missionaries here who organized the Vanuatu FSY program had walked every classroom and hallway at Malapoa College five minutes before the earthquake hit.

Malapoa College class room where hundreds
of FSY youth spent a week just a few days before the earthquake

The Howard family moved here in August from ElDorado Hills, close by our home in California. Jared got a job with the company building the temple and so the whole family is here for 3+ years. They were downtown to do some Christmas shopping and were on their way to the Billabong shopping center. Deciding to stop at a bank for some reason put them back about 10 minutes of when they would have been in the store. The earthquake happened as they were walking to the the shopping center. 10 minutes. The difference between having a very different Christmas or not…

Malapoa College

I don’t know why things happen the way they do, but I do know there is a bigger plan that we don’t always see or understand. It’s times like this that make you think, if you were 5 - 10 minutes sooner or later the difference it would have made and how it would impact our life.


We live in an imperfect world where things happen. Sadness and death, as well as heroism and miracles. We saw so many people being angels for others and willingness to help and support in a very scary turbulent time. While the aftermath of this disaster is far from over, I see kindness and friendliness from these people who love others and are so welcoming to all. It is a testament of their strength and goodness.


It is true that the scriptures say, “…and it came to PASS” … Not “and it came to stay” :) and although I saw a passenger plane and wanted to be on it, I know that this is where we are supposed to be for this short period of time in our lives. We miss our family and loved ones and are grateful for the experiences that are refiing and allow us to serve others.


We love you,

The Kwans

Taking a much needed break, hiking by a beautiful river


You can see the left side is lower than the other...
This building literally SPLIT in half and
then the left side collapsed one floor.









Comments

  1. John StockettJanuary 10, 2025 at 10:53 AM

    Thank you for sharing your experiences. It builds my testimony to hear about the miracles you are witnessing and to know that there are people like you and Joe (who don't get on the next plane out of there) who choose to stay and serve!

    Also, if this keeps up... Joe will begin to view his landscaping projects at home as periods of rest and relaxation rather than the hard work he used to view them as!! ;)

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