“How firm, our foundation,
How sure, our salvation.
And we will not be shaken.
Jesus firm foundation!”
This song has frequently been coming to mind this week, amongst other songs. I cannot begin to explain my thoughts about the past week. But I will try to give you picture of my experience.
We arrived in Melchour, Monday evening. As we set up our tents, curious faces surrounded us. We had a beautiful mountainside view of the sunset. I think we were all thinking, “I could get used to this”. We were staying at the grounds of where a church once stood. Now, it is reduced to rubble, as the tin roof remains, slanted on top. Something people may not realize: In Nepal, most of the mountainsides have tiers. Not just in one area, but everywhere. So several set up camp on the tier just below the church. That night, I felt my first aftershock. Nothing major, just a little jolt underneath for less than a few seconds.
The next morning we were served hot tea, to help take away the chill in our bones, as we woke up to the haze covering the mountainside after an incredible night of thunderstorms. Soon we began working on removing the rubble. Stone by stone, we made some slow progress. After 3 hours of work, we took a break for lunch. We were told we would be done for the day, as the sun gets too hot in the afternoon. As we finished up lunch, I remember one of the last conversations. Teresa was talking to my friend Hilary, “Are you ready for your two-on-one with me and Mason”? I also remember overhearing squad-mates discussing the correct pronunciation of the “Appalachian Trail”. And that when it happened. I felt the movement underneath me. I had been sitting close to the edge of one of the tiers. I heard the low rumble, unaware of what I was hearing at first. Soon I felt as if my body was being jolted as I try to move away from the edge. I hear my squad leader, Dustin Mick yell, “Everybody down, now”! As I look out I see the earth moving beneath me. I’m having a hard time staying upright, even while sitting. It felt like forever. In reality it was less than 15 seconds. But it was an intense 15 seconds. Not long after that, even though it felt calm, we still felt the earth quaking. As I look out over the mountain now, I see dust rising up everywhere. A land slide is just a few tiers below us. And that is when I begin to hear the screams and cries throughout the mountainside. Within minutes we are told. Pack up everything. And do it fast.
As I made my way over to my tent, my legs felt like jello. My hands would not stop shaking. As I took the poles from my tent down, I had a hard time just getting them into the sack. Soon we had another aftershock. It wasn’t as strong as the intial quake, but I could still feel the rumbling. I quickly move inward, as our tents are just a few feet from the edge of our tier. I found myself praying, “Jesus keep us safe. Jesus keep them (the Nepali people) safe”. Within minutes, we were haphazardly packed and began our steep trek up the mountain. We had no idea where we were going. Or when we’d be leaving. But we knew we had to get to higher ground.
As we trekked up in groups of 5, I am not sure how to describe what I felt. Slightly fearful. Grief-stricken. Angry. In shock. Anxious. Thankful. Grateful. A lot of things to say the least. We soon discover we just experienced a 7.4 earthquake. As one of my squad leaders, Kaylaynn, made it up the mountain, she shares with us that she just prayed for God to show her where to go to be safe. That’s when she sees these giant white tents up the hill, and to put it simply: white people! She asks the simple question, “English?” Yes! Two men tell her our group is welcome to take shelter in the WFP tents for the next few nights, until we can get a way back to the city. Thank you Jesus!
I came across this passage the day after the earthquake:
But you, O Lord, are a shield about me,
My glory and the lifter of my head,
I cried aloud to the Lord,
And He answered me from His holy hill.
Psalm 3:3-4
This week has been a whirlwind of emotions. But I know one thing that remains true. My God is good. There are moments I have to remind myself of this. There’s a lot of prayer being poured out on this nation, and on my squad. I hope to share with you more about how the Lord is still good, soon. We will not be shaken by this temporary moment of discomfort. We will continue to walk in the strength of the Lord, as He enables us. The Lord is our refuge.
Keep praying as I know you are!
