Few things are more emotionally disruptive than earthquakes. The earth is just not supposed to move, thus all the metaphors that relate the earth with stability and surety, such as “rock solid,” “solidly grounded,” “bedrock principles,” for example.
Earthquakes have left an estimated 5,000 homeless in Puerto Rico
Photo Courtesy of NBC News
Since December 28, 2019, the island of Puerto Rico has experienced an estimated 500 earthquakes of magnitude 2 or above. And since the big one at 6.4 on December 28, they have had major earthquakes and tremors of magnitude 4 and over every day. As a result, people are sleeping outside their homes for fear of a big one coming through the night and bringing their houses down on them.
Thankfully, we were able to help a team of four Puerto Ricans receive training in Trauma Care, and they are on the ground and helping. After the initial 6.4 earthquake struck on January 7, the team made an initial trip to assess needs. They are heading back into the area in the southwest corner of the island, to distribute initial relief supplies and provide emotional first aid from January 17-19.
PRAY for this team of trained trauma workers as they go to distribute relief supplies, to sit with, listen to, and draw out earthquake victims, and, of course, to pray with them.
