We've actually been home for a week now. Dan and I often joke that our life tends to be rather dramatic, especially since moving to Costa Rica. You know, with the robberies, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions (ok, haven't fully experienced that yet), ant invasions, flooding houses, exploding water heaters, preterm labor in a developing country, having our baby the day the country is in a state of national emergency (have I not written about that yet? I should.)... we have a lot of drama...
... and, our homecoming was rather dramatic...
First, due to cancelled and delayed flights, we actually got home to our house in Atenas at almost 1am very early Friday morning. We had originally checked in in Kansas City at 11am on Wednesday.
Then, on Friday afternoon, while Dan was meeting with some interns, the real drama of our homecoming shook us up. Literally. Tabitha was playing sweetly in her pack and play; Timmy had just woken up from too short of a nap and was dancing around me as I unpacked. Everything started shaking. I grabbed Tabitha to keep her falling over, while glancing at our bottled water. (That's my earthquake test; if the water is really sloshing back and forth, I'm not just dizzy AND it's a little bit bigger than just a little tremor. Oh yes, I'm much more experienced with earthquakes than my first experience 3 years ago).
The water was really sloshing.
Just as I grabbed Timmy's hand, I heard a terrible, thunderous, roaring sound and the shaking became really violent, the most violent I've ever felt. I heard neighbors screaming. We ran outside into our garden and I saw all our neighbors run out at the same time.
My first thought was... welcome back to Costa Rica!
All of the neighbors stood outside talking for a while. Who knew that an earthquake could be a great ministry tool? I got to meet a neighbor I've been wanting to meet for awhile, another mom with a 6 month old baby. We found out later that the earthquake was magnitude 6.0 and that the epicenter was really close to us here in Atenas, which is why it felt stronger than others we've had.
No one was hurt; nothing was damaged. I heard others say later their coffee tipped over or that books had slid out of place. The only thing I noticed in our house was that all the pictures on the walls were crooked. Every time we have an earthquake here, I think of Haiti and, now, Japan, and am reminded to pray for those places that have been so devastated, realizing that we could have such devastation any of these countless times we feel the earth shake. It's sobering. I think of the many lives that were lost in those two places, so many lives of people who did not know the love, forgiveness, redemption and hope that we have in Jesus.
It's a good reminder of why we're here. Dan, a structural engineer, is designing strong buildings in earthquake zones. These professional designs will potentially save people's lives when earthquakes strike. We're serving ministries that make Christ known to those who are lost. We ourselves are seeking to be a light among our community here, to bring eternal hope to our friends and neighbors. As dramatic as it was, I was thankful for this reminder as we returned to our home and work here!
