Saturday, April 25, 2015

Nepal

     Today we began receiving reports about a devastating earthquake in Nepal.  It was very strong, 7.9 on the Richter scale and located in the vicinity of their capitol city.  I was immediately brought back a little over five years to when I went with Heart to Heart's initial medical team to Haitian earthquake.  The similarities are striking.  Both countries are poorly developed with an inadequate health care system.  In both countries the earthquake occurred by the capitol where the centralized apparatus of state resided.  Both earthquakes were massive.  I am scared.
     In Haiti, the initial, fragmentary reports hinted at something awful without giving concrete evidence of what really happened.  When Heart to Heart arrived in Haiti, we saw the full manifestation of the power of the earthquake.  We saw the widespread destruction and the massive loss of life.  We saw a society torn asunder.  We are seeing the same situation developing in Nepal.  I pray that I am wrong but I fear for the worst.  
     Pictures can show a terrible scene, but they don't come close to conveying the horror of the situation.  They don't convey the choking dust, the distraught faces or the smell of death.  They don't convey the cries of the children who are alone, the sobs of those who have lost their loved ones or the blank faces of those who have seen too much.  I can't go at this time since we are still in standby for Ebola and we close the ETU in two weeks.  However, Heart to Heart is assembling a team to go to Nepal.  Please support Heart to Heart as the team prepares to depart to help the Nepalese.  And keep the people of Nepal in prayer.

No comments:

Post a Comment