Earthquakes and Aftershocks

Today was another productive yet tiring day. The Healing Hands for Haiti Guest House occupants and all of Port-au-Prince were awoken by another earthquake. It was a 4.7 magnitude (same as the night before) but shook for about 10 seconds. It was the first earthquake that I have felt in my life. A little frightening but fine. We heard a piece of one of our destroyed building fall. 15 minutes later an aftershock hit. It took awhile to calm the nerves enough to get back to bed.

In the morning as the Portland Team went back to work in our tent clinic, our partner hospital and various other projects, I went around our property with an engineer to assess our property. Many of our buildings were deemed a total loss and very dangerous. We need to get a demolition team to the property as soon as possible. The repairs needed on the rest of our buildings are primarily cosmetic.

After visits to our tent clinic to see how things were running, I headed out to visit a property that we hope to house our homeless staff temporarily until they move on. The building needs basic repairs which will happen over the next two or three days in order to provide them housing as soon as possible.

Probably the most difficult part of my day was during a visit to our clinic where a man put an envelope in my hand. I opened is and saw three pictures. It was explained to me by a translator that this man lost his three children in the earthquake. He broke down in tears that literally broke my heart. I had to step away from the clinic to pull it together. Everyone has lost family. How they go on with their lives and remain so strong is beyond me.

Another busy day tomorrow...hopefully there will be no earthquakes tonight and I will be able to sleep through the night.

Bon Nwi, a demen. (Good night, until tomorrow).