Tsunami

Just when we were about to start our Friday Habit Fitness Regimen in our office, our country’s Regional Disaster Coordinating Council alerted everyone of possible tsunami that may hit our place after it hit Japan at 2:30 PM. A couple of my colleagues offered prayers while we were gathered at our municipal park, then dispersed immediately as Alert Level 2 was already raised after some few minutes. There were tears in our eyes and panic stricken all over our faces but we went home and remained calm.

When I arrived home, I saw on TV the devastation and aftermath of the deadly tsunami that hit Japan. I could not believe my eyes what I saw. I was trembling. My knees wobbling. I immediately went to our neighbors and told them of the instructions to us in office to alert everyone around us and go find a higher ground for safety.

My hubby coincidentally sent me an sms telling me he was sleepless.I answered the message telling him to pray for us because of the tsunami alert in our place. A few minutes later, he called again and told us to hurry and go to a safe place – “in the nearest mountain,” he told.

I called my son and daughter who are in the city asking them to pray for us. My daughter told me to go soonest to a safe place. She further told me she heard howling dogs the night before around their boarding home. She presumed it was a premonition of an impending danger.

So I called the school where my son was and requested the School Principal to disperse the almost 1000 students soonest. I was so worried as my son still took another 20 minutes to reach home.

I asked him to gas up our three wheeler, buy some emergency provisions we will carry with us, had our cellphones loaded and off we went to the nearest mountain. We just went a couple of kilometers away from home. But when we saw lots of people coming to the mountain too, we panicked. We went further and found a safe place. After an hour, people continued to come to the place where we found refuge. They were in ten-wheelers, jam-packed. I was convinced this was no false warning anymore.

These people even came from nearby municipality and as far as Pamplona.

We had candles as emergency lights. It was too cold. Kids were crying maybe due to little lighting and the cold temperature. I was so tired.

My daughter was glued on CNN for updates and she would relay the news to us immediately. When she told me that San Vicente, Cagayan and Isabela province were hit by the first wave and no damages seen, I was a bit relieved. But she would always tell us to stay put in our place because the alert was not lifted yet.

Finding we were in a safe place, I was able to snooze a little, in spite of the noisy surroundings and the uncomfortable cold cement floor.

Then when our Pastor’s son kept on crying at past 1 am, we decided to return home since my daughter was no longer sending us updates though her last text message told us that “scientists could still get wrong with their predictions as the US West Coast is expected to be hit by an 8 ft high waves sooner or later.”

But then, the critical hours had already passed. So at 2:30 am, we went home, at a very slow pace. And as we reached our home we saw that nothing disastrous had happened. I was so relieved. I went to my room, and uttered a prayer of gratitude. “Thank God, you spared us”! My bedroom looked the same before I hesitantly left it 10 hours ago.

Just before we left home, I had posted on FB asking my friends to help us by praying for our safety and for God to spare us of agony and hardship. When I opened my mail, I felt overwhelmed. I saw many had posted their prayers for us. I was so happy, at the abundant love and care for us from my friends. Much more, God loves us.

Thank you Lord, for saving us. For sparing the whole of the country.

Nature's fury can be devastating at times as what has happened now in Japan. My heart goes out to Japan where a thousand or more were predicted to have died and a lot more were rendered homeless, stranded, without food, water, shelter with only the hope of succour reaching them soon. I learned many countries big and small have offered help by way of men, money ,materials, food and many things to restore normalcy. I sincerely pray for the victims out there and wish things return to normal very soon. May God bless the departed souls...

In times like this, we need a Saviour, more than anything else. And prayers are powerful.