Earthquake!

Saturday night we had just arrived home when disaster struck. At 6:58pm, April 16, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck just off the coast of Ecuador near a town called Muisne in the province of Esmeraldas.

It has been devastating for the people who have lost homes and family members. The country is working to get help to the affected areas. There are so many needs that it can be overwhelming.

Here in Quito, we definitely felt the quake which went on for about 45 seconds. I have become accustomed to the short jarring quakes which we get here quite often, but this one was a rolling one which didn't seem to stop. Even after it stopped, you weren't sure as your legs continued to give the impression that the earth was moving

Even though there were reports of damage to a few buildings in the south of Quito, and people reporting that things had fallen off of shelves or the walls, we didn't experience that.

Please be praying for the people of Ecuador as many work to figure out from where and when their next meal will be coming, and where they will be sleeping, and for the many who have lost family members. The story was on the news about one young man whose entire immediate family died when their building collapsed.