Christchurch Earthquake Relief Journal (Day 6)

Today, I was assigned a new role on an ICU Team, which is a mobile team of two who follow up issues identified by the street door-knocking team (which is what I was doing the first 4 days). This can range from anything to do with emotional support through to delivering practical assistance. Some of this work is done immediately during the initial contact made by the street team, as I shared earlier in the week. However, our role today is to follow-up the concerns that require more time and attention, which allows the street teams to keep moving to ensure the entire community is covered.

We were given a car & GPS and were sent back into some of the worst hit neighbourhoods with a follow-up list. Initially, we responded to some people who were identified as needing emotional support. Some of their stories really touched our hearts as we identified with their pain and loss, but also lifted our spirits as we saw their determination and resilience:

• A middle-aged bloke, living alone, recounting the events he witnessed and the impact it had on his employment. Yet, despite his loss of work, the comradery of his work mates is what was holding him together.
• A young couple with a 5-day old baby just returned from hospital to a house that had been moderately damaged with no running water or sewerage. The effort they had gone to to clean up the place and make it safe for their new born was amazing - so was their positive attitude! I must admit that I was a bit cranky to then see their neighbour, who did have running water, watering his garden with a sprinkler!!
• Two young families living a few houses apart coming together to try and find mutual support. Two of them are teachers and are having to adapt to closed schools and suddenly increased class sizes due to the influx of displaced kids. They are also having to deal with the emotional impact of the quake manifesting through behaviour of the kids they teach as well as their own kids who are still struggling with the fear of further quakes, especially with the daily aftershocks. Then there is the question of whether to repair or leave? They want to stay in their neighbourhood, but there are unanswered questions as to whether the council will repair the damage or relocate and demolish large parts of the suburb.
• Neighbours who had rallied together after the first quake in September are now leaving after the most recent quake, leaving almost ghost towns along entire streets, with remaining residents feeling very alone and isolated.
• An 8 y/o boy woken from a nightmare by an aftershock too afraid to sleep alone and socially withdrawing from everyone around him.
• An elderly couple just returning from the funeral of a 47 y/o friend who had been crushed by a fallen wall, leaving behind a young family. While saying goodbye to this family, we met another who were just leaving for a funeral.
• We were also able to deliver food and petrol vouchers to some of these families to help alleviate some of the financial stress. Once again, many of them wouldn't ask for help because of their perception that there are many others worse off than them.

As these people allowed us to journey into their pain for a brief period of time, we were reminded once again of how much our personal contact with them really did matter and make a difference. I am deeply humbled and moved by this amazing experience!

The day was ended by an informal tour (as a group) into the CBD to view the damage for ourselves in areas that had been previously closed to the public. No matter how many piles of rubble or damaged premises I see, I'm still shocked by the extent of the impact of this quake. It was a moment of relief and reassurance as we concluded our tour by walking around the rose garden in Hagley Park. I remembered the words of an old hymn, "And though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the ruler yet!" Amidst the devastation there was still evidence of the beauty of God's creation!