Earthquake

May 14, 2008

Hello everyone,

We have now been evacuated to Tianshui.

I just want to quickly write a word and let you know what is going on.
Our school was hit badly by the earthquake. we were inside our
apartment when it happened, together with our colleague, Michelle, and
it started moving. We had no thoughts of an earthquake as we have
never heard about them before, but I just realized that we needed to
get out. Tomas and I later said that we had both thought that since we
both know our new building is probably not a good quality building,
that we just thought it was collapsing on its own. We ran out as the
building shook and parts collapsed all around us. I t was terrifying.
It felt like we could barely make it down the stairs as they shook
back and forth so badly and pieces of the cement were falling around
us. But, we made it out, as did all of our students and colleagues,
although some were injured in the process. We are grateful and
thanking God that we were not closer to the epicenter, because we
don't think that our building would have held then. And of course,
most important is that we are worried about the people closer to the
epicenter as we have been hearing reports now finally. We know that
at least 30 people have died in Chengxian, but reports are unclear.

Apparently we are the only college in Gansu hard hit by the
earthquake. The entire college was moved outside, and we were not
allowed to go inside any buildings as more earthquakes were expected.
Later in the evening we were allowed to go quickly into our buildings
to get some things that we needed to spend the night outside. We then
spend the night outside on the football field with all of the 4000
students, teachers, and everyone else at the college. And at a
Chinese college, we also have old people and small children, since
families live together more here. We felt a bigger aftershock again
at 4 am.

So now it looks like a refugee situation. Students (and us also) slept
outside with a few blankets that covered us, but luckily it didn't
rain, although it was very cold, especially for some students, since
many of them were too terrified to go back inside their dorms for
supplies or blankets. Some students were keeping their spirits up,
but others were shocked, or crying. We were walking around, trying to
chat with them. The school quartered off an area for the boys and
girls to use a bathroom, but this was quickly deteriorating, shall we
say... we were getting quite worried about the sanitation situation as
all they did was hang a tarp and tell the girls to go behind it,
thousands of people, just on the ground. The school was serving 2
meals a day of simple food, like noodles, outside. Later last night
the leaders decided to open up one building to let people use a
bathroom on the first floor. We have water but no electricity or
telephones, so at least the toiilets can be flushed, which helps. We
heard this morning from students that there were more big tremors last
night again, and that luckily it hasn't started raining yet, althoug
rain is predicted. And in Chengxian, when it rains, it pours!

Last night some leaders came from Lanzhou to check on us foreigners (5
at our school) and they looked quite shocked by everything, and they
checked our building. Our building has some giant cracks in it; in
fact, the whole building has cracked apart in some places. So, they
decided to take us away, and so last night they gave us 15 minutes to
run to our apartments and pack, and then the 5 foreigners have been
moved to Tianshui Normal University and we spent last night in a
guesthouse, comfortable, but of course thinking about our students and
colleagues.

We do not know what will happen now, but we sincerely hope that the
school will just let the students go home!!! We also don't know if we
will be allowed back in our building again, ever, or when, or if, we
will resume classes. The school says they will contact us when it is
safe again. We heard from other students today that the military was
arriving, and a helicopter was landing there. So, the students are
getting supplies.

Take care everyone, thanks for keeping us and our college in your
prayers! Please pass this message on to anyone who wants to know.

Love,
Rachel & Tomas