I Feel the Earth Move Under My Feet...

Question: What is the quickest way to get five North Americans out of bed in Peru?

Answer: An earthquake.

Saturday morning at ten minutes before 8 we were all rattled out of bed. This was the first earthquake that most of us have felt so we were all a bit startled… especially because that’s what woke us up. There was a low rumbling and our beds were shaking as all five of us are reaching to find our glasses so we can see what is going on. It wasn’t too bad but it was enough to rattle the pots in the kitchen, make the animals go crazy, and get us girls out of bed in record time. When we were trying to figure out what to do, one suggestion was “stand in the doorway”. Now it’s good that we listened to earthquake safety in elementary school but with five girls and one doorway, it just wasn’t going to work. By the time that we fully comprehended what was going on the earthquake had stopped but we still ran into the hallway calling for Jackie, she is the lady on pastoral staff who’s room is right across from ours. She had just gotten out of the shower and was in her towel but she explained to five spooked North American girls that this wasn't bad. She explained that when things shake side to side (like they did) doesn't really cause much, if any damage but it's when it's a rolling earthquake (like last August, up North) is when things get scary.

After all this had happened I couldn’t help but think about Acts 4:25-31, which has been my prayer for this church, lately. We have neighbors who aren’t thrilled that there is a church below them and they are trying to force the church to move. We don’t know what is going to happen yet but in Acts, after Peter and John were released, the believers came together in a time of prayer asking God to consider the threats that were against the early church and bring healing. The passage ends by saying, “After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.”