A-OK

Hola from Peru. As many of our faithful readers know I grew up in Hawaii, land of lush beaches, sparkling blue water and fragrant air so sweet it takes your breath away. And, to be fair, the land of Hurricanes, Tsunamis, Volcanic Eruptions and Flooding -- all these we had, all were devastating, sometimes deadly. What we did not have were Earthquakes. Last night, with my brother, his wife, her brother and my parents visiting, Kenny and I stood with Caleb and them in the doorways of our seemingly impenetrable house for nearly 2 minutes as a 7.9 Earthquake rolled through Peru, the epicenter less than 100 miles south of Lima. Since moving to Lima we have felt 2 previous earthquakes each lasting less than 10 seconds and of far less strength than last night's, but significant enough that we know the warning signs, and, we thought, what to expect. We were not prepared (emotionally, that is) for the events of last night. And, while we did not rush out into the streets to join our fellow Limenos, some escaping buildings they should never have been in in the first place, some looking for signs of the end of the world, many crying and wailing and reportedly seeing a strange light in the night sky, we were a little shaken (not just literally) and it took some time for the adrenaline to stop pumping. As we watched the news last night and have continued to read the reports rolling in today (Washington Post, New York Times, El Comercio, BBC) we are feeling exceedingly blessed to have come through this major event with next to no damage. We are happy to report that all of our elementary school and foreign service training instincts kicked in the instant we heard the glass begin to rattle and we darted for Caleb and the doorways. It is devastating to look at images of damage in places we have visited which are now lying in ruin and where so much death has occurred. Among the many things we are grateful for today is that our house is structurally sound and built to withstand the mighty clashing of tectonic plates.

One final note, yesterday we celebrated our 4th anniversary, still deliriously happy and looking forward to another 40 years...at least. Needless to say, it was an anniversary we will not soon forget.