In Mexico, each September 19th, businesses and schools alike take time to do an earthquake drill and remember those affected by an earthquake on the same day in 1985. As usual, the drill was held across the country this week but as you may have heard on the news, just hours later in the afternoon, an earthquake struck which was a massive surprise to many.
The region in which MARKED works is located in the state of Jalisco which fortunately, does not typically experience earthquakes like the rest of central and southern Mexico however this time, the epicenter of the earthquake was in a neighboring state, just a few hundred kilometers away so at Casa MARKED and throughout the villages the earthquake was actually felt quite strongly.
We are happy to report that our team is all ok and the families in the communities surrounding Casa MARKED are all safe as well. To ensure structural integrity of the building and in case of aftershocks, our programs were paused for the rest of the afternoon on Monday and even the following day we closed our doors along with schools across the state.
Since the original earthquake, there have been hundreds of aftershocks felt across the country at varying strengths and different hours, in the morning, afternoon, and even in the middle of the night. As you can imagine, this uncertainty of when another earthquake could occur has many afraid and as Jalisco as a region that does not typically experience so much seismic activity, the state is much less prepared than others. There are no sirens or warnings for its residents; instead, people must be ready with shoes and keys by the door to evacuate quickly.
That being said, we know Jesus holds them all and can give peace that surpasses all understanding. We ask for continued prayers for Mexico and all of its residents but also, to rejoice with us that overall, compared to other earthquakes, damages have not been severe and that very few people in the entire country have been injured as a result of these earthquakes. We are so thankful for your on-going support and our staff appreciates those who have reached out to check-in and offered prayer.
Of course, we don't know what will happen with earthquakes and aftershocks but we are thankful to have our doors open, ready to receive children and families and of course, use our kitchen to continue making delicious, nutritious meals for all who are involved in our programs. We wrap up this week feeling extra grateful- for safety, for community and that Casa MARKED is standing strong. We may not know what the future holds but we are looking forward to it, confident that our good God is in control of everything.