The day started like any other, I woke up early for class, got ready, drove to school and went to class. I was planning to meet with Diana today when I was finished with class to go over the research and do more work on Stata. She texted me and said she could only meet for an hour because her daughter was sick. But I didnt want her to have to drive here only for an hour to meet and then have to go back home, plus I had a lot of blogging and admin work I had to do. So we scheduled to meet on Wednesday after class. And instead I would just blog the entire day and try to still do the readings she gave to me in the beginning.
I finished class at 12:15p. Right after class I get a call from my older sister and she is upset. I had no idea what was going on. She tells me there was an earthquake in American Samoa and Samoa and there were tsunami warnings and that its flooded and that no one can get ahold of my grandma or any other family on the island. :( I was going crazy. I was crying in the computer lab as I was looking it up. The first reports said it was a 7.9 than I see it was 8.3 and that tsunami waves, WAVES not one single wave but plural, hit the islands. I was so very worried and scared for my family-especially my grandma. I was just thinking about all the fales in Samoa and what theyre made of and then reading all the reports I was just going crazy this day. I called my mom to ask her if she talked to my grandma but I couldnt even utter a word because I was choked up and crying. She said she'd call me back. I started praying, praying really hard for my family and just everyone on the islands. I was so scared. and I knew my grandma had to be too and then my cousins and aunties and uncles too. I was going crazy!! My roommate calmed me down and told me to not worry or jump to conclusions and that everything would be ok. I waited for my mom's call or text for an update. I kept trying to call my grandma myself but it wouldnt connect me-which scared me more even though I knew that after an earthquake, especially to that magnitude, phonelines would be down and contact would be hard. My mom finally texted me that my family was ok and she'd call me later. I was relieved. But I was still so very sad. American Samoa and Samoa are such tiny tiny islands-I felt like the islands were going to be washed away or something. I just knew there was going to be a lot of damages and I was so sad to think of the possible deaths. :( It's so heartbreaking and devastating. I was happy my family were alive but I was still so heartbroken that this disaster happened to the islands that I love so much. And I've only been there once!! And then I was sad to hear from my roommate that some of her family were missing still and that one of the PIER students at Carson high lost a family member as well.
I later read reports that 14, then 20, then 28, then more and more people died. My heart was breaking more and more with all the pictures and reports that were coming out. I couldnt help but think about all the families that lost a member of their families or even whole families that could have been lost. I was mourning for all those who passed and I didnt even know them! But I prayed more and more through out the day-asking God to please be with the people and give them courage, strength, love, safety to keep fighting and helping each other.
I didnt get started on my actual blogging til about 3p. I couldnt get my mind off what happened. I blogged for the rest of the day until I went to sleep at midnight again. Blogging was a good distraction for my mind not to go completely crazy. Writing about my experiences with this internship made me even more thankful for all the blessings I have in my life. I completed about 3-4 more blogs, prayed one last time then fell asleep.
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