Hello brothers. My name is Penelope Vasquez. I am a Chilean nurse who lives in the city of Cauquenes in the Seventh Region.
After many years I returned to my hometown in a process of healing and personal rebirth, I never thought that this would be linked to the rebirth of the city where I was born, I have three children with whom I was not Day of the earthquake, she was alone in the apartment on the third floor, they were with their father in a city near Cauquenes.
That moment was endless a very long night the noise of the alarms of the vehicles to be crushed, the sirens of ambulances and firemen I sat in the doorway of my bedroom feeling the endless replicas I felt safe there where my angel's company gave me peace and tranquility that my children were fine.
At that point there was no light, water or communications. At dawn of that day I left my home which stood, I met my landlord who, terrified and attentive, told me about his experience starting from the city of Pelluhue (area of the Tsunami) as they were endless rows of vehicles and the desperation of people and sinkholes (subsidence) along the way.
My idea was to introduce myself in my work and get to know something about my children, that journey led me to cross the city on foot and see how the bridge that connects two sectors of this city was totally damaged, it was a multitude of people with faces of impact, worry, pain and uncertainty. Some of us were going to introduce ourselves to our jobs, others looking for relatives. I got to my job where we organized to help, then I contacted the children by cell phone and they were fine. At that moment I felt the need to be here and the next day I got a vehicle and went to see them in San Javier. Seeing that his situation was better than ours since the basic services were more replenished, they stayed there and I came to help in my work.
As the days went by and after seeing so much destruction I realized that my life continued to be the same as before the earthquake, which I had personally had a year before a similar situation of losses, anguish and insecurities and that had managed to cross the kidney and stop me, which was the preparation for this moment.
My country, my people, has a claw. We are like the phoenix that is reborn from the ashes, the city is very destroyed, houses whose facades were beautiful and that gave the feeling of being very firm, they left us exposed how much we painted on the outside and we do not see our true essence . We have spoken many times of faith and now we have been measured, we have been woken up to what we think and say, solidarity is something that has emerged and I am very grateful to the people who in one way or another have accompanied us, who they have made my city an entertaining place, this is how the square of my city became the heart from where I have seen music, lottery games and children's dynamics emanating, psychological help, the power of prayer through different religions performing their ceremonies. We have had lunch and served ... my children were even learning to juggle ... juggling balls.
I did not know the cultural wealth of my land and this event brought out the best of us what remains and that no one can take away from us, our talents and gifts, the earthquake showed us that we are all valuable that we need each other, what You are complemented by what I am to form a beautiful garden. That way it can be more entertaining.
This earthquake and the vaccination campaign have also allowed me to see beyond the city, to know those who have not enjoyed what I had told them before. The farmer, the one who was far and alone, here I have also seen claw to stand, to move forward and since the universe has taken care of us and has given us the necessary time to wake up from the dream, react and stop before the rains come, they have already managed to put a roof where to shelter. There is a lot of creativity, solidarity and humility in the environment. There are those who with what they have left something have raised, others have received help from the neighbor friend, and others have used the place where the animals slept to shelter (this reminded me of the birth of Jesus), please brothers this is really enriching experience that I wanted to share.
Thanks to all those who have been in your prayers, thanks brothers of light who have accompanied us from all sides and are helping us with their talents.
Eternally grateful
Penelope
