SCHURCH MEETING IN CHILE - EARTHQUAKE REPORT

The Schurch family organized a celebration of the 125 years since its immigration to Chile!  While at the Reunion Betty Sherk witnessed a major earthquake.  Her report is as follows:

Hi, (01 March 2010)

Jessica and I are staying in an apartment that belongs to Ruth Schurch's uncle.  (Ruth Schurch is the one who organized this reunion of Chilean Schurchs.)  We are on the fifth floor of six.  It is great for us as we each have our own bedroom but ... early Saturday morning we were awakened by the shaking of our beds/building.

Having no experience with earthquakes we didn't know what to do.  I heard a program that suggested that you lie between taller objects which I did.  When the rumbling ceased we went out of the building and waited on the sidewalk.  We did not have a telephone so Jessica talked to some people, one of which understood some English.  They didn't know what to do and in fact were more shaken up than we were.  After half an hour or so we decided to ask him if we could borrow his cell phone and call Ruth.  They were not worried about us.  Cristian, her husband, said that since the earthquake that hit fifty years ago all construction was built to handle earthquakes.  That doesn't seem to hold for all buildings, the airport in Santiago, being one.  The upper floor collapsed in the departures area so no one can check in or fly out.  Any planes that land have to stay as there is no fuel to get them out.  We are going to play it one day at a time.  We are not leaving Santiago until next Sunday so we are hoping that by then there will be fuel to leave.

Now getting to Santiago is another story.  It is a trip of 695 km to Santiago from Temuco but many of the bridges on the highway are in trouble.  There are cracks and heaving in the road.  There is no direct route by bus so it would take a longer than the regular 9 hours.  It might also be possible to fly from here to Santiago but we'll check out that option later in the week.

On Saturday there was going to be the first gathering for the reunion in an area about an hour from here.  Many were going to drive to see Schurch sites - the place of the first Schurch house (now a forest of araucaria and eucalyptus), a cemetery and a monument marking the over 100 years of Swiss people in Chile and a couple farms of present day Schurchs.  Because the radio suggested to people that they not try to drive, many did not make it.  The social club, where we were to have a nice lunch, did not have electricty but fed a much smaller number using their gas stove.  Instead of 60 there were 14.  It wa delicious.  In the cemetery a few crypts had broken walls, because of the earthquake, exposing the decomposed contents!  On the original property there were many apple and plum trees, a nut tree and lots of blackberry bushes.  (The thorns on those bushes are wicked!).

On Sunday, a larger gathering was planned at a beautiful restaurant by the river in this area.  In the morning, Ruth found out that the restaurant had collapsed and all of the food that was prepared the day before was spoiled because of a lack of electricity.  They had to think fast and improvise.  One of her cousins has a very large house, which is perfect for entertainng.  She had to make many calls in the morning to let her relatives know of the change in location.  They also had to find food.  Her daughter made some cakes, they bought many watermelons and some pies but the rest of the food was supplied by her cousin - huge roasts of beef and numerous vegetables from their garden.  It was all very delicious, especially the beef.  Instead of 80 people there were 40.  We were not the only visitors - Walter and Elli Schurch came from Switzerland and Rudy and Karin Schurch came from Germany.  Rudy, Ruth's first cousin, was born here but now pastors in Germany.  You could hear a mixture of Spanish, German, French and English being spoken.  (Some of the cousins were able to speak in English to me for which I was very grateful.)

Ruth had a powerpoint presentation to introduce the ancestors to those who were not as familiar with that bit of family history.  (We had electricity there all afternoon!)  (Ruth's cousin's wife let us use her iPhone to send out our first e-mail.  To get the best reception she placed it in a tree and we waited several hours for the message to go.)  She had made up large charts showing the family trees of the six sons of the immigrant Andreas Schurch.  She had, with the help of her cousin Alexandre, done a lot of research.  She found cousins that she had not known before.  Her information is not complete.  Many dates are missing but she had made an excellent start for the family.  The oldest cousin is 88 years old and was at the party.

On behalf of the Schurch Family Association of North America I made a presentation to the Chilean Schurchs with a gift of a replica of a Conestoga Wagon.  Tom Sherk had written a story about the origin and use of the wagon and a friend of Jessica's translated it into Spanish.  I left copies for people to pick up.  One of Ruth's daughters is very fluent in English and translated for me.  It was a very beautiful summer day for the gathering.  There was a wonderful spirit among the people.  They welcomed us very warmly.  (I have never been kissed by so many people!)

The day before the earthquake, Ruth and family took us on a day's trip to see a volcano and it's effects.  The amount of land that was coved in hard lava was beyond my expectations.  The last erruption from this volcano was two years ago.  (There are may volcanoes in this land.)  It was a most interesting excursion.  Later this week we will see another one which is near thier summer house.  The wall behind the fireplace in this house, is made of lava rocks.

Electricty comes and goes.  It has been out now for three hours.  We will send this message as soon as it comes back on.  Tremors come and go as well - there were two more last night.  They are not a worry to us and to those who live here.  When there is no electricity some businesses close - banks, gas stations.

Cristian's parents and a brother, who live in Concepcion where the epicentere was, are okay.  Thank you for all your prayers.  They are still needed as there are many who have lost everything as well as family members.