In 2017, Mexico suffered one of the most terrible earthquakes in its history. It affected the whole country, but especially the southern states. Juchitán, Oaxaca, was one of the most affected communities, with 80% of the community’s houses destroyed. And two years after the earthquake, some communities, like Juchitán, still have not received support from the government.
But some of the families here have long since been restored after the earthquake — because of the generosity of Compassion’s donors. Families like Emily’s.
At the time of the earthquake, 8-year-old Emily and her family lived in the center of Juchitán. Emily was at school when the deadly earthquake hit.
“I remember how my schoolmates screamed, and that scared me a lot,” said Emily. “Then the tin and the walls of the school began to crack.”
Emily’s mom, Irma, and her brother, Samuel, were at home when the ground started shaking.
“I ran outside with him because the walls began to break,” said Irma. “When I was outside and saw how my neighbors’ houses fell down, I cried, thinking this was the end of the world.”
Sadly, their house crumbled to pieces. Irma was devastated.
After the Deadly Mexico Earthquake
The questions in her mind, the shock of the moment, and the people buried under the rubble made Irma break down.
“We lost everything,” said Irma. “I felt lost watching my neighborhood be destroyed.”
They moved in with Irma’s mother, but there wasn’t enough room for them. So instead, they moved into a sailcloth tent. Living near the beach, the rain and wind often battered the fragile structure.
During these times, Emily would praise the Lord, singing and asking for His help to keep the tent from overturning. She would sing, “Make your house on the rock because Jesus Christ will support you.”
The Center’s Fast Action
This was a hard time for Emily and her family, but a miracle happened thanks to the staff at the local church and Compassion Mexico. Besides the immediate disaster relief they provided, families also received aid to rebuild their lives.
In all, 309 Compassion-supported families who were affected by the earthquake received materials to rebuild homes to replace the tents and makeshift homes they were living in.
The happiness Emily’s family felt when they received their brand-new house was indescribable.
“I love my new house,” said Emily. “When the rain hits, I’m not worried about it because it’s strong like a rock.”
Compassion’s donors spread happiness to Emily’s family and every broken family that lost a house. Only those who had lost a house and gained another can know how they feel.
The reconstruction by the government is going slow. Two years after the earthquake, rubble remains on the streets and families still wait for the government’s support. But thanks to the rapid response from the Compassion center, Emily had a new home in less than two months.
“Thank you so much for my new house,” said Emily. “I have a safe place to sleep and play. I have my own house and I will take care of it forever.”
Thank you to all our amazing supporters who made these smiles possible despite the Mexico earthquake!
Emily and Samuel sing the song that would bring them comfort during storms in front of their new house.
Exclusive Sneak Peek: The Triplets Got Their New Home!
Last summer, our supporters helped build a new home for a family with triplets, and seven additional families in Uganda. These families were living in desperate circumstances with leaking thatched roofs, poor ventilation and unhealthy conditions.
We’re so excited to give you a sneak peek on the progress that has been made! All eight homes have been built. We are lining up our photojournalist to take pictures and interview the families. In the meantime, we wanted to show you this very exciting photo that the local church took of the triplets in front of their safe, sanitary new home!
Woohoo! We are so joyful to see the safe home they now are able to sleep in each night. We’ll be bringing you an update on the triplets soon, so stay tuned!
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I met a man in Uganda who said he was so poor growing up that whenever it rained, he and his siblings all had to stand up because of the water running through their house. This makes me so happy. What if we all just lived on a little bit less so that other people could have more?