Our violently shaking house awakened us with a start. We experienced panic as we stumbled from room to room, calling for our children and herding them outside into the relative safety of the early morning darkness. When daylight came, disbelief and shock settled in. How could such devastation result from only a few seconds of the earth’s twitching?

We lived in a tent for the next three weeks, hundreds of daily aftershocks ruling out returning to our home. For several months we experienced emotional disorientation, performing our relief tasks as though we were walking through a thick fog, our emotions numbed from hearing the stories of countless people who had suffered loss. Compassion fatigue frequently shadowed our existence. Sadness, depression, irritability and a sense of powerlessness plagued us. Tears flowed easily, seemingly for unapparent reasons.

One of our children developed stomach problems and a skin rash. Our teenage daughter, curled up in a fetal position, wept in my arms out of fear. It took years for us to overcome our anxiety when for some reason, like passing traffic, a building would vibrate.

We discovered later that these were normal responses to disaster or trauma. We also learned that in times of crisis, people react in different ways, not all missionaries experience the same responses. The important thing to remember is to accept these feelings, look for some balance, get support from others, return to a routine as soon as possible and take care of your daily life.