Elder Mitchell Olsen: Sept 11, 2017

I have made a few Missionary Momma Friends on Facebook who have son's in the Oaxaca Mission. We have all been communicating with each other since the earthquake happened. We were all anxious to hear from our missionaries today and most had good news that they were fine and they didn't have any damage to their area. Some had to be evacuated because of the tsunami warning, but all was well after a day or so. Well, one missionary gives an account of what happened to him as he was in the area that was damaged the worst. Prayers go out to the people of the Juchitan/Salina Cruz area.

9/11/17
Earthquake Update:

Well, I survived an earthquake. My area didn't get the worst of it but it is one of the closest cities to the major damage in Oaxaca. Thursday I went to bed a little earlier because we were going to wake up earlier to go to the zone conference. I was sound asleep when all of a sudden our air conditioner turned off, the electricity went out, and everything started to shake. It was pitch black, I couldn't see anything. I just heard everything falling to the floor and my companion saying "we have to get out, now!". I was still half asleep, I couldn't fully understand what was happening. I've been through other little earthquakes before so I knew it was just going to end in a little awhile. My companion ran outside (still in his underwear) and I stayed inside trying to keep the bigger stuff from falling, like the fridge. After it ended, I fully woke up and walked outside. We stayed outside then. I started calling my district to see if they were ok. The signal was horrible and I couldn't get ahold of them immediately. When I did, the Sister Missionaries were completely terrified, the Elders in Miramar were totally calm as if nothing happened. The zone leaders started tried getting ahold of us to give us instructions. We were then told that there was going to be a tsunami and we had to evacuate and meet up together. The missionaries met in a church in a city farther away named Tehuantapec. We got there at like 3am in the morning. We stayed there outside in the concrete trying to sleep. We didn't sleep. We stayed there until President Conde got there at like 10am and told us to stay there until further instructions. Later on we went to the house of a missionary close by to shower and then pack their things and take them to the church in Salina Cruz. We left at 5:30pm, got to Salina Cruz, wrote our families telling them we are ok, and slept in the church building in Salina Cruz Friday night.
Saturday morning showed up with Pres Conde telling us to focus on looking for new houses because ours are too damaged. My companion and I showered in our house and started looking for a new house. Saturday night the zone leaders called us asking for help in a service project by the church buying food from Sams Club and loading it on a truck that would take the food to Juchitan (where it was hit the worst). We were there awhile loading many supplies.
Sunday the church meetings were canceled, so we went to a members house to bless and take the sacrament. We then left to look for more houses. We found a pretty good one.
It’s been pretty stressful, I've been working and walking a lot, I haven’t slept in a long time but I'm ok. The earthquake didn't affect me much at all. Others had it much worst. Thanks for your prayers, and all I ask now that you pray for those that have lost more than I.

This is one of the chapels in Juchitan that was damaged