Situation Report: American Samoa. Day 7.
Monday, October 19, 2009
by Tim Serban
Situation Report: American Samoa
American Red Cross volunteer Tim Serban was deployed to American Samoa Friday, October 2 as member of the National Red Cross Response Team. Tim is the Director of Mission Integration and Spiritual Care with Providence Regional Medical Center Everett, WA and has been a volunteer with Red Cross since 1999. His first volunteer training with the Red Cross was in Critical Incident Stress Debriefing. Tim is thumb-typing these reports and sending them home using his iPod mobile device--when connections are available.
Thanks to Tim's home Chapter in Washington State for sharing these reports with us here in Arizona.
Notes From: Tim Serban American Red Cross Spiritual Care Response Team (SRT) Lead Disaster Relief Operation (DRO) 560-Am. Samoa
DAY 7: Friday 10/9/09 -- midday DRO 560
We met the families we knew from the village of Leone early this morning when they came to pick up the bodies of two families who lost their daughters and supported them as they began the long journey around the island to their homes. The burial plots are dug, the village community is assembled and they join together in this loss. Late last night after the curfew bells were rung around 10pm across the distance we could hear what sounded like a conch shell was being blown in a soft and somber pace. At least two men were in the back of a pickup truck that was just driving slowly to the edge of the village of Leone and the sound was a soft and then louder moan of a sound. It came to te edge of the village and the turned around as if to signal the day of mourning ahead.
And as the families gather in the morning at the hospital chapel they have a brief ceremony and the others of the family are in cars and buses process to the village in their vehicles with a police escort.
One mother of one of the little girls, said "thank you Red Cross for being there for me and for my family, you have helped me to be strong in this time, you have helped me to bring my daughter home." She was deeply grateful for all who are helping these families too many to name. But each significant, locally and abroad.
Tim Tim Serban SRT Lead DRO 560
DAY 7: Friday 10/9/09 -- The rest of the day
From the hospital we went to support five separate families. As mentioned earlier, the common word is that the tsunami warning really was difficult on everyone. You see they really rarely ever get them and to have two in a week is very difficult. We learned much about the village structure and how community ownership works, all funds are community funds, according to one person who lost a family member. Family members were busy digging the grave, mixing cement by hand as I have seen in El Salvador.
Then I learned about the details of how the community does a burial at sea. The relative shared with me the entire ceremony and process as it is done here. The rituals and traditions and process is truly a beautiful way to honor those who love the sea as their home.
Next, we received a call to support a man and his 16 yr old nephew who didn't see the tsunami until it hit the house in front of them and pushed their vehicle over 400 yards. When he awoke, he was dazed and found himself in the back seat. They both got out only after his nephew shook him awake. "Nightime is the scariest time," a common phrase we hear a lot. The fear that the earthquake caused us is as scary as the tsunami that followed. Many speak of the sound the earth makes in a big earthquake. Others speak about the deep jungle people who remain high in the mountain jungles of American Samoa. For many it's out of choice, for others they may fear coming down because of their fear of a tsunami.
When people talk of those living in the jungle, they say in order to get there one cannot drive and you may mostly be climbing a very narrow path that is quite possibly very vertical which sometimes skirts along the edge of the cliff with a shear drop below. Something about the thought of these impressive mountain jungles is intriguing but no, Mom, I wouldn't take any chances. Red Cross does a phenomenal job keeping its volunteers safe and well supported.
Now on a lighter note one thing that I still can't get my mind around is how big the bats are at night. They are endangered so there are not a lot of them. But when you see one, that's about enough. One local person said, "[they're endangered] so that means we can't shoot them." They have the wingspan of a seagull. So amazing and a little over the top to see.
Well that wraps up the night.
Tim Tim Serban SRT, Lead DRO-560 Tsunami American Samoa Sent from my mobile device
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