Disaster in Baños

It had been a long and great two years. My parents had flown into Guayaquil to pick me up from my two year mission. I had dreamed of this moment for long time and when arrived it almost didn't seem real. I remember seeing my mom's happy face when I met her at the bus station and it is memory that I will always treasure.

For the next couple of days we went around the city seeing places that I had served in and touring the surrounding areas. We then we flew into Quito and made our way to Baños. The city of Baños is located at the base of a volcano and it is famous for its waterfalls and for its hot springs. I had always wanted to go there because just four years earlier my parents were there picking up my brother who had also served in Ecuador. They had always talked about it and told us how beautiful it was.

While we were there we decided to stay at a hotel that was owned by a German couple that was located high up on the mountain. The next morning, when we woke up we noticed that it was pouring rain so we decided to stay indoors. About twenty minutes later, we heard a loud crash and we felt the floor beneath us start to shake. We all sat there for a couple of seconds not sure what had just happened. Then after a couple minutes, we began to hear screaming and siren.

We quickly jumped in our car and drove to see if someone was need. When we arrived to the source of the sirens we found nothing but chaos. To our astonishment, there had been some volcanic activity and the debris had completely destroyed a nearby village. There was about one hundred people there trying to get the village but the police were not letting any closer. Everyone knew that the police were just doing their job but it didn't matter these people were just concerned about their families' wellbeing. Tensions were high and it looked like at any moment it could break out into a scene of violence.

Before things got too out of had, we decided to head back to the hotel. It broke my heart to see these people and the concern and fear on their faces. The next day, we found out that many people had lost their lives from this natural disaster. It is a moment that I will never forget and was a confirmation to me that in times of disaster social order can disappear.