It's been nearly one week since the powerful 8.8 magnitude earthquake hit the South American country of Chile.

With the help of its churches, the country is now beginning the process of picking up the pieces of their tattered lives.

Reconstruction will take three or four years, according to the Chilean government. So far, the catastrophe has claimed the lives of close to 1,000 people.

Loving Thy Neighbor

Following the quake, many churches in the capital city of Santiago cancelled their Sunday services after Chile's President Michelle Bachelet called for the suspension of all public activities.

However, reporter Carlos Hernandez told CBN News that some congregations still managed to meet and lift their voices to God.

"What they did was they opened in open fields, gathered for prayer, to receive people, to counsel," he explained.

The Chilean Bible Society, the Salvation Army, and other organizations quickly began collecting donations for the victims.

"There are Christian organizations, churches, pastoral councils and Chilean church leaders who, when called by the Lord, agree to work together as a team to represent Jesus Christ," said Cristian Maureira of the Evangelical Support Committee. "We don't just love God, we also love our neighbor."

As more Christian aid arrives in the quake zones, survivors are hoping that the worst may be over. But no one doubts that recovery from an earthquake this strong, will take a long time.