This time last week, I was sitting in my office praying for the people of Peru and wondering if all of my friends were safe there.  Over the last couple of years, I have really fallen in love with that country and the people of Peru.  They have such a heart for us and have always been so welcoming to us.  They have amazing hearts and hospitality.  As most of you know I have traveled to Peru twice now.  Last summer when I was there, I worked in Lima but two years ago, we took our team down and worked in Chincha, about 3 hours south of Peru.  If you have watched any news of the earthquake in Peru, you possibly have heard the town name of Chincha as one of the areas that was heavily damaged.   This town was very near the center of the earthquake. 

I was happy to hear last Thursday that everyone in Lima was safe but continued to wonder about the town of Chincha and the pastor and his church that we worked with 2 years ago.  On Tuesday, some of the AIM staff that live in Lima, traveled down to Chincha.  Below is their letter and some pictures from their trip. 

It seems like the earthquake has quickly left the media of the Americans...other things have quickly taken the place of the headlines but don't forget!  They have a special place in my heart.  Also, pray that people will go help...we are setting up some trips to send down some adults (http://www.adventures.org/opps/peru2007.asp). 

Our trip to Chincha
started at 5am, packing as much stuff as possible in the van. We even had to put three of our passengers on a bus knowing that our vehicle wasn't going to
make it with all the provisions we were bringing for our friends. It was a 3
hour drive and most of it under 45 miles per hour, but we were very anxious to
get there and see the condition of the city and how our ministry partners were
living. 

After a light
breakfast, we headed to see our friend Pastor Desiderio. We found him and his
family still with the same love of God we have seen before but sad. His family
was ok, none of his relatives were hurt in any way, but some members of his
congregation had some difficulties during the earthquake. His whole house and Compassion
complex is cracked and most likely will have to be torn down, it is a very sad
decision but to be secure about future earth movement is the best idea. Only
the structure of the church is still stable which is why the pastor and his
family plus another four people are

sleeping in there. Until yesterday they did
not have any electricity; therefore no internet and no lights at night, which
is very dangerous considering that 600 prisoners ran away from a jail about 40
minutes away from that area! Pastor Desiderio was telling us about how they
have to watch the place at night on shifts, 2 people staying awake while the
rest sleep and everyone takes part in this. It was good to see Compassion
providing food and blankets for all the kids who were part of the program, and
through other organizations they were also able to give away food and water to
the families of those children. After spending some time with Pastor Desiderio
we went to visit a couple other pastors in the area and it was the same
situation; one of them had his whole house down on the ground and the other had
some walls cracked in his house. The school his church has right next door also
had some walls down. It was a sad moment to hear all those stories of brothers
and sisters in Christ that had worked so hard for all they had, and then everything
was taken away from them in two short, scary minutes.

Now, everyone we
visited is able to look at the new situation with a smile; the kind of smile
that only
Jesus can bring. They are worried, yes, but happy none the less
because thanks to God, they and their whole family are still alive to see more
miracles being performed by God in their lives. They were telling us how much
they wanted to have better places to worship God and now they have an excuse to
build them, asking God to provide for their huge needs of construction and the
supply the daily needs for their families, and in their ministries as well. That's
why they can smile now when they think of the new situation they have been
placed in.

We went through some
of the streets in Chincha to see how bad it looks, and these pictures can give
you a good idea of how strong the quake was. It is sure to say that roughly 50%
of the houses were either not good to live in anymore but still holding a roof;
or was completely down on the ground. Lots of people set up tents outside of
what used to be their homes; waiting for a way to recover the few things they
could still use. Lots of government structures are no longer usable; even
buildings that were fairly new are now some sort of tourist attraction like you
can see in this picture.
In most places people wanted to talk to us, tell us
their stories, and ask us for help; food or water, just the basics. Our hearts
broke every time we heard these people's stories and their pleas for help, but
this time it was only a small visit to friends. We took what we could purchase,
what we had, what we were able to bring in a small van. Our love for them is
huge and it was clear to us that much more is needed.

It was a wonderful adventure
and I can't wait till I have another chance to be blessed by delivering God's
love to people that need it the most. Our father in heaven let us have a great
trip in every way. Thanks to all of you for your prayers and support. We'll
keep you updated.