Ica- Disaster Relief

Just wanted to let ya'll know what I've been up to. Life has been a little crazy here lately. After returning from the U.S. I stayed busy working here in Lima in order to get food and supplies prepared to send to Ica. I was also asked to stay at the Brinkley's house in order to watch their house and dogs the weekend of the 24th -27th. Then on Tuesday (the 28th) I finally got my opportunity to go down South and help with the relief work! Yay! I was sooo excited! This is what I've been waiting for my whole life. I just love helping people. I talked to my Mama today and she said that everybody back home is very happy for me right now because they know this is what I've always wanted to do. And they (or ya'll I should say) are right... I've waited my whole life for an opportunity like this. So, I was only able to stay in Ica two days, but they were both incredible. The first day I arrived I was able to help the ladies cook lunch and clean for our teams coming in. That afternoon we went out into a community named "El Olivo". This place was unreal. Every house in the community was destroyed. The day I went we gave them blankets, one per family. In the days before they had received food from us for their community kitchen. In order to receive foods for the community kitchens the people have to have their communities organized into families. We give food to the community kitchens and they feed the entire community for a week or so at a time. We return to these communities to check on them and just talk with the people. The day I was in El Olivo I had the opportunity to talk with several women for a couple hours. They are all so open to the gospel. They have been so close to death and are really thinking in terms of eternity. I met a lady named Margarita and her granddaughter Pamela. They took me to their house (the remains) and introduced me to the daughter and I think the daughter's husband, but he could have been the grandfather. It is hard to tell sometimes. But they allowed me to take pictures and they told me their story about the night of the earthquake. Standing in the middle of the remains of their house was just unreal. I couldn't even really grasp where I was. I can't imagine what these people are thinking. I went to another community and was standing with a lady beside the remains of her house and suddenly an adobe brick fell off the back of the house. It was so unnerving. It really made me wonder how these people were feeling the night of the quake with everything falling around them.



Here are a few photos to give you an idea:

Margarita and Pamela in the front doorway of the remains of their house

the back doorway

Margarita, her daughter (doing laundry) and her granddaughter in their makeshift house

Me chatting with a few ladies

the sign on the front of the community center

I came back from that trip on Thursday (the 30th). I am staying at the Brinkley's house again this weekend so that both of them can be in Ica. I will leave again on Monday morning at 6 a.m. to go to Ica again. Hopefully I will be able to stay a little longer this time.

The people who are there now are going to start Bible studies in some of these communities tomorrow. Please pray for them and me as we teach the Bible in these devastated communities. I am thrilled to be able to help in this way.

I haven't had time to sleep in my own bed for a very long time now. I am learning that for now my life is not going to be a settled one. I talked to my Mama today and she said she knew when I was born I would always be on the go, after all, I was born feet first.
So, I'm outta here! I love ya'll!

To see more picture of Ica click the "ALL MY PICTURES" link to the right ---->

remember to read Kevin's blog and the ReachPeru updates. http://swisa.blogspot.com/, www.reachperu.com/reliefinfo