Peru Earthquake - news from former Crosslinks mission partners Penny and Carlos Marces

click here for update 22 August

Dear everyone

Thanks to those of you who have already asked about this. Before going any further, we are all fine here – just a very frightening (but exciting – depending on your viewpoint) experience.

For the details. You are sitting at the computer. Just imagine a heavy lorry going past your house, and the vibrations that brings. Imagine a very heavy lorry, and imagine those vibrations going on and on and on – for two whole minutes. (The longest anyone here can remember the earth keeping moving....) After the first few seconds (literally) you put your earthquake preparation into action – in my case yelling “Jonny – down – NOW” and then going outside. Stand in the garden more seconds while you remember you forgot the key to the railings to actually get out of the garden and across the road to the park (this being the safe place, with no buildings to fall). Finally decide to dash back to get keys and go to park to join everyone else. “What´s happening to JC and the girls?” goes through your mind as the earth continues to shake and the electricity dips and comes back several times. And yes, we DID wonder – many of us, if THIS WAS IT – Jesus coming back. Finally (a long two minutes later) the earth stops shaking continuously and “just” has a series of murmurs. After ten minutes spent in friendly discussions with the neighbours things seem to be over. A decision to go with Jonny to the hairdresser where the girls had gone – only to find that at the end of our road the electricity was off. Streets between us and the hairdresser all dark but certainly not quiet – everyone outside, many with their dogs and at least one with the birdcage (never even occurred to me to rescue OUR birds!), and lots of car radios on. Get to hairdresser and no girls (wrong place we discover later!) Back home – no phone line to check on others...

The aftershocks continued for several hours. By then it was clear that Lima itself had suffered a huge fright but injuries to people basically minimal and even property not too badly affected. We also found out where the worst damage was – when you feel the tremors so strongly you don´t know at first whether you are near the epicentre and it is after all not too bad a shock, or whether the epicenter is miles away and what you felt is nothing compared to what those nearer the centre are going through. Even so, it is only after getting up today (ie nearly 12 hours later) that we are discovering the extent of the damage in Pisco and nearby areas. For today, schools all over the country have been closed until inspections prove they are safe, and the government is getting aid to the affected areas as quickly as possible. The doctors (who were in the middle of a 3 day strike) are working full out where necessary. People here who have relatives in the worst affected areas don´t know if their relatives are OK or not – no phones or electricity (or water) there. 

There was also a tsunami alert for the Pacific coast. This was later lifted – but in fact there WAS some flooding in the Callao port area and Miraflores coastal area.

So please pray for Peru. Give thanks that Lima was basically spared – but pray for those in Pisco, Chincha, Cañete and Ica whose lives have just been changed forever, having lost family &/or possessions. Pray for Nelly & Vicenta (from our church) and Celia (who works in our house) who are from these towns and don´t know yet about their relatives. Pray for those still waiting to be rescued – an old church collapsed with many inside and there is still hope for survivors.

We will try to keep you informed

Thanks for praying

God bless

Love from Penny

Sent: Wednesday, August 22, 2007 8:13 PM
Subject: Peru update

Dear everyone

Thank you for your interest. The earth here continues to shake but within normal levels, and it is now a case of organization to get help to those who have lost everything. The main problem is fair distribution – the first stuff was all taken to the big towns and the outlying villages received nothing. Even in the bigger places where we know from TV things have been taken it seems many people don´t get anything... Now individuals and groups are starting to collect and take to places where they have family – but please pray that everyone who needs help receives it – and that the inevitable minority who are grabbing things to sell will be stopped. One of the main needs is for water, and face masks are also needed now as the smell gets worse. A few details:

- The Anglican church is helping in a soup kitchen in Ica, and also visiting patients brought to different hospitals in Lima to give clothing (to the patient and accompanying relative)

- Nelly´s daughter went to the area where they have relatives; noone seriously injured but many houses destroyed. They took candles & matches (no electricity yet), and food that they took was used for the soup kitchen there

- Vicenta has now discovered she has 2 nieces in a hospital here (give thanks they are in the same hospital!). There are still about 10 of her family unaccounted for, which is not good news – they are from the worst affected area.

- Diana & Martha (cousins, both from our church) are sending things to their family (other cousins) this weekend. There have been no tragedies in their family, but their houses are all in ruins

- Celia discovered this morning that there has been some structural damage to her relatives´ homes, but the houses are still habitable and no injuries.

I was one of the volunteers who went to one of the hospitals yesterday. Suffice it to say that you can see them reliving it all as they speak. Particularly hard to hear those who weren´t buried themselves but helped to dig out those who had been buried – both alive and dead. Rebuilding is not only about the houses – it is a lot more and will take a long time.

Please keep praying!

With love from Penny