PRAY FOR PERU!!
If you have been following my Facebook at all in recent days, you've probably noticed that Peru is in a serious crisis caused by heavy rains in the highlands which have created landslides throughout the nation. With rainfall reaching nearly ten times the normal amount, landslides are wreaking havoc throughout the highlands and the desert, coastal region.
Crops have been washed away, produce has been lost, more than 60 people have died, and thousands have been evacuated from their homes. Friends of ours are facing the clean-up of such destruction as their house was filled with nearly 3 feet of water, which has since begun to dry leaving clay-like mud on everything it touched.
Ironically, despite the excess rain that has fallen, there is a water shortage in the nation's capital of Lima. Because water is coming down from the mountains with high levels of dirt, branches, and garbage, the water plant is unable to keep up with the purification process. This has led to water being cut in homes throughout the capital for the past 4 days.
Free water distribution sites were set up around the city to give water for cleaning and flushing toilets. People lined the streets for hours waiting their turn to fill barrels and buckets with water. Drinking water is sold out nearly everywhere, and even the places that do have drinking water for sale have begun to charge double or triple the price and limit the quantity one can buy.
There are food shortages as produce has become limited and prices have sky rocketed. Some supermarkets have increased prices of produce more than five times their normal cost. The shelves are nearly empty of non-perishable items.
Preschool, elementary, high school, and university classes were cancelled throughout the nation Thursday and Friday, and they have also been suspended Monday and Tuesday. Some provinces have cancelled classes until April 3rd due to the prediction of more rain in the upcoming weeks.
My heart is broken, but God is teaching me a lesson in gratitude. Thankfully, in our home we have had water for a few hours each day. The pressure hasn't been great, but it's enough time to fill up buckets, wash the dishes, and bathe before it gets turned off again. I've taken a shower (if you can call it that) with a bucket for 3 days now as the water pressure isn't even strong enough to push the water through the shower.
However, yesterday as I was feeling frustrated with the water situation, I was nearly brought to tears by my brother-in-law who had to be evacuated from his home with only the clothes on his back due to the river that flooded the property of the mission where they live. His almost 2 year old son, oblivious to the situation, running around and playing with a smile on his face, and his wife remaining strong even when all she wanted to do was cry.
I was reminded to be thankful - thankful that my house has been unaffected except the lack of running water, thankful that even though the water has been inconsistent, it comes and goes just long enough to save some, thankful that my life has been relatively unaffected by the landslides, thankful that the days off of school gave me time to work on my Master's courses and get ahead on my lesson plans, and thankful that despite my husband's job being at high risk due to the rising sea levels, he has also been safe and unharmed.
It breaks my heart that those most affected are some off the poorest of the nation. Many farmers have lost their crops, and some have lost animals in the landslides. Those closest to the rising rivers have lost their homes and nearly everything in them. House insurance is nearly non-existent in Peru, and aid isn't always available. My heart breaks for those affected.
I'll leave you with some pictures from the last week. (Most of these I have taken from Facebook and news websites. I hope I don't get in trouble for that!)
Helicopters taking people from affected areas.
Woman carried away by the landslide escapes by grabbing debris and crawling to shore.
A cow carried away by the landslides. They think it belongs to the woman above.
BCM (Bible Centered Missions) property after the river overflowed at 2 a.m. Thursday morning. Forty people had to be evacuated.
The home of my brother-in-law and his family who serve as missionaries at BCM.
People lined up with barrels and buckets to receive water.
People buying water at the supermarket on Thursday before it sold out and prices tripled.
