Street Boys Become Angels of Mercy
Here I am back at my desk again after the India trip. Sitting in my comfortable study. But I feel very uncomfortable. I'm constantly thinking about our friends and colleagues in Peru. Willie and I have been in constant touch thinking about how we in the Vine Trust can make a small difference in the life of some forgotten street kid on the edge of an abyss.
By God's grace our partners in Union Bublica are up for one of the biggest challenges ever. To try and get food to the vulnerable street boys of Ica. This may prove more difficult than sailing a boat across the Atlantic. For these children will be the least known and loved. Somewhere tonight a child will be hiding believing the world has come to an end. And it may have for him.
On Wednesday evening an earthquake hit the country of Peru causing a great deal of damage hundreds have been killed. The cities of Pisco, Ica and Chincha Alta in the Ica Region, and San Vicente de Cañete in the Lima Region were most affected. Paul Clark told me everyone was afraid. The earthquake was felt in the capital Lima, where the quake broke windows in downtown sectors of the city, as well as various other Peruvian cities. Aftershocks of magnitude 5.0 or greater have been recorded.[8][9]
The Vine Trust has sprung into action and I'm happy to say that we have released $150,000 for our partners in Union Bublica to use in helping in the emergency relief for abandoned children in Ica and the surrounding area and to accelerate the construction of the Ica street children's centre which was due for completion in October 2008. Thanks to the generosity of Coupar Old Parish Church
The immediate aim will be to establish four feeding centres aimed particularly at abandoned and orphan children who will be least well placed to cope with this tragedy whilst also supporting the wider community at this time.
I believe that the plan is to include some of the older street boys to become involved in the whole aid relief programme. So boys who were once classed as evil drug addicted demons will now be seen as angels of mercy offering food and shelter to children who have been displaced by this horrific incident. Please pray for Paul Clark and his team as they work night and day to bring relief to some of these precious children. In an e-mail i received from Paul this afternoon he writes,"How can I express my personal gratitude, and through me, that of hundreds of destititute Peruvians for the amazing offer I just heard about from Willie!
We are on the move. No time can be wasted. The situation in Ica is desperate. A prison collapsed and over 600 prisoners, mostly thieves escaped. As you can imagine, vandalism is rife. Buses and trucks heading for the area are being attacked and robbed. But that will not deter us. Remember Luther's great hymn - A Mighty Fortress is our God. Indeed, the enemy will not prevail. The UB/VT venture into a scene more complex than I here can explain will not be deterred." If you are reading this and would like to help make your donation on The Vine Trust Web Page.
Posted By: italker On: 22 Aug 2007 At: 12:12pm
Over 500 dead, approximately 253,000 people left homeless as 45,000 buildings and houses collapsed in last Wednesday’s major Earthquake (8,0 magnitude. Duration: 2 full minutes). Construction is of large, heavy adobe mud brick high walls, so it has not been easy to remove the rubble to get out the bodies. 80% of Pisco (population 125,000) destroyed. 90% of businesses in Ica affected. Many of you have stayed in the Hotel Sol de Ica when you were here on a work team. Its two top floors - both front building overlooking the street and the one over the pool, crashed to the ground. Just yesterday they recovered 40 bodies from another hotel. And so it goes.
Linda went to Chincha with a van full of water in bottles. The people crushed against the windows begging. They were desperate. Heaps of rubble, no food, no sewage for the few who ever had it, but worst of all, no water to drink. I have been wondering how I’d react under similar stress. Looting is rife. Trucks and buses coming through are being assaulted. People who never imagined that they would act this way are joining in these things. Would I be one of them? Before I answer the question, I must realize that I’ve never been there. So people no longer feel safe, especially because the prison collapsed and over 600 inmates escaped. Most of them were there on charges of robbery. I just got a phone call from Abdon in Kawai asking for help in security for our boys in Casa Girasoles, as armed robbers are in the vicinity.
The Vine Trust of Scotland is sponsoring four soup kitchens, each for 100 children: One in Ica, One in Chincha and two in Pisco. We are once again immensely grateful for help from them and from others of you who are responding with prayer backing and money.
The world will soon forget. The international media will have other things to report. Even here, there will be instant solidarity, but it too will rapidly fade. The thousands of homeless will live their tragedy for a long time to come.
The good news is that like others, we too in Union Biblica are being helped by folk like you to do something about it:
Construction at Kawai, save for fallen walls, has been suspended. The work team there will at their request, be deployed to the disaster area to help clear up rubble, assist in our feeding centers, etc.
Water now flows from our well in Ica. Some is given away right there from the swimming pool. More is taken and being delivered by water trucks to more distant places in the desert.
Our 30 tents have been given away and are now providing shelter for victims.
Our Schools staff and Street Boy staff are joining forces in the 4 feeding centers.
The Parish Church of Cupar Old and St. Michael of Tarvit in Scotland are building our home for street boys in Ica. This was to be completed by early ‘09, but the Vine Trust has advanced the funds to be able to move ahead now in order to open the home in early ‘08 with boys we come across through our Feeding Centers.
I’m not sure at this point how many of the 24 schools where we work in the area have fallen (all 5 in Pisco did), but all have been closed down, so Marco and his volunteers are free to work in our Emergency program, guaranteeing that all 400 children hear the Gospel. As Elaine Duncan of the Scottish Bible Society reminded us, others will join us in the relief area, but only Christians can share the Good News.
Once again, a big thank you to all who are helping at this crucial time. The earthquake lasted two minutes, but the great need will continue for some time to come.
Paul and Marty