Gone to give aid...

I leave in about 8 hours..... (I should be sleeping, but I have to keep you all informed! ;-) )

MTW has sent a disaster relief team down, which includes 5 men plus several MTW missionaries here in Peru (including myself), and we will be going south of Lima to an area hard hit by the earthquake. Some areas further inland have not received very much help, so we are going there. God knows all the details of the trip, but we have the potential to have medical aid, counseling, rubble removal, and distribution of goods. We are eager to see how the Lord will use this to open the doors for the gospel to be shared.

Please keep those prayers coming! They are felt, and they are yet needed!

I'll be back in a week or so!

The Latest

Dearest friends, thank you so much for keeping up with this and praying. One week has passed since the earthquake struck Peru. There is still much need. Even if a lot of the response from the goverment or other agencies seemed good to me in my limited view, there is widespread destruction and several places that were hit hard to and have received very little help. A disaster response team will be arriving Monday night/Tuesday morning and it is very probable that I will be going with them, assisting in translation and medicinal help. As mentioned before, I am very eager to go. The group that will be coming will be primarily for counseling and medical help, with the open possibility of doing other things. It looks like we will be going to an area that has not received as much assistance. There are still many details to be worked out, most of which will take place as we are there.

We will be "roughing it" in tents etc. I am glad that I enjoy that kind of thing, however, I know that this will be A LOT different than any camping or hiking trip I've ever taken.

In the areas most affected, there is the risk of epidemics as there is no good way for sewage removal, and many are out in the open air. Please pray against disease and illnesses for these poor people.

I had a fun time this afternoon cleaning out my closet of things to donate. We are collecting supplies and donations to give through a Christian school to a safe hands of church connections the school has in the Ica province. There are so many sad reports of people making off with the donations and keeping them to themselves. Thankfully those who have been caught are now in jail..... sadly, there is probably many other stories like that.

Most people that were affected are already really poor, and don't have savings or insurance, or any current job now. All is gone, and will take a long time to rebuild many parts of their lives, not only their homes. So please pray for that too!

Thank you so so so much for your prayers! And please don't stop! They are felt and they are still needed!

I'll continue to post more as I know more!

It looks like various trips will be made by US teams through MTW during these months. Feel free to contact the home office in Atlanta regarding that if you are interested in coming down. Also they have a MinuteMan account number for this disaster relief. You can read more at Minuteman Appeal, Earthquake in Peru at:

http://www.mtw.org/

Many have asked me how they can help financially. For this specific cause, is why MTW has an account made. The account number for donations to this is #93982 with checks made out to Mission to the World and send to:

Mission to the World
P.O. Box 116284
Atlanta, GA 30368-6284

More to come..

MTW has an assessment team down in Pisco, Peru right now to see how we all can be involved. I just talked with my team leader, and right now Peru doesn't need medical help. I truly feel the government responded well. But there is a lot of damage, and construction/rubble removal will be needed in these weeks. A decision will be made in the next few days where we will focus our attention. We want to join up with a church and from there minister how we can. There are a few contacts we have, and those with the combination of the MTW assessment we will go. It is probable that we will be taking several trips down: with MTW teams, with our church here, etc. There will be a lot to do.

I am so eager to go down there, but have God's sturdy hand on me telling me to wait a bit. (as my team leader just told me... "don't worry Becca, you'll get to go down there." (Its a bit hard for me to sit still right now.)

In these next few days we will know more about short teams that MTW might be sending down, as well as financial help, and hopefully we'll have an account set up soon for that too. Many of you have asked how you can help. You will be able to help, and when I know something I'll post more.

Please continue to pray!

My own aftershocks

I am having some aftershocks of my own right now. After images have been placed before my eyes, between Peru press and the world's press, my heart is so broken. I used to see news reports of natural disasters in different parts of the world and ache for the people in the pictures or videos, but its SOOOO different for me now. I can speak the language of those who are sleeping without a roof tonight or who just lost every member of their family. I am just a few short hours from there, but currently can't help. I've been in Ica where a lot of destruction is. I've passed on that highway that collapsed. I was supposed to be there today in that area on my vacation . I feel so helpless at this point and am so close. This has happened so close to me and I will be warm tonight, I will have food and water tomorrow, which are such a blessing, but others will not. The ground shook under my feet too.... it just didn't bring my house down. These people could have been my friends. They are family and friends of my friends. I remember feeling so detached from the reality of other natural disaters, thinking about them in that time frame shortly there after, but as the days went on, so did my mind, and I eventually filled my mind with my life. I feel semi-detached here in Lima too.... where I have a roof, food, and warmth.

Please keep Peru in your prayers. Please as the days go by continue to think and pray for all here.

It has been so easy for me to be self-centered today. Responding to so many that "I" am ok, and "my" experience in the quake. I am the smallest fraction of anything related to the quake. Its about God, His glory, His sovereignty, and the mercy there is yet to be bestown on those in need. I am so grateful for all who contacted me concerned, it truly meant so much.

I know how easy it is to quckly move on, or to see images and place it so far away from our reality. Please don't forget Peru as I have done for so many other disasters. This is a country I love and a country that has loved me so well. It will take a long time for Peru to heal and pick up the broken pieces.

I just heard from my "sister" in Arequipa, from my host family. Her dad is fine. He just was able to communicate with them. Thanks for your prayers!

A little "shaken up"

First off I want to thank all of you for your thoughts and prayers in this time. As many of you have seen and heard, last night around 6:40 Peru was hit with a very strong earthquake. I want to share that I am fine, as well as every person on our team here with MTW. We felt it strongly here in Lima, but not as bad as in Ica, which is about 100 miles south of here. We were all shaken up a bit, but more physically than emotionally.

I was in my room on the second floor with my roommates when it started, and we have on occasion tremors, but this one was a bit different, stronger and longer, and when we realized it wasn't a small tremor, we went out into the street (me carrying my little dog, who was more scared than us). But it kept going. It did feel like "jelly" as I've seen quoted a few times. The 2ish minutes seemed a lot longer. We saw transformers blowing all over the place (Lima is overcast, so we could see various areas affected with the electrical explosions of sorts). Lima was not hit bad in comparison to Ica, but it isn't everyday that you see the earth wave beneath you or cars bouncing or electrical wires like rubber bands. We could feel many aftershocks throughout the night. Many places here in Lima were without phone and electricity.

God is so good. About 2 months ago my friend Mesha and I planned to go to Paracas/Nazca/Ica Peru for a few days of vacation, and we were to be traveling there today. We would have been just outside of the epicenter. One of the hotels near where we'd reserved is completely demolished. Needless to say, we aren't traveling there now for our vacation.

Please keep the area in your prayers. The death toll is rising as is the number of people injured and missing. Among the missing is a family member of the host family I lived with in Arequipa. They've heard from all but him. He is not a believer either.

It is very probable that MTW will be sending a disaster response team down, and I'll probably be a part of that. Please be in prayer for that too. Preparations would be quick, and we'd need to get quick approval through a government or relief aid organization.

I don't understand why, but Skype has been down too, so if you've tried to call, I haven't been able to respond. I was able to get messages this morning, but it has been unavailable since then.

Fransisca and Hilda went back to Cusco August 2nd. Please keep them in your prayers. Hilda shared a lot with me before they left. None of their family are believers, and these two women are probably receiving a lot of pressure to use a "curandista" or witch doctor to be cured. Please pray for them to be more of an influence in the lives of their family than vis versa.