We had been in Santiago, Peru for a few days, helping to build a house for a pastor there. The rubble we had seen was sad, but most everyone seemed to be doing fine. Some were living in the church we were helping. They cleaned out the rubble during the day, and slept in the church at night. It was sad to see, and made the headlines seem a little closer to home.
Cody, my brother-in-law, had met a family in Pisco right after the earthquake. He had left Lima to help in the relief, not knowing anyone or having a place to stay. They invited him into their tent as they saw him laying out his sleeping bag in the park. They had to evacuate their home, but for now, he could share their tent. We decided to go visit the family with Cody on the one-month anniversary of the earthquake. They had lost a family member, and wanted Cody to be there for the religious services.
We sat on the bus and watched as the scenery passed by us. Not much to see because southern Peru is mostly desert. Small shacks in the middle of nowhere. A catholic church here, a crumbled wall there.
We got off the bus in La Villa and walked up the road to where many of the inhabitants of Pisco were living. The park was full of make shift tents. Blankets, tarps, and other miscellaneous items were used to construct temporary homes. Temporary was playing out to be a month long, with no real end in sight. As we weaved our way through the maze of tents, plenty of people stared. Understandable. We were sightseers. We hadn't lost anything in the earthquake. Our families were all doing well. Our homes were intact. Our lives were uninterrupted. We were walking through their world, but in reality, we were worlds away.
Cody introduced us to the Bautistas. Crouching as we entered their tent, things became a little more real. We exchanged names, they asked about our lives, offered us crackers, and then bought us some pop. They begged Cody to play the songs on his guitar that he sang for their brother's funeral. We sat there and sang. They smiled as they told about Rommell, and the sixteen years he lived. They missed him.
As we talked, the mom was preparing supper. Cleaning the chicken and peeling the potatoes was second nature. They served us first. We were the guests. We sat on the chairs. They sat on bricks. We thanked them for their hospitality. They smiled and offered more. We all laughed as Cody took a bite of something spicy in the soup. Several little kids ran around in the tent. "They miss their uncle" Kaul said. He was only a few years older than Rommell, but already had started a family. We sat and talked. They sat on the few blankets on the floor. That was where they all slept. Kaul, and his brother Daniel, decided to show us around town. Their cousin, Jesus, came along as well.
They looked for a taxi that would take us to the ocean. Not many would go. Rumors had been going around about gangs, looting, ghosts, and other things. Others were talking about tidal waves, tremors, and a stronger earthquake that would take the whole city into the ocean. That is one of the reasons why everyone was still living up on the hill. They were scared.
We finally found a taxi, hopped in, and drove through town to the ocean. The streets were filled with rubble. Few houses were still intact. Sidewalks were split. Walls were crumbled. The huge bridge that led out into the ocean was sagging and unsteady. What was once a bustling port was now a virtual ghost town. A few men worked at cleaning up the street. Some just sat and stared. One family sorted through the rubble of their collapsed house. What else was there to do?
We gradually made our way through the fallen city. Street after street filled with the remains of homes. They pointed out places of interest. Here is where the church collapsed. We aren't sure how many people died there. This is where the hotel used to be. They were hurting.
They took us to their home. "We can't stay here yet. It is too dangerous." They will only visit during the day. We met their cousin. She owned a small restaurant. We sat and talked. She served us pop. She was glad to see we cared.
We walked through the city square and heard names being called out over a loud speaker. We stopped and listened. Kaul broke the silence. "That was our brother's name. They are reading the names of those who died." We stood still. I looked at the ground. What could I say? They tried to hide the pain. What was a passing headline was now real. "Do you want to see where we found him?" They started walking. We followed.
We entered what was once a pool hall. Nothing had really been cleared yet. "We didn't find him right away because they told us everyone had gotten out." We stood and listened. Daniel spoke up, "I saw him first. He had tried to hide under the table. It broke in half." We were now in their world. I thought of the song, "Love them like Jesus." They asked us where he was right now. "Is his soul still here?" We took them to the Bible. They asked more questions. We tried to give them more answers from the Bible. "We had better go" Kaul said.
We continued to work our way through the debris. We crossed over a pile of ruins. "They think there are more dead under here." It once was an upper class hotel. We passed others. Some were just sorting through the wreckage. Others just stared.
"We had better get back. It is late." They were scared of darkness. The earthquake hit at dusk. They think there will be more. They hailed a taxi. Surprisingly it was the same one we came in. He wanted to leave too.
We drove out to the main road and headed back. Traffic stopped. We saw a crowd gathering. Some crying. There was blood on the pavement. Someone had died. When will it end? Will there ever be a normal day?
We made it back to the tent. Everyone wanted to know how it was. "It is the same" Kaul said. It was the same. One month later, but it was the same. The time was late. We had to get back to the church. We all walked down to the bus. "Can you send us some pictures?" they asked. "I would love to." We boarded the bus and waved good-bye. We had visited their world. It was sad. Dark. Lonely. Full of pain. They were lost. More than a house, they needed a Savior. More than food, they needed the Bread of Life. More than a secure job, they needed eternal security. More than needing their brother back, they needed Jesus Christ. He is the only Light in a dark world.
We watched the scenery pass us by. Not much to see. My mind raced. My heart hurt. I had seen their world.
We arrived at the church and got a call from Cody. He had stayed to be with them for the following day. "The accident we saw on the street - that was a family member." As she was serving us pop in her small restaurant, her husband was living his last hour on earth. He was driving his motorcycle. The truck didn't stop.
That is their world.
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