VelocityTours Travel Blog

We would like to thank all those that contributed to the items that we took to Peru. We were overwhelmed by the generosity of people. Clothing, bath items, and money were all donated.

When we arrived in Chincha it was a very somber experience. My best description is a bulldozer going through your neighborhood and not cleaning up. The streets where mazes with the piles of rubble. There were many communals set up in a U shaped form to create a sense of security within the tents. They had schedules for cooking, washing dishes, and other daily activities. For most of these people this is the way life will be for the next couple of years. Their resources are zero. There is no bank to loan them money. There is no FEMA to clean up. There is no resource of money/taxes to tap into to rebuild the infrastructure. They pretty much have been left on their own. Yes, the Red Cross is there as well as several churches however the magnitude of damage is far beyond these organizations.
When we first arrived we easily found one the several chapels of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints. They stand as an oasis in a sea of destruction as well as a place of peace where you can feel the Lords spirit. Most chapels in Chincha sustained little or no damage. There are some members of the church that are still living in the chapels because they have nowhere to go. People that were renting are the worst off because their homes were destroyed and the owners are not rebuilding thus far so there is nowhere to rent. Those that owned their home are slowly rebuilding with the resources that they have. Many are using the very same adobe bricks that fell in the earthquake. The majority of homes are makeshift shelters put together with woven mats, plastic, wood, and what ever part of the structure that remains. There are many tents as well as a few prefab homes that have been put up. The week before we arrived, a construction crew of 5 or 6 from Salt Lake City had put up 19 of these prefab homes. The cost of these homes is about $450. Those that have received them are usually in better off conditions than they were previously. Because 95% of the homes originally were made of adobe, there is dust everywhere.

After finding the first chapel we were informed that there was going to be a meeting among the church leaders (Branch Presidents) that evening at 7pm. We opted to stay and distribute the 5 suitcases of donations we had brought to the leaders because they would know who could use the donations the most. We tried to find a hotel in the meantime. Some were unstable and others just weren’t worth staying in. We did find one hotel that was very nice that cost $40 however they were full with workers from a company that was working in a paper plant (nothing to do with the earthquake). So we went back to the chapel and stayed there until 7pm. While there we met Eduardo Torres and Audencio Sihuas. Both members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. We spent some time speaking with them and hearing about the awful destruction and experiences they went through. Eduardo Torres lost his 2-year-old daughter.

Finally the branch Presidents arrived and we distributed the clothing and goods. They were very grateful.
After that we drove back 2.5 hours to Lima. The drive was a bit scary because it was dark and there were a lot of big trucks coming from the opposite direction with their brights on. They didn’t like to turn them off. Half way to Lima the road turns into a 4-lane highway that is divided by a median. This was much safer and easier to drive.

I don’t know how these people are going to manage yet they will. They are a faithful people that know God will take care of them. From what they told us Pisco and Ica were far worse in destruction having about 95% of the buildings and homes destroyed.
Here are some photos of our adventure. Once again thank you to all that donated. We couldn’t have done it with out you. It was a very memorable experience and it was a huge blessing to our less fortunate brothers and sisters.