August 20, 2007

Dear Friends,

Many of you know that I traveled to Pisco on Thursday to assess the situation after the earthquake. Eighty-five percent of the city has been completely destroyed and hundreds have died. The total number of deaths has been reported as high as 600.

After riding in a Peruvian Air Force plane (thanks to Barbara Fraser from Maryknoll Press for that suggestion), I went to the center of town. I told some firemen that I wanted to go to Pisco. One man laughed at me and said, “What, Pisco?  There's nothing left to see.”   He smiled and told me to come on anyway.

From there, I went to the central plaza and saw several bodies pulled from the San Clemente Church. It was a surreal and difficult experience.

There has been a lot of chaos in coordination of search and rescue and relief efforts. I spent Thursday night in the plaza, talking to displaced families, while trying to keep warm beside a campfire. Some guys from Ayacucho let me take turns with their blanket.

I looked around town on Friday for relief efforts assessments. Everything is still in search-and-rescue mode, operationally.

I am thankful to a Peruvian doctor who gave me some bread and a warm cup of tea on Friday morning.  It was the only thing I had eaten since breakfast on Thursday. Food and water are scarce for the whole population of Pisco. Donations are being stored at the airport and distributed by military personnel.

Please see the CBS report on the earthquake and relief efforts (in which I am interviewed).

Also, I have taken several photographs and commented on them from my travels to Pisco.

I hope that this will begin a dialogue with how we might best funnel relief funds and efforts to Peru to collaborate with them in time of need. I was just informed that the Anglican Church is working through Comunión Peru. Relief for Peruvian earthquake victims is being channelled by Presbyterian Disaster Assistance is working through ACT (Action by Churches Together).

Please unite with us in this endeavor with your prayers and your creative, collaborative work. I told the people of Pisco that I would get the word out. 

Peace in the midst of sorrow,

Jacob Goad