On Monday, Jan 25, a landslide caused the Vilcanota River (located within the Sacred Valley of the Incas) to overflow, destroying 240 dwellings and flooding the children’s home.  Half of the children from the home were away for the holidays visiting Lima for the first time.  The remaining children (the youngest) were at the home in Calca and had to be evacuated to a safer place in the city.  There are many people affected; transportation routes have been cut due to landslides and there are little to no food supplies.  Drainage systems have failed, many bridges have been destroyed, and the rain is expected to continue until April.  The Peruvian government has declared a state of emergency but their efforts to deliver aid and supplies are hampered by the crippled infrastructure.  Cesar, the director of the children’s homes in both Cusco and Cieneguilla that Places of Hope International has been supporting for many years, decided that the situation in that area is too dangerous to wait out and is currently traveling during the next few days with the children to Lima by way of Arequipa.

Cesar requests our prayers – for the protection of the children and the staff as they travel to Lima.  The major problem over the next few days will be feeding and housing everyone.  Once they arrive at Cieneguilla, Posada de Amor will absorb an additional 25 children (increasing the number there to 70) and 16 adults.  He expects they will remain through 2010 in Cieneguilla where they have their own facilities.   

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