Los Urruchis en Peru!: Cusco

Well, for several weeks now, my friend Jessica and I have had a short vacation up to Cusco planned. The trip had two purposes - see Machu Pichu! and to visit the little girl, Carmen Rosa, that I sponsor through World Vision. Well as some of you might know, about a week and half ago, Cusco was declared in a state of emergency after experiencing such heavy rains, that that floods and landslides occurred throughout the area. The landslides covered the train tracks, the only way to get to Machu Pichu, and the flooding caused roads to close and homes to collapse. Because of this Machu Pichu is not accessible, and the airport was closing sporadically. Well, I got a call saying I couldn't see my sponsored child, cause they couldn't get to the family. So Monday, the day before we were supposed to leave, Jess and I decided to cancel our flights...it was pointless to go up there now. That evening, I received a call from World Vision saying they found my child and my visit was still on. Jess and I scrambled around frantically trying to get our flight back, which by God only, we were able to keep our flight after requesting a cancellation earlier that day! So to Cusco we went! Sad days, we didn't get to see the famous Machu Pichu, but we were able to see other historical places such as Pisac and the Sacred Valley.
All that was neat, but the highlight of my trip was seeing my sponsord child, Carmen Rosa! A representative from World Vision picked me up early Wednesday morning. The project is about 1 hour from Cusco, but since a critical bridge had been washed out, we took the long way. That drive was heartbreaking. All along the side of the road, houses were crumbles. These people build their houses out of adobe, so when the river rose and flooded their houses, it just caused the houses to collapse. And farming is a huge source of living here, and crop after crop had been destroyed. The government had provided tents for the families to stay in, so we passed hundreds of tents filled with people who had lost everything. It truly was hearbreaking.
Well, after the drive, we arrived at the project, where I was given a tour, then introduced to my family! They are precious! It's a young Quechua family of 5. Mom and Dad, oldest boy, Ruben (6), Carmen Rosa (4), and baby Daisy (1). Only dad knows Spanish. The rest of the family speaks Quechua only, so most of my conversation was with Dad. I learned that they are potato farmers, but they had lost all their crops due to the abundance of rain. My heart went out to them, but they stay positive. One reason is because of their faith in God - they are Christians! In fact, Dad is the pastor of the church in his community. I visited with the family for about 2 hours, and took a ton of pictures! Before I left, they asked when I was coming back! And I am hoping to go for another visit. After all, I am here for over a year, so I hope desperately to return to see them!
Here are a few pics: