Lima - The city that never sleeps

I was just in Lima - well, not just . . . make that three months ago. Yet, so much has changed. Lima (and Peru for that matter) is riding the crest of a very prosperous economic and development wave. There is more construction, more visible economic infusion and more tangible identification of "new" wealth than I have seen in my 15-years of travel to Peru.

One very real example of this new wealth is the number of new-fangled cars on the roads. It seems that every where you turn (pun intended) you see new cars and new car billboards. Volkswagen, Nissan, and even BMW and Mercedes have capitalized on the prosperity of Peru and are seeking consumer converts. Yes, Lima - the City of Kings - has truly regained its regal status and is proud to show the world.

My concern, the concern that I have voiced over and over again for the past few years, is this - will any of the new wealth reach the impoverished people that make up the majority of this country's population (a recent report estimated that 45% of Peru’s population lives in poverty). Will there be a trickle down to those unable to even conceive of a fancy new car?

I heard a story today that makes me hope that it will.

Today I was told of a young woman who was recently taken to the hospital. A woman of 42 years who has been widowed and left to raise four children. A woman who suffers from severe pulmonary fibrosis and is on constant supplemental oxygen.

The priest who told me this story said that she has been visiting the woman in the hospital (she was fortunate enough to have Social Security insurance from her husband - a man who died from kidney failure only a few short weeks ago) and making special trips to the family's home to visit the children.

The family "home" is made up of plastic tarp covered walls and a tin roof. There is no running water and the only commode in the entire area for a community of over 200 people is a hole cut into the ground. The floors are dirt and the dampness and cold spring air invade the room like a frost.

The priest told me that all four children have been taking this "very badly." From the 16-year old girl who has been staying away from her younger siblings and seeking solace on the streets, to the 5 and 6 year olds who are inconsolable in their crying. The neighbors have pulled together; and the children are sleeping on the floor in the home of a single mother with only one child.

The prognosis is not good for the woman in the hospital. The priest told me that the doctors do not expect her to live much longer.

After I was told this story I was left with emptiness inside. Even as I type this post I am perplexed by this seemingly insurmountable dilemma - a young woman meeting an untimely death, and four young children left orphaned in one of the poorest countries in Latin America.

What will become of these children? I am not sure. The only thing I know is that a brave priest is working tirelessly to bring hope and strength to these tender lives in spite of the desperation that is occurring all around them.

Consumerism and the false sense of gratification that we receive when we indulge our “wants” – does not come close to the meaningful impact that this priest is making. In a country where new car sales have gone up over 50% - there must be room for four children to find a safe and loving place to begin to re-build their precious lives.

It is my hope that Peru will find a passion to reach out to the “lost” children of the Pueblo Jovenes and create a safety net of hope for the thousands of children that are facing a similar story to the one I outlined above. It is my profound hope that my next trip to Peru is equally punctuated by a palpable sense of change. A change that seeks to reach out to the poor and marginalized – and to give them hope!

Please join me in praying, in offering good thoughts, in keeping these children and this remarkable priest in your heart. We are our brothers and sisters keepers - and today I met a person who is living this moral mandate everyday!