It was a few days past my 9th birthday. I was probably eating the last of a Bill Knapp’s chocolate cake when it happened. A mudslide triggered by a massive earthquake wiped out the town of Yungay, Peru. May 31, 1970.
Many children were spared due to a circus being in town that day. They received free tickets and we’re on a high plot of land when the disaster struck. All that remained was this statue of Christ, which tops a memorial in the town.
Visiting Yungay makes you ask all kinds of tough questions. Why God allowed this to happen? How does a community continue on,! And where can I buy some cheese or peanut butter?
If you make it to Huaraz, Peru, be sure to stop and say prayers in Yungay. It will put life’s problems in perspective.
