Lessons From A Peruvian Jungle

Tommy Larner Teaches The Importance Of The Great Commission

Resource:  Baptist Press

By Tommy Larner

Iquitos, Peru (BP) -- In August 2011, I saw the Amazon River for the first time. It was while I was traveling from Lima, Peru, to Iquitos, a city of approximately 700,000 people located in the Amazon Basin of Peru. 

The city is surrounded by rivers and is only accessible by air or boat. Little did I know that during the next two years I would fly into the small Iquitos airport 13 times and with repeated opportunities to look at the world's largest river.

Every two months, my wife and I go to a jungle camp two hours outside of Iquitos to train national believers in cross-cultural missions principles. Beth and I also have been involved in two conferences for pastors and leaders in towns outside of Iquitos. One of these was down-river on the Amazon and allowed us a much deeper understanding of the life of our Peruvian brothers and sisters as they labor to proclaim the Gospel among the people living in villages in the Amazon Basin.

During the two years that we have continually visited the Iquitos area, my life has been deeply touched by the lives of those we go to teach and train. Those with whom we work in this jungle area see me as their teacher. They show me great respect, which in itself is very humbling. But as I listen to them and observe their lives, they teach me some very important lessons about what it means to follow Christ -- and I believe I learn more from them than I could ever teach them.

Several powerful traits in their lives have become obvious to me. Foundational to everything else, many of these servants of the Lord demonstrate a single-minded devotion to Christ. Jesus is at the center of their lives. They are simple and humble people who are motivated by pleasing their Master. It is common to see well-used Bibles, and prayer is an important part of their lives. In times of corporate worship they sing with great enthusiasm and listen attentively as the Word of God is proclaimed.

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Lunch & Conversation With Frank Dimmock

Frank And Nancy Dimmock

Frank Dimmock is returning to Sharon Church for a lunch and conversation Thursday, March 13, from 12:00-3:00 p.m. in Room 202 of the Barbara Ward Building.

Currently the Global Poverty Alleviation Catalyst for the PCUSA, Frank served as a mission coworker in Africa for 30 years, where his wife, Nancy, is still serving.  Mission Connections

Everyone is invited to visit with Frank and learn about the larger church in mission.  RSVP to the church office if you want to attend, 704-553-0869, ron@sharonpcusa.org.

Sad News...

Good morning:

Many of you know Javier Ruiz, our trusted friend and driver. We write you this morning to sadly inform you that his brother, Carlos Ruiz, passed away Monday, Feb 24. Carlos was swimming at a local beach with his family and hit his head on a submerged rock in the surf. He was taken to the Naval hospital and died after surgery. Sara and I attended the family hosted wake yesterday. Carlos recently retired from a career with the Peruvian Navy and will be buried today in Lima with full military honors.

When Javier needed an extra "taxi helper" he would call on Carlos, nick named "big boy" by Javier. Those "team members" who rode with Carlos commented how he kept them entertained and laughing. Carlos would drive slow, calm and arrived to the destination relaxed... and before those who rode with Javier.

If you would like to send a short note to Javier, send it to my email address at dos_zapatos@yahoo.com. Javier's laptop is with his daughter Lizzy who is in Arequipa visiting her mom's family. I will print and give it to him this weekend.

saludos de rusty y sara

My Daughter's Citzenship And My Mixed Feelings

Resource:  Reflejos

By Marco Ortiz

The bitter cold felt this past January 29 wasn’t an obstacle for the 99 individuals who attended their naturalization ceremony in Chicago.

Among these new citizens was my daughter.

Seeing her standing there, waiting impatiently for her turn to receive her certificate of citizenship, I couldn't help recounting the long road she had to travel to reach that goal.

First, at the age of two and a half, she saw me leave Peru not knowing that, because of the bureaucratic immigration process, she would wait seven years to see me again.

I remember the many times she asked me on the phone with her innocent voice, “Dad, when are you coming back?”

If I traveled back to Peru then, I could have lost several years of preparation working through the system to establish my own legal residence. I had no option but to wait my turn in the long line of people waiting before me.

I tried to explain to her why I came to the U.S. I explained that at that time there was no work in Peru, that the economy was very bad and that the terrorist attacks were a constant threat, so I came to the U.S. to be able to bring the whole family later.

But at the end of my detailed explanations, she would repeat the same question, “Dad, when are you coming back?”

That was a question I couldn’t answer and one that put a lump in my throat. When I finally was able to return to Peru, and went to the U.S. Embassy in Lima to apply for residence for my children, they said I needed to get a DNA test to prove I was their father.

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The Exotic Disease Detectives

Resource:  BBC News Health

By Anna Lacey

When a patient goes to the doctor, most expect to come out with a diagnosis. But what if your disease is a mystery? Then it's time to call in the exotic disease detectives.

"I travelled to Peru last summer and about a month afterwards noticed what looked like a large boil," says Bob Gilbert, who lives in east London.

"It was continuously scabbing over. I couldn't understand it."

After waiting three weeks for it to clear up, Mr Gilbert finally visited his GP and was given a course of antibiotics.

This was followed by two further GP visits, investigations at four different hospitals and concerns about both tuberculosis and cancer.

It was only after being referred to the Hospital of Tropical Diseases in London that he finally received the correct diagnosis - New World cutaneous leishmaniasis.

"When I saw him, I was able to make the connection based on his travel history," says Diana Lockwood, a consultant at the hospital and a professor of Tropical Diseases.

"We were then able to confirm the diagnosis by performing a test on a sample of the ulcer."

Leishmaniasis is a parasitic disease spread by bites from infected sand flies. In most cases, it causes open sores on the skin (cutaneous leishmaniasis) but it can also infect and damage the organs (visceral leishmaniasis).

However symptoms can take weeks or months to develop - meaning that many people might not make the link to their foreign travel.

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Remembering Roberta Tello

Roberta Tello In 2012

It is with the heaviest of hearts that I tell you that Roberta Tello, our dear sister and deacon of the Cristo Rey Church in Huanta, Peru, has lost her twelve year battle with cancer. Roberta is now with her Lord and pain free.

Roberta was a woman of great faith and optimism. She was a frequent and tireless volunteer at her church and for many years helped prepare meals for the students and leaders of the Bible Institute of Huanta and Sharon Church mission teams. Even after losing one leg to cancer two years ago, Roberta continued to work in the kitchen at Cristo Rey, convinced that her call from God was to help feed those called to serve others and take the gospel to the people in the Andes Mountains.

Roberta will be missed by all of those touched by her.

Randy Ross