Rebeca's Visit

We have learned that Rebeca Massõn has arrived recently in the United States for seasonal work.

She will be working at the Nemacolin Woodlands Resort near Farmington, Pennsylvania.

Rebeca will be working in Pennsylvania until returning home to Lima, Perú in mid March.  She plans to return back home in time to continue her studies.

Our prayers will be with her as she travels.

Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) Notification

The State Department alerts U.S. citizens to the damage caused by the flooding and landslides in several regions of Peru.  The State of Emergency issued by the Government of Peru remains in effect.  This Travel Alert expires on May 31, 2017.  The City of Cusco, the archaeological site of Machu Picchu and the tourist areas in the Sacred Valley and Lake Titicaca have not experienced flooding to date.  The coastal area south of Lima has returned to normal conditions.  Peru's Amazon Basin has received typical levels of rainfall.

A map from the Government of Peru showing the affected districts is available at http://unasolafuerza.pe/.

You are encouraged to carefully review the safety situation of your destination and modes of transportation before travel.  Visit the link above for the latest information.

Heavy rains have resulted in extensive damage to homes, water supply facilities, schools, hospitals, roads, and bridges in several regions.  The Government of Peru continues to repair roads and bridges especially along the Pan American highway and other vital access routes in the northern part of Peru.  The Government of Peru is also working to repair water supply facilities, sanitation systems, schools, and hospitals in the affected areas.  More than 1.1 million Peruvians were affected by the floods with approximately 46,000 still residing in camps and shelters and many more living with friends and family.  In northern coastal Peru, standing water has increased the number of cases of mosquito-borne illnesses such as Dengue, Zika, and Chikungunya despite fumigation efforts.  Additionally, there has been a spike in Leptospirosis and other diarrheal diseases recently in flooded areas.  Local public health authorities warn of more cases of various diarrheal diseases and mosquito-borne viral diseases in the affected areas.  Therefore, ensuring compliance with usual guidance for safe drinking water and mosquito avoidance measures is highly recommended.  The CDC website has specific guidance on these measures.

Travel to impacted areas is likely to be delayed and may be dangerous due to bad road conditions.  If you experience issues while traveling, contact local authorities at (01-574-8000) or   iperu@promperu.gob.pe, which maintains offices in cities around the country and regularly updates information on local developments affecting travelers, including alternative methods of transit.

Listen to travel alerts and safety instructions from local authorities and avoid flooded areas.Establish a plan for maintaining contact with family and friends and keep them informed of your itinerary.

The Peruvian police report traffic on the Carretera Central is now flowing normally, with a few sections experiencing delays as road crews repair damages.  Official U.S. government travel to and along areas of the Carretera Central will only be allowed on a case-by-case basis.  Travelers, including U.S. government employees, are encouraged to confirm with hotel operators located in the coastal Departments of Piura, Lambayeque, La Libertad, and Tumbes that sanitation systems are operational and clean drinking water is available.  All Peace Corps volunteers who were relocated from affected regions are scheduled to return in May.  Most are expected to be able to return to serve in their sites in Piura, Lambayeque and Trujillo.

For further information:

• See the State Department's travel website for the Worldwide Caution, Travel Warnings, Travel Alerts, and Country Specific Information for Peru.
• Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive security messages and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.
• Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
• Contact the U.S. Embassy in Peru, located in Monterrico, a suburb of Lima, at Avenida La Encalada, Block Seventeen. You can call the Embassy at 51-1-618-2000 during business hours, 8:00am to 5:00pm Monday through Friday, or dial the same number to reach a duty officer for after-hours emergencies.
• Call 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States and Canada or 1-202-501-4444 from other countries from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).

Meet Brenda Paredes

Brenda Wearing A Peruvian Manta

Although Brenda Paredes has served as our interpreter for many years on Sharon’s mission trips to Perú, she has done much more than that.  For example, she has worked at times as a travel agent, such as when arranging ground transportation and locating quality restaurants.  She has given us directions and dispensed advice on Peruvian customs and etiquette.  On shopping expeditions she has helped us negotiate with merchants so that we could land the best bargains.  At the work sites she has been pulled in many different directions to answer a multitude of questions, many of them coming at her in rapid succession from all quarters.  Throughout it all, she has maintained a consistently positive attitude, a sense of humor and a friendly smile.

Brenda was raised a Catholic, but when she was 12, her father joined a Presbyterian church in Lima.  At age 15, she went to the city of Huanta for a youth conference, where she met the PCUSA missionary at the time, Jacob Goad.  Wanting to improve her English, she applied for a J1 Visa that entitled her to work in the United States for 3 months.  Jacob, who in 2008 had returned to the United States, helped Brenda land a job at Alamance Presbyterian Church in Greensboro to work with the Mothers-Morning-Out program and other church activities.

After returning to Lima in March of 2009, she met Jacob’s replacements, Sara Armstrong and Rusty Edmondson during a worship service at Brenda’s home church in Lima, Amen Presbyterian. Brenda told Sara of her interest in learning English and asked Sara to give her a call if she could ever be of any assistance.  Late one night a couple of months later, Sara surprised Brenda with a call asking her to serve as an interpreter for a group of 17 “Gringos” from a church called Sharon Presbyterian in Charlotte.  Brenda said she hesitated.  “I had told Sara I was learning English. I did not think of myself as an interpreter!”

During that trip she met Connie and Van Dale, who encouraged her to pursue her dream to study in the United States.  With their sponsorship and dedication, she began a program in International Studies at Winthrop and at the same time joined Sharon.  However, her dream suffered an unfortunate setback when in 2013 she contracted TB on a flight from Greensboro to Charlotte.  For two years back in Perú, not only did she have to follow a strict regimen of antibiotics and therapy, she had to struggle with both the U.S. and Peruvian bureaucracies in spite of the fact that her doctors had given her full medical clearance.  When asked if she ever felt discouraged or lost faith, she gave credit to God and to Connie and Van for helping her stay focused.  Connie would remind her, “Don’t lose sight of your dream.”  Connie even made trips to Perú to help Brenda get the medicines and the medical attention she needed.

December 17, 2016, was a big day for Brenda, when she realized a dream: she received an undergraduate degree in the United States.  She had persevered and excelled, graduating Magnum Cum Laude from UNCC and being inducted into the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society.  Several members of Sharon attended her graduation, celebrating with her and sharing in her joy.

Brenda embarks now on a new adventure. She has set her sights on a Master’s Degree in Latin-American studies at UNCC, with a focus on women’s issues.  Armed with a new Visa that will allow her to study part-time and to work full time for at least a year, and with the help of some scholarship assistance, she worked hard to obtain, she has begun her course work in the upcoming spring semester.

A long-term goal is to establish a non-profit organization in a Latin American country that will help low-income women feel empowered to make their own choices and to reach their full potential.  She plans to pattern her idea after the “Circle La Luz” here in Charlotte, an organization that provides Hispanic women with scholarship aid and counseling services to help them succeed in school.  Donations to help Brenda with her studies are appreciated.  Brenda's Go Fund Me page.

Brenda, your fellow members at Sharon are grateful for your service.

Tom Skinner

U. S. Embassy Visit Scheduled

Your thoughts a prayers are requested for Rebeca Massõn who will be visiting the United States Embassy in Lima on Thursday, November 17th for her J-1 visa appointment.

Rebeca is the daughter of Ester and Vlado Massõn.  Vlado is a former pastor of the Cristo Rey Church in Huanta.

Rebeca has joined us on our Perú Mission trips for the last 2 years and now we can not imagine not including her in every visit to wonderful Perú.

Any further information or news about her visit will be posted when available.

Important Changes Made To U.S. Passport Rules

Resource:  Peru This Week

By Agnes Rivera

Updates to keep travels, far and near, stress-free.

For those who aren't in the know of all the superfluous holidays that keep popping up, September was National Passport Awareness month in the United States. And apparently the U.S. Government figured the best way to end such awareness was by making changes to the little blue books.

On October 1, the U.S. Government began a phasing out process of additional visa pages inside passports. Experienced backpackers and border-hopping businessmen who find pride in their decorated passports are going to have to request a new passport once the pages fill up.

Additionally, it should be kept in mind that visa pages will only be added to passports that had been issued before October 1 of 2014.

There is good news however.

While the standard U.S. passport has been 28-pages for some years, 52-page passport books are available without extra charge.

If carrying a thicker passport with more than twice as many pages as the classic doesn't sound convenient, just stay aware of how many pages are left so a new passport can be acquired in a timely manner. Hoping to make things a little easier for the unobservant, newly issued passports will have numbered pages, just as they had been in the past.

Luckily the modification comes with plenty of time to take prepare, as not until January 1 of 2016 will additional visa pages no longer be available.

As commented by Brenda Sprague, deputy assistant secretary for U.S. passport services, passport issues and concerns “shouldn't be an ordeal” and doesn't have to be as long as everyone is informed and prepares for updates.

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.

Read more...

8 Things You Should Never Carry In Your Wallet

Resource:  Finance Answers
By Kim Carleton

1.  Social Security Card 
Anything that has your Social Security number on it is extremely dangerous to lose. According to identity theft experts, your Social Security card is the absolute worst item to lose. If you happen to be a retiree you should take out your Medicare card as well (your SSN is on this as well). Be sure to check all the items in your wallet and keep your SSN to yourself.

2.  Checks 
Blank checks are a huge risk. Thieves can easily empty your checking account with a single piece of paper. Even if you've already filled out a check you are still at financial risk. Because your check contains routing and account numbers, almost anyone could transfer funds from your account. Only carry paper checks when they are absolutely necessary and leave the rest at home.

3.  Passport 
Your passport literally opens a world of possibilities for a thief. With a government-issued photo ID anyone can travel in your name, open bank accounts, or even get a copy of your social security card. Instead of carrying your passport try to only bring a driver's license or another form of personal ID while in the U.S.

4.  Password Cheat Sheet 
With so many different sites and accounts to access, we understand it can be difficult to keep track of passwords these days. However, carrying a list of them can lead to horrible consequences if misplaced. If you must write down your passwords we suggest you keep the list safe in a locked box at home or consider an encrypted mobile app in order to protect your identity.

5.  Spare Keys
A lost wallet containing a spare key and a home address is basically an invitation for a burglar. Carrying a spare key in your wallet puts not only your assets but also your family at risk. At the very least you'll have to pay for a locksmith to change your locks.

6.  Receipts
Fortunately businesses are no longer allowed to print any information containing your credit or debit card's expiration date or more than the last five digits of your credit card number. However, a clever thief can still use limited info and merchant material to phish for your remaining numbers. Try to shred and clear old receipts from your wallet at least a few times a week and keep your identity safe.

7.  Birth Certificate
Although a birth certificate itself won't get identity thieves very far, "birth certificates could be used in correlation with other types of fraudulent IDs," Junker says. Be especially cautious on occasions when you are carrying all of your important documents at once because someone can come along and steal them all.

8.  Multiple Cards
Carrying a single card is much safer than several. More plastic runs a greater risk and leaves you with more cards to cancel if your wallet is stolen. Carrying a single card is much safer and can be very helpful in the event of an unplanned emergency. It is also a good idea to know your cards' cancellation numbers or have them written down in case you need to cancel your credit cards.

We hope you gained some valuable knowledge from this list. When it comes to your identity and assets there's no such thing as being too cautious. Losing your wallet or purse can be an inconvenience but taking these steps can stop it from being a disaster.

August 9 - International Day Of The World's Indigenous Peoples

Resource:  United Nations

"On this International Day, I pledge the full support of the UN system to cooperate with indigenous peoples, including their media, to promote the full implementation of the Declaration."  Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

2013 Theme:

"Indigenous peoples building alliances:  Honouring treaties, agreements and other constructive arrangements"

The International Day of the World's Indigenous People (9 August) was first proclaimed by the General Assembly in December 1994, to be celebrated every year during the first International Decade of the World's Indigenous People (1995 – 2004).

In 2004, the Assembly proclaimed a Second International Decade, from 2005 – 2014, with the theme of "A Decade for Action and Dignity." The focus of this year's International Day is "Indigenous peoples building alliances: Honouring treaties, agreements and other constructive arrangements."

The theme aims to highlight the importance of honouring arrangements between States, their citizens and indigenous peoples that were designed to recognize indigenous peoples' rights to their lands and establish a framework for living in proximity and entering into economic relationships. Agreements also outline a political vision of different sovereign peoples living together on the same land, according to the principles of friendship, cooperation and peace.

A special event at UN Headquarters in New York will be held on Friday, 9 August, starting at 3pm, featuring the UN Secretary-General, the Chairperson of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, a delegate of Panama, a representative of the Office of the UN High Commissioner of Human Rights, and an indigenous representative. The event will be webcast live at webtv.un.org.

Also on 9 August, hundreds of indigenous and non-indigenous rowers are scheduled to arrive at Pier 96 at 57th Street in Manhattan at 10am, after having collectively travelled thousands of miles on rivers and horsebacks to honour the first treaty -– the Two Row Wampum -– concluded between Dutch immigrants and the Haudenosaunee (a confederacy of six nations, with capital in the Onondaga nation, in NY State) 400 years ago, in 1613. They will gather with members of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues at Dag Hammarskjold Plaza at 1:30pm.

Perú Objects To Warning

Resource: New York Times

By: The Associated Press

A United States Embassy warning to American tourists about a potential kidnapping threat in the Cuzco region of Peru, which includes the Incan citadel Machu Picchu, drew vehement objections from Peruvian officials on Friday.

But a United States Embassy official said credible evidence existed of a threat from a Peruvian terrorist group.

The official confirmed a report in La República, a Peruvian newspaper, that said that leaders of the Shining Path guerrilla group had discussed kidnapping foreigners, particularly Americans, in intercepted communications. Tens of thousands of Americans visit Peru each year.

The official agreed to discuss the report only if not quoted by name because of the political delicacy of the warning.

La República said its sources about the interceptions included members of Peru’s military high command, but the country’s military chief, Adm. José Cueto, said that he had no such information.

“Perhaps it is information that they alone have and have not shared,” Admiral Cueto said of the United States government.

The embassy warning that mentioned Peru’s biggest tourist draw was posted on the embassy’s Facebook page on Thursday. Dated Feb. 13, it was also posted on the embassy’s Web site.

Read more...

Threat For Machu Picchu Travelers

Resource:  Miami Herald
By Frank Bajak
Associated Press

A U.S. Embassy warning to U.S. tourists of a potential kidnapping threat in the Cuzco region, including the famed Inca citadel of Machu Picchu, drew vehement objections from Peruvian officials Friday.

But a U.S. Embassy official said credible evidence exists of a threat from a Peruvian terrorist group.

The official confirmed a report in the Peruvian newspaper La Republica that said leaders of the cocaine-financed Shining Path outlaw band discussed kidnapping foreigners, principally Americans, in intercepted communications. Tens of thousands of Americans visit Peru each year.

The official agreed to discuss the report only if not quoted by name due to the political sensitivity of the warning.

La Republica cited sources about the interceptions including members of Peru's military high command, but the country's military chief, Adm. Jose Cueto, told The Associated Press that he had no such information.

"Perhaps it is information that they alone have and have not shared," Cueto said of the U.S. government.

The embassy warning that mentioned Peru's biggest tourist draw was posted on the U.S. Embassy's Facebook page Thursday. Dated Feb. 13, it was also posted on the embassy's website.

Read more...

Pro Mujer Co-Founder Honored

Resource: Pro Mujer Blog

Pro Mujer Co-Founder Carmen Velasco Selected as a 2012 World of Difference Award Recipient by the International Alliance for Women

By Ariel Slaton, Communications and Development Associate

Every year, The International Alliance for Women (TIAW) World of Difference 100 Awards recognizes extraordinary women and men from around the world – leaders of communities, organizations, corporations, regions or countries – who have taken action to support the economic empowerment of women.

We are pleased to announce that this year, Pro Mujer Co-Founder Carmen Velasco was selected as a 2012 TIAW World of Difference 100 Award recipient. Carmen was one of 22 selected in the Non-Profit/NGO category.

Full story...

New Horizons 2012

From June 4 to August 31, 2012, the United States and Peru will undertake the joint civil engineering and medical assistance exercise “New Horizons 2012” that will benefit six communities in the Ica and Huancavelica Regions.

The three-month exercise will feature construction of community facilities, a disaster response exercise, and the provision of free medical care to an estimated 30,000 people. New Horizons activities provide assistance to areas in need and advance Peru’s social inclusion goals while also enhancing military and civilian cooperation and disaster response capabilities.

Full story...

Poison Harvest: Deadly U.S. Mine Pollution In Peru

A U.S. Congressional Subcommittee Hearing on La Oroya hosted by Rep. Chris Smith (NJ), with Presentations by Archbishop Pedro Barreto, Rosa Amaro and Dr. Fernando Serrano

This Thursday, July 19, 2:00 p.m. EST

You can watch online!  Link

Celebrate Perú

The National Geographic invites us to explore the Sacred City of the Incas without even leaving the D.C. metro area.

The Embassy of Peru and the National Geographic are together presenting a multimedia Peruvian festival that combines talks, dance, music, film, and ceremony and continues on until July 17, 2012.

Highlights include:

• As part of this multiday event, the National Geographic Museum exhibition Machu Picchu: A Lost City Uncovered, will be opening on June 24, 2012.
• On July 7 from 11:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m there will be a live screening of ceremonies from Machu Picchu.
• A Peruvian Dance Festival with workshops and demonstrations will held on July 17, 2012.

Click here for more information including directions and prices.

Pastor Santos' Update 10

Theresa Wolf was be able to spend the afternoon with Pastor Santos Buendia today.  Theresa is formally from Port Orange Presbyterian Church of Port Orange, Florida.  We at Sharon were fortunate to have the Port Orange group join us on the 2010 Peru mission trip.  Theresa and her husband Rob now live in Atlanta and she wishes to thank everyone for the opportunity to visit Pastor Santos on our behalf.

Pastor Santos is doing great and will go for a checkup this coming week.  He has already been cleared by the doctors for the damage done to his face and eye.

Rest assured that Theresa made him feel much better...  and she said "he is so cool"!

Thank you Theresa...  you're the best!

Pastor Santos' Update 9

Hello William,

All seems to be going well with Santos’ recovery. He is having regular weekly appointments with the oral surgeon. Norma and Karis are home in Lima. We are trusting that Santos will be ready to return home the second week in July, if the Lord wills.

Grace

Brenda's Big Day

My dear friends and family in Christ,

Finally I have the date for the Interview, I just heard from the Embassy: 
June 28th, 2pm is the big day
I will be applying for a F-1 student visa. I will need your prayers.

Thank you very much for all your support;
I love and miss you all.

Good Brenda

Pastor Santos' Update 8

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Pastor Santos is making steady progress. Last Friday, the oral surgeon attached wires that will temporarily hold his jaw in place while the bones knit together in the proper position. He will have weekly follow-up appointments for the next six weeks. Santos is well enough now that Norma and Karis plan to return home to Lima early next week so that Karis can go back to school.

Thank you for your continued prayers for Santos recovery. Please pray also for traveling mercies for Norma and Karis as they fly home next week.

Blessings in Christ,

Grace Swartz

Pastor Santos' Update 7

Dear Praying Friends,

Santos is recovering well from surgery and making noticeable improvement each day. Yesterday he had a follow-up with the oral surgeon. He is not quite ready for the bands that they will use to help correct his bite. He will see this doctor again on Friday. Today, he had a good follow-up with the plastic surgeon who did the reconstruction of his eye socket and cheek bone. He will see the plastic surgeon again next week.

Thank you for your continued prayers for a strong recovery!

Grace Swartz

Pastor Santos' Update 6

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

More good news today! Santos was released from the hospital early this afternoon. He has a good bit of swelling, but that is to be expected. He has follow-up appointments scheduled with both surgeons early next week. I know you will continue to pray that he heals well without complications.

Grace Swartz
Carriage Lane Presbyterian Church