Spanish - English Bibles

Spanish - English Bible App

There are free Spanish - English Bibles and even a listening version of a Quechua Ayacucho Biblia available in Google Play for Android users.  A Spanish - English Bible in iTunes for iOS users is now available.

The apps load all the books of the Bible into your phone or tablet memory so you can use them in airplane mode, without cell phone service or without WiFi.

All are basic Bibles, but they will save weight when packing on your next Perú trip.

Drought In Perú - Living Without Water

The Q’eswachaka Rope Bridge

Perú's National Ceviche Day

Preparing For Our Visit

From Randy Ross:

Samuel has been busy in his workshop preparing for our time together.  May God be glorified!

Beautiful Perú

Progress In Perú - The Story Of Lima's Slums

Special Dates

We have been adding special dates and birthdays to our calendar below.  If you have joined us on a mission trip, we would like to hear from you and add your birthday (day only)!

With the help of Gamaliel Berrocal, Rebeca Massõn, Taylor Vickrey, Anna Vickrey and Darby Buchanan this year, we will be adding many more names of our Peruvian hosts.  Check back often and who knows, you may share a birthday with another special someone.

If you do find that you share a birthday with someone, we challenge you to find out who it is.  We are sure their life history will be as interesting and blessed as yours.

A Note From Samuel Montes

I wanted to share with each of you an excerpt from a letter that I received from Samuel today in which he also confirmed receipt of this year's project funds.

" I send our gratitude to each of our brothers and sisters of Sharon who accompanies us and motivates us with an example of how to love God and our neighbor."

Randy

2017 Sharon Presbyterian Mission To Perú

Hola All!

My apologies for this long overdue Peru Mission Trip update. A larger group, higher international and domestic airfares and our planned travel around the Peru national independence holiday have made for a more challenging trip planning-wise. Rest assured however that the trip IS coming together.

2017 trip participants include:

Ashley Aldridge, Pat Blumer, Rob Blumer, Chris Buchanan, Darby Buchanan, Connie Dale, Randy Ross, Tom Skinner, Anna Vickrey, Beverley Vickrey, Taylor Vickrey, Khris Wigington. Rebeca Massõn, Lucy Poma and Van Dale,  Sara Armstrong will also participate during the first half of our time in Ayacucho.

Our international air travel has been booked. We are scheduled to travel from Charlotte to Miami on Thursday, July 27, 2017. Our flight from Miami to Lima is now scheduled with two exceptions, Taylor Vickrey will depart from Philadelphia and will be meeting the group in Miami and Connie Dale will be traveling to Peru a couple of weeks before the group and will meet us at the Lima airport.

Accommodations in Lima, Ayacucho and Huanta have also been booked and I hope to have travel between Lima and Ayacucho arranged very soon. I'll finalize and distribute the 2017 travel memo shortly thereafter.

Please mark your calendar for Sunday afternoon, June 18th @ 2:00 pm when we will meet at Sharon Church to go over trip logistics and pack the donations.

Please let me know if you have any questions regarding the trip. Pastor Samuel wrote last week to say that our brothers and sisters are looking forward to our time together with much anticipation.

Thanks.

Randy

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).

Contrasts Of Perú

Contrasts of Peru from Sebastian Klinger on Vimeo.

Perú Flooding Latest

Dear Friends,

Many of you have been asking how we are, and how you can help, in light of the nation-wide flooding and regional states of emergency in Peru.

First. All four Mission Co-Workers and three Young Adult Volunteers are safe. We write to let you know how we are responding, and to offer the link to those who want to give.

NEWS
All but one of the 25 provinces of Peru have experienced unusual flooding. The normal occurrence of ‘huaycos’ is 60 per year. (These are the flood waters that come with little warning and a lot of destruction.) We have already had 600 huaycos this year. The historic city of Trujillo has been underwater six times in the last few weeks, as have many coastal communities, particularly in northern Peru. The flooding in Lima got everyone's attention. There are amazing videos which you can find if you Google ‘Peru Floods 2017’. Peruvians have turned out to volunteer and give.

RESPONSES

The PC(USA) signed an agreement with Red Uniendo Manos-Peru (Joining Hands-Peru) that would allow us (Rusty & Sara) to work together on a new program called PERUSA; short-term mission teams with partner organizations that belong to the Red UM. We started “official” work with the Red last week as the news was breaking about all the disasters. Disaster relief became our focus. Working with the Red staff, we have developed a way for you to give through the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance directly to the work that the PC(USA) will be participating in with our partners here in Peru. The work of the Iglesia Evangélica Peruana will be in Paramongo four hours north of Lima. The work of Paz y Esperanza will be in the valley of the Carretera Central heading east out of Lima into the mountains. There is extensive flooding and damage in that area.

GIFTS

Here is the link to make a gift: Presbyterian Mission Agency

THE TOLL

Obviously the toll of damages continues to rise as roads are reopened to rural communities and as rivers overflow their banks in new areas. The unusual rains in the coastal desert and in the jungle are expected to continue for two more weeks. But here are the stats as of today, April 1st from the National Institute of Civil Defense (Instituto Nacional de Defensa Civll - INDECI):

LIFE AND HEALTH

• 101 people have lost their lives
• 353 people have been injured
• 19 people are missing

DAMAGES

• 149,848 persons have suffered severe damages and are in need of immediate humanitarian help (los damnificados)
• 950,498 persons have suffered minor damages, illness and are possibly in need of humanitarian help
• 18,269 houses have collapsed
• 16,315 houses are uninhabitable
• 208,076 houses have suffered damage

SCHOOLS

• 48 schools have collapsed
• 106 schools are uninhabitable
• 1,748 schools have suffered damage

LOCAL HEALTH POSTS

• 13 health posts have collapsed
• 25 health posts are uninhabitable
• 597 health posts are damaged

HIGHWAYS AND BRIDGES

• 2,443 km of highway are destroyed
• 5,991 km are damaged
• 264 bridges are destroyed (both pedestrian and vehicular)
• 418 bridges are damaged
• 1,702 km of rural roads are destroyed
• 10,302 km of rural roads are damaged

IRRIGATION AND CROP LOSS

• 4,460 irrigation canals are destroyed
• 9,224 irrigation canals are affected
• 53,656 Hectares of crops are affected (132,582 acres)
• 20,656 Hectares of crops are destroyed (51,040 acres)

As of today, our work will go forward with the Red UM, planning for both short-term relief and longer term recovery. We also will continue with work for all of the 2017 mission teams with the Iglesia Evangélica Peruana.

Thank you for your ongoing interest in Peru and in the work our church shares here. Please pray for the reconstruction and for the strengthening of our ability to respond to disasters.

Saludos y abrazos de Sara y Rusty

Misión Presbiteriana Mundial

Lima, Perú

Sara-Celular: 998 845 847

Presbyterian Mission Connections {Sara Armstrong & Russell Edmondson}

Perú Flood Update

Hello Van!

Here is some news for the Peru Mission site:

This has been a year of crazy extremes weather-wise. Between the unusual coastal rains and flooding, much of the coastal infrastructure has failed and damages are in the millions of dollars. This is the rainy season in the Andes and the jungle. However, the rains are heavier than usual this year. The Amazon River is close to overflowing and more flooding is expected in the Loretto province.

Here is recent data from the National Institute of Civil Defense (Instituto Nacional de Defensa Civll - INDECI):

• 78 people have lost their lives
• 263 people have been injured
• 20 people are missing
• 101,104 persons have suffered severe damages and in need of immediate humanitarian help
• 643,216 persons have suffered minor damages and possibly in need of humanitarian help
• 11,519 houses have collapsed
• 12,440 houses are uninhabitable
• 141,149 houses have suffered damage
• 27 schools have collapsed
• 62 schools are uninhabitable
• 1,194 schools have suffered damage
• 10 health posts have collapsed
• 16 health posts are uninhabitable
• 399 health posts are damaged
• 2,148 km of highways destroyed
• 4,554 km of highways damaged
• 175 bridges destroyed
• 290 bridges damaged
• 872 km of rural roads destroyed
• 4,884 km of rural roads damaged

We have been working with our partners to identify how Presbyterians can help. Presbyterian Disaster Relief works globally with the ACT Alliance and ACT Peru has received $150,000 for direct disaster relief. Peruvians are also showing up in astonishing numbers to volunteer and provide help. As in all disasters, some communities are inundated with help while many other communities have been totally cut off and have received no aid.

We (the PCUSA co-workers in Peru) are collaborating on relief efforts with our Peruvian partners, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance and other relief agencies. Within a few days we will let you know how you can help, and which communities will be the focus of the relief work for the Red Uniendo Manos partners, and the Iglesia Evangelica Churches here in Peru.

If you want to be amazed and awed at the power of nature, Google Peru Floods 2017 and look at the videos.  Following are two links to view:  Climate State and Business Insider

Sara Armstrong y Rusty Edmondson
Misión Presbiteriana Mundial
Lima, Perú
Sara Celular: 998 845 847
Presbyterian Mission Connections {Sara Armstrong & Russell Edmondson}