Called To Be A Bible Translator

Calvin Hubbard, 90, Still Works With The JAARS Group

Resource: The Charlotte Observer
By John Anderson

The JAARS family celebrated Calvin Hibbard’s 90 birthday Nov. 14.

Hibbard is among the few remaining living members of an early group that worked on Bible translation.

That work continues to be supported by the former Jungle Aviation and Radio Service, now known as JAARS, which has its headquarters on Davis Road, five miles south of Waxhaw.

JAARS uses pilots and mechanics, software developers, media specialists, maritime workers, purchasers and shippers to support those who do translation and literacy work worldwide.

Hibbard was born in Chicago on Nov. 11, 1924. He joined the Army at 18, and went to France and Germany during World War II.

He married in 1948, and together with his wife, Cornelia, went to the jungles of Peru in early 1952, where he worked for 23 years at the JAARS base in Yarinacocha, Peru.

In a series of reflections on his life, Hibbard tells a fascinating tale of devotion and faith.

He has spent the last 64 years as a member of Wycliffe Bible Translators, about 32 of those years as administrative assistant to founder William Cameron Townsend.

“Without a doubt, the greatest call of God on my life was when he put me to work as Cameron Townsend’s administrative assistant in September of 1950, just four weeks after we joined Wycliffe,” Hibbard said. “It was none of my doing, but God brought circumstances together, with the result of my serving with Townsend over a period of 32 years.

Read more...

Perú Attacks Illegal Mining Ahead Of Climate Talks

Police Occupy Illegal Gold Mining Village 

Resource: Yahoo News

Peru has sent 1,000 police into its southeastern jungles to dismantle illegal gold-mining camps, just weeks before the country hosts global climate talks.

Even before the officers began blasting away at miners' makeshift shelters, the Amazon rainforest nearby looked like a war-scape, pocked with craters and littered with the trunks of amputated trees.

Peru's anti-illegal mining czar, retired army Gen. Augusto Soto, marched the men 6 miles (11 kilometers) to the wasteland known as La Pampa, where 50,000 hectares of rainforest have been obliterated in the past six years.

They destroyed motors and dynamited a dozen motorcycles as they tore down dwellings that included at least one mud-flanked bordello. The miners had removed and hidden some machinery.

Peru first criminalized unlicensed gold mining in 2012 but only began enforcing the law vigorously this year with serious manpower and explosives. The operations have displaced thousands of the estimated 40,000 people who authorities say moved to the jungle to mine gold.

In addition to contributing to deforestation, which scientists blame for between 12 and 15 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, the illegal alluvial gold mining contaminates the jungle with tons of mercury.

Mercury is a toxin and has already contaminated the food chain, including fish, the local population's main protein source.

Peru's environment minister says the country loses about 400 square miles (between 100,000 and 120,000 hectares) a year to deforestation. The South American country will host U.N.-sponsored climate talks that start on Dec. 1.

From Sara Armstrong:

Prayer requests are needed for the conference that the Red Uniendo Manos-Peru is planning? Link  It will run parallel to the UN conference on Climate Change taking place in Peru starting December 1st.

The PCUSA national moderator and his wife will attend as will the new Area Coordinator for Latin American and the Caribbean, Valdir França and the Regional Liaison for Andean Countries, Sarah Henken.

Prayers are appreciated for Jed Koball and his wife Jenny Valles as they plan for the conference, for the leaders of the partner denominations as they gather in Lima for meetings with our representatives and for Sara Armstrong and Rusty Edmondson as they travel to Lima to be part of these events.

Huanta March Of Jesus 2014

Dear family and friends,

We want to personally thank each one of you who helped with prayer for the March of Jesus sponsored by the Pastors Fraternity of Huanta. We thank you for your love to the people of Huanta, and we wanted to update you on the March. The Lord has shown us His goodness and kindness. The March went very well this year. We had more participation from the churches and pastors than the previous year. It was rewarding to see the pastors working together with different details to accomplish our objective, the March for Jesus, 2014.

One of the things we did to help raise funds was a movie night. Each church sold tickets for the movie we were showing, and used the donations towards the March. During the march we were able to pass out Bible tracts and literature to the people watching. Also, different worship teams from the churches who participated, helped lead a praise and worship concert to the community in one of Huanta´s main squares. We hope the Lord will use these distributed materials, and the worship songs that were sung, to plant seeds in the hearts of the people who were watching. Thirdly, the pastors where given permission to enter the municipal´s balcony, which overlooks Huanta´s main plaza, and to pray for Huanta´s new mayor as he took office. The pastors were very excited about being able to pray for the new mayor. It was a wonderful opportunity the Lord gave us to do what His Word teaches and to publicly pray for our governmental authorities. Thank you for your faithful prayer support. All of this is the Lord´s doing. We are attaching some pictures from the March for Jesus, 2014 for you to see. Please take the time to look at them and continue to pray for us as we serve Him. Below is a list of some of our prayer requests. Blessings to you all!

1. The Lord´s protection for a school trip with the 6th graders this Thursday-Saturday, and for the Lord´s traveling mercies.
2. For the church and its leadership as we work to leave our duties for our trip back to the States.
3. For wisdom and discernment for our pastors to make the right decisions.
4. For the arrival of a SAM missionary, Henry, who will be joining us to help with ministry, for his adaption and transition into Huanta.
5. For our time back in the States as we get ready to start support raising, and for the Lord to provide what is needed.

That is it for now! Thank you!

In Him,

The Ticonas

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.

Collecting Clothing For Perú

Planning is underway for the 2015 Sharon Church mission trip to Perú, tentatively scheduled for July 31 – August 10, 2015, with informational meetings early next year. Perú mission trip participants are 

seeking donations of new or gently worn children's clothing and shoes for all ages and all seasons to be distributed in Huanta.

Donations can be placed in the bin in the Narthex closet, or a pickup can be arranged. Tax receipts 

are located in an envelope attached to the front of the bin. For more information contact Randy Ross, 704-552-5573, mrandallross@aol.com.

Thank you for your participation in Sharon Church’s outreach to our brothers and sisters in the Presbytery of Huanta, Perú!

Ayacucho Approach And Landing

Never Completely Home...

Dear 2014 Perú Mission Trip Team:

Last Friday, July 25, 2014, I was on a flight from Minneapolis to Charlotte, my thirteenth (13th) airplane ride since June 29, 2014! During the flight, I had an opportunity to catch up on some of the mail that had found its way to my home during our time together in Perú.

One of the letters I received was from Nancy Dimmock, a Presbyterian Church (USA) mission worker who has recently returned with her family from the mission field after many, many years of dedicated and faithful service on the African continent. The Dimmock family is the most inspiring family I have ever met.

In her letter, Nancy shared her thoughts about the most recent (albeit short) chapter in her life in Zambia and saying “farewell to deep friendships, a continent, a way of life, home.” Nancy also shared the following quote that someone had sent her. The quote is attributed to Miriam Adeney.

“You will never be completely home again, because part of your heart will always be elsewhere. That is the price you pay for the richness of loving and knowing people in more than one place.”

I couldn't help but think about not being completely home from Perú. We shared some very special moments during our time there: the love, fellowship and food shared in the kitchen and around the table of the Bellido family; the warm and enthusiastic welcome we received from the congregations of the churches we visited; and the food, friendship and music shared in the home of the Montes family.

Ms. Adeney’s quote rings so true for me.

Thank you for your participation in and contributions to the trip and the personal sacrifices that you and your families made to enable you to love and know people in Perú. I hope the trip was both meaningful and inspiring. Please know that each of you is loved by so many of the people we encountered there.

I quote MJ Shetron’s recent and insightful statement, “God was showing off when he created Perú.”

Indeed He was.

Randy

Peruvian City Of Ayacucho Remains A Museum Of Memory And Sorrow

An Andean Woman Looks For The Coffin Of A Relative

Resource:  The Star

By Oakland Ross

Published 2/10/13

A colonial gem, Ayacucho remembers its long years of suffering, when the terrorist insurgents of Shining Path haunted the Andean region.

They say the past is a distant land and people are different there.

But Adelina Garcia Mendoza recalls the events of Dec. 1, 1983, as if they were part of a film that’s unreeling still, as if she were the same woman she was then — a young wife and mother, just as helpless, just as afraid.

“I remember it all as if it were a moment ago,” she says.

Those were terrible times, the long, dark years of the 1980s and early ’90s, when this handsome colonial town high in the central Andes of Peru was haunted by two murderous forces — an eerie Maoist insurgency known as Sendero Luminoso, or Shining Path, pitted against the Peruvian police and military.

Now a woman of 50, with her long black hair streaked with filaments of grey and pulled back from her bronze, oval face, Garcia huddles at a small wooden table on the second floor of a building that houses the aptly named Museum of Memory. The structure stands on a street called Liberty in the western reaches of Ayacucho, the city where the Shining Path was born, where it thrived for more than a decade, and where it finally collapsed amid a poisoned legacy of murder, grief and enduring loss.

Just now, Garcia is recalling the night three decades ago when Peruvian soldiers in balaclavas burst into the home she shared with her husband and their two infant daughters at 282 Avenida Arenales.

It was after midnight, a curfew was in force, and Garcia and her family were asleep in their beds.

The soldiers seized her spouse of four years, a self-employed welder, aged 27. His name is Jose Zosimo Prado, or at least it was. They muscled him out of the house.

Read more...

2014 Perú Thoughts

Huanta Sunset

Another rewarding and blessed mission trip has come and gone.  The memories of this trip will remain with us for the rest of our lives.  Thanks to everyone that participated and a special thank you for everyone here at home for their prayers, donations and support.

Once again we are indebted to Randy Ross, Sara Armstrong, Rusty Edmondson, Samuel Montes and Brenda Paredes for the trip planning, translating and leadership.

To Randy and Brenda, the "Followers" are sorry for going astray, not listening, not paying attention, borrowing extra money, refusing to shovel Huanta snow and creating unnecessary headaches.  We ALL thank you for your patience.

To the members of the 2014 Perú Mission Team... we are now mission veterans.  We will be asked more questions about the trip than we can imagine;

• "How was it?"
• "Did you get sick?"
• "Was the air hard to breathe?"
• "How was the food?"
• "Did it snow?"

It will be up to us to help spread the word of Jesus Christ and by HIS love we will share the wonders of Perú and it's people with everyone.  We did feel the SPIRIT in this place!

Can you tell that we are excited about 2015?

Senior High Mission Trip

Resource:  Sharon Presbyterian Church

The Senior High Mission Trip participants leave Sunday July 6, for Cosby, Tennessee, where they will be making home repairs for elderly and disabled homeowners.

Please keep these young people and their leaders in your thoughts and prayers:

• John Shealy
• Nick Stukey
• Buck Stukey
• Alex Mack
• Holden Parker
• Audrey Droppelman
• Grace Droppelman
• Christine Dawson
• Harris Milkey
• Mikayla Hailey
• Elizabeth Chappelear
• Ryan Tutwiler
• Mason Armstrong
• Jacob Price
• Natalie Schramm
• Meredith Lewis
• Denton Clark
• Shelby Rose
• Kurt Edwards
• Aman Hyrams
• Matthew White
• Will Harvey
• Katie Lee
• Megan Talley
• Andrew Foard
• Martin Pruitt
• Bill Mathers

The group will return Sunday, July 16.

Mission Update

Resource:  Sharon Presbyterian Church

Nancy Dimmock and the four younger children are leaving Zambia in the next two weeks, heading to a new life in Louisville, where Frank is already working for the PCUSA World Missions Board.

Nancy will be serving with Frank this next year. Please continue to pray for their safe travel home and for their adjustments to a new life in Kentucky.

How To Pack Light

Resource:  US News

By Liz Weiss

Packing requires practicality: Not only must you carefully plot what items to bring, but you must also strategically organize them into one compact carry-on. With steep checked-baggage fees increasing already lofty flight costs, experienced globetrotters often suggest stripping down to the absolute essentials in order to hold on to some dough. Add the burden of shouldering a bulky bag along spread out terminal walkways and you can see why savvy travelers are taking advantage of smart, minimalist packing.

While carrying less cargo certainly has its benefits, even the most seasoned travelers agonize over how to limit excess baggage. But never fear: No matter where you're headed, these nine handy techniques will help you pack as efficiently as possible for your next trip.

Size Up Your Carry-On

You'll run the risk of paying a hefty sum if your bag exceeds your carrier's size requirements for carry-on luggage. Before you consider which particular suitcase to take, check your airline's carry-on baggage restrictions to avoid extra fees. Carry-on bag size dimensions vary by airline. Most domestic carriers allow you to bring luggage as large as 45 linear inches (the total length, width and height of a bag) on board; however, some smaller international airlines like Ryanair impose much stricter dimensions. By opting for a suitcase that doesn't exceed 20 inches in length or 20 pounds fully packed, you should have no problem boarding domestic carriers. New, cutting-edge luggage designs are rolled out every year, but you should stick to the style that suits you. A roll-aboard with soft sides that can be easily laid into an overhead bin allows you to breeze through the terminal on wheels, while a lightweight duffel bag allows you to traverse a variety of terrains.

Make a Checklist 

It may seem like a no-brainer, but making a packing list forces you to differentiate between what's necessary and what's not. Write down exactly how many shirts, pants and shoes you will need, taking into account the climate of your destination. Also, don't forget to use logical numbers to determine necessary clothing — for example, the number of shirts you bring probably shouldn't exceed the number of days you'll be away. And while you're at it, pare down your list once more if you'll be able to wash garments on your trip. After you've thoughtfully calculated what to bring, cross off each item as you lay it next to your bag, and ignore the urge to add any extra articles of clothing at the last minute.

Read more...

I Think I Heard Something

I think I hear a sound...  Is it a groan?  Is it me?  Is it the house?  Is it a dog?  Is it something in pain?  Is it outside...  or is it inside?  I hear a stretching sound.  I hear a tearing sound.  It sounds like a zipper!

It's Time To Get Out The Duct Tape!

I Guess You CAN Stuff Too Much In A Suitcase

Recent News From Huanta

Hola:

Samuel Montes sent a revised proposal late Sunday night. In addition to attending the early evening Sunday School celebrations Monday – Friday and providing funds for the rewriting of the Bible Institute curriculum, we will be painting the living areas for the Bible Institute students.

The old kitchen and bathrooms near the outdoor sinks will also be demolished with new ones constructed. We will be providing funds for the new ones. It’s unclear exactly if we will be involved in the demolition or construction or both. The plan is to have the kitchen and bathrooms completed before the Bible Institute students arrive in August.

Now I am excited!!

Randy

Water Of Life

Resource:  Living Waters For The World Newsletter
By Suzanne Allen

News From Our Partners in Peru

Sara Armstrong and Rusty Edmondson are Presbyterian Church, USA Mission Co-Workers in Peru who have been essential to the success of the Westminster Presbyterian Church of Nashville, TN’s Living Waters Ministry in that country. They have translated for us, advised us, traveled with us and introduced us to other Presbyterian congregations. They have worked alongside us as we built water systems and taught hand washing and germ theory and developed relationships with our partners in Peru.

Sara and Rusty are wonderful people, representing our denomination in a powerful way and doing God’s work every day in Peru. They are also the means by which we stay in touch with our Peruvian partners when we are not in the country, and sometimes they even do repairs if needed!

Recently, Sara and Rusty attended a meeting of the General Assembly of the IEPRP, the Evangelical Reformed Presbyterian Church of Peru (our PC-USA counterpart in Peru). Here is what they told us happened at that meeting:

“After a brief annual report on our work at the IEPRP General Assembly, Elder Ulderico Castro stood up unexpectedly and asked the Assembly for permission to speak.

He told them that, through our offices, the Westminster PC LWW team installed a system in his church in Suyobamba last November.

He said, “Brothers and Sisters of the IEPRP, I want to tell you in more detail about the LWW system. This group spent over a year writing the agreement. They visited Suyobamba several times to design the system. When it came to the installation they did what they said they would do. The system gives fresh water. More important it has become a social ministry for the church. (Ministry to the community around the church is a new idea in Peru). Now our church sells water at 2 soles per bidon (about 60 cents). We now provide water for our community, the school and the clinic. It has become a wonderful social outreach for our church. It is a blessing. Their work is more than what Sara and Rusty said (referring to our brief report). It is deep and profound. The PCUSA and LWW are profound ministries that help us be in social ministry in our community.”

He added that other churches should take advantage of it. Westminster, Living Waters, Rusty and Sara were given applause for the work they do.

Read more...

Drugs, Healthcare And Poverty In Peru

Hi Van!

We just had a 5.4 scale earthquake that sent us flying into the street. But everyone is fine. We had a hot tea to calm down and are back at work.

• Interesting article here:  Peru Changes Anti-Drug Program.  The man mentioned at the bottom, Ricardo Soberon, was one of our speakers at the Peru Network Conference in 2012.
• Here is the latest today on health care in Peru, still frightening but better:  Peru Praised For Progress In Healthcare
• And here is a thoughtful but complex article on poverty reduction:  International Analysis: The End Of Poverty?

Bendiciones de Sara

2014 Mission Update

Hola Everyone!

With just a little over six (6) weeks until our mission trip, I wanted to provide everyone with an update.

The 2014 team consists of:

• DeAnna Booth {Bryson City Presbyterian Church} Bryson City, NC
• Laura Booth {Bryson City Presbyterian Church} Bryson City, NC
• Connie Dale {Sharon Presbyterian Church} Charlotte, NC
• Brenda Paredes {Amen Presbyterian Church} Carabayllo, Lima, Peru & {Sharon Presbyterian Church} Charlotte, NC
• Randy Ross {Sharon Presbyterian Church} Charlotte, NC
• Annie-Kate Sahlie {Christ the King Presbyterian Church} Wilmington, NC
• Marsha Jean ("MJ") Shetron {Sharon Presbyterian Church} Charlotte, NC
• Tom Skinner {Sharon Presbyterian Church} Charlotte, NC
• Beverley Vickrey {Christ Episcopal Church} Charlotte, NC
• Van Dale {Sharon Presbyterian Church} Charlotte, NC

I look forward to serving with each of you and getting to know you better during our time in Peru!

All international and domestic flight reservations have been made. Brenda Paredes and I are currently working on our ground transportation in Lima, Ayacucho and Huanta. Sara Armstrong and Rusty Edmondson are working on our accommodations in Lima, Ayacucho and Huanta.

We will again ask each participant to take an additional checked suitcase this year which will be packed with children's clothing, shoes, craft items, etc. The donations will most likely remain in Lima as we have been made aware of an area church with impoverished members with tremendous needs for such items.

If you are in Charlotte on Sunday, June 8, 2014 and would like to help sort and pack the donations, we will meet at Sharon Church at 3:00 pm in the basement of the Barbara Ward Building, formerly known as the Annex Building. Let's plan to go to dinner afterwards at Genaro's Peruvian Rotisserie or Monterrey Mexican Restaurant, both located on Park Road near Highway 51.

The 2014 trip promises to again be one of witness and service to an amazing Christ. Thank you for participating in this journey.

Blessings to each of you!

Randy Ross

A Letter From Sara And Rusty

Dear Friends at Sharon Presbyterian Church

We just heard about your February gift of $500 to our ministry here in Peru.  Thank you!

A friend is headed to the U.S. today and so we are jumping on the opportunity to send you mail.  As you know, we work with teams.  This year we will travel with nine of them and assist others such as the team Randy Ross will lead to Huanta in July.  It was really good to see him here on his brief visit in March too!  We are placing volunteers in several new locations this year.  We'll be in the U.S. for five month this fall and winter.  As you can tell, it will be a full year.

We thought life would be slower in the sunny summer months so I signed up for Quechua language classes.  Many of our partner churches have members whose first (and only) language is this ancient Inkan dialect.  It has been really interesting to see how language study has opened the culture to new understandings of these people who have been our partners for 6 years now.

Our dream of a long slow summer (January to March) with beach days never really came to fruition.  We had a lot of visitors, and we finished many chores on the "to do" list.  We also attended the General Assemblies of both of our partners denominations and caught up on all their news.

Now we are readying for eight teams in ten weeks.  Six of them are new to Peru and several of the locations where there will work have never received teams.  Everything is new!  The logistics are a huge exciting challenge.  But this is our work;  to be a bridge between PC(USA) churches and their Peruvian partner churches.  We help both sides to new understandings across the gaps caused by different business, church & work cultures.  Add to that barriers caused by four languages and native cultures and it gives you some idea of why we love the challenges.

We enjoyed our last visit with the church.  We'll be back in the U.S. on interpretation mid August.  We plan to be on the east coast through the end of September.  We'll be visiting Charlotte so let us know if there is a possibility of visiting you.  We are just starting to plan our trip now.

Thank you all again for helping me in this challenging work.  You make it possible for so many Christians to work in new and unexpected ways, establishing the kingdom of God.

Saludos Fraternales de Sara Armstrong y Rusty Edmondson
dos_zapatos@yahoo.com

Iquitos Gets High Speed Internet

Resource:  Peru This Week

By Hannah Vickers

The jungle city has had 11 new antennas installed, giving it an internet connection that’s 10 times faster.

Residents of the jungle city Iquitos now enjoy an internet service that’s 10 times faster, thanks to 11 new antennas in the area, reports El Comercio.

The new service was officially launched today with a ceremony. Regional president of Loreto, Yván Vásquez Valera thinks that the service will make a big difference to the city that’s not accessible by road. “It’s the first time that Iquitos will stop being isolated,” he said at the ceremony.

President Ollanta Humala promises that the new higher velocity internet will bring more investments to the city. The new bandwidth is the result of a S/. 180 million investment from Peruvian telephone company, Telefónica del Perú.

Despite being the largest city in the Peruvian rainforest and fifth largest city in Peru, the location and difficulty of access can make Iquitos somewhat isolated. The rubber boom of the early 20th century caused a huge influx of people to the city, which also brought wealth and social development.

Now, Iquitos is a popular tourist destination and many tourists’ first stop when visiting the Peruvian amazon. Iquitos is only accessible by plane or boat, so visits to the capital of the Loreto region have to be more carefully planned.

Paracas, Perú Tourism

International Hotels Are Investing In New Locations In Paracas

Resource:  Peru This Week

Paracas Natural Reserve is expected to become the second favorite tourist spot after the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu in Peru due to its upward trend in visitor arrivals accompanied by the increase of hotel-oriented investments.

“The natural landmark has become a very popular destination for travelers from within Peru and abroad,” Paracas National Reserve’s head Steve Marthans said.

The country’s top natural reserve, located in the southern Ica region, attracted a record high of 200,572 tourists in 2013, up 12 percent from the visitors mark recorded a year earlier.

“The reported rise in overseas tourist arrivals is resulting in the growing interest of large-scale international hotel companies [that are] gaining presence in the area,” Marthans said.

Furthermore, the tourism official stressed that the opening of several new five-star accommodations and resorts in Paracas has been a key factor which has boosted its annual visitor growth.

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.

Read more...

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.

Read more...

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.

Read more...

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

Probiotics Pre-Trip

Resource:  Washington Post

By Jennifer Huget

You're finally taking that long-dreamed-of trip to Mexico, and one thing's for sure: You don't want a bout of diarrhea to force you off the beach or out of the ruins. So you pack your Pepto-Bismol and your hand sanitizer. Should you also stash a supply of helpful bacteria?  Maybe.

The jury's out as to whether probiotics -- "pro" for good, "biotics" for microscopic living organisms -- can help ward off travelers' diarrhea, or TD, which affects 20 percent or more of travelers to developing countries, according to estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

TD, like many domestic forms of diarrhea, occurs when pathogenic (bad) bacteria, parasites or viruses enter the digestive system. They upset the balance of "flora," or naturally occurring bacteria, in the gut; as the bad bacteria overcome the good guys, you get sick.

TD is characterized by four or more loose or watery bowel movements in a day; it can be accompanied by cramps, nausea, fever and other un-vacation-friendly symptoms. Most cases are caused by eating food or drinking water infected with such pathogens as E. coli. A traveler's risk of getting TD depends largely on his destination. Developed nations = low risk, underdeveloped countries = higher risk. The whole mess usually runs its course in a couple of days. But those days can seem very long indeed, especially when they're cutting into your touring time.

In theory, populating your gut with healthy bacteria or yeasts can help combat those disease-causing organisms. The notion has gained currency in recent decades in the world of alternative medicine and even in mainstream commerce, where products such as Dannon's new Activia yogurt, enhanced with probiotics, are proliferating like happy bacteria. But although science has begun to establish probiotics' utility in treating some maladies, including varieties of diarrhea caused by antibiotic use and those associated with Crohn's disease, nobody has quite demonstrated that popping probiotics while traveling can keep the runs on the run.

Read more...

Peru Mission Informational Meetings

The 2014 Sharon Presbyterian Church Adult Mission Trip to Huanta, Peru promises to again be one of witness and service to Jesus Christ. Do you feel God’s call to participate in the 2014 trip?

Informational meetings will be held at Sharon Presbyterian Church, 5201 Sharon Road, Charlotte, NC 28210, Sunday, February 16, 2014, at 5:00 pm and Sunday, February 23, 2014, at 11:45 am in the Heritage Room of the Sanctuary.

The 2014 trip is open to adults and a limited number of youth participants. Youth participants must be at least a rising high school junior this year and accompanied on the trip by a parent or legal guardian.

The trip is scheduled to take place from Friday, July 11 through Monday, July 21, 2014.

Trip information and application forms will be distributed at each meeting. Forms will also be available in the Peru Mission Trip mailbox (located on the top row of mailboxes in the hallway outside the Sharon Church office) beginning Sunday, February 2, 2014, or by contacting Randy Ross at 704-552-5573 or mrandallross@aol.com.

The trip application, passport copies and deposit are due Sunday, March 16, 2014. Please contact Randy if you are unable to attend either meeting but are still interested in participating or learning more about the trip.

2014 Peru Trip Information & Application

Travel Information

For those that are planning to join us on the 2014 Peru mission trip, or taking any trip in the near future, Randy Ross has some valuable information to share below.

The following information is from the U.S. State Department:

How long is a passport valid and when should I renew my passport?

"If possible, you should renew your passport approximately nine months before it expires. Some countries require that your passport be valid at least six months beyond the dates of your trip. Some airlines will not allow you to board if this requirement is not met."

I have done a little research and cannot find that Peru requires that a passport for a tourist be valid for six (6) months after entering the country. Rather it would seem to be that the requirement is ninety (90) days, the length of time a tourist can stay in Peru.

I have checked a few airline websites (American, Delta and United) as well. Delta recommends the six (6) months while American and United suggest that you check the individual county's entry requirements.

Thanks.

Randy

Additional passport links:

Estimated Processing Times

Frequently Asked Questions

Six Things To Do In Ayacucho

Resource:  Peru This Week

By Sophia Guida

Known for its churches, Andean scenery and Semana Santa celebrations, laid-back Ayacucho is the perfect choice for a short getaway from Lima.

Located in the south-central Andes about 500 km from Lima, Ayacucho is just high enough in the mountains to give you incredible scenery, but won’t slay you with soroche, being at 2,700 meters.

Aside from taking your pick of the no less than 33 churches to visit, here are a few other things to see in this beautiful region.

1.  See a physical reminder of brutish colonialism at Vilcashuaman

In the village of Vicashuaman, meaning “sacred falcon” in Quechua, you can see a Catholic church built on top of Inca ruins. The temple, dedicated to the sun, is situated next to a five-tier pyramid, called an usnu, which you can climb up in order to get a nice, bird’s eye view of the town.

2. Visit the National Sanctuary of Titankayuq

The National Sanctuary of Titankayuq is home to the largest number of puya raimondii, a species of shrub that is the world’s tallest flowering plant. Their tall green spikes can hold upwards of 1000 tiny flowers at one time. It is found exclusively in Peru and Bolivia, at elevations above 3000 meters. Called “Seussical” by my traveling companion, these bizarre plants make for an interesting accent to the mountain landscape. It is about an hour’s walk from the village of Vishongo.

3. Explore the Huari / Wari Ruins

Located on the way to the village of Quinua, the Huari Ruins are still under excavation. You can see stunning views of the tangled maze of stone walls with the mountains in the background. There is also a small museum on the grounds.

Read more...

Peruvians Make The Best Of North America's Snowstorm

Resource:  Peru This Week