Responding To God's Call In Perú

Randy & Gamaliel

Randy Ross’ first World Mission Trip with Sharon was in 2004 to Perú. “What made you go on your first trip?” he was asked. He answered simply, “I felt God’s call.” And Randy has responded to that call every year since, not just as a participant, but since 2007 as trip leader, a task to which he devotes himself joyfully. “It’s a labor of love,” he says.

His preparations are efficient and thorough. “Randy leaves nothing to chance,” said one participant. “He pays attention to every detail and anticipates every possible problem or challenge. Just look at his handouts of eleven single-spaced pages of information. Everything is well-thought out and planned.

”When asked, for example, why this year’s group flew to Lima via Miami, but on the return flew a longer route, from Lima to Miami, and then to Washington D.C. before taking the final leg back to Charlotte, Randy answered simply, “I went online and found that it saved us hundreds of dollars” to do it that way. Randy is ever resourceful. As one of the group members said, Randy’s leadership style “combines a healthy balance of both patience and persistence.“

And his preparations never take a vacation. Throughout the year he collects enough suitcases so that each participant can carry a second one brimming with up to 50 pounds of clothing, eyeglasses, prayer shawls, crafts, and other gifts.

With his passion for serving the children in Perú and his desire to be “a good steward” with the funds available in the Adult Mission Trip budget,”he trolls Walmart, Michael’s, and Walgreens in an ongoing search for off-season markdowns on items such as school supplies, children’s games, and children’s shoes. As for the eyeglasses and cases, he goes online to find discontinued styles for bargain basement prices from an outfit in Miami.

Randy’s commitment to Missions has become a family affair. Parts of the family house are used to store donations for the next mission trip. Also, daughters Kathryn and Sarah have accompanied him on several trips and have been active contributors as T-shirt makers, children’s activity leaders, and relationship builders. In 2014, Sarah asked Randy if she could use her spring break from Chapel Hill to undertake a private trip to revisit some of the friends they had made in Huanta, Perú. The request turned into a group trip, with Randy, Brenda Paredes, and Rose and Adam Boelke accompanying her.

When asked which of his 13 mission trips has been his favorite, he answers that he has great memories of all of them. “I especially enjoy witnessing first-hand the experiences of other trip participants and hearing what the trips mean to them.” Still, he says that the first trip to Huanta in 2008 holds a special place in his heart. Although our Sharon team and our Peruvian partners prayed that a long-term relationship might develop, one of our Peruvian friends, Gamaliel, admitted that he had not had a favorable impression of Americans and could only imagine what the “Gringos” true reasons and motivation had been in traveling to Huanta. “But as the week progressed he was surprised and overjoyed that that not only did we work together, we played, sang, prayed, laughed, cried, and worshipped together. His observations made me realize that the relationships that are created are the most important element of mission trips. The project work and the gifts that are shared are mere catalysts for establishing and fostering these relationships.

Tom Skinner