Mission Preparations

Sharon Presbyterian Church's 2018 Perú Mission Team would be most grateful for any donations of new or gently used children's clothing and old, "never to be used again" large suitcases.

All donations will be sorted and packed into suitcases in mid June in preparation of our 2018 Perú Mission trip in August.

For any information, please contact Randy Ross at mrandallross@gmail.com

Sky Lodge Adventure Suites

Request For Help With Transportation Of Donations

On Sunday, June 18, 2017, members and friends of the 2017 Sharon Presbyterian Church Mission Trip to Perú met in Room 6 of the Activities Building to pack suitcases of donations to be taken to Perú by this year’s mission team. Items packed included women’s and children’s clothing and shoes, Bibles and study materials, prayer shawls, crutches, knitted infant caps, reading glasses, toys and crafts. Eighteen suitcases, containing nearly one thousand pounds of donations were packed. The Sharon Church congregation has again provided a blessing to its less fortunate brothers and sisters in Perú.

The mission team is seeking assistance transporting these suitcases to the airport Thursday morning, July 27, 2017. If interested, please contact, Van Dale (704-577-3409 / wvandale@gmail.com) or Randy Ross (704-965-5432 / mrandallross@aol.com).

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.

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

The Photograph

What a blessing to have participated in nine consecutive Sharon Church mission trips to Peru! During the 2016 trip, we worked with our Peruvian brothers and sisters to build tables and chairs for children and simple wooden benches to be used as pews, all for new churches in and around Ayacucho. We shared reading glasses, prayer shawls, seat cushions and children’s clothing, shoes, toys and crafts. All made possible because of the generosity of the congregation of Sharon Presbyterian Church and many others.

We established new relationships and strengthened existing ones, constantly striving to build bridges of love, compassion, trust, hope and understanding between diverse cultures.

But the annual mission trip is far more than the tangible items that are built and shared, even more than the human relationships that are established and strengthened.

The mission trip is also about exploring and strengthening one’s relationship with God.

God, as only God can, has found a way to reveal Himself to me during each mission trip on which I have participated. Sometimes subtly, more oftentimes not. Each trip is different. Each trip is unique. Each trip is special. I would like to share with you just one of the ways God made His presence known to me this year.

My story began during the 2012 mission trip (August 9, 2012 to be exact) when I took this photograph of this young Peruvian family, members of the small Presbyterian church in the community of Chula. Chula is situated in the mountains above Huanta at an elevation of 10,000 feet. The church there left a lasting impression on me in part because of two very special rooms that were part of the church, one where members of the community could seek comfort and care when ill and another filled with food and clothing for the less fortunate.

During earlier mission trips to Peru, I have taken a portable printer to print photographs “on the spot.” But more recently, I have dutifully sent images off to Shutterfly for prints to be made after the trip and shared during the following year’s trip. So was the plan for this photograph, a hope of visiting Chula to deliver the photograph to the family personally or meeting someone from the community who could deliver it.

Unfortunately, the mission team did not visit Chula in 2013, nor did we meet anyone from the community that year. The same is true for the 2014 and 2015 trips. When packing for the 2016 trip I wondered if I should take the photograph along. A visit to Chula wasn’t planned for 2016 and Ayacucho is not very close to Chula. Fortunately, photographs don’t weigh much or take up a lot of space. So back in my backpack the photograph went with the hope, well, just a hope for 2016.

Imagine my joy when one of the men who traveled to Ayacucho to work alongside us this year was a resident of Chula!

With Brenda Paredes translating and my fingers crossed, I showed the photograph to this man, explained that it was taken in August 2012, asked if he recognized the family and if so, would he be willing to deliver it to the family?

He studied the photograph for a few moments then responded that the photograph was one of his brother and his brother’s family. He would be happy, even honored, to deliver it to his brother. But he also stated that when his brother and his wife saw the photograph, they would most certainly cry.

The name of the little girl standing in front of her father is Linda Flor de la Cruz. By the way, Linda in Spanish means “beautiful” or “cute.” Linda was indeed appropriately named! Just a few weeks after the photograph was taken, Linda and her family were at the river near Chula when Linda saw the family dog struggling in the water. Linda waded into the river to assist but lost her footing and was swept away in the rapidly moving water. While the family dog made it safely back to the river’s edge sadly, Linda did not.

The man from Chula then stated that the photograph, the one he was now holding, the one I had taken almost four years earlier and which I had diligently tried to get to this family since was the only known picture of Linda and her family.

I am struggling to comprehend these events. I pray that God’s steadfast love has brought peace to this family and that the photograph has brought some comfort and joy to this family, not a painful reminder of the child they lost.

I am occasionally asked why I participate in Sharon’s mission trip to Peru each year. It’s a fair question. After all, planning and preparing take many hours, understanding the spoken and written language is a struggle, drinking/ingesting the tap water is a “no-no” and showering in cold or lukewarm shower is more typical than not.

It is truly a calling. Admittedly, stronger in some years than others. But a calling nonetheless. I am convinced God called me to serve in Peru this year because of this photograph, a simple but now hopefully treasured image on a piece of glossy paper, a mere four inches by six inches. A photograph created by a chance meeting high in the Peruvian Andes nearly four years ago.

I am reminded of God’s grace and mercy even (and especially) in the most difficult of times.

Randy Ross

2016 Perú Mission Trip Return

Everyone has now returned back home from another wonderful trip to Ayacucho and Huanta Perú.  Three of our team members {Bev Vickrey, Ellen Minch and Jessica Minch} went on to visit Machu Picchu after the mission trip and arrived back in Charlotte on Wednesday.

All of our 10 pieces of donations luggage arrived in Perú without incident.  All of your gifts of prayer shawls, seat cushions, reading glasses, crutches, shoes, clothing, toys and sports equipment arrived safely and was distributed to the local churches.

A few of our pictures have already been posted and can be seen by clicking the 2016 Perú album link to the right.  Check the picture album often in the next few days as we continue to add new pictures and edit existing ones.  Click the logo icon to the right to see new Logo Sightings too!

A big thank you for all of the well wishes, prayers and support.

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

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

Operation Christmas Child

You can rest assured that Sharon Presbyterian Church was well represented by volunteers to pack shoe boxes at Samaritan's Purse / Operation Christmas Child.

Charlotte is one of many regional hubs for sorting and repacking Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes.  Each box of millions is opened, checked for age appropriate gifts, taped and then packed into a larger box.  The larger boxes are loaded onto pallets, then to trucks for the next leg of their journey.

Many of the boxes have scan codes attached.  At each stop along the journey the boxes are scanned and the giver receives an email advising the location of the box.  The gift box giver is able to track the individual boxes all the way to the final destination.  How exciting to follow the journey of a box that you pack as it travels to share the joy and love of our Lord, Jesus Christ!

Thank you for a wonderful experience.  A special thank you to Roz Walker for organizing and scheduling this yearly event!

Counting Down

We Can't Wait To Stretch Out On The Plane

Probiotics this morning!

With the temperatures here in Charlotte over 100°...  we are staying inside with the dogs and packing for Perú!

Only 32 days to go!!

2012 Perú Mission Trip News!

With the help of a few dedicated friends, (Natalie Schramm, Janat Schramm, Robin Shealy, Brenda Paredes, Connie Dale and Randy Ross), we were able to complete the packing of the additional donation bags for our upcoming 2012 Perú Mission Trip.

All 12 bags were packed with YOUR donations of shirts, dresses, shoes, sweaters, coats, small toys, balls and candy.  Each bag was weighed and packed to the 50 pound limit!

Each year, we often have to meet for 2 to 3 times for sorting, packing, weighing and packing again.  But this year with the wonderful help, we were able to complete the job in 1 afternoon.  Thank you to all!

What's The Rush?!

148 days to go!?

What's the rush?!

Well, as we've mentioned before...  If you take off time for a whole day waiting at the DMV, anniversaries, personal apathy, birthdays, concerts, genuine daily disinterest, a disregard for coming events, Doctor appointments, rainy day do-nothingness, a feeling of dullness, mowing the yard, family reunions, days of fishing, graduations, halfheartedness in your future, happy hours, (ooops) church, Sunday school, holidays, hours of hunting, idleness, hours of inactivity, lack of interest, a lackadaisicalness, languidness or lassitude from workouts, spring break, laxness of planning, prayer, plain laziness, seasonal lethargy, homework, your inability to recover from listlessness, meals, sickness, naps, meetings, movies, procrastination of mission trip planning, renewing your passport, kid's school, your school, your Dog(s) school, searching for food, shopping, shots & vaccinations, slackness, sleep, slothfulness, slowness, sluggishness, sporting events, supineness, washing the Dog(s), washing the Cat(s), cleaning the house after trying to wash the Cat(s), an uncaring attitude, unconcern about what is coming, vacations, volunteering, walking the Dog(s), walking the Cat(s), looking for escaped pet(s), weddings, weekends, or even work...

You MAY have a week to PACK!!

2012 Perú Mission Trip Deadline

The deadline to submit applications, deposits and passport copies for the 2012 Adult Mission Trip to Huanta, Peru is Sunday, March 11, 2012.

Trip information and applications can be found in the Peru Mission Trip Mailbox, located on the top row of mailboxes just outside the church office.

If you have any questions or need additional information about the trip, contact Randy Ross at 704-552-5573 or at mrandallross@aol.com.

Pictures can be found in the album links, reflections and other information about past mission trips to Peru can be found in previous posts.  Spend some time and check some of the older posts!

We Are Blessed

Colossians 1:6
“… All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing…”

It has been said before, it needs to be said again, again and again. The rewards of foreign missions are undeniable!  We have been blessed by the spirit of a giving and loving God.  Lifelong relationships have been formed and we have the memories of being immersed in other cultures.

Over the years, we have been blessed by: 

• The joy and excitement of being asked by a friend, relative or church member of "how was the trip?"
• A Peruvian young man quietly and humbly asking to borrow a Spanish Bible for an evening.
• Spanish Bibles given as gifts one year and worn out by use, the following year. 
• A young adult maturing by seeing other parts of the world.  Realizing how hard many have to work for freedom, safety, food, clothing and housing.
• The mental picture of people carrying church benches for 6 hours...  to their home church.
• Prayer Shawl Ministry of Sharon Presbyterian Church - The ladies of this ministry amaze us with their talent, love and giving.
• Witnessing the depth of God's spirit in a small church in Nuevo Ayacucho, Gallito, Maynay, Huanta or Lima greater than any grandiose cathedral.
• Caleb Ministries - 2011 will be our first year to minister and comfort families that have lost an infant in Perú.
• The opportunity and challenge for Brenda Paredes to translate the Caleb Ministries booklet in Spanish...  for the first time!  Because of Brenda's translation and the work of many others, Caleb Ministries can minister to our Peruvian families and to the Latin community here at home.
• The unending giving and collection of donations of clothes, luggage, toys and crafts by members of our church.
• The blessing of having the diversity of mission trip members.  Young and old, worshiping and gaining understanding together.
• In 2010 Sharon Presbyterian women shared study information with the women of Cristo Rey Presbyterian Church.
• Meeting Brenda Paredes.  2011 will be Brenda's third mission trip with us.  At the end of our trip, she will return with us.  Because of her hard work and dedication, she will be attending Winthrop University this fall.
• Meeting Sara Armstrong, Rusty Edmondson, Samuel Montes and Pastor Santos Buendia.  With relationships so strong, we can't imagine our lives without them.
• Sharing foreign mission trips with members of :
• Amen Presbyterian Church {Lima, Perú}
• Avondale Presbyterian Church {Charlotte, North Carolina}
• Bryson City Presbyterian Church {Bryson City, North Carolina}
• Charlotte Christian School {Charlotte, North Carolina}
• First Presbyterian Church {Kissimmee, Florida}
• John Knox Presbyterian Church {Marietta, Georgia}
• Light of Christ United Methodist Church {Charlotte, North Carolina}
• Port Orange Presbyterian Church {Port Orange, Florida}
• Steele Creek Presbyterian Church {Charlotte, North Carolina}
• Stevenson Presbyterian Church {Monroe, North Carolina}
• Westminster Presbyterian Church {Durham, North Carolina}
• Meeting members of the Perú Mission Network with churches over the entire United States.  The opportunity to host the 2010 Perú Mission Network Conference at Sharon Presbyterian Church.  Also, the chance for Samuel Montes to travel to the United States for the first time and join us.
• The creation of relationships with Amen Presbyterian Church, Lima, Perú and Cristo Rey Presbyterian Church, Huanta, Perú.
• Peruvian kids, kids, kids!

Did we have any idea of what this would become when we left for Iquitos in 2002?

Perú Mission 2011

Dear Participants:

I am long overdue in sending information about our upcoming trip. To say that it has been somewhat of a challenge putting it together this year within the confines of our budget, is an understatement. But despite a whopping 100% increase in airfares from last year to this year, the trip IS coming together. Well so much for the budget!

2011 trip participants include:

1. John Magee {Avondale Presbyterian Church, Charlotte, North Carolina}
2. Sarah Kate Magee {Avondale Presbyterian Church, Charlotte, North Carolina}
3. Rose Boelke
4. Shea Chambers {Avondale Presbyterian Church, Charlotte, North Carolina}
5. Reverend Brad Clayton {Avondale Presbyterian Church, Charlotte, North Carolina}
6. Connie Dale
7. Van Dale
8. Kaye DuMond
9. Brenda Fairbrother
10. Randy Ross
11. Sarita Ross
12. Tom Skinner
13. Rob Wolf {Port Orange Presbyterian Church, Port Orange, Florida}

Rusty Edmondson will be leading our trip this year. Sara Armstrong will be in Louisville attending a PC(USA) event and finalizing the details of her and Rusty’s agreement to serve another three (3) years in Peru . Yippy Skippy! Or as Rusty would say, “Cool beans!”

Brenda Paredes has graciously agreed to accompany us again this year. Either she loves us very much or just wants to make sure we don’t totally embarrass ourselves while in her country. Or perhaps both.

I have recently caught wind of a plan to kidnap Brenda, bring her back to the United States and enroll her in the fall 2011 semester at Winthrop University, located in bea-u-ti-ful downtown Rock Hill , South Carolina , USA . Mum’s the word!

Also accompanying us on the trip are Brenda’s father and stepmother, Alfredo Paredes and Miriam Laura. Alfredo will assist with trip logistics and Miriam will assist with translating. Oh, the stories we’ll tell (in our very best Spanglish).

All trip participants, except Kaye DuMond (more about this a little later) and possibly Rob Wolf, will travel to Lima via New York and Atlanta . Can someone explain why it costs $550 less per person to fly to Lima from New York versus Charlotte?  Charlotte appears much closer to Peru than New York on all the maps I have seen. Tickets for our group reservation on Delta Airlines will be issued on Tuesday, June 21, 2011.

All trip participants, except Kaye DuMond (I promise, more about this a little later) and definitely Rob Wolf, will travel to/from Charlotte and New York on US Airways. Tickets have been issued.

Rusty has arranged for all “in-country” transportation, accommodations and entertainment. Geez, I hope Rusty’s Spanish has improved dramatically over the past year and we REALLY have room reservations for fifteen participants, not five. We are going to try new restaurants in Lima , Ayacucho and Huanta and a new hotel in Ayacucho this year. Many are local establishments so we are bound to fit right in (in our very best Spanglish).

We welcome the members of Avondale Presbyterian Church joining us this year. I guess they heard the real reason why the group from Port Orange Presbyterian Church (“POPC”) decided not to partner with us again this year. POPC is beginning the first-ever PC(USA) church relationship with the Presbytery of Ayacucho! Please keep the wonderful POPC folks in your thoughts and prayers as they prepare for their trip and during their time in Peru . The POPC trip is scheduled from July 5 - 13, 2011. Also pray that Kerry Lyons will forget to pack his white tennis shorts this year.

Here is a tentative schedule which, as all seasoned travelers to Peru know, is subject to delays, changes and revisions.

Friday, August 5, 2011: We will travel from the United States to Peru . It will be a long day of travel. Kaye DuMond is flying to Peru a few days before the main group to visit a friend in Lima. Kaye (here is the “later” part I promised) will most likely be flying to and from Peru in business class (and not through New York I might add) and will meet us upon our arrival in Lima (if she can muster the courage to do so). We will check into Casa Kolping for two nights. OK, two half nights.

Saturday, August 6, 2011: We will visit Pastor Adrian Fernandez’s church near Lima . Pastor Adrian is a leader in the Evangelical Presbyterian and Reformed Church of Peru (the “IEPRP”) and an instructor at the Biblical Institute in Huanta, of which he is a founding leader. Members of Pastor Adrian’s church are mostly refugees from Ayacucho, settling near Lima during the time of terror in Peru . Pastor Adrian will be in Huanta during our visit (teaching at the Biblical Institute, no less) but Rusty has other "connections" at this church. We will also make arrangements to ship the donations to Huanta via bus with the assistance of Alfredo, who Van Dale swears knows everyone in Lima.

Sunday, August 7, 2011: Rise and shine at 3:00 am (it will be 4:00 am in the United States ) to catch our 5:30 am (it will be 6:30 am in the United States) flight to Ayacucho. Samuel and Julia Montes will meet us in Ayacucho. After breakfast, we will travel in a spacious and comfortable motor coach to Huanta (past trip participants, shhhhh!). In 2008, the trip from Ayacucho to Huanta took one hour. In 2009, forty-five minutes. In 2010, thirty-five minutes. Perhaps the bus drivers believe the gringos and gringas are gradually getting comfortable traveling in the spacious and comfortable motor coaches from Ayacucho to Huanta. Will it be a fifteen or twenty minute trip this year?

Upon our arrival in Huanta, we will check into the Posada de Marques. Rumor has it that there will be a run on chapla and salt cheese for the six days that follow our arrival.

Monday, August 8 through Friday, August 12, 2011: We will work alongside our hosts to build lecterns and bookcase/storage units for the churches in the Presbytery of Huanta. And more importantly, laugh, pray, sing, play, worship, shed tears and just “be” with each other. Oh, and eat some great Andean food too!

May God be glorified during our time together.

Does anyone believe the Huanta Cup has a snowball’s chance of returning to Charlotte this year?

Saturday, August 13, 2011: Travel to Quinoa (famous for its Andean pottery artisans and easily crashed Quechua wedding receptions) and then on to Ayacucho. We will visit a recently opened museum, highly recommended by Rusty, centered on the time of terror in the region.

Sunday, August 14, 2011: Rise and shine at 4:00 am (it will be 5:00 am in the United States ) to catch our 6:50 am (it will be 7:50 am in the United States) flight to Lima . We will travel to Amen Presbyterian Church for worship and fellowship. Then on to lunch, shopping and dinner before heading to the Lima airport for, well, you know.

Monday, August 15, 2011: Our flight is scheduled to depart Lima bound for Atlanta at 12:40 am. It will be another long day of travel, but definitely well worth it in my humble opinion.

Trip Commissioning is scheduled for Sunday, July 31, 2011 during Worship. Rob Wolf will not be able to participate in person but in his own words “I will definitely be there in spirit though.”

We will get together in mid-July to do our final packing and head over to Genaro’s Peruvian Rotisserie for dinner.

As to the issues facing the Cristo Rey Church in Huanta. I don’t know the history of the Cristo Rey and Genesis churches in Huanta or on what basis the members of the Genesis church claim that the Cristo Rey church property belongs to them. Obviously, there is much at stake. I wouldn’t want to speculate how a ruling against the members of the Cristo Rey church would impact them.

Should we postpone or cancel our trip until the issue is finally resolved? I think not. Legal issues can take many years to be concluded, even in Peru.  And whatever the judge rules, we should be standing alongside our brothers and sisters, whether it is a time of joy or a time of uncertainty or sorrow.

God has blessed me with yet another opportunity to visit and marvel at another facet of His wonderful creation. I look forward to our time together with our brothers and sisters in Peru with more anticipation and excitement than ever before. I am humbled and thankful to be sharing the experience that awaits us with each of you, even if I am not the one who gets to fly business class.

Blessings and thanks to all. Let me know if you have any questions or need additional information regarding our trip.

Forty-five (45) days and counting!

Randy

Has Your Perú Packing Begun?!

Check the remaining days to the right.  Looks like you have plenty of time...  right?  But, if you deduct for:

• Holidays
• Work
• Weddings
• Sleep
• Movies
• Shopping
• Meals
• Concerts
• Meetings
• Anniversaries
• Birthdays
• Weekends
• Family Reunion
• Vacations
• Doctor Appointments
• Sporting Events
• Graduations
• A Day At The DMV
• Renewing Passport
• Shots & Vaccinations
• Apathy
• Sloth
• Laziness

YOU HAVE 1 WEEK TO GET READY!