Iquitos & Gallito

Sharon Presbyterian mission groups have been fortunate to be able to visit the Amazon region of Perú (2002-2004).  The people there remain in our thoughts and hearts to this day.  We spent many days in Iquitos, Gallito, Santa Clara, Santa Maria and Tamshiyacu.  We worked in churches, helped with health clinics, built malocas, built walkways, painted churches and clinics, sanded and painted exterior walls, cut and installed ceiling tiles, painted jails and dug wells.  We interacted and shared time with our hosts.  We played and laughed with the kids.  We participated in church services and received opportunities that gave us memories for a lifetime.

In 2006, the Sharon mission group was able to make a side trip to Iquitos and Gallito after our mission trip to Moyabamba.  In Gallito, the community center/church was locked up and looked as though it had not been used for some time.  We also heard that the water wells had fell into disrepair.  In Iquitos, the boulevard building was not a church any longer and looked as though is was being used for storage.  We all had so much hope when we were working and praying in the Amazon.  After catching up with some old friends, we left with sadness in our hearts.  We were not so much sad that the physical things were not being used, but sad because of the lost hope and the feeling that we had abandoned our friends.

The Medical Missions, Inc. website is under construction or nonexistent.

The Amazon Mission Fellowship site lists that visits have thankfully been continuing by Westminster Presbyterian Church of Spartanburg, SC and First Presbyterian of Huntington, WV.  Hope has returned and is continuing.  We all are eternally grateful.

Responding To The Japan Earthquake And Tsunami

PDA is responding to needs from the 9.0 magnitude earthquake that struck Japan and the ensuing tsunamis across the Pacific rim.

PC(USA) has mission partners in Japan. World Mission has received positive reports on the welfare of mission coworkers. Read updates on the World Mission Japan page.

PDA staff and National Response Team members are contacting potentially affected presbyteries to offer assistance.

One Great Hour of Sharing funds have been sent to support an initial response through our ecumenical partner. We are meeting with a PC(USA) mission worker with experience in Asia to determine a response with our mission partners.

Read reports as they become available, and find resources on the Japan Earthquake and Tsunami index.

Denominational leaders have issued a Call to Prayer for those impacted by the earthquake and tsunami.

Prayers Needed For Pastor Santos Buendía

Dear Friends,

We write to ask your continued prayers for Pastor Santos, President of the IEPRP. He was in a car accident on March 2nd. As a result of the collision many bones in his face were broken. Rusty and I were traveling most of the time since then but we got to his bedside on Monday. He is coherent but the broken bones in his jaw keep him from talking much and he is suffering a lot of pain. The hospital does not allow flowers or food so we propose to give the money Maria would have allocated for them to the family for all of the unexpected expenses of his continuing hospitalization. The family is searching for the plate needed for his jaw surgery. The hospital has scheduled it for March 25th but it could go forward earlier if they can find the plate. He is grateful to be hospitalized for the month as the State will cover the costs of his care as long as he is there.

He is also grateful for your prayers.

Saludos de Sara y Rusty

Sara Armstrong and Rusty Edmondson

Presbyterian Church (USA)

Coordinadores de Alianzas y Delegaciones con las Iglesias Reformadas de Perú
http://www.puentesperuanos.org/

Prayer And Understanding Can Make A Difference

Hey guys! Just thought you might be interested in another story from the PCUSA church from South America. Sarah is great a friend of mine and served as a YAV in Guatemala with me.

Love you guys!
Leslie Acton

Hola amig@s,

Below is my second (and probably last) letter from Colombia. My experiences here have been deeply challenging and yet encouraging. As I said in my last letter, I want to share the stories of the people of Colombia in hopes that we can make a change. Thanks to each of you for who you are and what you do.

Que sigamos adelante, That we keep moving forward...

Sarah

Dear Seven Oaks Family,

I just got back to Barranquilla a few days ago; being back in the city feels like a different world. I spent the past two weeks in the town of Chigorodó, in an area of the country called Urabá. When I think of Latin America and the 2/3 world, I imagine rural areas like Urabá. The big cities of Colombia are very well developed and pretty far removed from the reality of the Colombian people. Modern cities and the rich people who run them are like fancy yachts floating on an ocean of poverty, neglect, and oppression. It takes a lot of intention to seek and to follow Jesus in cities like Barranquilla or in countries like the US. It is a quite a statement that the Presbyterian Church of Colombia has such a presence throughout the country, living out the call to work for justice.

The area of Urabá is currently known for its ubiquitous banana plantations and the huge cattle ranches that occupy too much land and employ very few people. The majority of men in the area work for one of the large US banana companies that monopolizes the banana production. But until 50 years ago, the area of Urabá was pure jungle. Poor farmers were forced to move deeper into the jungle to try to make a living for themselves. Some of these people were Presbyterians and when they moved, they took their faith with them and with the help of PCUSA missionary, Alice Winters, new churches were formed in many of the little towns. I had the pleasure of traveling with delegates from the Colombia Mission Network as we visited seven churches of the thirteen that make up Urabá Presbytery. At each church they welcomed us with homemade refreshments and we spent some time talking with the congregation about the Mission Network and the Accompaniment Program, and we learned from them about the church itself.

The following week, Phyllis and I traveled to the town of Chigorodó to spend eight days with the congregation of La Playita Presbyterian Church. Each day we visited the homes of church members, probably 20 families in all. The conversations we had were varied, most started with a summary of typical weather in the U.S. (most people are not aware of the diversity of climates across our country, similar to how many U.S. citizens are not aware of the diversity of climates in Latin American countries). We had many conversations with men about working at the bananeras, banana plantations. And with almost every family, we listened to their story of displacement and how the ongoing violence has affected their families.

In the congregation of La Playita, the large majority of members were displaced by the violence that erupted in neighboring departments during the late 90s. Many families lost loved ones - sons and husbands - as they fled to safety in Urabá. They arrived with only the clothes on their backs and had to start new lives in an unfamiliar land. Over the past 15 years, these families have enriched the community and indeed the church as they testify to God’s goodness even as they’ve struggled to deal with immense grief. We heard over and over from the congregation members that they wouldn’t be here today without God’s help. They proclaim God’s presence and mercy, God’s goodness and love. La Playita members shared with me and Phyllis their living, breathing, growing faith as we visited, talked, and worshipped together.

I’d like to share with you the story of one family in the Playita congregation (all names have been changed). One afternoon we visited Raquel and her four children in their home not far from the church. Six months ago, Raquel, her husband, and her 9 year-old daughter were sitting in front of their house when a motorcycle zoomed past, raining bullets in every direction. The target was Raquel’s husband; however she and her daughter were shot indiscriminately. The assassin killed the husband and she and her daughter were rushed to the hospital. Raquel suffered several bullet wounds to the abdomen and right arm which was shattered. She spent 45 days in surgery and recovery in the hospital. Her 9 year-old daughter, Susanna, received several bullet wounds to her legs, but fortunately, they only penetrated muscle and other tissue, sparing her bones and internal organs.

Think of a 9-year-old you know and imagine that person. He or she is probably in 4th grade, losing teeth and playing sports, falling off their bicycles and getting bruised and scraped, most likely unself-conscious and without much worry at all in life. Now, think of Susanna again. At 9 years-old she has lost her father, very nearly lost her mother, and has scars on her legs not from her bicycle, but from the bullet wounds that will always remind of her the day her world changed forever. In our conversations with the congregation, her simple yet profound question, “Is there violence in the United States?” hit me to the core. While the adults ask us questions about the weather in the states, what this innocent child wants to know is whether we suffer in similar ways.

Take a minute to think of how you would respond to Susanna.

The simple answer is yes, there is violence in the United States. But to answer her question takes some deeper evaluation. She and her mother were shot and her father killed for reasons unknown and by people un-identified. The justice system is not capable of holding anyone accountable for fear of retribution and so the impunity and violence feed one another. Is this happening in the US? Are we afraid to call the police if we witness a crime? Are the police afraid to act for fear of being targeted? Yes, this does happen, but it is the exception and not the norm. We worry about our national security yet we live the most privileged lives. The violence in the U.S. is different, it exists, but the majority of us do not suffer directly from its effects. Remember just a few months ago, a 9 year old was shot and killed in Tucson, AZ along with several others. The shooting made international news and our president attended the memorial service. We all felt grief for the tragedy. In Colombia mass violence is so common that families do not even have the luxury of sharing their grief with others, their mourning is mostly private. And yet their resilience is incredible. Raquel told me that she could not have found the courage to live and fight for her life for those 45 days in a Colombian hospital if God hadn’t helped her through. She realized that her children need her; God was giving her another chance at life. She had to overcome the physical and emotional pain of her situation and dedicate her life to her children and to her Savior (literal Savior). Though our lives vary greatly from our brothers and sisters in Colombia, we are invited to join them in the struggle for peace and justice, and to pray and work each day for the Kingdom of God.

Before I left Chigorodó, Susanna wrote me a note that nearly broke my heart. In it she says:

“I just want to write you a little bit because the sheets of paper in my notebook wouldn’t be enough if I start to tell you how important your presence has been in my life this week. In my heart, I hope that your dreams become a reality and that one day we fight together against the violence that tramples the innocent. I want you to keep me in your prayers so that my dreams also may become reality. Many hugs and kisses. Susanna”

This is the heart of accompaniment, to dream, to fight, and to pray together with and for one another. Please continue to pray for our brothers and sisters in Colombia.

Grace and Peace to you,
Sarah Robinson

A Note From Samuel

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Please receive my cordial greetings and pass on that I am in good health.  My wife Julia and my children Denil and Yesenia are also doing well.  We are here in Huanta enjoying the rainy season.  The whole landscape is very green, there is good crops in the fields and families are very happy.  I'm at work without any major developments to date.

I have fond memories of my stay in your beautiful city with my brothers and sisters.  I remember Connie picking me up at the airport and arriving at the home of my brother Randy.  It was much as I had imagined.  The Sharon Church was a dream for me.  I still can not explain how I could travel to another country, for as you know, it's not very common here.

Above all, I thank God and say thanks to each of the delegation of Sharon.  I am praying for you as I am sure you are continuing to pray for me.  I am praying brothers and sister that the Lord himself can bring us back together again.

I have already set aside my work schedule for the month of August.  God willing, this time we will be together.

I remain supporting the presbytery here in its activities by visiting small groups that live close to the city of Huanta. Tonight we will have a meeting in the house of a family who recently came to Christ.  We will be blessed again with another small group.

We have received land that we have been able to split into lots to give to 150 families in need.  These families were affected by political violence in the 80s and 90s.

There is also another initiative for workers to continue to build new churches in the mountains.

Thank you very much and may the Lord bless us.
Samuel Montes

Good News!

Because of prayers and hard work, the Amen Presbyterian Church of Lima (Brenda Paredes' home church) has found a new home.  After the completion of cleaning and painting, services began March 6.  Praises be to God!

Also, because of prayers and faith Kelsey Oswald {Relative of Rose Boelke} is doing much better... no more headaches! Thank God for answered prayers!

Barbecue Sales To Support The Needy

Sharon Presbyterian event to fund youth mission trip.  Article from the South Charlotte News.

Mission Trip 2011

The trip is open to adults and a limited number of youth who will be at least a rising high school junior in 2011. At least one parent or legal guardian of any youth participant must also participate in the trip.

The trip is scheduled to take place from Friday, August 5, 2011, through Monday, August 15, 2011.

Trip information and application forms will be available in the Peru Mission Trip mailbox (located on the top row of mailboxes in the hallway just outside the Sharon Church office).

Please contact Randy Ross at 704-552-5573 if you are still interested in participating or learning more about the trip or application forms.

Do You Have Sisters?

That may seem like a simple question, but it’s one that has occupied my thoughts over the past few years. I do, in fact, have a sister that was part of my family before I was born. We grew up together, had bedrooms side by side and occasionally drove each other crazy with musical tastes that weren’t shared.

Later in my life, my brothers got married and brought wonderful sisters-in-law into our family. Then when I got married, I acquired yet another sister.

Over the past three years, I’ve had the pleasure of participating on mission trips to Huanta, Peru with other adults from my church, Sharon Presbyterian in Charlotte, NC. These trips have presented amazing opportunities to build relationships with my sisters in Christ in this Andean community that was at the center of Shining Path activities in the 1980’s. These women have seen extraordinary violence and many lost friends and loved ones during the time of terror. They continue to struggle daily with extreme poverty and extraordinarily difficult lives. However, they amaze me with their strength, faith and dedication to Christ.

On our first trip to Huanta in 2008, we started building relationships with our hosts. On the day of our arrival, several church members met us outside our hotel to walk us to a wedding that had been delayed so that we could attend as guests of honor. One of the women, Modesta, immediately smiled and took my hand. She held onto me for the entire walk and made a point of looking out for me during our stay in Huanta. As we got to know many other women in the Christo Rey church, they asked for our help organizing a Presbyterian Women’s group. They already met together regularly, nurtured the sick and visited prisons, but they lacked materials for focused Bible study.

When we returned to Huanta in 2009, we were very pleased to take gifts of Spanish language versions of the very Bible study used in our PC(USA) circles at home. The women in Huanta were thrilled as they were now able to study Joshua, as we did in the US! This book provided some needed structure as well as guidance for their study. This material was so successful in strengthening their group that there is now an effort to organize a retreat for the women of four Synods to be held at Christo Rey Church.

Modesta and my other sisters in Huanta are in my prayers daily and I know that I am in theirs. On the surface, we may appear to have nothing in common. However, through the love, ministry and grace of Jesus Christ, we are truly sisters and I will be forever grateful!

Connie Dale

Greetings From Samuel

Estimados hermanos y hermanas.

Reciban mi saludo y de mi esposa Julia, mis hijos Yesenia y Denil, asimismo deseamos que se encuentren bien de salud y en unidad familiar; hermanos para decirles que nos encontramos bien de salud, en familia en Huanta. Yo mis vacaciones de 12 días termina el día domingo 9 de enero, gracias a Dios hemos disfrutado en familia con también con algunas iglesias, la navidad pasamos con sus padres de Julia, en su iglesia a una hora de Huanta. El año nuevo estuvimos con mis hermanos en Ayacucho, fue un día muy alegre porque con mis 7 hermanos (de diez que somos) nos vemos al año solo una vez. Por otro lado, estoy haciendo visitas a otras iglesias vecinas. Hoy día estuve en el techado de la Iglesia de Quinrapa, está muy cerca a Huanta …

Mañana me toca celebra un matrimonio en la Iglesia de Cristo Rey, el domingo en la noche me toca predicar.

Hermanos míos, estoy muy agradecido para la iglesia de Sharon, a la familia de mis hermanos: Randy y Van (por su puesto bajo el acompañamiento de mis hermanos Sara y Rusty), por mostrarme el amor sincero del Señor, no tengo palabras para agradecerles por todo lo que hicieron por mi persona y familia; la experiencia de haber llegado a Sharon, hoy me está sirviendo mucho para ilustrarnos y salir de muchas malas informaciones que durante muchos años vivimos, ahora puede decir con autoridad tal cual sobre la realidad entre vuestro país y mi país; puedo decir que nuestra cultura puede parecer diferente humanamente pero en Cristo tenemos una misma fe, esperanza, amor y una misión emprendida.

Nunca pensé llegar a Sharon, pero gracias a la voluntad del Señor ha sido muy grande para mí, una lección aprendida que cuando uno confía en él, él hace posible todo; la casa mi hermano Van y Conny está presente en mi mente, su cocina, su jardín, el gato y los perros; la bandera de Perú y EE.UU en su puerta, realmente es maravilloso. Mi dormitorio en la casa mi hermano Randy, su esposa y Sarita, su casa, la sala, el jardín, el almacén, sus lindos perros, y los peces colorados. Me acuerdo yo oraba, quién soy yo Señor para tener esta bendición tan grande?. Los días de salida al mercado, a la ciudad, al aeropuerto, las compras que se hizo, me sentí como si fuera un hijo más querido de una padre y una madre; por ello digo, como no seguir trabajando para el Señor, seguir llevando su palabra a las comunidades, a las familias necesitadas, hablar a favor de ellos, ayudarles en lo que me sea posible, por gratitud a mi Señor.

Estoy mucho mejor de mi salud, el azúcar de mi sangre este normal y me estoy midiendo inter diario, está en 95 a 105. Subí de paso 3 kilos nuevamente. Por otro lado no pude escribirles, porque estuve muy ocupado con mis responsabilidades en mi trabajo, gracias a Dios estamos por superar las dificultades de la institución; agradezco por vuestras oraciones queridos hermanos, porque oraron por un trabajo cuando perdí mi trabajo, ahora me acompañan con sus oraciones. Igualmente estamos orando y deseamos hermanos que a cada uno Dios les siga bendiciendo en sus trabajos diarios, la vida familiar como eclesial en Sharón; por la gracias de Dios, espero que mi hermana Conny ya esté laborando.

El presbiterio, está bien siguiendo los pasos que iniciamos aunque con cierta dificultades, pero es una alegría verlos aprender la gestión de un proceso, se logró hacer el presupuesto para los trabajos del mes de Agosto, y estamos seguros que lo lograremos implementar a las iglesias y grupos con estantes y atriles (púlpito).

Esperamos que el Señor nos siga bendiciendo, me despido con muchos abrazos de cada uno.

Samuel

Dear brothers and sisters,

Please accept my greetings from me, my wife Julia and my children Yesenia and Denil. The whole family is in good health here in Huanta. We have been in Huanta during the Christmas holidays and have enjoyed being with Julia's parents. I was also able to spend the New Year with my brothers who were in Ayacucho. It was a very special time to visit with 7 of my 10 brothers because we are only able to get together once a year. My vacation of 12 days ended Sunday, January 9.

I have been making visits to other neighboring churches and today I was on the roof of the Church of Quinrapa which is is very close to Huanta. Tomorrow I get to celebrate a marriage in the Church of Christ the King and on Sunday night I have to preach.

I am very grateful for the Church of Sharon, the families of my brothers, Randy and Van (of course under the support of my siblings Sara and Rusty) and for showing sincere love of the Lord. I have no words to thank you for everything you did for me and my family. The experience of arriving in Sharon is now serving me to enlighten everyone and remove a lot of bad information we have heard for many years. We can now say with authority about the differences between your country and my country. I can say that our culture may seem different but in Christ's humanity we have the same faith, hope, love and mission.

I never thought that I would be able to visit Sharon. All has been great for me, thanks to the Lord's will. A lesson has been learned that when you trust him, he makes everything happen. The house of my brother and sister (Connie & Van) is on my mind. Your kitchen, your garden, the cat, the dogs, and the flags of Peru and the USA at your door. It really was wonderful. My bedroom in the house of my brother Randy's family, his wife Sherry, daughter Sarita, the living room, the garden, their beautiful dogs, and the red fish. I remember I prayed, Lord, who am I to have this blessing so great? I felt like a beloved son. So, I must work for the Lord and continue to carry His word to communities and families in need. I must speak for them and help as I can out of gratitude to my Lord.

I'm much better about my health, my blood sugar is normal and I'm measuring daily readings from 95 to 105. I have been walking 3 kilometers again. I have not been able to write because I have been too busy with my responsibilities at my new job. Thank God we are able to overcome difficulties. Thank you for your prayers dear friends for a new job when I lost my previous one. We are also praying for each of our brothers at Sharon for God to continue to bless them in their daily work, family, life and church. I pray that by the grace of God, my sister Connie continues to work.

The chancel is continuing to follow the steps we started, but with some difficulty. It has been a joy to see them learn to manage a process and therefore able to budget for the work for August. We are confident we will succeed to supply the churches and groups with cabinets and lecterns (pulpits).

We hope that God continue to bless us, I say goodbye with lots of hugs to everyone.

Samuel

15 Peruvians of 2010

15 Peruvians of culture and leadership that not only shape Lima and Peru but continue to be positive international examples. Link

Christmas Newsletter 2010

Hola desde Peru

Today in Lima it is warm with bright sunshine. A perfect day for celebrating Christmas in Peru.  Link to our Christmas letter with news of how we enjoyed 2010.

Feliz Navidad y prospero Año Nuevo!

Saludos de Sara y Rusty

Christmas Wishes

I know it doesn't seem like we've posted much in the past few weeks, but rest assured there has been quite a few things being done behind the scenes.

• Tags, maps and captions for the hundreds of mission pictures are being added.  Still more to come.
• Cutting, hauling and trimming this year's Christmas tree.
• Keeping track of that pesky partridge in a pear tree.
• The 2 turtle doves have escaped numerous times.  Ugh!
• Trying to keep the 3 french hens supplied with worms...  I'm still not sure if they understand english.
• There are colly (black) birds all over the place...  I guess we only need 4 though...  right?
• 5 gold rings!  Who can affort that!?
• I tried to "borrow" 6 laying geese...  and about got shot by the owner!
• Security at the park would not let me get close to the 7 swimming swans.
• Eight maids milking...  could not find but 1...  and she has a bad attitude!
• Nine drummers drumming?  How much is that gonna cost?
• Ten pipers piping!  How 'bout one guy with a bagpipe?!
• Eleven ladies dancing.  Does eleven ladies doing Zumba count?
• Do you think it would be OK to replace the 12 lords leaping with 12 guys that jump around a lot?

Merry Christmas!

Amani Children’s Foundation

Help Sharon Presbyterian support orphans in Kenya by purchasing jewelry.  Sharon Presbyterian has partnered with the Amani Children’s Foundation to help support orphans in Kenya.  Kenyan women make the beads and the seconds are donated to the Amani  Children’s Foundation. The Foundation distributes the beads to churches to be made into jewelry. The jewelry is then sold to the community to raise funds to support six orphanages.

The Amani Children’s Foundation is a nondenominational Christian organization located in Winston Salem which began after a husband and wife returned from the Kenyan mission field.  Although Sharon Presbyterian just started making and selling jewelry from these African beads, we have already sent $500 to the Amani Children’s Foundation. It takes $1,000 a year to support one baby for an entire year.

If you want more information about the Amani Children’s  Foundation, you can find it on line at http://www.amanichildren.org/.