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