Peru Mission E-bulletin June 2008

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Statesboro & Jackson in Cajamarca

A team from Trinity Presbyterian Church in Statesboro, GA, is currently up in Cajamarca doing ministry with the Ramirezes. Included in this team is Roland Barnes, the Executive Director of Christian Missionary Society, who is in Peru on his 18th visit.

Then, next week a faithful team from First Presbyterian Church in Jackson, MS, will be ministering through Medical Campaigns, Vacation Bible School and seminary classes.

We will be going up to the mountains on Wednesday night to help out with these teams and have some fun visits with old friends in Cajamarca. We'll be staying with our good friends and team members, Alonzo, Esther, Sammy and Analiz Ramirez. We are really looking forward to it!

All Saints Austin in Trujillo

All Saints' Presbyterian Church in Austin, TX, generously sent a delegation to Trujillo this week to minister to the Peruvian church. Among them are a Urologist, a Pediatrician and a nurse, so they are conducting a medical campaign in Wichanzao Presbyterian Clinic. They are also helping with construction of the expansion of the Wichanzao Clinic and encouraging the brethren in Wichanzao. Thanks All Saints!

Unique Violin Week

We had several unique, unforgettable violin experiences this week.

On Sunday, Arévalo Presbyterian Church put on a special Father's Day Program, during which the kids played their violins. Mollie and William played Minuet by Boccherini with their friend Alida - all three played splendidly. And, Hannah made her first church performance, playing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star with confidence and grace.

On Thursday, the kids were invited to a special training session with Javier Orman, an internationally acclaimed violinist from Uruguay who is currently studying in the USA. They took turns playing a song for him, after which he spent some time of individual instruction and encouragement. The kids were greatly encouraged and motivated by his instruction and example.

On Friday night, we attended a delightful performance by the Trujillo Symphony, featuring solo performances by the visiting Uruguayan violinist. We had great box seats in the charming old Municipal Theater of Trujillo and marveled in the talents of the musicians. Each one of us thoroughly enjoyed the week!

We love our Smoothie King Daddy

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY, DADDY!
We love you!

Let there be light!

Rejoice with us in a wonderful new development at Arevalo Presbyterian Church...LIGHT! Thanks to a generous brother from the States, our engineers were able to run electrical wiring and install handsome light fixtures throughout the sanctuary. Now we can hold more evening services and events - which is usually more convenient for Peruvians who have to work all day long. And, the lights actually make the sanctuary feel warmer, cozier - a comforting refuge from the cold, gray world outside.

Redeemer Austin in Clementina

Redeemer Presbyterian Church from Austin, TX, helped Peru Mission in some crucial ministries this week. They put on a Vacation Bible School at the new church plant in Clementina neighborhood, a squatter’s community in the desert. Folks move out here, set their stakes and put up straw mats for walls. After 2 years, they are legal owners of the land and the government will begin installing electricity, water and sewage. Living is very hard while they wait.

The Redeemer team also did some back breaking demolition on the house next to the Wichanzao Presbyterian Clinic, which is expanding to accommodate more patients and offer more services.

They also helped host a Conversation Night at SALI, our English Language Institute, a time when students can come and practice English and become friends with native speakers.

Thanks to Redeemer for giving Peru your time, your sweat and your love this past week.

AND, on a personal note, thank you for serving as delivery people for our new camera. See the results of the first photo jaunt - to VBS in Clementina - below:

New Family Favorite

Pick It Up! by YoGabbaGabba

June 2008 e-letter

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Christianity Today Covers Peru Mission Project

Christianity Today Covers Peru Mission Parish Woodshop Project (see page 4)

The Mission Of Business - Companies Around the Globe are Mixing Profits with Gospel Ministry.

"In Trujillo, Peru, a hybrid effort is underway, teaming the church with a for-profit business. Peru Mission began in the late 1990s, under the care of Christian Missionary Society based in Statesboro, Georgia. Much of Peru Mission's funding comes from Presbyterian Church in America congregations. "We have a high view of the church as community," explains Brad Ball, a businessman and early Mission member. "When you work in the context of the church as community, the church isn't just a club you belong to, but it's a place where people's lives get intertwined and people are interdependent, and it's territorial."

Peru Mission has already planted two churches, one of 200 members and another of 50 members, both led by ordained Peruvian pastors. Medical missions are operating. The next step is to boost the local economy. Unlike the typical BAM, Peru Mission starts a church first, and then follows with businesses. Peru Mission is already making microloans of $50 to $100 in one village to finance street vendors in small convenience stores called bodegas.

Now, the company wants to make a bigger economic dent.

Four local carpenters make roof trusses under Peru Mission supervision. After a leave of absence, Ball is returning with an MBA from the University of Tennessee and a six-year plan to churn $950,000 in donations into building a 16-station carpentry and woodworking center. The business will use local, exotic hardwoods to make fine doors and furniture.

The effort is expected to make a profit of $74,000 by year four and net $1.1 million by year six. Though initial funds will come from donations, the for-profit shop will self-sustain and plow earnings back into the business, as well as into local schools, health centers, and community clinics.

Local churches will cooperate parish-wide with Peru Mission to give oversight to the woodworkers not only in trade, marketing, and business skills, but also in lifestyle issues with their families. "The facility itself is in the community," says Ball. "These guys are part of the community. The economic part has to be in that context, as opposed to the more individualistic model of being a business leader. It will be a positive approach to accountability.""
Read More about The Mission of Business.

20 Things We've Been Up To

Since we are still waiting on a camera from the States, we will have to fill you in on the goings-on around the Bradfords in Peru with words only:

1. Clementina Chuch Plant - a community that was served by the Independent Presbyterian Medical Campaign organized themselves, donated a lot for a church building and requested a pastor from Wichanzao Presbyterian to begin a new church plant there (Dale Ellison has pictures).
2. Wichanzao Marriage Conference - Bill led 2 nights of Marriage Talks at Wichanzao Presbyterian. Good turnout, honest questions, encouraging time for all.
3. Larco Baptism - Ivan, though converted at a young age, lost interest in the church while he pursued his career, but his mother and sister never stopped praying for him. He recently returned to the Larco church and was baptized.
4. Seminary Classes - Bill continues teaching Greek and also started a new course on Church Planting based on the manual published by Redeemer Pres. in New York City.
5. Arevalo Women Meetings - led by Allen - continue studying "Holy Habits" and rotating activity schedule. Attendance is down a bit because of the cold winds whipping through the unfinished church building in the winter.
6. Construction Buck Stops Here - Bill is overseeing and prioritizing all the construction projects - from wiring the Arevalo Church to advancing on the Wichanzao Clinic Expansion to demolition at Larco to make way for the new sanctuary.
7. Chris and Ava Barnes visit - The Barnes, an encouraging, talented young couple, spent a month in Cajamarca working with the Ramirezes. They whisked through Trujillo to say hello on their way home.
8. Website Redesign - With the help of Chris Barnes, our http://www.perumission.org/ will soon see a long-awaited major overhaul to more adequately represent all the many different things going on around here. We have committees at work - we'll keep you posted!
9. Church's Plan of Action - Bill is in the process of compiling a document to guide the churches in writing up a personalized 5 year Plan of Action.
10. Arevalo Prayer Meetings - Tuesday nights at Arevalo are An Evening of Prayer, led by Bill.
11. Summer Interns arrive - USA Summer/Peru Winter Interns are already hard at work teaching English at SALI along with our other hard-working interns. Welcome to Ry Lewis, Michelle Harris and Hamilton Manifold!
12. Virginia Friends Visit - from Hampton, VA, to Trujillo and Cajamarca - Dr. David Doughty and Dr. Gary Whiting are teaching science and Christianity lectures at the universities, while Dr. David Davis is attending patients.
13. Wichanzao Presbyterian Clinic - We are planning how to serve the community in a sustainable way, organizing ourselves better with a local board, connecting with local doctors and dentists to serve with us, and we are resolving security weaknesses at the Wichanzao Medical Clinic, which is located in a poor, high-crime neighborhood.
14. New Accounting System - We are in the process of upgrading to a comprehensive accounting software system that will help tremendously with the many, many different accounts Peru Mission has to keep up with.
15. Translation Projects - we continue to work on the translation of a year-long Sunday School curriculum - more details later. And we are beginning the 2nd edition of our famous English/Spanish cookbook.
16. Art Class - Allen started a Saturday morning art class at Bellas Artes. The whole family participates in the homework assignments so we are all learning more about proportion and light. Photos will be posted when aforementioned camera arrives.
17. Kids' School - Kids are doing great in homeschool - have been diligent and disciplined in catching up after taking a break to attend Peruvian school. Also, their Spanish is improving tons with their Spanish classes. And their violins sound more magnificent every day!
18. William's Golf Tournament - William competed in his first golf tournament - and came in 2nd in his age group, despite being really nervous!
19. Indiana Jones at the Movie Theatre - The economy has changed so much in Peru. We had a family outing to a stadium-seating movie theatre and then had a semi-friendly discussion over where to eat: Kentucky Fried Chicken or Pizza Hut. And we were in Trujillo, Peru - not the USA! We also just saw the signs on the future Starbucks in Trujillo location.
20. Bill's Wallet - is long gone - thanks to a guy on a motorcycle who whizzed by and grabbed it out of Bill's hands as Bill paid a taxi driver.