A letter from Jacob Goad in Peru
December 2007
Dear Friends,
Jacob Goad says he's very grateful to be serving in Peru.
Thanks for remembering me in your thoughts and prayers this year. I have worked for almost a year as a long-term volunteer for the PC(USA) and I am so happy about our work here in Peru.
Your support for our work in Peru is appreciated and is worth celebrating during the Advent season, as we remember Jesus' choice for downward mobility as an act of eternal love, solidarity, and salvation.
This year we received more than 15 Presbyterian groups from more than eight states. These groups were sent by churches and General Assembly Council programs. They accompanied Peruvian churches and NGOs in their work in more than 20 cities in Peru.
We remember and celebrate the work of two mission co-workers in Peru, Ruth and Hunter Farrell, who lived and worked alongside Peruvians for the past nine years. Earlier this year, Hunter was called to accept the World Mission director position. Ruth continues to build upon her longstanding work of promoting fair trade values and connecting artisan groups with those who buy their products. Two of their children, Billy and Ndaya, just started their freshman year in college, and the youngest has made quite a showing as a rising soccer star. Go Andrew!
The Presbyterian Church of Peru (IEPRP) and the PC(USA) agreed on forming a formal friendship at their General Assembly meeting, which will help to guide us as we seek together to participate in missio dei in Peru. Church-to-church relationships are growing beautifully. There are a couple of clear examples of this growth. Sardis Presbyterian Church of Charlotte has formed a mutually beneficial relationship with the small town of Los Algarrobos and the IEPRP Church near the Peruvian Jungle. Also, First Presbyterian Church and Starmount Presbyterian Church of Greensboro visited Oasis de Villa, a church in the outer developing areas of Lima. They found a warm greeting from the folks there and spent an afternoon visiting pre-Incan ruins with local Presbyterian and Anglicans, who had never had the opportunity to see the ruins before, despite living less than five miles away. These two churches committed to partnering with Oasis de Villa in looking for solutions to get expanded healthcare for this area. Joining Hands Peru will be helping the church to learn more about health advocacy.
A partnership was also formed with the Northeast Lima Presbytery of Evangelical Church of Peru (IEP) this year. At their request, I have been attending Presbytery meetings and we have had very fruitful dialog about the Presbyterian Partnership Policy Statement and the Holy Scriptures. We look forward to deepening that relationship in the coming year. As you plan your trips for 2007, please consider paying their presbytery a visit.
As a result of advocacy work, the metallurgical operations in La Oroya are under much greater scrutiny by the government and civil society. This work has been receiving international attention with articles and video having been published this year by Christianity Today, BBC World, the Los Angeles Times, the Nation, Illinois Times, El Comercio (Peru), La Republica, The Forward, NPR, and the Jewish Press. There is a lot to be done to hold the Doe Run company accountable for its commitments to clean up operations and to ensure that the population and the environment is protected and restored to health.
After the earthquake in Peru, the state of Ica and parts of Huancavelica were torn apart, and many were killed by the falling debris. The World Council of Churches, of which the PC(USA) is a member, responded with 50,000 dollars for food, water, and shelter. I was able to get the word out about the earthquake on CBS News on August 17 as a representative for the Presbyterian Church in the earthquake zone.
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance and the World Council of Churches are working with Joining Hands Peru to build ecological bathrooms and provide water for the town of San Benito after the earthquake. Joining Hands has a vision to see that the community continues to develop sustainably.
While most of you who read this will be celebrating your holidays in frigid climates, I will spend Christmas in the Peruvian jungle with a family that took me under their wing in 2001 when I first travelled to Moyobamba.
Peace and joy for you and your loved ones,
Jacob Goad
The 2008 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 275
