September's Newsletter

Note from Jeanne Gizara: This newsletter is out of chronological order. When it was sent out on September 15, my computer was down.

Ladrillo

"Ladrillo" was not a word that we were expecting to use very often in Peru. It is the Spanish word for "brick," as in "building materials." Sometimes, people use the word to mean blocks of stone or concrete that are about the same size and serve a similar purpose as brick.

One of Shaw's great grandfathers was the largest supplier of brick to New York City before World War II. Family tradition has it that some of the brick was used for the construction of the Empire State Building. And because he supplied so much brick, he needed trucks to move them, and so at one point, the result was that he had the largest Mack Truck distributorship in the city as well. And yet, brick has not exactly been a household word with us, until Lima, until we moved to the street where we live.

Across the street from us, a new apartment building is going up. It is amazing to see the construction team work, and when they move brick, they pass each one, one at a time, rapidly, along a chain of orange vested people, up ladders and across walkways. Meanwhile, at the intersection closest to our apartment, a new road is going in, and it is amazing to see the men, in this construction team, rapidly laying brick for the road, brick by brick in a diagonal pattern, and rapidly cutting hundreds of smaller pieces and fitting them in place to make the edges trim. They are artisans.

The Anglican Church in Peru is like these men. We are a spiritual construction crew. Ladrillo by ladrillo, we build up the body of Christ as a team effort, adding one person at a time. It is amazing what people can do when they put their mind to it, and on so few resources, with plenty of growing pains and spiritual dust from the construction process.


Photo taken by Charo Saavedra and used with Permission. Shaw, Bp. Godfrey, Lydia, and Julie. at our installation service as professors of Santos Agustin seminary in Lima.

How are we doing?

Present Ministry: A few weeks ago, it seemed like floodgates opened. From youth ministry, to mentoring people in the ordination process, to teaching classes and ministering to clergy, to participating in parish life (including helping to start a healing ministry), and more, there is a lot for us to do, and we are only one part of the Church.

Residency process: As of today, we are about 98% completed with the process. We have met some great people in the governmental offices along the way, and the process has been proceeding very smoothly.

Prayer Requests:
• Listening and Speaking skills
• Seminary, parish, and diocesan ministries
• Continuing adjustment and good health

Blessings! – Julie, Shaw, and Lydia