January Newsletter

Precautions against Disease

It is Epiphany season, and we have been helping out by leading some worship services at the Mission of Jesus el Salvador in the Villa el Salvador District of Lima, in addition to our seminary duties, and in addition to helping out at the Mission of Ascension in the Surco District of Lima.

To help ward off the swine flue (la gripe porcina, otherwise affectionately known as A1H1), the Diocese of Peru follows recommended health guidelines for communion. One of the guidelines is for the celebrant to use alcoholic-based waterless hand cleaner just before the Eucharistic Prayer. The usual place for this cleaner, for use during the service, is on the credence table.

So, at our first service at Jesus el Salvador (on Christmas Day), I dutifully had the familiar looking blue substance put on my fingers. As I was rubbing my hands, however, I noticed that it was starting to foam. "Ah ha," I thought to myself, "this is liquid soap, not waterless hand cleaner. It is not evaporating. It is spreading."

Then followed a contingency plan, a liturgical rite known as "the pilgrimage to find some water and a paper towel." However, the sacristy did not have water or towels, so Julie and I ventured further into the mission, ultimately into the kitchen of the mission while the congregation continued to sing. And, praise God, within a few minutes, we managed to find a workable faucet and something to wipe my hands on, and the liturgy resumed in a timely manner.

Celebrations: We enjoyed the elaborate fireworks displays all over the city of Lima for the first 20 minutes of Christmas Day and again for the first 20 minutes of New Year´s Day.

Plans later in the year: We plan to visit The Albany Diocesan Convention in 2010, visiting the US for a few weeks in late May/early June, for: Hannah´s graduation from seminary and her ordination to the Diaconate, and for Lydia to look at colleges, before we return to Peru.

Prayer Requests:
• For course preparations.
• For the seminary, the missions, and the diocese: ministries, relationships, priorities, and finances.
• That we spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ in all that we do in the power of the Holy Spirit.
• For the Diocese of Albany short-term mission trip to Lima in late July.

God bless you, and thank you for your continuing support! –

Shaw, and on behalf of Julie and Lydia