¡El justo por la fe, vivirá!

Greetings friends, supporters, family....and other interested persons!!!!

Greetings in our time of transition and change at San Juan Camino de Esperanza!

 The "logo" on our church door reads in Spanish: "El justo por la fe, vivirá". It is an appropriate Lutheran doctrine as it translates to English: "Justified by faith, (we) live".

With so many things seeming unsure and unstable with our little congregation right now, this doctrine takes on special significance. We live, work, serve, and persevere because we are justified (or saved) by God's grace. Because of our faith, there is hope in the midst of whatever hardships, instabilities or troubles lie in our path. This is such an amazing grace!!!

 In terms of our construction, there have been some issues with building permits and licensing from the municipality, so much so that we have been left in a kind of "limbo" for the last six months. We know it's temporary. We know that God is working with us even still. We know that things will change, but limbo is tough sometimes. In this transition, we are worshipping in people's homes and our children's program and bible studies are continuing, too, in Ana Maria's home. But with limited space, the numbers are down a bit, which is of course, a bit disheartening. And so it is with transitions and periods of instability.

Picture above: the church grounds have been ready for several months...

We continue to meet and have bible studies, such as the one pictured here a few weeks ago. Pastor Erik Bjoran and his wife, Marla, were visitors to Peru and participated in our study group.

Below: I am explaining which rooms will be built in which spaces. We hope to complete Phase One, which includes two levels of classrooms, a meeting space and the pastor's office.

And so, in the midst of the transition and changes, in the midst of our "limbo's", we continue to have faith that the God who has brought us to this place and time, will continue to provide that which we need to be sustained in the desert, in the "limbo's" in which we sometimes find ourselves.

"Fear not, for I have redeemed you;

I have called you by name, you are mine.

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you..."

These verses from Isaiah 43 are so true and so needed: a call and reminder of whose we are, that we have the strength to carry on, and that we need not fear or be entirely overwhelmed with the changes and transitions that happen in our lives OR in the life of the church!!

And so, may the grace & peace of God be with us all in these often unstable times and throughout our life's journey!! Speaking of journeys, I look forward to visiting many of our ELCIC congregtions, with friends and family, to share stories of my life and work, and of OUR ministry in Peru, while I journey back to Canada this summer on home-leave!!!!!!

In God's service,

Pastora Fran.

La Tierra Nueva....New Ground!

Greetings family, friends, supporters and interested others, in the name of our risen Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ!!

Well, we are definitely on new ground, holy ground, at San Juan Camino de Esperanza as we literally are preparing to construct our new church...It is a challening and exciting time! It's amazing to be here, to be a witness and participant in the process!!

Signs that things are changing....workers demolish the existing structure in three days. It will take approximately two months to build the new facility. Phase One will include two floors with three classrooms, the pastor's office, and bathrooms.

Pictured below with some of the neighbourhood children who came to see

 the progress of the work being done...we all looked on with disbelief!

Below: the white brick walls in the corner used to be a small Sunday School room,

and now we're preparing for something new...

So we are currently in transition, waiting for the building construction to begin. And in these transitional months, we have been worshipping, meeting, and having our bible study in members' homes. Our numbers are fewer sometimes, but worship and most of the activities of the church are continuing. 

For example, pictured below with me are Luz Aurora (centre), our newest confirmed member of San Juan, 

with her sponsor, Ana Maria.

These are exciting and interesting times. Not only do we have one more new member, we are excited to have a full church council for the first time in a number of years, AND we have a new companion congregation, Grace Lutheran in Victoria!!  The church ground, and WE, are getting ready for what is to come...the countless possibilities that exist. We are working with new ground, holy ground, literally! Besides the architectural plans, what are we going to build? What kind of a community of faith will we be? Since nothing is there yet, what will we build?? And, how will the Holy Spirit continue to work, to inspire and to breathe new life, new visions, and new possiblities into our church, our community and each one of us? What visions will be realized out of all that is being created and that are only possiblities today??? 

Interesting questions!! In the midst of what is happened, I continue to be humbled and energized ministering with this mission congregation. And I look forward to all of the possibilities that God in Jesus Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit, will create with this new and holy ground!

May we, too, continue to be inspired and open to whatever possiblities God is planting, inspiring, growing, developing, and creating within us, in whichever part of the world we happen to live!

With gratitude and hope!

Pastora Fran.

Video Perspectives.......

Greetings all~Family, Friends, Supporters....

Thanks to Rosine Gerhardt and her production company in Saskatoon, Live to Tape Productions, the following videos were shown at Zion Lutheran Church as a brief overview of the ministry and work that ELCIC (Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada) is doing with ILEP (Evangelical Lutheran Church in Peru) through me, your long-term missionary! I share these videos with you, with much joy, gratitude and hope that the work can continue to grow and flourish, so that we will all be blessed both in the giving of our time, energy, and resources to further the ministry here...as well in what we receive in knowing, accompanying and supporting the people of ILEP in this ministry!

Part One:





Part Two:



Part Three:



 
Con mucho afecto, y que la gracia, el perdon, y el amor de Dios sean siempre con Ustedes!
With much affection,
may the grace, forgiveness, and love of God be with you always,
Pastora Fran

The Gift of Accompaniment

Greetings, peace and blessings to family, friends, supporters and interested persons!!

Well, this first month of our New Year has been filled with much activity, travels, laughter and visitors from Canada!!! And it has been with great joy, that I've welcomed for the first time, visitors who were a part of my "former" life back home; to share my experiences, the Peruvian culture, food, sights, and especially the mission that ELCIC has sent me here to do on their behalf.

Heather Bepple with members of our Thursday night Bible Study,

she brought some "Maple Leaf" cookies to share...yummy!!!

Heather, with Dave and Carol Eaton, visiting Sara's Circle. This women's group makes various stoles, sweaters, vests, shawls, mitts, gloves, and bags to sell around the world.

Pictured to the left is one of their stoles...

And pictured to the right, are Maura (left) and Flora tallying the orders...so grateful for orders and support! Although not an "official" role, I have continued to accompany and work on their behalf to help them receive orders from Canada and other countries.

It has been a rich time and an opportunity to reflect on and re-experience, through their eyes, what life is like in Lima, Peru, as well as explore once again what is mission and ministry in this time and place. One guest asked me "Why do we have a Canadian, ELCIC, missionary here in Peru?" What a simple, yet profound, question in a time when church budgets are being cut, church memberships are on the decline and "misson" seems like something we ought to do in our own country to help grow, develop, and share the Gospel. So, exactly, why continue to send missionaries?

Pastora Ofelia (left), Pastora Dana (ELCA), and myself working at a Pastor's Conference...another way of accompaniment.









After thinking for a moment, my simple answer was: "to accompany the church and its members in Peru." And in this definition, to accompany is to walk alongside those with whom we are in ministry. To accompany does not only mean giving donations of food, clothing, or other necesities. Nor does it only mean trying to answer difficult questions with money. To be in relationship with another church body means to accompany them in the day to day changes, challenges, and joys! This is my definition of accompaniment, anyway, because in my musical experience, the one who "accompanies" plays an integral role whether in rehearsal, concert, performance or recital. The role of the accompanist is a key, important, necessary and interdependent role/relationship!

These are some of the young musicians at Filadelfia, in the district of Lurin, with whom I've been working/accompanying. They wish to learn how to better lead their congregation in its worship services, so we've been focusing on presentation and confidence. They're a very vital group of young, committed musicians!!

As a singer/soloist for most of my life, I have known that a performance can only be as good as the accompanist with whom one is working. The role of the accompanist, generally a pianist, is to compliment the soloist; they listen attentively, adjust their playing, give attention to the dynamic subleties, and watch for the interpretation of the piece. The good ones recognize that they are not the soloist, the main performer,and that their role is to support and compliment the work of the soloist. The irony of now teaching piano/accompaniment have been a soloist has not escaped me and at the same time speaks volumes to how a mutual sense of appreciation and musicality can develop even in the most fervent of "soloists".

Pictured here in Iquitos at the congregation of Fiel es Dios, teaching Jazmin and Diana which fingers correspond with which notes on the keyboard...they were an enthusiastic group!!

It is this model of healthy accompaniment to which I have tried to adhere in our (ELCIC) partnership with ILEP (Evangelical Lutheran Peruvian Church). We missionaries are, in fact, the accompanists. We are not the soloist, nor is the ELCIC. We are in partnership, we are those who accompany the pastors, the congregations, the church leaders, the National Councils and the President, along with other organizations with whom the church collaborates. We accompany. We walk alongside, journey with, reflect upon, and listen to those with whom we are called to minister. Most importantly, our role is to support and compliment the work of our partner church.

It is not an easy task to accompany. As recent ELCIC visitors learned, my schedule is hectic and varied. There is alot of managing, meeting, talking, debating, interrupting, delaying, celebrating, traveling (we were up to Iquitos for teaching music), leading, guiding, writing (emails/newsletters/blog/reports!), driving, and especially waiting as all things in Peru eventually are realized in their own time. I am grateful to those who were here to visit and accompany me, to learn about the ministry and about the culture here in Peru!!

As we continue to move forward in new directions with greater challenges, I ask for your continued prayers and financial support:  for ILEP, the National Council, President Armando, the Conference of Pastors, the leaders and members, as well as for our ELCIC in our challening times. Please pray that we can each accompany one another in the love and grace of God, faithfully and effectively, so that God's redeeming grace may continue to be proclaimed to all parts and all peoples!!

Con el amor y la gracia de Nuestro Salvador, Jesucristo,
In the love and grace of our Savior, Jesus Christ,
Pastora Fran.

Christmas Greetings!!!!

Christmas Greetings to supporters, friends, and family!

The signs of Christmas are all around us! Even in South America, and even though it still seems out of place (for this Canadian Snowbird anyways!), the signs of Cristmas are here...the trees...the decorations...the lights...in the Scriptures each Sunday of Advent... in the parties and plans we are making to help us celebrate this sacred season...we can see that Christmas is almost upon us! 

These greetings are sent with my love and best wishes for a beautiful and memorable Christmas Season and a Happy New Year! As well, I bring greetings from ILEP, the Lutheran Church in Peru, and from the congregation of San Juan Camino de Esperanza!

It seems to be a season for preparation....

Here, Carmen and Haydee are preparing a simple lunch for the children at our Saturday School program.

The children are preparing gifts to give to their parents for Christmas..






The worship space has been prepared....

And we at San Juan Camino de Esperanza have been actively preparing with faithful and hopeful expectation in these days of Advent not only for the birth of the Christ-child this Christmas, but literally for us, it has been a time of great expectation as we have been preparing for the construction to begin on part of our new church!

We start to have a sense of the hopeful expectation of Mary and Joseph, of the apostles, and of generations of Christians with each step we take in the process to secure a building license. With each fee or tax that is paid, with each document that is ready, and with each step that is completed in this very long process, we are brought closer to that long-awaited time! We will soon begin to build and we will soon have a new structure in which to worship and teach the children of our community! As you can imagine, we are getting very excited!! These are signs and preparations of a different sort, but are filled with much  joy and hopeful expectation, too!

And as for me, in addition to teaching music with the children at Cristo Salvador, I have been focusing some effort on preparing, too: for Navidad/Christmas worship, for the Canadian visitors who will be here in January, making a calendar/rotation to involve two seminaries of the congregation, and developing a work plan for 2010 .

Whatever our preparing for Christmas, may God continue to guide, lead, support and uplift us by the power of the Holy Spirit, to be ready for the Christ-child who is to come!

With love, joy, and hopeful expectation this Christmas Season!
Pastora Fran.

A Question of Perspectives

Greetings to family, friends, supporters,

It is often a question of perspectives, isn't it?

For instance, what do we see as we look at picture such as this? We see the laundry hanging to dry, we might also notice the plants in the foreground, we might also see some other laundry a little further down the hill, and we might also see the myriad of homes built up on the side of the hill. But only a keen eye will see the stone stairs that line the steep incline up to this parishioners' home or the well caps, or the welcome mat. It's a question of perspective. Our perspective dictates that which we see, and that upon which we tend to focus our vision, our hearing, our smell, our thoughts, our attention and energies.

Is it not a question of perspective? The stone "stairs" are hardly persceptible, even in this photo, but they are there, I can assure you! The children and pets run up and down these stairs without a care or concern, but it is a very steep and dangerous incline. Up until a month ago, parishioners in this part of the barrio hauled their water up these rugged staircases on a daily basis. No one is entirely sure why, but the Municipality gave priority to those who live the highest and steepest distances from waterlines below (a most logical decision, of course), but to our persception at San Juan, it was an act of pure and surprising grace!

Near to the top of the hill, Ana Maria and I finally arrive to visit with parishioners, Sonia, Roberto and their children, Kevin and Robert, who sort of wove their way into, out of, and around our visit! The children's perspective is that their home, their lives, their stone staircase is normal, a part of their childhood. For those of us from other countries, with our own experiences, realities and backgrounds, this might not appear to be typical. My "normal" childhood, for instance, inlcuded having a swingset in the grassy backyard.
What is normal for one is different for another: it is all a question of perspective!

And I rejoice for the questioning of my perspectives!!

November has flown by, it seems, filled with various activities in addition to those of changing perspectives!

I was  happy to welcome visitors from Thunder Bay, Raija and Vappu. Pictured here is Vappu Kormano,

from Hilldale Lutheran. They stopped over for a short time in the wee hours of the night

and were gone again after perhaps 2-3 hours of sleep. But because of a brief stop-over,a shower and a place to callhome in the middle of travels to Argentina, they left refreshed. Sure was nice to see some friendly faces from my home-town and my parents' congregation!

November was my second month teaching music at Cristo Salvador, located in San Juan de Miraflores (one of the districts of Lima). I have been teaching keyboard, singing, guitar and zampoña for about 12 children and youth each week. With December coming quickly to an end, so will my time at Cristo Salvador, two more weeks left!

Learning the fingering...

In keeping with the tradition of other Canadian Lutheran Missionaries in Peru (all women, by the way!), I am accompanying the group "Sara's Circle, or Circulo de Sara. Located in Marquez, one of the districts in Lima, Sara's Circle a group of  women who work with Alpaca wool, along with synthetic fibers,

to make all kind of sweaters, bags, even stoles!

These are some of the bags that they are currently working on to prepare for sale...hopefully in Canada!

And this is one of their vest and some stoles in the background.

Send me a quick email or comment if any of their items look like something you'd like to have...their work is

beautiful and their labours provide a living for the women of the group! Little by little, we hope to grow their small business and increase awareness of the work they do...in doing so, perspectives and

possiblities grow and change, too!!!

And so, throughout our life's journey, our perspectives continue to change and adapt. And thanks be to God that our lives are not stagnant, that our viewpoints and assumptions can be challenged and questioned in order for us to grow!! It is not always an easy process, there are growing pains, but this is God's work within us and within our communities of faith! Through the Word of God, in the waters of our baptism and in the Eucharist that we share, we are reminded that God is at work with us in Jesus Christ to bring about justice, peace, reconciliation....what wondrous love is this, indeed!


As we celebrate this season of Advent at San Juan Camino de Esperanza, we think on those visitors from Canada and the USA who were with us in the previous year and we extend our warmest greetings and hugs to all of you!!! May all of your Christmas celebrations serve as a reminder that the baby in the manger changes everything, including our perspective!!

O God of all that is, that was, and that is to come, guide us in this season of waiting and preparation. Help us, at San Juan, as we wait to break ground on Phase I of our construction, and be with all who wait: expectant mothers, those who will be reunited with loved ones for the Christmas season, those who await news of a loved one's recovery from illness...those who wait for a loved one to pass. Confirm our faith in You, O God, that in all of our waiting, expecting, and changing perspectives we may know that it is Your hand that is guiding us and your love for us, made perfect in Jesus Christ our Lord, which sustains us. Amen.

With blessings and peace in this season of Advent and throughout the Christmas Season!

Pastora Fran

Shades of Grey....

Greetings, love, and peace to all the saints: family, friends, believers and supporters, en el nombre de nuestro precioso salvador, Jesucristo!

There are shades of grey...

The last few months of winter in Peru have included many cloudy grey days. But as I discovered, there are various shades of grey. Some are quite defined and dark, while others are more transparent. The subtleties of the shades of grey are only noticeable, it seems, to those of us who have lived here for the duration of the winter. To most, grey is grey!

Another, more pronounced, shade of grey revealed itself last weekend. Having turned onto a one way street (in the wrong direction!)I was pulled over by the "Policia Nacional". In the resulting conversation, the officer politely said that the "infracion" would not have to be put on my record; they would "help" me if I "helped" them. No matter the language or cultural barrier, the comments were clear. With open and acceptable practices of bribery, a shade of grey presented itself. What to do as a foreign pastor? I decided to take an ethical stand and not give them a bribe, deciding that having the infraction and paying the fine would be best. But, as luck or fate or God would have it, I was driving with colleagues to the National Assembly for ILEP, and two of us were wearing clerical shirts. The officer saw the collars when he first pulled us over and still mentioned the bribe despite our very pastoral attire! He returned from his car with my documents, mentioned this "helping" idea again, to no avail. They helped us get turned onto the right direction, approached my vehicle once again, but this third time, he made no mention of it. I am still not sure what unfolded in the conversation in their car, but in my car we decided that this was not a shade of grey!

Other shades of grey reveal themselves...

In a return trip to Huacho in August (to complete discussions on liturgy and teaching of music with the youth), we witnessed a protest to raise awareness of government corruption of land rights. This march came right on the heels of the Peruvian government's decision to sell land and mineral rights to a variety of Multinational Companies. Since August, though, and because of protests such as this throughout Peru (some of which were quite violent and even resulted in several deaths!), the government decided to revoke its decision.


The sign says, "The land is for those who work it."


But what for us (in Canada) is considered a peaceful demonstration almost always necessitates a police presence here.




Things carried on as normal after the procession, which was quite peaceful, and we continued onto the church for the afternoon of music lessons with the youth...


Pictured here are Erik, Hockey, Katarine, and Shirley learning how to play the keyboard.


With Erik...




At the end of our week together, we celebrated our time together with a worship service...


In August, I left the grey skies of Lima for a week in Cusco to conclude the initial work with the congregation of Talitha Kum.


With the children, we reviewed the songs they'd learned in my first visit, and we added a couple of more, ones with actions are favorites!!



Also, we continued to work on the keyboard, with fingering and learning some basic songs, along with the zampoña.



I worked with three older students: Luis, Henry and Jhanette apart from the other children, to help advance their keyboard skills. They learned the fingering for their first scale, Do (or C Major) and made excellent progress in their beginning book. Some theory was a part of our time together, also. It was such a joy because they were like sponges, absorbing everything I gave them to learn!


In the last visit, a small women's choir (of 8 voices) was formed, and so this time, we revisited some vocal techniques as well as worked on some new music in addition to parts of the liturgy. Here are some of the women who participated:


Now, well into spring here, I've been working in the congregation of Cristo Salvador, located in San Juan de Miraflores. They have a women's choir of 11 or 12 voices depending on the week! We are working on vocal production/techniques as well as how to play the keyboard. As well, there is a group of youth and children with whom I am teaching singing, keyboard, guitar and zampoña. There are up to 14 who participate each week, a delightful and energetic group!!!

The other portion of my ministry here continues to go well. The congregation at San Juan Camino de Esperanza is made up of mostly children and youth. Average worship attendance is 7 adults, 7 youth, and 8 children. That's the average. Many, however, are not members, they are associates. Hopefully that will change poco a poco (little by little) as with most things. I have started an "every family visit", for members as well as our "sympatizantes." As with most congregations, people appreciate having the pastor in their homes, showing care and support. And it's been helpful for me to get to know everyone better and offer prayer and a listening ear. In addition to the visitation, we have a weekly Confirmation Class, Bible Study, and Saturday School for the neighbourhood children. We've incorporated guitar and piano lessons within the usual time to help children with their homework. So there are about ten youth and children taking music lessons now. In addition, there are monthly council meetings, maintaining companion congregational relationships, welcoming guests from Canada and the USA, and planning meetings to do with our ongoing building project. The work in music and liturgy, a pastoral presence at San Juan, and attending various meetings with ILEP Council, the conference of pastors, and helping with specific projects are all part of the ongoing ministry presence that the ELCIC has here in Peru. And now, some ten months later, it continues to be a pleasure to represent my church even in the midst of the various shades of grey that have presented themselves!!!


"Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen." Ephesians 3: 20-21

With blessings and peace,
Pastora Fran.