Paperwork

Paperwork never ends for our family, or at least it seems that way.  We are in process of registering Doriana as a Peruvian citizen and also registering our civil marriage that occurred in the US.  After two months of trying to get the right documents in order (the list and requirements for things on the list kept changing) and also waiting for the registrar to return from a 2 week vacation, Albino finally handed everything in.  Hopefully all checks out and by Thursday we will do the final signing. Then, we'll go to get Doriana's Peruvian passport, which she must have to leave the country.  We'll finish all that, and then start on Baby's US and Peruvian paperwork, after which will be my residence visa.

February Update:
After more days in the office to sign for the birth certificates, we had them in hand.  We brought those in to apply for both kids' Peruvian national IDs, waiting over an hour to pay the fee in the bank, and then waiting in line to actually hand in the paperwork.  Doriana did enjoy getting her fingerprints and thought it was funny to give Toby's footprint.  This week we'll hand in their applications for Peruvian passports; we should receive these in a couple weeks at most.  We had to wait for Albino's updated ID that shows he is married. The kids need these passports to leave the country.  Then, three of the four will be able to travel to the US.  Toby still needs me to get his paperwork ready in order to apply for his US birth certificate and passport; we should receive everything in six weeks if there are no questions.

Our House

The rental house that we found actually found us.  After looking at numerous houses and apartments in all parts of town, we hadn’t found THE place where we felt comfortable.  Apartments were on the 3rd or 4th floors without elevators--imagine that with two little ones and groceries; houses were too expensive or not in the ideal location.  We had wanted to look at this house several times but were told that it was already rented.  One Sunday evening the owner called US to say that it was available.  We made an appt. for early next morning and by that afternoon we called to confirm our desire to rent.  The house is close to the main road, buses are right out the door, it’s in a safe area, near friends, and a comfortable price.  An added benefit is a covered patio for Doriana to play in and also heats the house well when the sun is shining.

Doriana

After some initial timidness and not letting go of our hands or being carried, our daughter is having fun!  She loves all the kids that she is meeting.  She shared her pencils and paper with kids at the mattress store.  She talks about her cousins all the time.  They explore outside, ride 'bikes', play in the dirt, load rocks into dump trucks, have tea parties with leaves and whatever else they find in the woods.  One night we told her that she would visit her friend Emily the next day; she cried and cried and ran out the door to go visit her that moment.  Thanksgiving Day she refused to eat dinner with the adults; she insisted on sitting outside at the kids table.

Cultural Differences

It's definitely been a shock for us after two years being away, maybe even more for Albino.  He's seeing Cusco through new eyes.  For Sandy, it's more of a reminder of what she went through 5 years ago (add on a two year old, but similar). Here's some snippets.  I guess right now some of our view is a bit negative, to be honest.  At least we know there is an upswing on the way according to the typical cultural transition patterns.

-Personal space (the bubble) is definitely less here.  Public transportation is always full, hip to hip on the bus.  Or, standing in line at the hospital clinic, one lady wanted to make sure no on got through between us. She leaned into me hard enough that I (Sandy) had to brace myself.  People also greet each other with a kiss on the cheek. This closeness is a bit much for Doriana, especially when it comes from adults.
-Lines don't exist-not at least in an orderly way.  You must push your way to the front, whoever gets to the desk first gets served first.
-Life just takes longer here--meals are from scratch, people just don't show up at the scheduled time, no such thing as one stop shopping
-The whole city is under construction.  Major roads are being paved. Houses and apartment buildings are going up everywhere.
-Littering is common.
-Dogs are everywhere.  Doriana loves to talk about the dogs who run and bark. She also tells them to be quiet (Shh! Shh!), even from inside the house when she's trying to go to sleep.

We are going back to Peru!

Dear friends and family

 The time is here.  We are going back to Peru!  The RCA gave us permission to return even though we are only 50+% funded; thank goodness because Albino received his US citizenship, and we have to go to comply with the immigration law (See previous posts for more explanation).

 

Tuesday, October 8, is D-Day for us.  Planning and packing are in progress; piles are everywhere around our place.  Goodbyes are happening.  And, we are looking forward to the “hellos” as well.  In Peru we will visit with friends in Lima for a few days before heading home to Cusco.  In Cusco we will stay at a friends’ home until we find our own rental apartment or house.  A last minute added blessing is my mom’s offer to helps us make the transition to Peru; she will be coming with us to help watch Doriana and give an extra look at potential places to live.  We are very grateful for her generosity.

Bittersweet is the best way to describe how we are feeling now.  We covet your prayers as we head back into ministry full time, continue to raise funds from a distance, make the transition to a “new” country, take our toddler daughter with us, and everything else you can imagine.  Thank you for your continued support.

We’ll do our best to continue to keep you updated on the Rodriguez family’s transition.

Blessings,

Albino, Sandy, Doriana, and Baby Rodriguez

Albino’s Citizenship and Our Travel Plans

Albino has his citizenship interview on August 6 at 8:30am in Detroit, MI.  Please be in prayer at that time, for clarity of mind and speech for him and favor with the US immigration official.

Ideally, we would have 100% of our pledges in so that we can return to Peru as soon as the US immigration sends us back (Albino gets his citizenship!).  That said, if you are thinking about pledge, please don’t delay sending that in. ;)  Here’s an e-mail that Sandy wrote to some friends to explain our travel situation and whether we can visit them in September.  See if you can follow. 

Albino has his citizenship interview on August 6.  If accepted, which we don't foresee why he won't be, we have to go to his swearing in ceremony.  Who knows when that is?? (We hope we can do some investigation and figure out possibilities.)  We have a trip scheduled to Calgary, Alberta, Canada for the middle of September.  We are praying that Albino can go; he needs to have a US passport to travel after the ceremony.  So, we'll probably have to get that expedited no matter what, with a trip to the Chicago passport office.  To make it even more exciting, we have to return to Peru within 45 days of that swearing in ceremony.  The question for us remains, how long will we be in Peru?  We are currently awaiting a "verdict” from the RCA office as to whether we have to come back and finish our fundraising after a quick visit.  Or, can we stay until June 2014 and come back for Tim's wedding (Sandy’s brother for those who don’t know) AND fundraising, staying until we reach that 100% mark?

No matter the situation, God’s hand is in this all.  If we get Albino’s citizenship now, we won’t have complications with Albino’s international travel plans in the future.  Having 100% of our funds pledged/raised, means we can focus on our ministry in Cusco; of course, we’ll still be communicating and keeping in touch with you all—it just won’t be the same travelling and networking needed.  It will all happen in the best timing.

51% Funds Raised

51% !!! Over half way.  Can we reach 100% before October??  Please pray along with us for God’s provision.
We’re making progress for sure.  Our new goal is to have all our support pledged by the end of September when Albino (hopefully) receives his US citizenship.  Please pray about being an important part of our team by supporting us financially.  Remember, you can give on a monthly, quarterly, or annual basis.  We just need to know if those monies will be coming in J

Did you know?

*Potatoes may have originated in Peru but China is the largest producer of potatoes in the world (in 2007)

*A potato can be poisonous.  The green parts have toxins so it’s always good to cut that part away and thoroughly cook your potatoes.  That said, it’s very unlikely to have potato poisoning.

*Potatoes are the 4^th most important food crop in the world, after maize, wheat and rice. 

(above facts are taken from http://www.potato2008.org/en/kids/)

*In Cusco ears of corn are sold steaming hot a roadside stands.  A slice of cheese makes it a delicious snack.

*A corn stalk is sweet.  It’s a bit like eating sugar cane.

*Potatoes originated in Peru.

*There are over 3000 varieties with names such as “the potato that makes the daughter-in-law cry”.

*One patriotic potato has a white and a reddish purple coloring; it’s called .

*In the Andes Mtns. the potato is a staple crop for many subsistence farmers.

(Each body part, not including the feet, represents 10% of the total support we must raise.  Help us put together Mr. Potato Head.)

Girl Rising Movie

Girl Rising We highly recommend this movie, a documentary that follows the lives of 9 girls around the world.  The message:  educated females change the world around them.  Senna, a featured student, is from the highlands of the Andes Mtns. in Peru.  Powerful stories are told; if you are like Sandy, have a box of tissues by your side while watching.

It recently aired on CNN but more commonly you can find it at private showings around the U.S.  Check out www.girlrising.com

These stories resonated with us.  At La Casa del Maestro we want to be a part of the movement that makes it possible for girls to receive an education, be safer from the dangers in Cusco, and change their world.

Naturalization Update

After some confusion regarding the biometrics (fingerprinting) appointment, we finally made a trip into Grand Rapids and knocked that off the list of things to do.  A couple weeks later, we received notice for Albino’s initial interview for naturalization.  August 1, was the date, but two days later USCIS cancelled it due to “unforeseen circumstances.”  At the moment we are again in the waiting game, but at least we know that he is in the system and there are no real complications or road blocks.  Albino faithfully studies his 100 civics and history questions, and now can put most Americans to shame with his knowledge of the US.  If all continues down the same path and we have a date close to the initial one, we will head back to Peru in September/October.

Reformed Church in America General Synod

The RCA Global Mission invited us to the annual denominational meeting in order to commission us as missionaries and give us opportunities to network amongst the delegates, pastors, and staff of the church.  The whole experience was profitable and positive. Doriana was definitely our secret weapon for getting people to approach our booth and talk with us.  Now we just have to follow up with everyone, pray that God moves in their hearts, and pray that they respond.  Please join us in prayer that God will raise up the needed support so that we can return to Peru sooner, rather than later.

Our Ministry in Peru

33% Funds Raised

You have put “ears and nose” on our Mr. Potato Head.  We have 1/3 of our support pledged through the RCA! https://www.rca.org/rodriguez  Praise God!  Thank you to all of you who are a part of this important aspect of our ministry.

How can we meet our budget?  At this point we need 200 people more to pledge approximately 80c a day, that’s $25 a month.  

Did you know?

*Potatoes may have originated in Peru but China is the largest producer of potatoes in the world (in 2007)

*A potato can be poisonous.  The green parts have toxins so it’s always good to cut that part away and thoroughly cook your potatoes.  That said, it’s very unlikely to have potato poisoning.

*Potatoes are the 4^th most important food crop in the world, after maize, wheat and rice. 

(above facts are taken from http://www.potato2008.org/en/kids/)

*In Cusco ears of corn are sold steaming hot a roadside stands.  A slice of cheese makes it a delicious snack.

*A corn stalk is sweet.  It’s a bit like eating sugar cane.

*Potatoes originated in Peru.

*There are over 3000 varieties with names such as “the potato that makes the daughter-in-law cry”.

*One patriotic potato has a white and a reddish purple coloring; it’s called .

*In the Andes Mtns. the potato is a staple crop for many subsistence farmers.

(Each body part, not including the feet, represents 10% of the total support we must raise.  Help us put together Mr. Potato Head.)

Fundraising Pledges

Here is some information to clarify where we are at regarding fundraising.  We are still waiting to see the results of this most recent trip.  Your financial pledge will help us reach our goal of going back to Peru by the end of 2013.

When missionaries such as ourselves, are fundraising to return to the field, the RCA has no way to determine if the gifts will continue without some kind of commitment from the donors.  Thus, they require 100% of our determined budget committed, or pledged, before we leave for Peru.  Our first term has a three year budget.

One time gifts do count in our fund for start up costs, such as airfare and home appliances.  It also helps determine when we can start to receive a stipend.  A stipend will allow Albino to stop working and focus on fundraising; we will not have to worry about travel and time-off work.  Those gifts also currently provide us with health insurance.  When we are out in the field, the RCA factors in the one-time gifts to determine our level of funding. 

If you have already given a one-time gift, and believe you could pledge that amount or another, please contact the RCA Global Mission at 1-800-968-3943 or 616-541-0882.  Also, if you have set-up a recurring gift online, please contact the RCA office to let them know them if it is in fact a pledged amount. Donations can be done online at https://rca.org/rodriguez

If you need more clarification, please give us a call or the RCA Global Mission office at 800-968-3943 or 616-541-0882.  We apologize for any confusion, miscommunication, or for extra work required on your part.  We appreciate your support in all the forms it comes.

When are you going back to Peru?

This is the question we are asked on at least a weekly basis.  It’s a good and valid question.  The answer is… we don’t know.  We don’t have a date.  Our goal is by the end of 2013.  Several things have to happen before we can go.

1. We must have 100% of our financial support pledged by churches and individual donors.   Check out our Mr. Potato Head to see how far along we are in the process. If you would like to know how to participate in our ministry in this way, please see   .  There is also an explication of what we mean by “pledges” vs. donations.

2.  Albino must receive his U.S. citizenship.  All of the paperwork has been filed.  Now it is up to the U.S. government to determine the timing.  He must have his biometric appointment, which we needed to reschedule due to our travels in April, before he receives his interview and civics exam date.  After that, we have to wait for the swearing-in ceremony.  According to the USCIS website, it is about a five month process.

We are praying that these two things occur simultaneously.  We don’t want to wait around for one or the other.  In the end, we can only say that we are doing our part, the rest is in God’s hands and His timing.  

What We’re Reading

3. The very spiritual, Toilet Training In Less Than A Day, is the book of choice this week. J  My goal is to go through the training process by the end of the month—day to be determined.   I know, I know, many people go longer than 18 months and have multiple kids in diapers.  I could continue, but why wait when she´s ready?  I´m not expecting 100% trained by the end of Wednesday, but it won´t be much worse than our cloth diapers that need to be change every couple hours or they leak, or they just plain leak occasionally.  Wish us luck on this new adventure.

2. I, Sandy, just finished The Hole in Our Gospel by Richard Stearns. It was a good reminder that the money and opportunities that we have our entrusted to us, ours to use to God’s glory and in service of His people.  Are we, Christ’s church as a whole and individuals, revolutionizing our world?  Does my heart break for the suffering people around the world?  Do I even ask God for a heart like His, and really mean it?

1. This combined with Dave Ramsey’s Total Money Makeover is causing us to take a look at our finances and how we save, give, and invest our money.  I was taught well as a child how to manage my money, and Albino is naturally frugal.   A job change, raising a child and other life circumstances are all good reasons for us to do an even better job.  This very practical book is great for me.  I always want the HOW of something, and this has the steps, right down to percentages.  I’d learned the principles but now have a better idea of how to go about them..

Tour of TX, AZ, and CO

A whirlwind trip.  Three states in less than three weeks—Texas, Arizona, and Colorado.  I, Sandy, will not deny that we came back exhausted and needed several days to recover.  But, the entire trip was positive and profitable.  I thoroughly enjoyed seeing long-time friends and catching up in Texas.  To the long-time friends, we’ve added some new ones.  Arizona was good for that.  In Tucson we met at a home and shared at a school.  Some great partnerships and networking came out of those.  In Phoenix we met an amazing bilingual RCA congregation and enjoyed a Spanish worship service for the first time in a couple years.  Of course, Colorado Springs was a return home for me.  Just good to be around familiar faces.  We also have good support from my old church congregation and friends.

We took advantage of the many opportunities to share our dream and vision for La Casa del Maestro (www.casadelmaestro.org).  The more we talked the more passionate we became; God confirmed once again that Cusco is where He wants us. (Now we just need to get there.)  People understood the needs and resonated with the plans for a ministry specifically for the indigenous youth coming to Cusco.  Not only was the vision confirmed, but it was strengthened and deepened as people added their own experiences and ideas.  We look forward to continuing to work with the North American church, even when we´re in Peru.

African Safari at the Dallas Zoo with a college friend and her little ones.

Ride 'em Cowboy! at the Ft. Worth Stockyards

Amazing Views at the Grand Canyon

Doriana was an attraction and made friends wherever she went.

Sharing about our ministry to a sixth grade class.

This young man is headed to Peru for a mission trip; he interviewed Albino for over an hour and even  took notes.  Impressive! and so much fun.

Tour of Three States in April

We start a tour of three states on April 4. We fly to the Dallas/Ft. Worth area to visit with some dear friends of mine (Sandy) from Hillsdale College and TCA. From there we head to Tucson to meet with some homegroups and speak at a Spanish/English RCA church in Phoenix. Our last stop is Colorado Springs, which was my home for five years before moving to Peru.

Of course the main purpose is partnership development. It’s a necessary part of our life now. As I’ve mentioned before, we get excited the more we share; it’s fun to share our vision and see others catch that dream. We couldn’t do our work at La Casa del Maestro without the prayer and financial support that so many give. It’s one of the many ways that God brings together Christ’s body. We truly believe that and rejoice in that. It’s also humbling and character building. God works in the midst of something that is definitely difficult for us. The fundraising is a necessary component, but I am so excited to just see so many friends included in this trip. Who can beat seeing Texas with friends, reminiscing with friends from Peru (in AZ), and going “home” to Colorado. And, along the way we get to make new friends while meeting pastors and missions team members at the different churches. I like the new terminology for fundraising, partnership development. It’s true that ministry is done in partnership, how much better when those partners are first and foremost, friends

Albino’s US Citizenship

We have submitted Albino’s application for naturalization to become a US citizen.  We just received notice that it has been “received by our office and is in process.”  The next step is for him to get his fingerprints taken.  Then, we’ll await an interview date which includes the civics and English proficiency test.  They say the process can take 6-9 months.  Please pray for favor with the immigration officers who will review Albino’s case.  So far we have avoided costly lawyer fees, and all has gone smoothly from applying to a fiancé visa to his green card.  We pray that it will continue.

Once Albino naturalizes he has 45 days to leave the country and go to Peru.  (Confusing?  We know. It has to do with my status as a missionary and the reason we can apply early.)  Ideally we will have 100% of our support pledged, and we will all move to Peru together.  If not, we will visit Peru to comply with the law and come back to finish fundraising.  

Apu Yaya Jesucristo

While reading Turn Right at Machu Picchu I, of course, learned much more about the history of Peru and the Incan rulers. I read names and places that were familiar which brought back fun memories. Most interesting, however, it sparked a language and cultural conversation that also taught Albino more about his language (Quechua). The author mentioned a song commonly sung in churches around the Cusco area, Apu Yaya Jesucristo. I, like the author, understood apu to refer to the mountain gods (a simplified definition for this blog entry), and, thus, the translation of the song title makes Jesus an apu. “This doesn’t sound right,” I thought. But, I chalked it up to the synchronistic tendencies seen in the churches. Albino recognized the song and didn’t seem to take issue with the lyrics. Confused, I asked him to explain how Christians could sing songs that apparently made Jesus just one of many gods. Upon closer examination of the word, apu, it means, the highest—a title, not a thing. Jesus holds the title of being “the highest” He is the highest, the best. He is Lord of creation, Lord of the mountains, Lord of our lives.

Christian Quechuas struggle with their traditional worldview and the new biblical worldview. For Quechuas, spirits cause illness, etc. Rather than saying that those spirits don’t exist (which is our tendency to believe in North America) we all must recognize that Jesus is greater than those spirits. He truly is the apu. My disclaimer: I write now that Jesus is the apu in order to share my cultural and language insight, but I will probably be cautious to use the terminology in the future. Too many common misunderstandings of traditional Quechua culture and language can get in the way. I’m not an expert and even native Quechua speakers have difficulty explaining.

Speaking

In the last month we have had two formal speaking engagements to share about our ministry.  The first one was at College Baptist Church in Hillsdale, MI; Sandy called this church, home for her college years.  It was incredibly fun to see old friends and meet some new ones.  The second was during a Sunday School class at our home church here in Holland. The more we talk about our plans, the more excited we are. The passion we have seems to spill out, and we see others interest rise, and they, too, begin to dream about how they may get involved.  As many people that have expressed interest in visiting us, we’ll have a stream of visitors in no time at all.  Will you be one?  J
It’s been a few dream-filled years.  Now it feels like we are really moving forward.  The few meetings that we had with youth in Cusco, before we came to the US, have continued thanks to our faithful Board of Directors.  Our financial support is slowly but surely coming in.  Dreams are being put on paper and spoken aloud for others to hear.  We’re forming partnerships and talking about others.  We’re even more anxious to get back.

Machupicchu - the 7th Wonder of the World!

Come visit La Casa del Maestro and take a side trip to the

7^th Wonder of the World! In the Cusco area there are a myriad of different tourist sites to visit.

Machu Picchu in the foreground. Huaynu Picchu in the background 

Besides visits to Cusco City with Incan and colonial architecture, a typical trip for volunteers includes a two day visit to the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu. The first day is a hike at the Pisac ruins in the Sacred Valley followed by a ride on the Hiram Bingham train that winds through the Andes Mountains. Then the night is spent on the banks of the Urubamba River before heading up the jungle mountain pass the following morning for a tour of the Machu Picchu ruins.