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.