Missions to Peru

The church is developing plans for another work trip to Peru, and the focus of that trip will be to expand and improve the agricultural irrigation system at the campus, and also to take books and other materials for the school library.  A date has not been set, but the fall of 2010 is the earliest this trip would happen. 

In 2007 our church established a relationship with a mission in Peru. We have made three trips thus far.

Hands on Missions Connection

http://www.icmweb.org/

Our congregation, in a rural area of the mountains of Colorado, has established an ongoing partnership with a mission in a similar area in Peru.  We are at about 7,200 feet elevation in the Rockies, and Casa del Aguila is at about 8,500 feet in the Andes.  The mission is about two hours outside of Cusco, Peru.  The facilities for Casa del Aguila and the Rio Blanco School are a few miles away from the small town of Limatambo, Peru.

This mission was started by Ralph Fair Jr. in 1996 with the original goal of starting a community farm co-op and Christian outreach for the poor in this rural area.  However, homeless children are a significant problem in Peru, and Ralph realized the need to provide care for those children. Today, about 60 orphans have been legally placed there and have the opportunity to live in a nurturing Christian family environment. The Rio Blanco School currently has an enrollment of over 200 students, because in addition to the resident children, it also provides education to many children who walk for miles each day to get there. The mission also has medical and dental clinics to provide services to the residents and the surrounding community.  And of course, agricultural production continues to be a big part of the focus of the mission. 

Our congregation first got connected with this mission in 2007 through a couple in our church who knew Ralph and had visited Casa del Aguila.  They organized a group trip from our church in January 2007 to spend a week working at the mission.  Our involvement included physical labor, craft activities with the children, participating in worship services, and spending time with staff and students. 

A second group from Redstone went back to work at the mission for a week in January of 2008.  In addition to participating in the same activities listed above, one member of this group used her training and equipment to conduct vision tests for the staff and children.  Back at home, she made glasses for all who needed them and shipped them back to the mission.  This group also arrived in Peru with approximately 500 lbs of clothing and shoes and set up a store.

A third and smaller group went in October of 2008 for a specific project.  They took and installed equipment to filter and chlorinate the water for the mission.  This time school was in session, so they also had some opportunities to visit and volunteer in classrooms.