July Newsletter

On left: Several pieces of Peruvian arpillera

Center: Lydia, Julia and Shaw's mother

Preparing for the future


This month, we have been making the rounds in the US, visiting friends and family, and preparing Lydia for college (and beyond). So far, we have been to Connecticut, and various places around New York State, catching up and looking ahead. In the meantime, several hundred of our books have begun to form the nucleus of a library in Ica, Peru, where Bishop Mike Chapman is working.

It has been a busy time for us in the US. To begin with, Lydia has made great progress towards her driver's license in the past few weeks (including lots of hours of night time driving), but we are wondering if the DMV will be able to schedule a test in time before she heads off to school in Massachusetts in mid-August. If not, we just plug along, trusting that it will all work out in the Lord's timing. However it turns out, it will be the right time, from God's perspective.

On Sunday, we begin a week-long program at Missionary Training International in Colorado, followed immediately after the program by a wedding of one of our nieces (Julie's sister's daughter), also to take place in Colorado in an Orthodox Church.

In September, we have another missionary program to attend, also out West. Then, in October, there is a meeting at SAMS (our mission agency) in the Pittsburgh area.

Meanwhile, we are absorbing the various changes that have taken place in the US over the past few years, both in the Diocese of Albany as well as in society in general. Among the most notable are the day to day technological changes in our neck of the woods that have taken place just in the past month or so.

And I am keeping up on my Spanish and events in South America, including the news from the South American Cup futbol (soccer) competition taking place in Argentina, and about the peaceful governmental transition about to take place in Peru. We continue to be in touch with missionary friends who are currently spread across several countries, including this one.

God bless you, and thank you for your continuing support! I pray for you, every day.

Shaw+, and on behalf of Julie+ and Lydia