Mission Monday: Peru

Base of the Andes

From the rugged desert coastline to its majestic Andean mountains, God is at work among the people in Peru. Joining Hands is our link to the Peruvian people, supporting and connecting us to ministries among God’s people in one of the most culturally rich and ecologically diverse nations in the world — the land of the former Incan Empire.  

Jed Koball began his service as a mission co-worker in January 2009, when he was appointed companionship facilitator for the Joining Hands (JH) network in Peru.  (Joining Hands is an initiative of the Presbyterian Hunger Program that fights the root causes of hunger in developing countries.)  The Peruvian JH network is combating poverty through courage, perseverance and coordination in the face of corporate greed, political corruption, climate change, and the remnants of a violent past by partnering with NGOs (Non-governmental organizations), such as human rights groups, church-related NGOs, and churches.  Jed met his wife, Jenny, shortly after arriving; Jenny is from the high jungle town of Moyobamba, Peru.  Jed and Jenny were married on October 9, 2010,  in Moyobamba.  Today, Jed and Jenny coordinate the Young Adult Volunteer (YAV) program in Lima, Peru. 

Jed Koball

The grave environmental concerns in La Oroya, a town of 35,000, in the central Andes of Peru, is often considered one of the 10 most contaminated cities in the world; 99 percent of the children have chronic and severe lead poisoning. The source of the contamination is a lead smelter owned by a New York billionaire. For 15 years the lead smelter has failed to comply with Peruvian environmental laws.  Joining Hands and its partners are seeking a transparent and just TPP (Trans-Pacific Partnership) that respects the environment and citizens.  Efforts are in the works to bioremediate the soil and water from the heavy metal contamination so the land may be productive once again.  

Please join us this Wednesday night , April 2^nd, at 7:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall at St. Mark Presbyterian to hear Jed’s presentation to our congregation. 

C. Hutchens, Mission Committee