Donaghcloney Parish welcomes Peruvian visitors
On Friday 6 January, The Feast of the Epiphany, special visitors arrived in Donaghcloney Parish to spend a week with the Rector.
The Revd Anderson Sanchez, his wife Isabel, and children Ivana and Jacob arrived from Lima, Peru, where Anderson is Rector of 3 different congregations and Isabel is Principal of a Santisma Trinidad Primary School and Cristo Redentor Nursery School. Both Ivana and Jacob are in full time education.
The Rector, Revd Mark Lennox, has known the family since his first visit to Peru in 2015, and his visited and worked with them on three further occasions.
Anderson preached at all the services on Sunday 8 January. He said to the congregation, “I believe God has placed a message on my heart for you as a Church, that message is – the best is yet to come”, while quoting from Jeremiah 33:3.
During their visit, the Sanchez Family spoke at many of the Parish Groups including the Mothers’ Union, Craft Class, Girl’s Brigade and Boy’s Brigade. They led the weekly assembly in both Donaghcloney Primary School and Waringstown Primary School and shared their ministry at different house gatherings. On Monday afternoon they had the opportunity to meet with Bishop David in Church House to chat about ministry and to pray together.
Local elected representatives also met the special visitors. Local MLA Diane Dodds facilitated a tour of Stormont, and on their final morning the Lord Mayor of Armagh, Craigavon and Banbridge, presented them with gifts at a reception in the Palace in Armagh.
The family spoke at other congregations and mission organisations during their time in Northern Ireland, including Fivemiletown Parish, Castledawson Presbyterian Church and at a gathering of OMS (One Mission Society) missionaries. Anderson, Isabel, Ivana and Jacob also spent four days in Strabane Parish, before beginning the long journey home.
Speaking about the visit, Revd Mark Lennox said: “It has been an immense blessing and privilege to have Anderson and his family stay with me in the Rectory and for us to minister together again. I thank our Lord for this wonderful opportunity, and I am grateful to those whose generosity has made the visit possible. I sincerely hope that the link I have with Anderson will continue to deepen and that the Parish will be involved in future ministry opportunities in Lima”.