Cookery
Update from Maranatha
Penne with SunDried Tomato Pesto
Peru Welcomes First Volunteers in 15 Months Elmer Barbosa was nervous.. In just a matter of days, 11 volunteers were scheduled to arrive in Lima, Peru, where he is Maranatha Volunteers International’s country director. He was anxious because this would be the first time he and his team would welcome volunteers to Peru after a 15 month absence. “It was supposed to be crazy in 2020. We were ready to receive about 400 volunteers during the months of March and April alone,” says Barbosa, the memories of preparation still fresh in his mind. “But then it was interrupted.” The interruption, caused by COVID, lasted for well over a year. On June 17, when Barbosa caught sight of the very first Maranatha volunteer arriving at the airport, he couldn’t stop smiling. “It was awesome to finally see them coming back.” The small team, composed of brand new and veteran volunteers, began immediately. They worked quickly, finishing the back wall of a large school that doubles as a church and community Center in Ica, a town in southern Peru. Unexpectedly, the team even finished work on a second wall! When completed, the school will be called La Tinguiña. Then, before he knew it, the project was over. Volunteers were packing up to head home or over to the excursion at Machu Picchu. On the last day, after receiving negative COVID tests for all the volunteers, dropping everyone off at the airport, and waving their goodbyes, the team in Peru exhaled. “Having [the volunteers] back was special and at the same time it was a great responsibility,” says Barbosa. The team’s texts to each other said it all. ‘Yes we did it!’ God kept everyone safe. It was nice to finally be back.” From 2004-2006, more than 3,000 Maranatha volunteers landed in Peru, constructing nearly 100 churches and schools. In 2019, Maranatha returned to Peru. Profits from Crossroads Senior Living supports this premiere non-profit and the short term mission opportunities it provides people of all ages. Learn more about Maranatha at
maranatha.org.
Northglenn | A U G U S T 2 0 2 1
Here is a dish that is perfect for a sunny summer day. Add this Mediterranean special to your summer fun. INGREDIENTS 12 ounces penne pasta 1 (8.5-ounce) jar sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil 2 garlic cloves Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 cup (packed) fresh basil leaves ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan
DIRECTIONS 1. Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. 2. Meanwhile, blend the sun-dried tomatoes and their oil, garlic, salt and pepper to taste, and basil in a food processor and blend until the tomatoes are finely chopped. Transfer the tomato mixture to a large bowl. Stir in the Parmesan. 3. Add the pasta to the pesto and toss to coat, adding enough reserved cooking liquid to moisten. Season the pasta to taste, with salt and pepper, and serve.
Recipe courtesy of G i a d a D e L a u r e n t i i s .
