Sara Armstrong and Rusty Edmondson
Email: Sara Armstrong and Rusty Edmondson

Sara Armstrong and Rusty Edmondson were appointed in January, 2009 to serve in Peru as Delegations and Partnership Coordinators. They host PC(USA) delegations visiting Peru and work with partner churches. Rusty and Sara serve at the invitation of the Evangelical Presbyterian and Reformed Church of Peru (IEPRP), which traces its beginnings to the arrival of John McKay from the Free Church of Scotland in 1916.

Rusty and Sara organize, coordinate, and translate for visiting delegations, helping to ensure that these visits reflect the mutual mission priorities of the partner churches. They set up in-country logistics, assist in planning the itinerary, and work with the trip leaders and the communities to be visited. They accompany and translate for the delegations.

Letters from
Sara Armstrong & Rusty Edmondson

• September 2009

Sara grew up in Ithaca, New York, where the Presbyterian youth group traveled on mission teams each summer. Rusty led his first mission team to Nicaragua after Hurricane Mitch in 1998. Since then, they have led numerous teams to Mexico and Central America. They enjoy building bridges between diverse people and cultures and witnessing the huge impact that cross-cultural trips make on people’s faith and life. They serve on the board of a nonprofit organization in Mexico. 

The joys and struggles of intercultural work have led to their call to live and serve Christ in Peru. Prior to this assignment, Sara was the associate pastor for mission and pastoral care at Central United Methodist Church in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She has also served bilingual Presbyterian congregations in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Alamosa, Colorado, and also Pioneer United Church in Del Norte, Colorado. From 1989 to 1997 she worked outside the parish as chaplain at Menaul School and then as executive director of The Storehouse, a faith-based charity that serves people in need in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Sara was ordained in Scioto Valley Presbytery where she served Covenant, Amanda, and Woodside Presbyterian Churches. Sara holds a bachelor’s degree in religion from Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts, and a Master of Divinity from McCormick Seminary in Chicago, Illinois. She is a minister member of Santa Fe Presbytery.

Rusty established Zapata Builders, LLC, a commercial construction company, and SimpleVentures, a marketing/investment firm, in Colorado and New Mexico. Prior to that Rusty worked in the Maintenance and Interpretive Divisions of the National Park Service for 22 years. He enjoyed interpreting natural and cultural resources to park visitors, historical structure restoration, wild land fire fighting, and the logistics of constructing and maintaining park infrastructure.

Rusty received an associate degree in agricultural engineering from New Mexico State University in Las Cruzes, New Mexico. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1970 to 1974. Rusty grew up in Des Moines, New Mexico, and is currently a member of Alamosa Presbyterian Church in Colorado.

Birthdays:
Sara – January 12
Rusty – November 8