Hi,

I'm Berta, 96 years young this February 14th!

Founder of Church-Woman Antiques, and I refuse to retire!

First we want to thank and bless you for your support of our mission. I guess you want to know how all this got started?

My son Joseph Perez retired from a Fortune 500 company. He was stationed in various Latin American countries for many years. He loved the rich religious art and heritage, but hated the poverty, especially amongst children and old people. I do as well!

After he retired, (and at my suggestion), he decided to knock on several convent doors one day with an introduction from an Ambassador friend who I knew.

In Arequipa, a nun introduced him to an orphanage. He met her inside the church gift shop. Finally, we were referred to the Carmelite Convent in Ayacucho by the sisters from the same order from Cusco. They told us these sisters needed our help.

The idea was and is today, to list on EBay beautiful vintage, antique or unique religious items that the nuns in South America send us pictures and information about via the internet. They ship the items directly to the winners, and we release funds to them when the items arrive at the winner’s homes or offices. We provide the listing service, and hold the funds in escrow until the winners tell us they are happy.

So as a result, the kind people that win these auctions help kids, old people and the religious who help them EVERY month. How can we to do this each month? Mostly with Gods help!

Joe has three boys, all grown up and his wife of 35 years who thinks he should go back to work in insurance as a consultant; but then she is very practical, and my son, like me, is not. We do this because it makes us feel good and keeps us busy. Joe answers and reads me all the E Mails, as I do not know computers, have poor eye sight and I am a little hard of hearing.

Please join me in my favorite prayer below.

God Bless,

Berta

Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace;

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;

Where there is injury, pardon;

Where there is doubt, faith;

Where there is despair, hope;

Where there is darkness, light;

And where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master,

Grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;

To be understood, as to understand;

To be loved, as to love;

For it is in giving that we receive,

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

And it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.

Amen.