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ISSUE 1 2015 The challenge of consumerism Inside: How people in mission are confronting corruption and climate change BOOK NOW ADELANTE 2015 (see back cover)

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Global mission with a Latin heart. News and features from the Church Mission Society's work in Latin America and Iberia.

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Page 1: Share: Issue 1: (April) 2015

ISSU

E 1

2015

The challenge of consumerismInside: How people in mission are confronting corruption and climate change

BOOK NOW

ADELANTE

2015

(see b

ack c

over)

Page 2: Share: Issue 1: (April) 2015

For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, ”In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.” But you were unwilling, and you said, ”No! We will flee upon horses”; therefore you shall flee away; and, ”We will ride upon swift steeds”; therefore your pursuers shall be swift….Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him. (Isaiah 15-18)

Or to put it another way:”To realise that the heart of mission is

communion with God in the midst of this world’s life will save us from the demented activism of these days.” (John V Taylor, The Go-between God)

Activism can be a temptation particularly for younger and active people; the danger is that we look for value and identity in doing things rather than in relishing the wonder of our identity in Jesus. As I get older this becomes clearer. How much have I done? How many sermons have I preached or

strategic plans have I finessed? And yet Jesus said, “Sit down and rest and enjoy being my child”.

Of course I do not want to take away from any of the amazing activities about which you can read in this edition of Share; God is clearly at work in so many ways. But our sad news about the sudden death of Judith Saunders reminds me that she was someone who lived in the rest of God and helped others to find that rest through her counselling and wisdom, but above all through her life and example. (Read Judith’s obituary on page 12)

There is an astonishing amount about rest in the Bible. So it must be important for our Christian lives and witness. Reading Hebrews 4 recently showed me the two sides of Sabbath: believing in Jesus means we have ceased from our own works, trusting in Christ’s finished work; secondly, we look for final and perfect rest in God’s presence while enjoying a foretaste here each day (Matthew 11:28-30).

As we pray for the work in South America and the wider work of CMS, let us enter God’s rest and pray for his gospel to bring

lasting reconciliation and peace.

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SHARE is produced by the Church Mission Society, Watlington Road, Oxford OX4 6BZ. Tel: 01865 787400. Registered Charity Number 1131655. If you have any questions regarding the content, please call us or email:[email protected] Cover photo: Children watching television in the Chaco.

Bishop Henry Scriven, mission director for Latin AmericaA reminder to rest

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The 17,000 Enxet people living in the Gran Chaco region of Paraguay are very close now to having the entire Bible in their own language - thanks to more than a decade of painstaking work by CMS mission partner Tim Curtis and CMS Timothy (local) mission partners Asuncion Rojas and Juan Martinez. Translation of the Old Testament began in 2003, following the completion of the New Testament in 1997. Tim writes:

“Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light for my path.” Psalm 119:105

It has been 12 years since we began work in March 2003 and it seems quite amazing how the years have flown by and that we are now, by God’s grace, so very near to finishing.

After Christmas and the New Year, we have swung back into gear in the translation office in Rio Verde.

Asuncion looks well and relaxed after a month’s break

and seems to have recovered almost entirely from shingles. His right hand continued to give him some trouble in early January, but the antibiotics he is taking seem to be effective and he is having no difficulty with the computer keyboard.

When will you finish? When will the Bible be launched? Where will it be launched? These are the questions that everyone is asking, not only in our UK supporting churches and prayer groups, but in the different Enxet-speaking communities around the Chaco – including Makxawaya, El Estribo and La Herencia.

I visited the Mennonite town of Filadelfia in January and was able to give an update on the translation at one of the churches located in one of the shanty towns there. I was quite astonished at the large size of the Southern Enxet diaspora now living more or less permanently in Mennonite towns such as Filadefia and Loma Plata.

I am in touch with Brian Renes, our United Bible Societies (UBS) consultant. We hope to have him with us soon for the final clean-up of the biblical text, but we still do not have a date.

We are hoping to keep translator Asuncion Rojas employed until the end of March and I am confident he will be available after that date for the clean-up of the text with one of the consultants. The final clean-up will mostly take place in the diocesan office of the Anglican Church of Paraguay in Asuncion.

We continue to pray that all the funds will come in for the typesetting, printing and publishing of the Enxet Bible. So far, we have raised about 20 per cent of the £30,000 - £ 35,000 needed for these costs. We are hoping to publish 2,000 copies. Negotiations will soon be underway with the Paraguayan Bible Society as to a decision on where the Bible will be printed.

Regarding the launch of the Enxet Bible, the actual translation centre in Rio Verde is a likely candidate owing to its convenient location near the Trans Chaco Highway, and its proximity to many of the Enxet-speaking communities. The launch could also take place in one of the Enxet-speaking communities, such as our translator Asuncion Rojas’s own village of Santa Fe.

I pray that the Enxet people soon may have the whole Bible in their language.

Enxet Bible: preparing to launchBy CMS mission partner Tim Curtis

?????????Tin Curtis

Translation team: Asuncion, Juan and Tito

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The issue of corruption is of enormous significance in Spain, with more than 1,700 open cases of political corruption being investigated and tried - including several high-profile cases involving senior politicians and even the royal family.

That’s the message from CMS mission partners Eluned and Mat Phipps, who are based in Villaverde Bajo, in Madrid. Mat explains: “The sums of money involved stretch to millions of euros and, due to the slowness of the criminal justice system, the general public increasingly perceive the culprits as acting with absolute impunity.”

The Phipps’ mission is discipleship and building bridges between Catholics and Protestants. Through the Pentecost Ecumenical Forum, Mat, along with other Christians, has been involved in planning and presenting a Christian response to the issue of corruption internationally, but with a particular focus on Spain. It is based on an international campaign called Exposed, a global coalition of churches, businesses and individuals who are shining a light on corruption.

On 8 November an ecumenical vigil against corruption was held at the Anglican church of St George in the centre of Madrid – where Eluned and Mat are members of the ministry team. The event was organised by forum members, together with Christian NGOs and people from different denominations.

Carlos Jesus Delgado, a Catholic and a

member of the Diocesan Commission for Justice and Peace, opened the event, which he described as ”a milestone for Spain”. After a round table discussion on the subject, involving representatives from different churches and organisations, there followed an hour of prayer and readings from scripture. The evening finished with the publication of a joint declaration, called A Christian Call to Honesty and Hope in the Face of Corruption.

The document (left) was signed by over 35 denominations, including Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant churches and organisations.

“It’s possibly the broadest support given to an ecumenical

declaration in Spain’s history,” says Mat. “We are very excited that the perceived

need for Christians to stand together in response to a seemingly insurmountable problem has generated such a positive response – uniting Christians of different denominations.

“We hope that as Christians we can offer wider Spanish society a witness of integrity and hope which overcomes the sense of powerlessness and cynicism that many people feel,” he added.

For more information, go to www.themeaningofgo.org or: themeaningofgo.blogspot.com

Christians unite against corruption in Spain

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Mat and Eluned Phipps with Alister and Zac

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Eluned and Mat Phipps are building bridges between Catholics and Protestants and are seconded to St George’s Church, Madrid. This interview with Mat first appeared in the St George’s magazine.

A BOLD STEP INTO THE UNKNOWN

Where do you live in Madrid?We live in Villaverde Bajo, in the south of the city. It’s an area with a large immigrant population but also popular with young Spanish families because of the affordable housing.

What do you do Monday to Friday?Tough question! I am a [mission partner] for CMS. I study theology at the Universidad Eclesiástica San Dámaso, together with the Roman Catholic seminarians from Madrid, Getafe and Alcala, to develop my own understanding of the Roman Church and to build ecumenical bridges with Madrid’s priests of tomorrow. I spend some time in the Cañada Real with the parish priest there and attend meetings to organise ecumenical projects and events. I also visit churches in the UK on behalf of CMS to talk about cross-cultural mission. So no two weeks are alike, and the work is never just Monday to Friday.

How long have you been in Spain? Why did you come? Why have you stayed?We will have been in Spain for six years in February 2015. We had considered a number of countries in which we could have worked, including Japan (where we had lived before), Thailand and Chile - but in the end we felt the opportunities in Spain best suited us and we saw this as God’s call to the work we now do. We have stayed because we still have plenty of work to do, but the food and the people help too!

Do you have a specific role in St George’s? We are seconded to St George’s as mission partners. Eluned and I belong to the ministry team and our main role is to help the church develop its mission as a community. We also support the work of the chaplain and are particularly involved in the church’s catechetical (teaching and supporting others in the faith) ministry. As someone with an ecumenical training and ministry, I am St George’s delegate for ecumenism to the Foro Ecuménico Pentecostés.

What is life’s biggest challenge for you?One of the challenges of having such interesting and varied responsibilities is that work doesn’t come neatly organised like it did when I was a lawyer. One week I am waiting for something to happen, the next I am inundated with meetings all at the same time. It’s like working for five different bosses each of which think I only work for them!

What is life’s greatest reward for you?One of life’s greatest rewards comes from taking a step into the unknown. When I watch Zac and Álister, I see how little children learn because they are constantly discovering and exploring new things. There are so many opportunities to keep learning when we try to be open to new experiences, people and places.

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ANDERSON SANCHEZ, Lima, Peru Anderson is pastor of Cristo Redentor Church and has a support role at two Anglican

schools - Cristo Redentor and Santisima Trinidad.

He tells the story of 17-year-old Alexis, who had been coming to church, but he got involved with a bad crowd, was picked up at a party, and ended up spending 40 days in a young offenders’ unit. Thankfully, he learned his lesson and

God allowed his early release. Since then Alexis has matured and has a job, thanks to help and support from the church. This opened the door for Anderson and a team to visit the young offenders’ unit weekly to see the teenagers and the staff. The Lord works in surprising ways!

Anderson shared about a serious incident at Holy Trinity School in August last year. The ceiling in a classroom where the four-year-olds normally sit unexpectedly fell in during the holidays. Tables, chairs and all the other equipment in the room were destroyed. Anderson writes: “We thank the Lord that there were no children or staff there at the time. Once again, God has shown his mercy and care for his children. We are repairing all the ceilings in the building, and with God’s help and that of all our staff, we will have most of the work completed very soon.”

MARIO AGREDA, Buenos Aires, ArgentinaMario is rector of Santa Trinidad church, which holds special events such as the Spring Festival, with an interesting mix of music, artistic and cultural activities. In 2014 around 200 people from the community came along to enjoy the festival. Mario says: “It’s an exciting way for people to see us in a new light and we pray that the message of the Lord Jesus will reach many who have never been inside our church before.”

Mario is also chaplain to St Alban’s School, where he teaches Christian values. The church also runs a social outreach programme to the Hogar el Alba children’s home nearby. A way of putting these values into practice is through a programme of exchange visits. So, a group of fifth year pupils from the school spent a day at Hogar el Alba, with games, snacks and lots of fun. Two weeks later children from the home visited the school and had more games and fun! There are

LATIN PARTNERS Another year of showing Jesus’ loveBy Mary Rollin, CMS Latin partner officer. The year 2014 was a fruitful one for Latin partners, older and newer. Here are some of their stories.

Anderson Sanchez

Mario and Paula Agreda

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LATIN PARTNERS Another year of showing Jesus’ love

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plans to continue exchange visits on a regular basis, helping to form links between children from very different backgrounds. With God’s help Christian values will grow and be shared in all kinds of new ways.

HUGO VERGARA, Salta and Tucuman, Northern ArgentinaHugo’s ministry includes leadership training and pastoral care of San Andres and San Pablo churches in Salta and Grace Church in Tucuman. One of his real passions is equipping young leaders, and he and the team focus on discipleship and evangelism. One positive aspect this year has been the healthy relationships between pastors and leaders in the different churches.

Marriage counselling is another part of Hugo and his wife Techy’s ministry and they sent the story of Griselda and Jorge’s transformed lives. The couple had serious problems, and came to the church in desperation. This is their testimony: “We had already decided to divorce because of the serious verbal and physical violence in our marriage. But when we came to church and received spiritual help, then attended the Alpha marriage course, we experienced the love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ. We were able to see that our unrealistic demands on each other could be changed and healed. Our children had also suffered because of our problems but now we love being together as a family, and live in peace and harmony, thanks to the difference knowing Jesus has made in our lives.”

CRISTOBAL CERON, Santiago, ChileCristobal is pastor at the Anglican church of Santiago Apostol in Santiago, Chile. His ministry includes discipleship, teaching, service and pastoral care. Here Cristobal shares stories of two people:

“Meet Jacqueline. She comes from a background of terrible suffering. This year she had problems with the police when they broke her arm and hit her around the head. Jacqueline has no family or close friends, but she remembered that our church of Santiago Aspostol had previously taken her in. She came to us again and we were able to help with her physical recovery, provide her with a place to live and give her food. Recently, too, we were able to find her a job to enable her to pay her own way. This has truly proved to be a victory for the love of Christ over this woman, who once said ‘life has never given me a reason to believe in the possibility of the existence of a God of love’.

“We are also working among immigrants – including Piedad from Ecuador and Nora from Bolivia. We were able to help Piedad with funds, provide her with a place to live and make it possible for her to return eventually to her country. Meanwhile, Nora arrived in our church with her son Yoel. God has given us the opportunity to help her find a home and provide some badly needed household essentials. It is wonderful seeing God’s mercy in action and the generosity of the Christian family.”

Cristobal Ceron

Hugo Vergara

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A tale of two church meetingsIt’s nearly eight o’clock on a Saturday evening and the sun has just set behind the algarrobo trees behind our house in Santa María. The clouds banked up in the western sky are painted all shades of red and gold. I pause to gaze in wonder and watch in peace.

A deafening outburst abruptly interrupts my meditation, “Olá, sí, ... olá, sí, ... olá, sí.” It’s the piercing voice of a young man testing the loudspeakers in front of the church, barely 150 metres away from our house:

“This is a wonderful evening, brothers, all is well and you are all invited tonight to come and enjoy yourselves. Especially all the young are invited tonight. There will be an opportunity for everyone tonight to sing, to dance, to praise the Lord and to receive tonight his blessing and power.”

The voice continues without a pause for some 30 minutes, mostly repeating the same message over and over again, at moments accompanied by discordant and unconnected peels from the keyboard.

As the meeting warms up, more and more people bring their own stools and chairs and sit around in the semi-circle. They listen to the young people as they get up in turn to sing two or three choruses to the noisy accompaniment of the keyboards.

Between cycles of music and dance, there are interludes of individual testimonies and an account from a young girl, considered by many a prophet, of her vision of heaven and hell.

The leader of the music sounds not unlike a cheerleader (some would say a disc-jockey), urging on the people with calls of “Fuerza! Fuerza! Fuerza!” (“More energy!”) and “Palmas! Palmas! Palmas!” (“Clap your hands!”) and “Cristo vive! Cristo vive! Cristo vive!” (“Christ is alive!”).

The meeting goes on until nearly one o’clock in the morning, just as the moon appears between the clouds on the eastern horizon. Over a hundred Wichí make their way back to their houses having felt joy in the Lord.

On Sunday morning, only about five or six of those who had been praising the Lord the

Catapulted into consumerismTrained as an anthropologist, CMS mission associate Chris Wallis has lived for 14 years in a remote Wichi community in northern Argentina. He and his wife Helena have watched a whirlwind of change sweep through indigenous culture there.

Children watching television in the Chaco

By Chris Wallis

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night before come to the service inside the church.

Fault lines Some of the older members of the church complain that all that the young ones want these days is music and dance, and that unless there are electric instruments no one will go to a church meeting.

Others reply in defence of the evening meetings that at least the young boys and girls that take part are not wandering about and getting drunk.

Some 10 years ago, before electricity had reached our village, there was not the divide that today we face between evening meetings and Sunday service. This is but an expression of overwhelming changes in Wichí society.

In December of 2001 Argentina suffered a major political crisis. The president was hoisted by helicopter from the government building in the centre of Buenos Aires as angry crowds outside clashed with security forces. Two days of riots left 39 dead.

The ensuing financial and economic turmoil led to vast swathes of the population being impoverished. Subsequent governments introduced relief measures, principally financial assistance, which gradually reached the most distant Wichí communities of the northern provinces.

It is difficult for us to imagine the colossal difference that a regular monthly income makes to a people that has never before been able to count on any secure and reliable means of subsistence.

Abundant life? Previously, scarcity and abundance depended on the vagaries of nature. A good year in the Chaco for one natural resource may be followed by a bad one.

Periods of abundance, whether of wild fruits or fish from the river (although never guaranteed and always restricted in time), would be accompanied by redistribution, celebration and feasting. Now each month

resources are replenished, creating an illusory atmosphere of abundance.

Cash, of course, offers access not only to other foods, but also to a previously unimaginable range of consumer goods. The introduction of electricity has brought mass media with potent new influences on the way people perceive their lives. Globalisation for the Wichí has been a catapult.

With such a variety of telepreachers and evangelistic campaigns readily available on the television, not to mention DVDs of the same material that are lapped up each month when the state aid arrives, Wichí Christians are now being formed less and less by their own church traditions and more and more by mass media and consumer values.

Whereas older members of the church emphasize the values of n’ohumnhayaj (love), n’op’altsenyaj (compassion) and n’oteläythayaj (patience and long sufferance), all foundational Christian values, younger members prefer to speak of n’okäjyaj (joy) and n’okhajyhayaj (power), which are also central to the Christian message.

Learning from historyThe Anglican missionaries to the Wichí, from their beginnings in the year 1911, have shown a determination to get as close as possible to the people and their way of thought. Richard Hunt, for example, writing in the 1920s, recommended that the missionary should identify with the people and be “deeply interested to observe things as they really are”. He added: “Never condemn before you understand the people!”

Without ever having heard the concept of “contextual theology”, it seems that he and his kind were spontaneously led to practise it.

We need your prayers as we seek to make training appropriate and relevant to the current indigenous context and patterns of thought while being faithful to the truth of the Bible.

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Q: What made you want to spend six months working in an orphanage in Buenos Aires? A: From a young age I wanted to have a gap year and volunteer somewhere. Through the years God guided me to look into Argentina. I have family in Argentina. Through CMS I got to know about Hogar El Alba and hearing about other people’s experiences made me want to volunteer.

Q: What were your expectations and have they been met?A: I was expecting to live nearer to the children and be more involved in their day to day activities. I also thought it would be easy to come up with activities for the children. In reality it is very hard. I was expecting the place to be smaller, but it’s huge. There are five houses where the children live, plus two other houses: one is rented out for income and the other I live in.

Q: What has been the best thing you have done?A: Perhaps it’s taking one of the girls to her hairdressing classes twice a week. This might not sound exciting, but because I have been with this girl so much I have built a friendship with her. At first it was hard as I did not know much Spanish, but over time I was able to talk about more subjects and we have often laughed at my mistakes.

Q: Describe a typical day?A: I am the person people call on if something needs to be done last minute and

everyone else is working – like picking up children from school. In a typical week, I work three days in the deposits (food, clothing and toiletries) including sorting out donations. There are also a lot of church activities for the children and I help with preparation and organisation. From very early on I felt part of the team, an extra pair of hands

Q: Who has has made an impact on you at the orphanage? A: One little girl arrived shortly before me. She was two years old and could not say a word. Over the weeks she developed sounds which turned into “just about” words. Five months later, she is now very confident and can say words to make herself understood. It just shows how much this place is doing for the children – including the love that the children receive from the tias (aunties) and the love the children show to each other.

Q: Has you relationship with God changed?A: My relationship with God has deepened. I have been encouraged to see what he has done for these children, giving them a place where they have better opportunities for the future. I learned more about God and how to follow him.

Q: What are your plans for when you return to the UK?A: I plan to work for a year and then go to university to study nursing.

S H O R T-T E R MSHORTS TO R I E S

AN EXTRA PAIR OF HANDS Name: Hazel Murray | Age: 18 | Location: Hogar El Alba children’s home, Buenos Aires, Argentina | From: Crawley, UK Church: St Richard’s, Three Bridges

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Join members of the CMS community for a day of action on climate change on 7 June 2015. For more information, see www.cms-uk.org/getInvolved/events/

CMS mission partner Bishop Nick Drayson (northern Argentina) wrote this reflection on the eve of travelling to Cape Town to take part in the Anglican Communion Environmental Network’s Eco-Bishops’ initiative.

Bishop Nick joined other bishops concerned with climate change to address present and future environmental challenges. The initiative’s goal is

to raise the issue of climate change and environmental degradation throughout the global Anglican Church. Nick writes:

Everything I have read on climate change recently is either trying to deny it, or is calling on church leaders to take a lead in doing something about it. In particular Global South leaders (whose people are most affected) and evangelicals (to show that this is not some ‘liberal conspiracy’ but that there is a biblical basis for both environmental responsibility and climate justice).

Why am I involved in this eco-bishops initiative? I have a long-term interest in creation care – fifth mark of mission – and I happen to live and work as a leader in a context where the mainly Amerindian population is subject to massive deforestation, which has implications for the environment as well as social justice.

And the church here is trying to do something to combat this, not least because it contributes to climate change, as witnessed in the extreme weather and other climatic changes we are all experiencing.

So, what’s the deal? As I understand it, the overwhelming weight of scientific study agrees

that there is serious climate change caused by human intervention, and that we are reaching a tipping point where things will go out of control. Some sort of far reaching agreement by all the countries in the world regarding carbon emissions would make a real difference. The UN summit in Paris later this year has the potential of achieving this.

But there is more resistance to this than on previous occasions when a major world threatening catastrophe has been averted (remember the hole in the ozone layer?) There is no doubt that much climate change denial is promoted by the strong financial lobby of the large oil companies (who have little interest in cutting the world’s carbon emissions).

At the same time many Christians are genuinely confused when their churches are either silent on the matter or else actively opposed to caring for creation on theological grounds.

I have always sensed that environmental responsibility is a biblical mandate. But this is not just an environmental problem, it is a justice issue. Those most directly affected by rising sea levels, lack of water etc are those who have done the least to cause climate change, and can do the least to halt it. Any solution has got to take this into account.

One of our tasks as we meet will be to discern what can be said in the moral and spiritual narrative to produce a genuine caring for others across social and national boundaries. A call to repentance may be needed, but also a call to love in action.

This article was first published on Nick Drayson’s blog: https://ampey.wordpress.com

Eco-bishop on climate change and justice

Nick and Catherine

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Wichi leaders

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By Margaret Blankley, a mission partner with SAMS in Brazil from 1970-1980

Underpinning Judith’s life was a deep faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and the power and fruit of his Holy Spirit was certainly seen in her. She was a good and faithful servant.

We first met Judith and John in 1973. They were on a course preparing to go to Brazil and we were back in the UK after three years in Brazil. I was asked to share my experiences with the women on the course. Afterwards Judith thanked me for being honest and not papering over the cracks. That was the first of many words of encouragement I had from Judith over the years.

She and John, together with their children Stephen and Rebecca, arrived in Brazil in September 1974. They had come to help run the Boys Town orphanage up in the mountains - one and a half hour’s drive from Rio and half an hour from the nearest town of Petropolis.

She and John did not have it easy during their early years in Brazil. It could be cold and damp. No running hot water, no local supermarket, nappies washed in cold water and boiled in a pan on the gas stove. No car or telephone and a new language to learn. But Judith had “stickability”.

Many today still living in Brazil and others who have returned to their homelands will be remembering with love and gratitude the life of Judith.

They looked after Boys Town and John also ran services in the local church. The bishop then asked them to take over the church in Petropolis which had virtually no congregation. So they started an English-speaking service on Sunday mornings and a service in Portuguese in the evenings.

In November 1974 we moved down to Rio from Salvador in the north and they often came to visit. Judith had a competitive side and she and our son Jonathan would battle it out, playing board games together. I loved Judith’s sense of fun, her smile, her chuckle.

It was great to see her counselling ministry take off in the Oxford diocese. She was a lady of many talents and whatever she did, she did to the best of her ability. A true professional.

She had a kind of presence and quiet authority about her. She also had a vulnerable side and it was a privilege to be allowed into that vulnerability.

Judith was never afraid to challenge me and help me deal with painful issues. But I always knew that she wanted the best for me and that she could know the worst about me and still love me.

She was also determined that I wouldn’t succumb to hibernation in old age and organised a lovely lunch for my 80th birthday last year.

Judith, I thank you for your special friendship, for your integrity and honesty, your humility, your love and care and for letting me into your heart and life.

La Paz

FAREWELL, MY FRIEND

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A tribute to CMS counsellor and SAMS/CMS friend and colleague Judith Saunders who died suddenly on 3 January 2015 Judith and John

Saunders

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NEWS SHARE

Bolivia mission Bishop Raphael Samuel and his wife Michelle from Bolivia visited CMS in Oxford recently. The country is hungry for long-term mission partners to go there and share in their priority of discipleship. Pray that God will raise up such people who are willing to make a real long-term commitment. Bishop Raphael was consecrated as the Diocesan Bishop of Bolivia in May 2013. Bishop Raphael succeeded Bishop Frank Lyons (a former SAMS USA mission partner) who left the diocese of Bolivia to serve in the diocese of Pittsburgh. Bishop Raphael’s appointment marked a landmark in church missions in that he is the first Asian missionary to be consecrated bishop in the Spanish-speaking Anglican world.

Peru incident CMS mission partner Pat Blanchard, who runs the Shalom Centre for children with disabilities

in Lima, Peru, ended up in a wheelchair for a few weeks after breaking one ankle and very badly spraining the other. She says her experience really opened her eyes to life in a

wheelchair and has since given feedback at church, clinic and the local shopping centre about making facilities and access more wheelchair-friendly. The Shalom building is itself minus a lift at the moment because the

contractor who was fitting one disappeared shortly after being paid a sizeable down payment. Please pray for a new lift.

Alf and Hilary Cooper, Chile Happy 30th anniversary to La Trinidad church in Santiago, Chile, which is led by mission partners Alf and Hilary Cooper. In three decades, La Trinidad has begun several church plants and for their 30th anniversary they installed a new balcony so they could hold more people on Sundays.

Eco-bishops initiative in Cape Town CMS mission partner Bishop Nick Drayson (northern Argentina) travelled to Cape Town this February to take part in the Anglican Communion Environmental Network’s Eco-Bishops initiative. He joined other bishops concerned with climate change to address present and future environmental challenges. CMS mission partner Andrew Leake also attended.

SAMS Ireland This year’s SAMS Ireland Friday Night Live mission event saw 300 people brave snowy weather at the end of January to celebrate mission work across South America and Ireland. There was a strong focus on Paraguay, Brazil and Argentina, according to Latin America personnel officer Jo Anthony who went to represent CMS.

New mission partner lands in Brazil New CMS mission partner Faith Gordon had her commissioning service in City Temple on Holborn Viaduct on Sunday 18 January. She and Vanessa arrived in Recife on Wednesday 21 January and Faith reports that they have received a warm welcome.

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Pat, left

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This year’s Latin America conference – Adelante! – is almost upon us. It takes place on the weekend of 15-17 May and for the first time ever, it is being held at CMS House, Oxford.

The weekend is a time of prayer, fellowship and shared learning about God’s mission in Latin America.

There’s a booking form to the right for those who have not already booked a place.

As ever, our Latin America forum has put together a great programme, with an impressive line-up of speakers and guests.

Our keynote speaker is Rev Ronald Irene, a veteran CMS Latin partner, first in Bolivia and now in Asuncion, Paraguay, where the family moved at the request of Bishop Peter Bartlett in 2010.

Ronald has a wonderful testimony of how he was rescued by the Holy Spirit from a wayward lifestyle as a young man. A gifted evangelist, one of Ronald’s main ministries is as co-pastor at St Andrew’s Church Asuncion.

He also leads Christ the Saviour Church in Villa Guarani. Leadership training is one of the main tasks in that community along with encouraging growth in commitment and faith.

Ronald and his wife Nicky have been leaders of Marriage Encounter in the Spirit (EMA) couples weekends for several years. Their focus now is on training and equipping new leaders for EMA in the future.

We look forward to hearing news about Ronald and Nicky’s ministry in Paraguay and his insights into the current issues facing the

Globe+crossersPeter and Sally Bartlett were in the UK until February 2015, when they returned to Asuncion, Paraguay.

Alf and Hilary Cooper return to the UK at the beginning of May until the beginning of August 2015 from Chile.

Ronnie Irene will be in the UK for the CMS Adelante conference in May 2015 from Paraguay.

Andy and Rose Roberts are in the UK on home leave, based in York until April 2015 when they return to Recife, Brazil.

Marcus and Tamara Throup are on home leave, based at St John’s College Nottingham until May 2015, where Marcus has an opportunity to put his PhD into practice for an academic year. Marcus will be at the CMS Adelante conference 15-17 May in Oxford (see back page). The Throups will be returning to Brazil in summer 2015.

Short-termers: Ruth Bevan, a doctor, has been based at Shalom in Lima, Peru, doing intensive Spanish learning at a language school for six weeks and is now volunteering at CMS’s partner hospital Diospi Suyana near Cusco for another five months. Irina Dale is in Santo Domingo, Ecuador with Life in Abundance Trust and Orphaids as a physio alongside CMS mission partner Sharon Wilcox until April 2015. Hazel Murray is in Buenos Aires, Argentina as a volunteer at Hogar el Alba orphanage until May 2015. Lizzie Simpson is just outside Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, teaching English and religious studies at a school in Araras until July 2015.

You can find out more about where and when these globe+crossers might be in your area on the CMS website. Go to www.cms-uk.org and click on the map of Latin America, which will take you to the Latin America pages of the CMS website. The We’re Visiting section is on the right of the page.

LATIN AMERICA CONFERENCE: ADELANTE

2015

15-17 MAY

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*PLEASE TAKE NOTE* that delegates need to book their own accommodation where needed. A suggested list of accommodation in Oxford is available from Jo Anthony at the CMS office.

Special dietary/room access needs:

We will be using Brazilian, Portuguese and Spanish caterers to give the conference an extra measure of Latin American/Iberian flavour!

Please provide information to help with transport organisation (even if tentative), including car sharing plans:

I could offer lifts to people

CMS has a car park behind its offices for nearly 100 cars and we can provide further information about local taxi and transport companies if you are coming by bus or train.

Have you travelled to Latin America in the past year?

When?

Where?

Title:

Firstname(s):

Surname:

Address:

Postcode:

Home tel:

Mobile:

Email:

Please fill in both sides of this form and USE BLOCK CAPITALS Note: communication will be by email whenever possible. Be sure to include your email address or include two SAE (DL or A5) envelopes

Conference Booking Form

Continued overleaf

Church in South America. CMS mission partners Alf and

Hilary Cooper (Chile) and Marcus Throup (Brazil) are also speakers. Marcus will lead the Friday evening, which will include introductions from Ronnie, Alf and CMS executive leader Philip Mounstephen. Marcus will lead the Bible study. There’s also a choice of workshops to attend: a Birmingham church visit to Bolivia; David Orritt on Mission Paraguay and Alf Cooper on church planting.

There will also be Paraguayan music on the Saturday evening. And taste buds will be tickled all weekend as delegates will be served a range of Latin American and Iberian food, including a massive paella on the Saturday night. The Sunday communion service is being led by Bishop Maurice Sinclair and Bishop Pat Harris.

Please do join us! Book your place using the form oppositie and returning it to:

Jo Anthony, CMS, Watlington Road, Oxford OX4 6BZ

T: 01865 787418 E: [email protected]

See www.cms-uk.org/adelante for more details.

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(tick boxes as applicable and please state numbers)

Friday-Sunday ADULT £60 CHILD £40*

Friday evening only ADULT £20 CHILD £10*

Sunday only ADULT £20 CHILD £10*

Saturday only ADULT £40 CHILD £20*

*children are 6-16 years. Under 6s are free. Over 16s, see student discount below.

For bookings made before 31 March 2015, there will be a £5 discount off each ticket. Students and under 21s will recieve a £5 discount

TOTAL TO PAY £

GIFT: I enclose a gift of £ to help someone of limited means attend

If CMS holds a Gift Aid declaration from you, this amount will have Gift Aid added to it.

To pay for the conference online go to www.cms-uk.org/adelante2015

The balance of the cost must be paid before 30 April 2015. Bookings not fully paid by 1 May may be cancelled. Day visitors should send the full amount with the booking form please. In the event of cancellation before 1 May a refund will be made less £20 administration charge. Data protection: Please note that personal information from your booking form will be held on computer. Should you object, please inform the booking secretary.

Return this form to: Jo Anthony, CMS, Watlington Road, Oxford OX4 6BZ

Musicians: If you are a competent instrumentalist and would be willing to help with music at our times of worship if required, please state instrument(s):

Cancellation: If you should need to cancel, please contact the booking secretary at the earliest possible opportunity.

NUMBER(S) ATTENDING

The Latin America Forum welcomes all CMS members and supporters to the 2015 Latin America Adelante conference. The weekend is a time of prayer, fellowship and shared learning about God’s mission in Latin America with churches partnering with CMS.

Keynote speaker: Latin partner Ronald Irene

Speakers: Alf & Hilary Cooper, mission

partners in Santiago, Chile

Marcus Throup, mission partner in Brazil

We will also be hearing stories and updates from Chile, Brazil and many others.

LATIN AMERICA CONFERENCE: ADELANTE

2015