1SHARE issue 3, summer 2007

Chile in winter and summer

The magazine of the South American Mission Society. Issue 3, Summer 2007

Santiago Winter Mission 2006see page 4

2 SHARE issue 3, summer 2007

Registered Offi ce: South American Mission Society, Allen Gardiner Cottage, Pembury Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN2 3QU. Tel: 01892 538647 Fax: 01892 525797 e: fi nsec@samsgb.org www.samsgb.org

SAMS is a company limited by guarantee. Registered in England, No. 65048. Registered Charity No. 221328. SHARE is published four times a year. Issue No. 3, 2007 ISSN 1367 6741.

Editor: Robert Lunt. Design & Print: CPO

Bishop Abelino Apeleo thanks the Lord “for the missionary legacy and its clear markers in our church’s history. It spread the gospel to all corners of this southern region, also establishing hospitals and schools.” The photo at far right shows William Wilson School rebuilt after the 2004 fi re.

ThenIt’s 100 years since the headquarters of that early mission effort moved to Temuco. SAMS launched an appeal for £2,000 to buy a one-storey house of eight rooms with patio, orchard and vegetable garden. The money eventually came in and missionary Charles Sadleir saw the new centre not only as a boost to the Indian work but as a pointer to a “more defi nite work among the Chilians”.

This proved prophetically accurate, as other items in this 2007 SHARE confi rm, but the centre itself nearly died in infancy. In January 1908 a fi re devastated part of Temuco, destroying over 25 blocks of wooden houses and other buildings and causing fatalities. “Owing to a slight change in the wind”, wrote missionaries Percy and Frances Class, “the fi re was stopped in our direction.”

NowTemuco has 600,000 inhabitants, one of the fastest growing cities in South America with 7 universities. “The church”, says Bishop Abelino, “is involved with the 21st century world, the challenges of the new generation and sophisticated technology. Many rural dwellers live a semi-urban, semi-rural life

with electricity, roads and other benefi ts, though some parts are still disadvantaged.

“Perhaps one of the most dramatic experiences is the emigration of the young to the city leaving older folk alone in the country and often having to sell their properties. Another reality is ‘recovery of land’, for which young Mapuches are tempted to take political action. Such developments have been traumatic and affected the church’s mission. Yet we face the challenges with hope in our hearts.”

The southern region now has 45 churches and 17 missions. There are just 7 full-time pastors and 5 part-time. Among future challenges identifi ed by Bishop Abelino are:� strengthening the church’s social action

among the poor � seeking an Anglicanism more in tune with

Mapuche culture� getting the right people to train at the

Rural Bible Institute� encouraging young people into pastoral

ministry� training leaders for the cities, bearing in

mind rapid educational advances

Southern Chile fi red up for new challenges

3SHARE issue 3, summer 2007

Great start in Bío Bío

Terr

y w

ith

Bib

le c

lass

“I’ve now been serving six years in Alto Bío Bío”, said the policeman, “and there are noticeable changes in many families there – less violence, less alcohol-related problems – yes, things are improving a lot!”

These impartial words, referring to the impact of the gospel among the Pehuenches

of the Queuco Valley, were music to our ears – a confi rmation of our calling as we made our fi rst teaching expedition to the four small congregations of that area. They make up 250 of the 7000 local inhabitants, yet are making an impact for good. They have no ordained pastors, no organised Bible training and those who can read or write do so with diffi culty. But their hearts are on fi re for the Lord and their desire to learn his Word is very moving. Some walk several hours to church each Sunday.

Our objective in 2007 is to give them a simple but thorough view of the Bible and its central message, using a SEAN course, PowerPoint lectures and DVDs. The whole emphasis is the 2 Timothy 2:2 principle – that what they learn they will teach their congregations. Pray for us!

One of God’s answers to southern Chile’s current needs has been Terry & Pancha Barratt, following years of ministry in Viña del Mar. They had an encouraging start to work among the Pehuenche people, a branch of the Mapuches:

El Redentor church in La Serena, Chile, has celebrated its second anniversary. Its name means ‘The Redeemer’ and emphasises the vision for Cross-centred mission.

Signifi cant events in recent months have been baptisms in the Elqui river which crosses the city and the church’s fi rst Anglican Marriage Encounter (EMA). “Though this ministry was not part of our larger plans”, writes Pastor Pablo Zavala (brother of Bishop Tito), “God made it possible. We had 7 couples who had already

participated in EMA so they ran it for others. As a result of that weekend, we

have a new tool for evangelism.”

Pablo, Pamela and the church “thank all our brothers and sisters in SAMS for their prayers and fi nancial partnership. We’re so grateful you’ve been an instrument in God’s hands to plant El Redentor.”

El R

eden

tor

con

gre

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ion

And elsewhere in Chile too …

God makes it possible

4 SHARE issue 3, summer 2007

“As we look over our calendar”, write Alf and Hilary Cooper from La Trinidad church in Santiago, “we see wonderful evangelistic opportunities before us: 5 Marriage Encounters, 4 Cursillos, all of which function as ‘new people bring new people.’ This is why so many new people have been arriving at the church. Following up with a Foundations Course called ‘Building on the Rock’ has meant that many stick with us and seek discipling. Their children live our Youth and Children’s Encounters and gradually they become discipled workers in our church.

“We also see a new opportunity - television. We’ve signed a contract to go on air, as we fi gure that Wesley would have used this powerful tool. We want to host a chat show called “Hazte Cargo” (roughly “Stand up for what you believe”) where we invite national fi gures to talk about their beliefs, whatever

they are, and to stand up for them. We will stand up for biblical Christianity. Pray!”

Talking of media, Alf is writing another book. The theme is the title of this article!

Congratulations to Alf and Hilary on their 30th Wedding Anniversary.

New people bring new people

Su Fischer couldn’t understand what was the matter after returning to her native Chile from a year here, partly with SAMS … until someone lent her a book about reverse culture shock. Then things improved …

Her prayers for a part time job in architecture and one in direct service to God were answered with a post in an urban studies offi ce and secretarial work for a Christian group called ‘One in Christ’. They were organising the 2006 Santiago Winter Mission which had 300 young

people on the streets witnessing. And thus she was reunited with an old friend, Matías, and by November they were married.

Now they’re training together to serve God through Operation Mobilisation aboard the Doulos ship from January 2008.

Culture shock to divine surprise

5SHARE issue 3, summer 2007

Short Term | Youth | Latino Experience S

ummer 2007

ferries are for wimps

will suzanne potter overcome jellyfi sh

to swim the channel?

warm and welcoming

being cultural strangers brings

a valuable lesson

no longer a lost gringo

ed houghton on teaching, youth

and dengue fever in paraguay

www.samsgb.org/youth

No longer a lost gringo

5

Warm & welcoming4

Welcome...to the new Style magazine! In it you’ll fi nd everything to

do with Short Term mission, Youth and Latino Experience, within SAMS. We hope you fi nd it inspiring. Let us know what you think about the design and content. We’d love

to hear your comments.

One of the best parts of my job as Youth and Volunteer Coordinator for SAMS is interviewing candidates for Latino Experience teams and Short Term Volunteers. Before you conclude that I take some sort of warped

pleasure watching people squirm in the hot seat, à la Alan Sugar in ‘The Apprentice’, let me explain – it’s

not that sort of interview! I hope those who apply for short term mission experiences with SAMS, and are

interviewed by me, feel comfortable and at ease.

What I mean is that it’s fantastic to hear how God has led people, and continues to lead them, on their faith

journey. I love hearing how people have found God, or been found by him, and listening to stories of what he’s

done in their lives and how he’s moulding them to be more like him. And in some cases, it’s really exciting to hear how God is calling people to mission overseas in

very defi nite ways.

As I arrange team visits and individual volunteer placements, it’s such a privilege to play a small part in

helping people to fulfi l that call on their lives. In this fi rst issue of Style, you’ll fi nd some examples. Enjoy!

Suzanne Potter

News

Latino Experience

1

2

Praying 24-73

Summer SAMS6

Short Term | Youth | Latino Experience news | 1

New Short Term VolunteersElaine Black (right), a primary school teacher from Newark, will travel to Paraguay in July to start a 2–year placement at St Andrew’s School in Asunción. Elaine leaves a grown-up family in the UK.

In September, two modern language students will begin their year abroad. Jennifer Matthews (below) from Oxford University will be helping with the crèche at the House of Hope in Recife, Brazil. At the same time Sophie Atkinson (right) from Royal Holloway, University of London, goes to Concepción, Paraguay, for 9 months to help Claire Holmes with children’s outreach projects.

In August, Maryke Walraven from Hampshire will be off to Viña del Mar, Chile, to start her placement as an English teaching assistant at St Paul’s School.

Cake but no jelly – all for a good causeSuzanne Potter’s long-planned swim of the English Channel is set for some time between 4th and 10th September.

Throughout July and August she’ll be seeking to publicise it further and all funds raised will go to the Esperanza foster home set up by Murray and Penny Metcalfe in Asunción, Paraguay. “I’ll be doing a few long sea swims in July and early August”, she writes, “and then decreasing my training. But I’ll be eating lots of cake instead, to build up my insulation layer and reserve stores of energy.

“Please pray for good conditions, a calm sea – and that all the jellyfi sh sink to the bottom and don’t sting me!”

Suzanne has leafl ets on how you can sponsor her (contact youthcoord@samsgb.org) and you can also do it online via www.justgiving.com.

Short Term | Youth | Latino Experience latino experience | 2

The team is made up of young and not so young, but all bring their own particular skills and experience to the group. They’ve been liaising with Suzanne Potter and preparing for almost a year, and are all looking forward to what God will do in and through them during their time in Peru.

If you’d like to do something similar, why not get in contact with Suzanne on youthcoord@samsgb.org.

What some of the team are saying about the trip:

Mike Genders: I’m looking forward to visiting our sister church in Arequipa,

meeting Alejandro, the staff and students at San Lucas school and sharing fellowship in a new place. This will be the fi rst time I’ve ventured outside Europe so I’m very excited to have this opportunity to learn about South American culture and share time with people from Peru.

Yvette Brakes: I’m very excited as it’s a chance of a lifetime. I’ll be able to work

with the children, which I love doing, and share my faith with the community.

Jenny Williams: Ever since visiting SAMS projects in Peru in 2003 I’ve

wanted to return but didn’t know in what capacity. So I’m now pleased to have the opportunity to off er my gifts and talents and so encourage more mature volunteers that it’s not too late to off er their services.

A Latino Experience: from Alvechurch to Peru

In August a team of 11 people from Alvechurch, near Birmingham, will be jetting off to Peru for 4 weeks. St Laurence’s Alvechurch has been linked with SAMS Latin Partner, Rev Alejandro Mesco, for a number of years and wanted to send a team to get a real experience of life in Peru. They’ll spend a week with Colegio San Lucas in Arequipa, leading some children’s music and drama activities, and then go on to meet Alejandro in Cabanaconde, in the dramatic Colca Canyon, where they’ll assist him at the San Felipe mission for 10 days.

Nearly half the team!

Short Term | Youth | Latino Experience 6 month placements | 3

Our six-month placement as youth workers in Asunción has been an amazing journey, during which we’ve learnt a lot about Paraguay and even more about ourselves!

From the moment we stepped off the plane we’ve been made to feel warmly welcome in this country – where the temperature is regularly 37°C – by the Anglican church and school community in which we work, and

Warm and welcoming

Volunteers Niven and Lucy Bull had an experience they want to share with others

particularly by the long-term missionaries. These patient, loving, faithful people have really shown us what it means to commit your life to Christ and follow God’s will, making many sacrifi ces in order to bring people of another culture closer to Jesus.

If we could bring one thing back from our experience in Paraguay, it would be an aim to be just as warm and welcoming in Britain to people we meet who are far from home and getting to grips with a new culture.

Short Term | Youth | Latino Experience placements | 4

3 weeks into my trip and the epidemic of “Dengue fever” in this country found its way to me! I was out of action for two

weeks, including 24 hours in a surprisingly nice Paraguayan hospital... Anyway, I’m now back to full strength and plastering myself with insect repellent every time I step outside!

One project I’m involved with is teaching English at “El colegio de San Andrés” – St

Andrew’s School here in Asunción. Due to a complete dearth of English teachers I was thrown in at the deep end. I’m teaching 9 x 40-minute lessons a week to the Secondary School age group; my elder class is mostly 17-year-olds (only 2 years younger than me!!) and the

younger class is 12 and 13-year-olds. I’ve no qualifi cations or experience to teach English, but that doesn’t seem to matter in Paraguay, even though the school is one of the wealthier fee-paying ones.

Another advantage of the laid-back nature of Paraguayan schooling is that we have one day a week devoted to sport, giving me an opportunity to do some teaching outside the classroom. I’m thoroughly enjoying my work; it’s a great experience, though stressful at times!

No longer a lost Gringo!

Ed Houghton fi nds volunteering in Paraguay “unpredictable but exciting”

The other part of my work is with “Cristo Salvador” church. It’s a relatively small church with very few young people. To try to encourage more of this age group to get involved, I‘ve recently started leading a group on Saturday evenings. It’s basically an opportunity for young people to come, play sport, have some food and hear the gospel. Though numbers are pretty low, I know that less can be more with a group like that, as it gives you the opportunity to get to know them more personally.

Asunción itself is a remarkable place. Never before have I seen extreme wealth and poverty live side by side as if it were the norm. The climate is also very diff erent to anything I’ve experienced before; temperatures consistently around 40 degrees and high humidity can make you feel quite uncomfortable. By the time you read this, summer will be over, though being so close to the equator is no guarantee the temperature will drop.

Public transport is an adventure in itself. Having ended up in completely the wrong place various times, I’m now getting used to the bus routes and perfecting the art of not looking like a lost “gringo” as I negotiate my way round Asunción on buses that couldn’t be more diff erent to those on the 40 C route from Knowle to Solihull!!

Thank you so much for your prayers! I really feel God has been at work in the fi rst stage of my trip.

Short Term | Youth | Latino Experience praying 24-7 | 5

Praying 24-7...

The highlight for our evening congregation, writes Patrick Butler from Asuncion, Paraguay, has undoubtedly been the 24-7 prayer event last year. Inspired by the book ‘Red Moon Rising’ that tells of the way young people across the world have set up prayer rooms and engaged in non-stop prayer for their nation, we felt this was something we could do with our young people. We logged on to the 24-7 website www.24-7prayer.com, started planning and within a month had the back room of the church converted into a prayer room complete with bathroom, kitchenette, split level fl ooring, graffi ti wall, CD’s, large cross, maps, low lighting, candles and materials for prayer and meditation.

But could our small congregation realistically manage to cover a whole week of unbroken prayer? We decided to open it up to St Andrew’s School where we did a 24-7 assembly, and also to EJE, the morning congregation and the English-speaking congregation next door.

The response was phenomenal! Day and night people came to the prayer room, some staying for an hour, others for 2 or 3. Teachers, pupils, cleaners, businessmen, older members of the congregation, youth groups from other churches – and when they came once they almost always signed up for another slot. Students from the school returned with their classmates, young people from EJE came back with their mums and dads – every hour was fi lled with people praying.

The candles kept burning and God’s presence was so strong that one agnostic university student, on entering the prayer room and reading the prayers on the graffi ti wall, began to cry. It was amazing to see groups of young people praying at 2 and 3am. The response was such that we kept going for two solid weeks of unbroken prayer. For Rosie and me it was like rainfall on parched ground.

Red Moon Rising by Pete Greig and Dave Roberts

Summer SAMSHere’s how the SAMS youth department is spending the long hot (?) summer:

> 13-15 JulyOrientation weekend for Latino Experience team and Short Term Volunteers Please pray for those preparing for South America.

> 20-25 JulyMomentum – a Soul Survivor event for students and 20-somethings

> 3-8 AugustSoul Survivor C in Cheshire

> 13-23 AugustSoul Survivor A + B in Shepton MalletSuzanne Potter and ex-Short Term Volunteers will be staffi ng the SAMS stall at all of these events.

> 28 Aug – 6 SeptOrientation for Short Term Volunteers with Latin Link’s Stride department

www.samsgb.org/youth

SHARE issue 3, summer 2007

Energy Every church talks openly about its outreach and there’s great e x c i t e m e n t as individuals respond. I was in one church where the M a r r i a g e E n c o u n t e r p r o g r a m m e

had its ‘introductory meeting’. Over 35 new couples came to have their marriages blessed and enriched by God, and another 50 or so testifi ed to blessings received. This was one of fi ve programmes a year!

Vision In a continent of physical and social need and spiritual uncertainty, the Anglican Church has a signifi cant role

in proclaiming the gospel of hope and offering an identity in which people can grow. It is unashamedly Anglican and unapologetically Christ centred. And it focuses its work so that what it does, it does well.

Resourced It’s a church with limited resources. However, it’s well aware of the danger of dependency and is learning to live on the edge of opportunity. New opportunities are taken because of a sense of God’s leading, not because it necessarily has the resources. The challenge to which it responds is to allow him to provide once they’ve followed his lead.

We seek a healthy partnership in which both the church and SAMS grow together, sharing each other’s vision and learning to bless each other through seeing God at work as we build his kingdom.

5Energetic, visionary, obedient to God: a church to partner In March John Sutton visited Chile, Bolivia and

Peru. Three words sum up his observations:

Ian and Siméa Meldrum are over from Olinda, Brazil, during June and July. A signifi cant weekend is that of 20-22 July at Bawtry Hall, just south of Doncaster, when they offer you the chance to learn about the work of Living Waters church on the rubbish dump and the street children’s project, ‘My Fathers House’, which works with families from the dump.

It’ll be a dynamic weekend, a great time to meet and make friends and hear about the work and visions for the future. There’ll be opportunities to pray and see how we can support the Lord’s work in Brazil.

The cost of £71-81 includes accommodation and meals. If you’d like to come or require further information, please email livingwatersolinda@hotmail.com or call Andy Roberts on 0784 3088 324. See you there!

Brazil at Bawtry

SHARE issue 3, summer 20076

I recently reviewed the Society’s accounts over the last 20 years and was reminded of God’s faithfulness as we praise him for enabling us to meet our commitments, made in faith via annual budgeting processes. Different pressures have been evident but we give God the glory for provision year on year. The 2006 accounts showed net incoming resources almost equal to the net outgoing resources of 2005, making me wonder whether it wouldn’t be better to produce biennial accounts!!

Isaiah 40:18 asks “to whom can we compare God?” We can analyse accounts and produce statistics, but the more important question is: “Is our view of God greater than before?” As we thank him for meeting the

needs of SAMS to date, we trust a great God for the future. Our needs for 2007 currently stand at £3,900 per day.

There are 20 ways to give to SAMS, listed on our giving leafl et and the website. May I encourage you prayerfully to consider the needs of the Society and the church in South America in your stewardship of resources entrusted to you. Thank you to all who give to SAMS and who have enabled the accounts to testify to a great God. To have confi dence in our redemption, we need a magnifi cent God. We have one! Please pray that as a Society we will keep in step with the Spirit (Gal 5:25). Philip Tadman

A magnifi cent God

New Wine …..

As well as the events mentioned in STYLE, SAMS will be represented at New Wine at both Newark (21-28 June) and Shepton Mallet (28 June – 10 July). Look us up!

…. New Web

SAMS’ website is being completely redesigned by Morse-Brown Design of Birmingham and will be ready over the summer.

Humberto AxtAs announced in SHARE, issue 4 (2006), Humberto Axt is no longer bishop of the Diocese of Northern Argentina. Archbishop Greg Venables has now written a letter on behalf of the House of Bishops of the Province of the Southern Cone, outlining the background to the decision and updating the situation. Copies are available from SAMS. Humberto is no longer a Latin Partner, but we keep him, Iris, Maia and Berni in our prayers and commend them to the prayers of all SAMS’ supporters.

Shutter delay

The birth of STYLE has led us to delay the new Photo Gallery until the autumn.

SHARE issue 3, summer 2007 7

On 1st April Felipe and Sarah Yáñez were commissioned by the Bishop of Birmingham, Rt Revd David Urquhart, for their new ministry with the ‘La Puerta’ Project among refugees and asylum seekers in Málaga, Spain. The service took place at St John’s, Sparkhill, where they were supported by many friends; Felipe and Sarah had worked there for many years before going to study at Redcliffe College in preparation for their service overseas.

Their new ministry is a joint initiative between CMS and SAMS. Felipe (originally from Chile), Sarah, Sammy (4) and Aaron (1) were joined at the commissioning by several members of their new supporting churches, whilst SAMS was represented by Tim Greenhalgh and CMS by Martin Thomas. They were presented with an Arabic translation Bible, a useful tool in their work with immigrants arriving

in mainland Spain from the North African enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla.

The Yáñez family left on 22 May. Please pray they all settle well into their new environment and work, and that the balance of funding needs will be met.

Keep in touch via www.familyyanez.com.

Spanish challenge for Yáñez

Two former missionaries in the Argentine Chaco died earlier this year.

John Bradberry, with his wife Esther and sons James and Stephen, served from 1956 to 1961, mainly among the Tobas. It was a life of considerable isolation “in still wild frontier territory on the banks of the Pilcomayo, cut off from the outside world by its remoteness and frequent fl ooding. A 1926 T Ford truck provided a twice monthly two-day ride to the nearest railroad station” (Barbara Kitchin, SHARE 1, 2002).

It was the Bradberrys’ experience as much as any other which led SAMS General

Secretary Canon Harry Sutton to transfer Chaco staff from such outposts and establish them in three centres. One was the town of Juárez where Doris Harvey served with husband Fred from 1977-1980. Sent out in their 50s by Tear Fund, they were seconded to the Northern Argentina social programme. Doris was a warm-hearted person who brought God’s love and hope to the townsfolk and hospital patients.

John and Doris were predeceased by their spouses. We thank God for their selfl ess ministry and extend our sympathy to their families.

Rewarded

16SHARE issue 3, summer 2007the back pageBeverley, Bromborough, Exeter, Dalston – all venues for the SAMS Roadshow over a hectic autumn fortnight. Here’s the rundown:

22 September – St Andrew’s, Paddock Wood, Kent,10:00 am – 4:00 pm

29 September – Beverley Minster, 6:00 – 9:30 pm (see poster)

5 October – Bromborough Civic Centre (Wirral), 5:45 – 9:00 pm

6 October – St Michael’s School, Dalston, Cumbria,10:30 am – 4:00 pmand St Leonard’s, Exeter, 2:00 – 5:30 pm.

Live presentations, telephone links with partners and a variety of Latin-themed

activities make for exciting programmes. Exeter will feature Bishop Pat Harris as keynote speaker and a ‘Going Places?’ workshop to let you explore what God is saying about getting further involved with SAMS in the UK or overseas.

Come and join us! Details about Exeter from Tim Greenhalgh on 01594 542314 ( S W A r e a S e c @ s a m s g b .org) and about the other

Roadshows from Richard Crofts on 01892 838301 (mrichardgcrofts@yahoo.co.uk).

Roadshows aplenty

Stephen & Eileen Trew and Andy & Jo Persson and their families c o m p l e t e their service in Asunción in July. We thank them for all they’ve given to St Andrew’s School and the Anglican church there, and pray for God’s guidance in the next stage.

Also in July Ian & Siméa Meldrum and Ronny & Nicky Irene and their families return to Brazil and Bolivia respectively. In September

we look forward to visits from A r g e n t i n a by Andy & E v a n g e l i n a Lenton and family and Hugo & Techi Vergara.

Sue Woodcock will be over from Spain for New Wine in August and for visits to some link churches in late September and October.

Paul & Sarah Tester hope to fl y to Peru in September to start work in Lima.

Globecrossers

The Trews (minus Elijah) The Perssons