Share magazine Issue 2 2011

SHARE SUMMER 2011 02

Changing the world... by small perfectly formed steps.

Small is Beautiful, a book by E F Schumacher, now over 35

years old, has had something of a revival recently because of

UK Prime Minister David Cameron quoting it to back his “big

society” philosophy.

I heard an interview with the author on the radio,

who subtitled his book, A Study of Economics as if People

Mattered. That must resonate with us as Christians, as we know and value

how much we matter to God.

On my recent visit to Peru I visited some micro-enterprise projects in

one of the many “puebles jovenes” (new towns) of Lima. Through small

loans, people start up businesses. A single mother prints designs on bags

to sell to businesses. A man makes and decorates plastic belts to sell in the

street market. Another woman cleans and restores old cookers. Small loans

give people the start they need to begin to support their families in the

midst of depressing poverty.

Small is beautiful for us as well. Yes, we want to change the world, but

most of what we do is in small steps with a few people. CMS, through the

generosity of its supporters, often sends mission partners, both long and

short term, to work with small groups of children (some severely disabled),

marginalised women and small churches. In the world’s eyes this may look

foolish, but in God’s eyes it is something beautiful.

I recently attended the funeral of one of our SAMS saints, Peggy Barratt,

widow of Tony, the founder of SEAN and mother of Terry, Rosemary, Hilary

(Cooper), Patti and Johnny. So many gathered to give thanks to God for a

faithful servant who prayed ceaselessly for so many people and graciously

served in the background as a mission partner in Chile, Paraguay, Argentina,

Chile (again) and back in England. In the world’s eyes, just one small life,

but in God’s sight immensely significant for the life and growth of the

kingdom. And certainly a beautiful person showing the beauty and grace of

her saviour.

Small is beautiful - each one of his children matters so much to God.

SHARE is produced by the Church Mission

Society, Watlington Road, Oxford OX4 6BZ. Tel:

01865 787 400. Registered Charity Number 1131655.

If you have any questions regarding the

content, please call us or email:

[email protected]

Bishop Henry Scriven, Mission Director for Latin

America


Investing in a Mapuche futureIt’s time for the Anglican church in Chile to re-examine how

it works with the indigenous Mapuche people of Chile and

Argentina.

That was the bold message from Bishop Tito Zavala, presiding bishop of the

Anglican Church of the Southern Cone, who gave the keynote address at Adelante,

the CMS Latin weekend conference in March.

“We have to use the past in order to bless the future,” he said. “The Mapuche people have

to understand they have been called by God to do mission for others – but we have to teach

them how to get fresh ideas and creativity. They need to be spiritual leaders of their communities

but also involved in social actions and supported locally.”

He continued: “My dream is to have young pastors mature in their faith, with a vision for

mission because the new concept for mission is from everywhere to everywhere - not from

north to south, as it was in the past.”

According to Bishop Tito, the Anglican church has focussed on developing churches in

Chile’s cities. But now he says the focus needs to be in more rural areas – particularly among

indigenous communities like the Mapuche.

One challenge for the Mapuche church and community is that many young people are

gaining an education, going away to university and then not returning to these rural Mapuche

communities. Consequently there is no-one to take over from the elders.

The average age of a Mapuche pastor is between 70 and 80. But in the cities, Tito knows

pastors who are just 28 or 29. Tito continued: “I asked Pastor Samuel, 80, [a Mapuche], who is

going to take over his church? ‘I don’t know,’ he said.”

Tito explained, “It’s our fault as leaders because we need to think about the future of that

church. In the country areas they like to sing but the songs they are singing are the same ones

they sung 50 years ago.”

When it comes to seeking new leaders, Bishop Tito said the church in Chile needs to focus

on spiritual, social and academic training. He claims, “One of our [past] mistakes was in seminary.

They [trainee pastors] received information but not formation. The best way is to work with both

spiritual and academic life – mind and heart. And the only way to work is through mentoring.”

As well as theological training, leaders must also receive social training to

lead communities and face current issues, he said.

Underpinning everything for the Mapuche is the huge issue of land

ownership. The Mapuche feel alienated within their own homeland due to

being threatened by hydroelectric projects and deforestation, and feeling largely

unrepresented in politics. Mapuche leaders say much of the territory was stolen

and should be returned to them.

Bishop Tito Zavalacontinued next page


Tito explained: “Mapuche people see that they

are becoming poorer and the big forest companies

are becoming richer. We face a strong crisis with a

lot of violence. Many Mapuches were put in prison

and they started a hunger strike for nearly 80 days

because they wanted to be heard.”

These 31 Mapuche activists were protesting

against being charged under anti-terrorist laws

for their role in a land dispute. Tito visited one of

the prisoners. “One young Mapuche leader (non

Christian) said ‘Bishop I am a 19-year-old. I will

be in prison for 70 years because when I fought

against the police trying to recover our land they

took that action as terrorism.’”

The impact of globalisation is another factor

that the church needs to take into account when

working with the Mapuche, according to Tito.

“We as a church are still thinking the Mapuche

are isolated and treating their leaders and churches

as we did 50 years ago. But they are not isolated

any more. They are poor,

but at home you find a TV

and cellular phone and if

they walk they can find an

internet connection.”

Tito summed up: “In

the past we thought on the

Mapuche’s behalf. We did theology on their behalf.

We took decisions on their behalf. I don’t think this

is the way to continue. For the future we have to

change because the world has changed and the

Mapuche people also have changed.

“It’s a new era of re-exploring how we’re going

to work among the Mapuche churches. We did

that for urban areas about seven years ago and

looked at how to develop the Anglican work in the

cities. Now we have to do the same among the

Mapuche people.”

A Mapuche leader for the Mapuche peopleCMS study partner Joel Millanguir is a Mapuche church leader of the new generation. Joel was born in 1963 in a ‘ruca’ (a traditional Mapuche Indian home –a one-roomed reed hut) on the banks of a river in a rural part of the Araucaria, southern Chile. Joel’s parents were both Christians and dedicated their ten children to God. Joel said: “At 18 I was a member of the church council and eventually took on the youth work. My main passion was to serve in the life of the church in any possible way, whether it was cleaning, leading services, or visiting the sick.”In 1992 Joel enrolled at the Christian Missionary Alliance Seminary in Temuco where he studied theology for four years. He married Lily in 1994 and the same year the couple moved to the Chol-Chol community and took responsibility for the 17 groups which comprise the Church of the Ascension in the region. Joel also became chaplain of the William Wilson School.In 2000 Joel helped set up the Rural Bible Institute in the Araucaria region - designed to train and equip church leaders, mainly for the rural areas. He was made archdeacon of the Araucaria region in October 2008, responsible for 42 churches and six missions. About 90 per cent of the archdeaconary comprises churches in remote areas and miles apart. Now 48, Joel is doing a full-time bachelor in theology course at Centro de Estudios Pastorales (CEP) in Santiago. It was not an easy move for Joel and Lily and their three children; the cost of living in the city is higher than in the rural area they are used to. “At the end of the two years I hope to be able to return to the ninth region,” Joel said. “There is such a great need for pastoral leadership in that part of Chile. It would be a great achievement to be able to contribute to developing the Rural Bible Institute for leaders - most of whom would find it impossible to take a full-time course of studies.”CMS is supporting Joel during his two years of studies at CEP. If you would like to sponsor him, contact Henry Scriven at CMS on 01865 787400 or email [email protected]

Joel (right) with his family

continued from page 3


Tradition vs traditionalismCanon Rogelio Prieto’s Bible studies at the CMS

Adelante weekend proved very popular. His third

session looked at the importance of tradition. Rogelio

has summarised his message here for SHARE readers.

Someone once asked René Padilla about the wonderful

growth of the Church in Latin America, from which we in the UK

had so much to learn. He smiled and answered that yes, there

was growth to praise the Lord for, but the situation was a bit like in

a garden - when the plants grow well, the weeds seem to thrive.

Is there anything special that Anglicanism can offer in

the midst of that “church and weed” growth? Yes, there is:

tradition. A plant that grows very quickly, but with no roots worth

mentioning, will at some point either tumble over or fall apart. And if there is

something Anglicanism is not short of is roots – including historical, theological,

liturgical, biblical and spiritual traditions.

Now “tradition” is probably not a favourite word in some circles. Pity. It is an

important biblical concept. Jesus used to attend the synagogue every Sabbath

(Luke 4:16), but where was the synagogue instituted in the Scriptures? Nowhere.

It was a tradition followed by Jesus.

When Jesus prayed for his disciples and for those who would come to faith

in him through them, he was praying for you and me as those who would inherit

tradition.

The word “tradition” (paradosis in Greek) refers to the handing on of

something. In the case of Jesus’ prayer in John 17.20, to the handing on of the

gospel in the life of the church over the centuries - including the sacraments (1

Cor 11.2, 23) teaching and morals (1 Cor 15.3; 2 Thess 2.15, 3.6) and ministry (2

Tim 2.1-2).

When Jesus said to his disciples, “As the Father sent me, so I send you…

receive the Holy Spirit” (John 20.21ff) we are seeing in operation the tradition of

the mission of redemption of the triune God through the church.

That was the tradition that three SAMS missionaries took to La Esperanza

sugar factory in Northern Argentina in April 1911 in order to pass the gospel and

the church on to the indigenous labourers. That work goes on, in very different

ways from the past; it could not be otherwise.

The worst enemy of tradition is not change or innovation but traditionalism.

Rogelio: “Keep on moving to stay firm in the tradition of the gospel.”

continued next page

SHARESUMMER 2011 06

Work among the Wichi receives worldwide coverage

A recent BBC article entitled “Dying from

hunger in food-exporting Argentina”has brought

world attention to suffering that CMS mission partners

have been working to eradicate for years—that is, the

plight of the indigenous Wichi community.

The article’s revelations of injustice and deprivation

were of course not news to mission partners Andrew and

Maria Leake. The couple have worked in rural Argentina in

the cause of human and environmental justice for people

living in the Chaco for many years.

BBC Mundo’s Vladimir Hernandez asks how people can be dying from hunger in

one of the world’s biggest food-exporting countries. For his report he travelled to the

indigenous Wichi community in a remote part of Salta.

He describes one community, Lapacho II, as an image of the refugee camps

seen in places hit by natural disasters. No earthquake or tsunami has hit Lapacho II.

Their disaster is deforestation.

Since ancient times the Wichi have been a tribe of hunter-gatherers and for

centuries the forests in the area provided them with healthy food like fish and fresh

fruit, which kept them in good health. But all that has changed now.

The government of Salta says that between 2000 and 2006, at least 600,000

hectares of forest was flattened in the region by farming corporations that harvest

soy beans, corn or other grains and cereals.

When Andrew first started working in Latin America ten years ago, he helped set

up ASOCIANA, the Anglican organisation that deals with the social issues groups like

the Wichi face in Salta.

Andrew headed up work on indigenous land rights and environmental justice.

Part of his work included using his skill as a pilot to fly over the Chaco - monitoring

The Leake family

Traditionalism is the death of good tradition. When everything changes around

you, you have to keep on moving yourself in order to make sure you stay in the

same place. May SAMS-CMS traditions keep on moving in order to stay firm in the

tradition of the gospel of the Kingdom in Latin America.


and filming the advancing deforestation.

Recently Andrew resigned from ASOCIANA’s

board and handed the baton to local people to

take over. Andrew continues to provide technical

assistance to the team but is now working on a new

initiative in the region called Land for Life – see

panel opposite.

In the BBC article, ASOCIANA member Claudia

Lungu, says: “The deforestation was stopped a

couple of years ago by a judicial ruling, but it has

already changed the indigenous communities’ way

of life.

“Although we see that these groups are now

getting more help from the authorities, we believe

that they are much poorer than before because

of the problems created by deforestation - like

malnutrition.”

To see the article, visit: www.bbc.co.uk/

news/world-latin-america-12973543

A refuge for the WichiCMS mission partners Andrew and Maria Leake are now engaged in a new phase in their ministry to support the Wichi communities in rural Argentina. Based on their experience and concern over the rapid environmental degradation and destruction of the Chaco (South America’s second largest ecoregion after Amazonia) they established Land for Life, a Christian conservation initiative, which aims to protect forests through the purchase and management of lands. To implement the Land for Life initiative, Andrew and Maria have established a land trust, known as Fundacion Refugio, through which they will conduct their future work in Argentina. Latest news is that Refugio now has enough funding pledges to purchase an initial area of land (approximately 2,000 acres) on which to begin its own ground work. It has also been formally certified as a non-Governmental Organisation. Andrew explained: “What we propose to do is to search for appropriate plots within the price range of the pledged funds, and while we do that also use the promised funds to leverage further donations that will ensure we can protect more land and construct the necessary fences to protect them from free-grazing cattle and lumber extraction.” Refugio plans to make its first land purchase in an area that has been earmarked as a region vital to conserving a link in the transition zone between the dry tropical forest of the Chaco and the more humid jungles (yungas) on the Andean foothills.

Living in BoliviaFrank and Shawnee Lyons are serving as

CMS associate mission partners and mission

partners with SAMS USA in Cochabamba,

Bolivia. Frank is the Bishop of the Diocese of

Bolivia, consecrated in February 2001. Shawnee

is involved in discipleship ministry at the local and

diocesan level.

Frank spoke to SHARE magazine:

How is your strategy for growing the Anglican church in Bolivia going?

The Anglican Church is a latecomer and

relatively unknown in Bolivian life. We are

attempting to be a more sacramental com-

munity and the religious climate and history

of the country do not encourage this.

continued next page


You’ve been bishop of Bolivia for ten years now? What changes have you seen?

The big change was to move from total missionary leadership to total

local, national clergy. From outward appearances Bolivia is politically stable.

There are few strikes now, but as well, little entrepreneurial initiative. The

country has moved from one end of the spectrum to the other: oligarchy to

statism. Corruption continues unabated. Cocaine is a major export. These

drugs have now begun affecting Bolivian families.

How many new churches have been planted in Bolivia in the past 12 months?

There are two new church plants in addition to our eight missions: one

in La Paz and another one in Santa Cruz.

You said in your Youtube clip a year ago that the ‘primary

challenge was filling people’s spiritual void’, is that still the case?

On one hand, we are inundated with spiritual fixes and things like po-

tions, amulets, curses, animal sacrifices and fortunes. The void is actually

“spiritual truth” that only Jesus can fill by a personal encounter in the power

of the Spirit and discipleship in his word. It’s much like the story of Joshua

taking the land: person-by-person, household-by-household. That’s a slow

process. Discipleship is key.How is the church planting going in La Paz – you ordained an

extra deacon in La Paz and were looking at a strategy to open a third church. How is that going?

The Lord has been moving our leadership around lately and with

pastoral movement there come changes and adjustments in a local

congregation. Two La Paz pastors have been called out of the country and

in addition, one has left the church, all in the last year. However, our new

church plant is moving forward with mid-weekly meetings.

How many churches are now in Cochabamba?

There is no new plant in Cochabamba yet. They have just received the

gifts of property and a temporary worship building in the last two years.

There is an outreach to a poorer section of town, but this would not be

able to sustain its own ministry. I have challenged the pastors that we must

be looking for the next church plant soon.

The exciting development this year is the formation of a lay pastoral

youth team in Cochabamba. Shawnee has been on her own for five years

and this year four new leaders have been raised up to help in this ministry.

They are laying the plans for winter youth camps in July, for the first time:


one for high school and another for university students focusing on conflict resolution.

Can you share a story of someone who has made an impact on you or vice versa?

Four years ago one of the university students told Shawnee, “I know Jesus is

the way, but I just want to enjoy life before I commit to him.” About six months

later, after a major failure, he knelt before her crying and gave his life over to Jesus.

He is now one of the lay youth pastors on the team.

One of our university students, who was struggling with her walk with the

Lord, was thrown out of her home by her mother last year. The mother hated the

church and was jealous of Shawnee’s role in her daughter’s life. After six months,

God moved in the mother’s life in a powerful way and she is now part of a Bible

study. The family has been reunited and the student is walking firmly with the Lord

and has become a major peacemaker.

What would you like people to pray for?

Provision for abandoned youth, for pastors’ salaries and discernment for the

way ahead. We have also been facing several situations of our students being

abandoned or thrown out of their homes or being prohibited from attending

church and youth group due to varying circumstances. For the most part it is due

to lies of the enemy and/or jealousy of time given to God. In a society where

the family is the main focus and children stay home until they marry, these are

devastating occurrences.

What are your hopes for the future of the Anglican church in Bolivia?

To tear down spiritual strongholds of unforgiveness and lies among the

people. To continue to raise up strong, discipled believers for God’s kingdom.

A group effort to rescue women from abuse

CMS mission partner Jill Ball’s project to build a refuge for

abused and vulnerable women in Ecuador is gathering pace.

The project has received the legal go ahead and Jill and the team

have appointed Blanca (wife of Rodrigo, community pastor for the

Baptist church in Laura Flores) to work with abused women and their

children in the town.

Jill says: “Blanca has been getting to grips with the Ecuadorian

legal system and has been accompanying clients in the process of

bringing abusers to court. It is delicate work – calling for great fortitude


and diplomacy.”

After looking around for suitable premises for the refuge, the Christian

charity Orphaids – supporting AIDS orphans - has offered Jill a building, originally

designed to be used as a hospice, which will be ideal for a women’s refuge.

“We will only have to pay running costs, a great blessing indeed,” say Avril and

Andrew Betts-Brown who are trustees of Life in Abundance Trust, a charity in the

UK that supports Jill’s work.

Jill’s busy and expanding mission in Santo Domingo includes running a school

for disabled children. Jill also works in a very poor neighbourhood, built on a

rubbish dump, called Laura Flores.

This year Jill says there is a greater outreach to families for Christ through the two

pre-schools now running there. Pastor Rodrigo and Blanca give weekly Bible teachings

to the mothers, and also run a Sunday school. “It has been good to see the increased

involvement of the Baptist Church in these outreach programmes,” says Jill.

Blanca and Jill recently gave a talk to the women on the subject of abuse; what

it is and what rights people have. More than 20 women were

present and a good number came forward afterwards wanting

prayer and follow up.

Jill says: “Women in Ecuador live in a macho society and have

few opportunities to study or do more than menial work. They

easily become dependent on a man for survival. Until recently

domestic violence was taken for granted as a part of life. There is

a saying in Spanish, ‘o le pata o le mata, esposa es’ – ‘if you kick

her or kill her, she is your wife’.

“UNHCR statistics show that it could be 68 per cent, or as high as 80 per cent

of women in Ecuador who are abused. This ministry to help women in abuse in

Ecuador is part of a worldwide movement, and we believe it is a problem the Lord

is addressing in every country at this time.”

Jill has developed strong links with a Christian organisation founded in South

America that seeks justice on all levels of society - Paz y Esperanza (Peace and

Hope International). The charity started working with abused women in the main

port city of Guayaquil, Ecuador after many years of experience based in Peru.

The charity has run courses on definitions of abuse, women’s rights, fresh

interpretations of sacred texts, and how to go through the legal process, free of

charge in Santo Domingo, in mutual accord with the Baptist church.

The women’s ministry team is being led by Pastor William, who is pastor of

the First Baptist Church of Santo Domingo. He is currently organising talks on the

A woman’s workshop in Laura Flores


subject in the charity house. His work complements Blanca, who looks after the

practical side of the work.

Not only is the charity in contact with Paz y Esperanza, but also with Peace

and Safety in the Christian Home in Canada. Jill travelled to a conference there in

May, in order to gain network support, expertise and knowledge.

Jill says: “We are really only beginning, and are learning all the time. We are

experiencing many setbacks in terms of illness and the demands of time on those

committed to this work, but we remain optimistic and full of faith that the Lord will

have his way, and that many women will be led to lives of freedom and dignity

through this work, and will find salvation for their lives here on earth, and for eternity.”

Prayer points:

• For Blanca, currently experiencing complex health problems

• For William, that he would be able to spend the time needed to develop this ministry

• For suitable people to come and work in this important field

Mission in Peru’s ‘new towns’Bishop Henry Scriven, CMS mission director for Latin America, has just

returned from a trip to Peru to see firsthand the life-changing work of

CMS mission partners and volunteers in a land of contrasts. He writes:

“You can smell the poverty when you get off the plane in Lima”. That’s what

Catherine, my wife, remembers from her time in Lima as a student. I don’t think my

nose is as sensitive as hers, but a few hours in Lima will show anyone the contrasts

between growing prosperity and luxury and extreme poverty; if you are looking, that is.

The fact is that the vast majority of middle class Peruvians have never been

near the poor areas of the city. In June I was able to visit some of the churches,

missions and projects not only in Lima, but in other places in Peru where the

Anglican Church is working.

I went with CMS mission partners Paul and Sarah Tester to Ventanilla, one and a

half hours on a couple of crowded buses, in the north of Lima. It is a ‘new town’ fairly

recently settled mainly by people from outside the city

looking for work. Its saving grace for me is that it has a

view of the ocean and a sense of space and air. But the

houses are very basic – one or two small rooms and

made of wood put together by the owners. The streets

are sand and the shacks sprawl all over the hillside.

San Patricio is a new mission where Paul leads the

A member of the Collique sewing group


youth group on Saturday mornings and Sarah runs a children’s club in the afternoon.

The children are crazy about Sarah and rush up to her to give her a hug when they

see her. We probably had 100 children packed into a tiny wooden chapel doing

activities, listening to Sarah’s talk using a large monkey puppet, singing songs and

colouring in some photocopies she had made of the woman of Samaria.

The chapel has recently fitted a basic bathroom and now has running water

and electricity. They are hoping to construct some more space in the back of the

chapel with old materials from a building knocked down on the property where

the diocesan office is situated in Lima.

On another afternoon I went to another very poor ‘new town’, Collique, with

Mary Brown, a CMS volunteer working with women’s groups, to teach sewing and

craft work. It was another long journey and a depressing place; more shacks cling-

ing to steep, and this time rocky, hillsides. We walked up the hill to the house and

saw where a landslide had occurred recently wiping out several houses and, tragi-

cally, several lives. All the children there had to play in was the dust of the street.

The church, however, is bringing hope and life and Mary is doing a great job

teaching basic sewing skills; she is helped by her translator, Penny Marces, a CMS

associate mission partner married to pastor Juan Carlos.

Please pray for ongoing mission in places where people live in extreme

financial poverty.

Mission partner and rescued miner speak to thousands more

Alf Cooper, who is a CMS mission

partner and protestant chaplain to the President

of Chile, provides the latest update on what he

and rescued Chilean miner Jose Henriquez have

been up to. Alf writes:

“José, Blanca, Hilary and I, plus a few from La

Trinidad went to Saddleback Church in Southern

California over the Easter weekend. Over 50,000

people were reached in their 11 services. Central

to all was Saddleback founder and senior pastor

Rick Warren s sermon on “Rescue”. We arrived in

the middle with our powerful story and over 500

decisions for Christ were recorded.

“Then we were at the Wisconsin Governor s

Prayer Breakfast in Milwaukee. Once again there

was a record attendance with many tears and

lasting impressions for the Lord through José s

testimony. A highlight was that José met one of

the Wisconsin drilling engineers responsible for

actually finding them. He had had to leave before

the end of the rescue.

“The miners have been to Greece lately. We

are preparing for the anniversary. It will be a big

one. ITV wish to break in on this. I am hoping the

President will consent to going on film as well.”

Alf and Hilary


Adelante–Moving ForwardThe CMS Latin America Adelante

conference held at Swanwick in

March was the first conference to be

held since SAMS integrated with CMS in

February 2010.

There were many positive comments

from delegates about the integration –

including a few who said they had initially

been sceptical.

Former SAMS mission partner Valerie Harris, captured the general upbeat sentiment: “The

integration was very necessary and SAMS needed to be integrated with something like CMS.

I went out as a single missionary with SAMS in 1965 to Argentina. I am absolutely thrilled to

be here at the conference. Everything Bishop Tito (as a Chilean and presiding bishop of the

Southern Cone) covered in his address about future leadership in Latin America, is embodied

in this new CMS community.”

Valerie and her husband Pat were SAMS mission partners in the 1960s and 1970s in

Northern Argentina. Pat was bishop of Northern Argentina and later Southwell. He was SAMS

president until the integration.

Valerie added: “It’s clear that joining up with the CMS community is vital and the two

organisations have absolutely dovetailed into one another. It’s a movement of the Holy Spirit

and we thank God for it.”

Another delegate, Michelle Chavez, is married to an Ecuadorian, Olmedo (pictured below),

and has followed SAMS closely for several years. She has friends who have been involved with

SAMS for many years and they encouraged her to attend Adelante.

She told SHARE: “I really enjoyed hearing about the work going on in South America –

especially hearing Bishop Tito talk about the work in Chile, what’s needed to carry on and what

we can appreciate and learn from South America and how it can be an equal partnership.”

Michelle and Olmedo used to work for a Christian theatre company – and travelled across

South America putting on plays in churches, schools, hospitals and prisons.

Another couple, Mark and Jessica Simpson, were also first-time attendees. Mark said: “It’s

been great to meet a bunch of old legends, real prayer warriors, generous givers, ex ‘missos’ and

been great to hear some of their stories from over the years and meet them. It’s been exciting to

think about the way forward and how we can best support churches in Latin America.

“We only married in the last year and it’s been really exciting for us together to get a feel for

CMS and the merger. We’ve both been involved with SAMS in the past and we are also here to

try to discern together how we can be involved in God’s work in South America in the future.”


Amy Dawkins, Ecuador: Ecuador is a vibrant country. It is very green and has

amazing scenery. Living near Quito, daily I walk to a local Bible

college to do my Spanish homework and have Spanish lessons.

As I walk there I see beautiful views of the mountains. Some

days when there are no clouds, I see the volcano, Cotapaxi,

clearly. It is stunning, breath-taking even.

It reminds me of Psalm 121, that I look to the mountains and know where my

help comes from. It comes from the Lord, the maker of the heavens and earth.

It is difficult to remember all of the new Spanish words I am learning, but I know

God is with me. As a trained speech and language therapist it is a surreal experi-

ence to be taught how to talk, rather than helping other people with their talking.

Soon I will move to Santo Domingo to work with CMS mission partner Jill Ball

at a school for children with special needs. I am in anticipation of the next chal-

lenge as it is very different there but I eagerly await it as working with children with

special needs is where my heart lies.

Follow Amy’s blog at: www.englandtoecuador.blogspot.com

Victoria Martineau, Ecuador:After a couple of months of language studies and general ‘set-

tling in’ time I’m now in Santo Domingo. I work with CMS mission partner

Jill Ball in a school for disabled children.

It’s challenging work but wonderful! Needless to say “sit down”, “lis-

ten” and “don’t hit” became the first few phrases in Spanish I picked up.

New opportunities for work are opening up. No idea when yet, but

I’ve been asked to help with a support and counselling group for prostitutes and

abused women. I’m also hoping to start at PEPE very soon (pre-school classes for

shanty town kids).

Recently my life here has really blossomed. My friendships are developing

and I’m doing a lot more social things – including going out for meals, cinema,

playing on a Play Station and even karaoke!

Today, for the first time, I managed to understand the whole church service

- including all the songs, readings and the sermon. As you can imagine this is a

huge breakthrough for me. I am so pleased.

Hugging and greeting people in church, chatting with friends and making plans

to go out, I suddenly realise that I feel as though I belong.

For more about short-term mission opportunities in Latin America, email

[email protected]

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Pat Blanchard is in the UK from 17 May until 11 November from Lima, Peru.Marcus, Tamara and Rebekah Throup are in the UK from Joao Pessoa from 27 May until 17 August.Nick and Catherine Drayson are in the UK from Northern Argentina from 3 June until 30 July.Jonathan, Hilary, Sarah and Jonathan Rowe returned to the UK on 5 July after 11 years with SAMS and now CMS in Spain. They are moving to Truro where Jonathan will be working with the Church of England South West Training Ministry Course.Jill Ball is back in the UK from Ecuador from 25 June until 7 August.The Brice family will be back in the UK from Paraguay from 2 September until 6 December.Short termers: Amy Dawkins left the UK in

April to spend a year in Santo Domingo, Ecuador and Mary Brown left the UK in May to teach dressmaking and sewing skills for six months in Lima, Peru.Tony Attwood, associate mission partner is hoping to leave for Peru soon. He will spend some time in Lima doing Spanish language training before moving to Arequipa.Please continue to pray for mission partner Sue Woodcock in Barcelona, Spain, who is continuing to receive treatment for pancreatic cancer.You can find out more about where and when these Globe+crossers might be in your area on the CMS website 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.

Globe+crossers


Party on in ParaguayColour, joy and optimism are flowing through Paraguay’s veins this year with huge

bicentennial celebrations that included wide media coverage, fireworks, fiestas, ceremonies,

debates/forums and historical displays - putting the country firmly in the spotlight.

CMS mission partner Sally Bartlett, who serves in Paraguay with her husband

Peter, reports:

Over the last year Paraguay has lived out an important part of its history – the celebration of

200 years of independence from Spain – which culminated in a fabulous weekend of celebra-

tions around 15 May 2011.

But this historic moment in Paraguay, the heart of the Americas, has been much more than

just a celebration. Rather it has been a unique opportunity for a country with 17 different ethnic

groups (apart from the many foreigners who have chose to make Paraguay their home) to reflect

on what it means to live in a land with such a varied heritage of distinct cultures and backgrounds.

One of the main thrusts of the celebrations has been to promote a greater understanding of the

actual pluralist cultural reality of Paraguay.

Paraguayans, since the time of the Spanish conquest, have continued to speak their native

languages, especially Guaraní. Much of the celebrations took place through the medium of Guar-

aní and for the first time there was extensive use of sign language to promote the integration of

deaf and partially hearing people.

More than half of the Paraguayan population

is under 20, and the Ministry of Culture and Edu-

cation is seeking to implement education based

on the Guaraní cosmovision - Yvy Maräne’ÿ – a

searching for a religious and ecological territory

which is a virgin land, the land with no ills. In

today’s world this means implementing education

in which every child is valued equally, regardless

of any differences in ideology (or any other sort of

differences) which might exist.

There is a desire amongst Paraguayans to pro-

mote a nation which is authentically independent,

in which unity and freedom are achieved through

honest dialogue and valuing the dignity of each

inhabitant. I belong to a women’s group and over

the past year, we’ve spent time reflecting on what

freedom and unity mean in Paraguay today.

The challenges in today’s global economy are

great. Some 81 per cent of land is in the hands of

1.5 per cent of the population. About 70 per cent

of agricultural land is in the hands of foreigners

and, in the main, is dedicated to the production of

soya. Preservation of ecosystems and indigenous

cultures is of great importance.

For us personally these months of celebra-

tions and national dialogue have offered a unique

opportunity to observe and learn - helping us in

the process of starting to understand the Paraguay

in which we are living and working today.

We really enjoyed a variety of events. A

personal highlight was the Annexe school’s special

service, including a presentation of the last 200

years of history though dance and drama, which

was stunningly beautiful and creative.

There is growing confidence in Paraguay and

President Lugo expressed a growing desire to

unite Paraguay’s six million pairs of hands in order

to eradicate poverty.

How other mission partners in Paraguay celebrated:

Linn Tedman, teacher at St Andrew’s:“It has been a real spectacle of colour. There was a real sense of unity over the official long weekend when the main celebrations occurred. I went into town one evening. There were huge crowds in the street outside the Pantheon de los Heroes, which had been illuminated with a continuous sequence of colours: red, then white, then blue. It was quite beautiful.“Events were held all over the city, ranging from marches, carnival parade, concerts, including one with 200 young harpists - markets, light projections on buildings, military parades, theatre and spectacle, and a massive firework display on the Saturday at midnight. The calen-dar of events has extended well beyond just the weekend.”

Gwen Carlisle, principal of St Andrew’s:“We had a lovely service in the cathedral last Tuesday with Bishop Andres preaching. We also had one of the pastors from the Chaco reading in Enxet. The pupils were amazed at that. It was a lovely celebration of the diversity of Paraguay. Quite a number of parents came too and appre-ciated it. At the end we had the children place their written dreams for Paraguay in a big metal box which was then cemented into a wall in the church grounds to be opened in 2036.”

Caroline Gilmour-White:“In Paraguay red, white and blue, the national colours, are everywhere. You can’t imagine the huge sound produced by 200 harps played simultaneously by teenagers from 15 different cities in Paraguay. It was a glorious celebration of youth, talent and national music. It’s said that music is heard and learned so young that Para-guayans carry the rhythms in their heart.” FEISA Teacher Training College, Asuncion: “We´ve all enjoyed many heart-warming events to mark the occasion - such as parades, special balloons, concerts, folk dances and national and international food fairs. In FEISA, we played our part in this patriotic fiesta by putting on a concert with traditional dances and music of the period.

continued from page 15

Documents

Share magazine Issue 2 2011