Nick and Catherine Drayson in N. Argentina

Dear Friends

We hope you have had a good summer holiday, and are getting geared up for the autumn. We are just emerging from an unusually cold spell, and adjusting to warmth and dust!

Training

As we write, we are in the midst of a school of theology run by our colleague Rene Pereira for present and future leaders in the Indian churches. Over the fortnight, almost 100 students will have attended. Some of these will return to rather difficult home situations, so we are praying they will be inspired by the time with others. Training and ordinations have been rather haphazard in recent years, leaving many in positions of responsibility with no training at all, with resulting mayhem, so we are trying to get to grips with some of these issues. There are many younger people, and not many alternatives at present to the “dance” craze and the lure of other more “exciting” churches.

It is easy to feel rather overwhelmed by the needs in this area, but hopefully the arrival of David and Shelley Stokes (due to be joining the theological education team in November), both fluent Wichí speakers, will make a big difference.

Travels

After almost a year of travelling throughout the area, in an attempt to try and visit every community and get to know the people and their leaders, it is encouraging to feel that we not only recognize but also have a relationship with many of these students which we can now build on. We are also frequently asked about women and children’s work. It is complicated, as the area is so large, and funding so poor. Catherine is writing a project proposal at the moment involving a five-year plan involving women and children’s education in the broader sense. She is trying to do this in a way which empowers them, rather than them just waiting

for the next mission partner to do it all!

L

Weather

We have been astonished how cold it has been over the “winter” months here, considering how hot it is the rest of the year. If you thought the English talked about the weather, try living here! It is a constant factor in our plans and, of course, weather-related things like flooding or drought can affect people’s lives hugely (and not just our travel plans and living conditions).

Youth

The unusual cold spell didn’t stop the youth camps in Juárez and Misión Chaqueña, and following on from these we have started a Youth Alpha in the Criollo church here in Juárez. With about 90 at the “supper” and between 30 and 50 turning up each week (an interesting mix of Criollo, Toba and Wichí and some travelling from a nearby town), the administration is causing Catherine some challenges! The leaders are taking it very seriously, but there are many challenges, not least letting the young people do the talking in the small groups! The course is also a challenge economically for the church, which has a meagre income, but they are being faithful and generous and are excited to see results.

Language

In the above context, language isn’t a problem but in other areas we continue to be challenged by the vital need to learn Wichí well. Nick is having to use what he understands and “wing it”, but still needs some more thorough study before he can speak well.

But elsewhere language needs are being met, as the Toba New Testament is finally ready and will be presented to representatives of the tribe by the Argentine Bible Society on 29 August. Mike Browne, the translation coordinator, will now face the challenge of helping the communities with literacy.

Land

Another “handing over” will take place later in the month, when the title deeds of land bought by the church for the purpose of resettling displaced communities will be given to those who now live on it. Unfortunately there are still many unresolved disputes over land, and often great dangers involved in trying to protect the rights of the vulnerable Indian communities, and the environment. We rely very much on our colleagues in the Asociana (land-rights) team for this, as well as Andrew Leake who is researching some of the wider questions of saving the forest. Talking of land, we have been alarmed recently to discover that many properties in the town, including the one we live in, are not safe from legal corruption, and some have been

expropriated. This has given us a greater urgency to sort out proper fencing (and papers) and to start looking seriously at developing some sort of conference centre for the area. This is time consuming, expensive, and the departments who are supposed to do the paperwork are actually in dispute… nothing is ever straightforward! Nothing is ever straightforward… an amusing example The telephone line connected to our house shortly afterwe arrived has failed to work for most of the year, and we have been unable to persuade the telephone company to fix it. Inadvertently, while felling a tree to make space forthe fence, we bought down the telephone cable which serves our neighbours – the military barracks! This may be

one way of getting the phone company to turn out… (not intentional of course!)

Points for prayer:

Our family; Stefanie and Sam are starting final years at college and university and Stefanie hopes to do a gap year (2011) somewhere in this hemisphere.

The right choice of leaders for the Indian churches, with appropriate training.

Development of the women and children’s work.

Growth of Alpha.

Continued protection and insight as we travel. Stamina to cope with varied and extreme weather!

Good relationships both within the communities and with those who visit and support.

Memory and ability for learning Wichí.

The Tobas as they get the Scriptures in their language.

Wisdom in the land issues large and small.

Give thanks for our very capable team of mission partners, both Argentine and European, for whom we also have pastoral care.

Many blessings,

Nick and Catherine

Update on Sue Woodcock’s health in Spain

Sue has been undergoing some tests at Sabadell hospital after feeling quite unwell over the last couple of months. These tests have now shown that Sue has cancer of the pancreas, which was unexpected and has come as quite a shock. The cancer is inoperable and the prognosis is that she will live for about a year. The hospital in Spain began chemotherapy last week and for the time being Sue plans to stay there. Please pray for Sue as she deals with the news and begins treatment, and has to think about practical considerations. Sue has sent me a text message since receiving this news; “He still reigns and is, and will be, faithful.”

Mission isn’t an exclusive calling for the few, it’s for everyone!

Mission isn’t an exclusive calling for the few, it’s for everyone.  Mission is at the heart of Christian discipleship.  It involves and demands all of us as we are called to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength.  Something significant emerges when we grasp the fact that mission must be modelled through servanthood.  Remember, authentic mission depends on the miracle of God’s participation.

Welcome to SAMS

“Christian mission is about being inside out and upside down! It is about change and transformation. It turns individuals and communities inside out. It is about people in every nation discovering and living by the upside down values and priorities of God’s Kingdom.”

Bishop Ken Clarke (SAMS Mission Director)

Sewing Project Update

Big question – how to condense all that’s happened with sewing into something quick for you to read?

Zeballos Cue
Regina at ZC not stopped smiling for 2 weeks now! Five women meeting on a Sat p.m. (Emilia, Cornelia her d-i-l, Deolinda, Regina and Mirta – can’t always come because has twin boys aged 12 and an older one. Husband Ramon works in wood yard.).   In the first week, E, C and D had made 5 different variations of the Judit bag, some smaller according to the cloth they had. All three decided to give their own first bags as an offering for the building fund. When I followed up with the cards with Jude’s scripture Matt 25.21 about the talents, both of us were amazed – that’s what they had done without knowing it!  They have made all the placemats – the one you see was the last and are planning how to make bags with other cloth they have. I took the photos in the school shop were Regina works. I can take her stuff on Weds when Luis comes to pick her up on his motorbike. She `s taken back the two Janomes on this.

San Andres

Marta,Teresa and Juana with their own bags

Marta,Teresa and Juana with their own bags

San Andres also gone mad about bags. Everyone made about 4 each with any cloth they could get hold off – this is a first. Teresa`s daughter has made some with lace on  I was overjoyed to see this, I`ve got bags and bags of lace. Both SA and ZC are

selling the bags for around 30.000 which is a good price. All three people at  SA  got orders for more, also at ZC.  Two great things had happened when I re-met this club. Club been given a good Singer from an ex missionary and Marta been given a good machine for home by Sharon  – so all feeling really good.

Not many people have finished their skirts but this is okay. Better that they practice on the bags and then return with more confidence to the skirt. In their minds this a tall order and they lack the time to concentrate on the zip. I’m sure we’ll get an opportunity to go back to this.  Miriam, the lady Jude helped with the zip, has finished hers.  Marie, an older lady with a machine that she fought with through not knowing it, is now making miles of sheets for her home and completely happy. Everyone has come a long way. Most are now happy on modern machines.  Juana, who had never really sewed with an electric or any machine is now making bags on a Janome at the club. She was given a 1946 treadle converted to electric which is okay but heavy going. Today I took her the Lervia from SL – a modern machine which sews beautifully but the bobbin winder has packed up. We discovered she can wind the bobbins on 1946 and sew on the Lervia!   David O has been saying for a while that the way forward could be machines at home (as reinforcers for those at the club) and this year that looks as if it is the way forward.

Breakthrough in self-sustaining/donation scheme
For ages been wondering how to handle cloth donations with clubs making things to raise money for church ministries where the participants themselves are poor and not making ends meet. In SA it’s been unclear for a long time and caused personal difficulties. Yesterday we hit on a scheme – a cloth bank. We can provide some cloth of certain types for the clubs to make what they can make to sell for their ministries and other cloth (prob for bags) at a reduced price for the participants to buy to make bags at home, now that most have machines at home.  Teresa`s daughter (SA) knows a good shop in Petirossi which sells good bag material cheaply. Sally, Teresa and I hope soon to make a round trip to visit this shop, the Pilar off cuts place and a great place further away which has a brilliant wool selection because we all want to knit more and wool or similar is not common here. It will be great to go with others because more heads are better than one any day.

Chaco, Rio Verde
Jeny and Sue McCaul launched sewing with 2-3 women, 2 Paraguayan and one Indian, and Marie (now more confident on her own machine) and Ed will talk to them about how to take this forward. All things worked together for good here, in spite of, and in the long run as we’ve seen with the two clubs above, the tough bit about turning women away this time. Their time will come and it will bring blessing and growth for them as it has for the two clubs above.

Caroline’s Wycliffe Skirt
When I’d finished my skirt and it was all perfect according to Wycliffe rules,  I couldn’t work out why I didn’t really like it. Then I saw a photo of the model Twiggy in a short skirt and jacket and got my answer. I’ve got legs (below the knee a bit) and I can do a Twiggy with them, if I have a good pair of skirt shoes (taking a leaf out of Christine`s book) .- so, another middle of the night job, I pinned up inches of the hem till it was the Twiggy height and hey presto, it looked better. I just have to take it in at the sides a bit and then re-draw my Wycliffe pattern and then I can go off for eternity making Twiggy skirts.

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Thank you all of you so much for all the support and encouragement and effort and sacrifice you gave to make all this possible. Sally B is hugely encouraged, the long run up (Moira – you’ve been part of this) has led to this and we couldn’t have skipped any of that – that’s the Lord’s way and training.

God bless and lots of love, Caroline

The Miners in Chile

Pray for everyone involved and especially the engineers in Chile have begun drilling the rescue shaft through which they hope to eventually free the 33 men trapped in a collapsed mine. The miners have been stuck 2,300ft underground for the past three weeks.

 

 

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