Catherine and Nick both have vast experience of work among both Latinos and indigenous people after service during four decades in Argentina and Spain. Nick is Suffragan Bishop with special responsibility for the indigenous churches, which make up the majority of the diocese of Northern Argentina.
Read their blog on www.ampey.wordpress.com
June 2009 News from Caroline Gilmour-White at the Anglican Diocese of Paraguay.
Brazil
Severe flooding has displaced many tens of thousands of people in northern and north eastern Brazil and killed dozens of others.
Weeks of torrential rain have affected several Brazilian states, especially the ones in the semi-arid region, leading to at least 200,000 people becoming homeless.
Some of the worst affected states were Pará, Maranhão, Piauí, Ceará and Paraíba, which are among the poorest in the country.
Tearfund’s Country Representative for Brazil, João Martinez da Cruz, said, ‘The recent torrential rains were a real surprise to the local people. Temperatures are always high and it normally only rains for a few months during the year.’
Tearfund partner ACEV (Evangelical Action) reports in recent weeks many houses were practically submerged by water in a neighbourhood of Patos, the town where they are based in the state of Paraíba.
Sacha Medcraft from ACEV, said, ‘The rescue services could not cope with the demands and we had to mobilise a large number of volunteers to help out. In three hours, it rained more than in four months.’
ACEV has mobilised local church volunteers and members of the community to help provide basic provisions for those forced from their properties.
Other regions of the country have been severely affected by floods in recent months, especially the states of Santa Catarina in the south, São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro in the south east.
Pray for nurse Beryl Baker who offers the only hope of medical treatment to around 18,000 indigenous people in the Paraguayan Chaco. She has dedicated nearly 30 years of her life to this area and describes herself as ‘orderly, gynaecologist, midwife and dentist’, treating anything from TB to gunshot wounds and snakebite. Government funding provides some medicines but offers little else in the way of support. The needs are considerable and alongside meeting daily health challenges Beryl trains indigenous health promoters to meet some basic community health needs.
PLEASE PRAY
Transport for clinic patients
Couple with TB
Wound from spider bite
Boy with fractured collarbone
Damiana Galeano with chronic arthritis
We send you loving greetings from Santiago here in Chile.
We have now been in Santiago for six months pasturing a relatively small congregation with an average attendance of 30 adults and 15 children each Sunday. Our church is located in a working-class sector in the borough of San Joaquín. Most members of the congregation are working folk.
Since we arrived they have received us with great affection, particularly as they had been two years without a pastor of their own, and were led by the church council. Now we have got to know nearly all the members pretty well through different activities in the church and by visiting them in their homes.
Recently, that is, on April 10th we had a day-long spiritual retreat for the whole church, which proved to be a time of rich communion of our brothers and sisters. We enjoyed lunch together too. Nearly every member attended and there was a lovely spirit among the believers. We are so grateful to God for this.
We have several challenges:
The truth is that we are very encouraged as we face these challenges. We ask you to pray that God will be glorified.
For our part, we are in good health, praise God. Just a little nostalgia from time to time as we remember our families, brothers and friends in the South. I give thanks to the Lord that my sons stayed in Temuco as they remain very much connected to the activities of their church and all three are working with good prospects for the future. Elías has just been elected treasurer of the church in the IX Region; Jonatan is on the PCC of his church, Holy Trinity in Temuco, and Timi continues to play in the music group.
Along with my wife, Paty, we want to express our affection for you all. We remember you constantly and we are grateful for your prayers for our activities.
In the love of the Lord,
Abelino and Paty.
Yesterday (26 March) the Court ordered the provincial government to suspend permits granted for the removal of around a million hectares of native forest in the departments of Orán, San Martín, Rivadavia and Santa Victoria until a study can be made of the effect of deforestation on the environment.
The Court understood that while the granting of each permit had taken into consideration its environmental impact, no study had been made concerning the cumulative effect of all the permits.
It added that “the effect of the removal of around a million hectares is something that cannot be ignored and, in the words of the representative of the national Secretariat for the Environment and Sustainable Development at the public hearing of 18 February, it will certainly be negative”.
This decision extended the cautionary measure given on 29 December and ordered the suspension of all permits, not only those granted in the last quarter of 2007.
In addition, “it warned of the clear danger of serious damage with the possibility of significant climate change in the region, affecting not only the present occupants of the land but future generations as well. Such damage would be irreversible, as there would be no way to return things to how they were before. Care of the environment is not the enemy of development and progress; rather, the two are complementary as environmental care brings lasting enjoyment for future generations.”
The Court stated that the study should be carried out by the Province of Salta together with the national Secretariat for the Environment and Sustainable Development, “with extensive participation from the communities living in the area affected”.
April 2009 South American Mission Society
This was our big day, Sunday 29th March, the consecration of Peter Bartlett as Anglican Bishop in Paraguay. It was warm and sunny. The Cathedral was packed. Bishops from all over South America came, as well as supporters from England. It was wonderful to celebrate communion as a big family. There was a party atmosphere, everyone looking forward to the new growth and changes that Peter may promote.
For praise
For prayer
With love in Him, Caroline
Peter Bartlett was consecrated as Bishop of Paraguay on 29 March at a service held at the cathedral church of San Andrés in Asunción. It was a warm and sunny day and the Cathedral was packed. Bishops from all over South America came, as well as supporters from Europe. Pray for Bishop Bartlett as there are many dimensions to the challenges which are faced in Paraguay.
In 2009, there will be new theological leadership training opportunities available for clergy and lay leaders in the Anglican Diocese of Paraguay
New English Bishop, Peter Bartlett, arrives on 23rd March 09 with a mandate to strengthen theological training across the diocese’s city, urban and rural churches. He will be preparing the way long term for national leadership of the church. Recently retired Bishop John Ellison established an excellent foundation to build on through weekly training in the capital, Asuncion, and a cascade system in the widespread and isolated indigenous churches.
A Paraguayan graduate from the Anglican theological centre in Santiago, Chile, which serves the Anglican province of the southern cone, has a vision for church youth training. With 2 centre congregations, 6 urban and 10 indigenous churches in the diocese, the potential for leadership growth is enormous. Already there are two students in the church wanting to pursue the theological degree course at the Mennonite Evangelical University. The course is popular but there are not enough key study texts to go round. The Anglican Church is keen to provide for its own students and future key workers so that it can become a more integrated part of the wider South American theological community.