stenting and summer holidays

[Catherine breaks the blog silence]

So what did you do this summer?

I spent summer holidays in Argentina (Jan-March) having tests, renal  surgery  and now in England (July-Sept) I am heading for much the same! Life is full of surprises and sometimes not such pleasant ones….

Christmas with the Chorotes  is in the long and distant past. After that we went to Salta for the annual Youth Camp and for a week’s holiday and ended staying longer then bargained for after routine hospital checks showed kidney disfunction. It was an experience,  we were impressed by the surgeon’s skill , care and competence ,  at the same time bemused at the need to buy all that was to be fitted at the pharmacy prior to surgery! ( The mind boggles, buying a stent is one thing…buying a hip prosthesis quite another!)

Sadly, tests in the UK show that  the surgery has not been successful, and left kidney continues to fail, so am now bracing myself for a nephrectomy, but so grateful that I can have surgery at CHH where I once worked, and have the confidence of expertise of Mr David Almond and  in the national Health Service….I thank God so much for His provision in all this!

We came to UK in June to UK for all sorts of good family reasons:  A memorable family wedding in Wells…. end of term show as Stefanie  finished her BTech in Performing Arts, achieving Distinction in all subjects and Performing Arts Student of the year!…. Sam’s Graduation with a 2: 1 in Dance Studies.  We are so thrilled and proud of them both as they have worked so hard and  have been rewarded by their guts and  determination . We are delighted too , that Sam and lovely Sally Ward have found each other (plan to marry July 7^th 2012.)

We have been busy too….speaking in churches in the North of England this time –  hard work but we have been moved by people’s very genuine interest and support, in prayer and financially. It has been wonderful to meet up with so many old friends….and we are so grateful for all the love!!

[Nick adds]: And between March and June:  Sam and Sally came for a holiday, got engaged, and with them we drove 2000 kilometres through the Andes and the Chaco. The centenary celebrations started in Mision Chaquena…. I went to Chile for two weeks of meetings, and made my own small pilgrimage to two of Neruda’s homes….. Catherine encouraged families and women with help from Mechi and others from Buenos Aires and we travelled to more meetings in the Chaco….. and two young musicians joined us for a few weeks….

Phew! So that’s 7 months gone, and I almost forgot we are celebrating 100 years (since the gospel reached the Chaco Indians). How time flies!  (A thousand years are like a day and all that).  It means such a lot to the Amerindian Christians to remember the example and commitment of those who brought them the gospel. Celebrations are being held all over the area during the year. And whilst we focus on the past I know many wonder what the good news will look like in future generations. Certainly there is much about the  church now that makes me wonder what went wrong. Still, the merchandise and special activities help us all reflect on our identity and God’s power.

Christmas with the Chorotes

It was going to be our first Christmas without the family, and it was some time since we had done a “proper” visit to our friends in Mision La Paz, so we figured this was the place to spend the festive season.  In fact it was part of a longer trip of three weeks taking in some high profile events such as handing over land and inaugurating a new church, as well as lots of social visits, a few business meetings and yet more confirmations!

The road was good, it was hot and dry,  and there was little shopping to do, so we started in good spirits. The Chorotes are neither fearsome nor sullen, but generally jolly, and we were well received and cared for throughout our stay. The weather changed regularly, including rain and wind, but this didn’t seem to affect the apparently round the clock commitment to make music, eat and play games!

In fact it was a bit like being at a pop-festival (and we were housed, together with the loud speakers,  in the room behind the main stage!) What a variety of music – performance, worship, dance, and more. Women’s and men’s football, volley, tugs of war, blindman’s buff, sack and wheelbarrow races. Children improvising with whatever came to hand – bicycle wheels, bits of pipe. And food – in all shapes and sizes, and lots of it to share.

And endless visitors – La Paz is situated at the Argentine end of the road-bridge frontier with Paraguay, which, apart from all the associated problems of drug smuggling and prostitution, means that it is the first stop for the many Indian groups who travel through the Chaco to visit their cousins in Argentina. There were dozens of Tapietes and Chulupies from several hundred kilometres away, all of whom were fed and watered and welcomed to join in the festivities. When people knew we were there they also came from far and wide, and we visited some 10 nearby communities as well.

We were struck by people’s cheerfulness, even many who were sick and asking for prayer. We spent much time doing this, often with the same people. Catherine’s skills were much in evidence as she visited families, encouraged the women’s group, and pestered the health services! There were some marked improvements (maybe healings – almost all health issues relate to spiritual causes anyway), but it’s still hard to leave knowing not much action will be taken, and some will probably die.

Oh, and lots of opportunity to practice our fledgling language skills. Strangely although 4 or more languages are spoken in La Paz, it was in some ways easier to try out wichi as well as chorote, precisely because of the mixture and acceptance and understanding of others.

Today is Epiphany – time to get clean now we are back in town, and have an ice-cream or a glass of wine in celebration of Jesus coming for all the nations!

navidad nuestra

In the 4th century John Chrysostom wrote about the prologue of John’s gospel (read on Christmas day):
Truly wondrous is the whole chronicle of the nativity.
For this day the ancient slavery is ended, the devil confounded, the demons take to flight, the power of death is broken. For this day paradise is unlocked, the curse is taken away, sin is removed, error driven out, truth has been brought back, the speech of kindliness diffused and spread on every side – a heavenly way of life has been implanted on the earth, angels communicate with men without fear, and we now hold speech with angels. Why is this? because God is now on earth and man in heaven: on every side all things commingle. He has come on earth, while being fully in heaven; and while complete in heaven he is without diminution on earth. Though he was God, he became man, not denying himself to be God. Though being the unchanging Word,he became flesh that he might dwell among us.

And in wichi the text reads: Häp lham tä häpe Dios Lhämet lhayen hin’oya wet in’amejen. (Jn 1.14)

that synod

Unlike General Synod of the C of E, which gathers representatives (or delegates?) of two provinces (Canterbury and York) made up of 43 dioceses, some of which have existed for several centuries, the Southern Cone of South America has one province made up of 7 dioceses, which has existed for barely 30 years, although its first bishop was appointed in 1869.
However, like the C of E, decisions of its Provincial Synod, celebrated last month, look set to cause one diocese to seek other jurisdiction (albeit within the same Anglican Communion). The decision in question, not to allow member dioceses who so wish to ordain women to the presbyterate, has led the diocese of Uruguay, at an extraordinary synod of its own diocese, to look elsewhere for a context more favourable to their course of ministry.
The Southern Cone, well-known as conservative in its theology and culture (despite some quite radical surroundings in political terms), has long debated this question. Great care was taken to find a way to maintain unity within diversity, and to avoid imposing divisive choices on unwilling minorities. However, to the surprise of many, one of the three houses failed to agree by a sufficient majority to a change in the canons – and here we are…
Interestingly, in the debates leading up to the synod, the Indian churches in Northern Argentina took very seriously the respect with which their opinion was asked by other member churches, and agreed that the debate about women’s ministry must be given proper consideration and weight in each context. Sadly this will not now be possible until maybe one day we become more dioceses and provinces.
On a brighter note, we were privileged to be addressed by Dr Arnoldo Canclini, an eminent Argentine historian, on the early efforts of pioneer missionaries in Tierra del Fuego, without whom we would not have an Anglican church of the Southern Cone. That first bishop in 1869, Waite Stirling, standing praying on the shore of the Beagle Channel, described himself as “God’s southernmost sentry”. We were inspired to look forward and recommit ourselves to God’s purposes for this amazing continent.

more injustice

Advent begins and our sights are turned to Jesus’ comings into the world – to suffer its injustices and ultimately put them right. Recent events (which are a constant for some people) increase the longing for a “new heaven and earth where justice reigns” 2 Pet 3.13

A 20-year-old young man, friend of some of those on our Alpha course, was killed by a hit and run driver, who was subsequently caught. But since the driver’s parents have “connections”, he walked free.

At another level, the frustration of unfulfilled promises for Indian communities can also lead to bloodshed. Whilst they wait, their ancestral lands are steadily taken over by white settlers and oil companies. Sometimes anger boils over: Southern Tobas in La Primavera demonstrated, and police reaction left one Toba and one policeman dead and many wounded or disappeared. A priest friend of ours is accused of inciting to violence, but the truth is likely to be rather different. Our Wichi neighbours, who are “occupying” government housing built on “their” lands, are understandably nervous.

But so are those, including many from churches, working with human rights organizations. It is becoming increasingly necessary for groups such as our own Asociana, to hire defence lawyers, and expect to be targeted by hostile reactions even in countries with left-leaning governments such as Argentina and Paraguay. Shortly after first postiong this the offcies of a Chaco based group in Paraguay defending the Ayoreos was raided.

travels in narnia

[Catherine writes]
It is hot, and very sunny …the north wind is pounding , and we have closed and shuttered doors and windows as best we can…..an ideal time to begin to write a blog entry.
October has been an interesting and challenging month for me, as I have travelled to several Indian communities to encourage and do some teaching and training both for Children’s and Women’s work…
Mercedes Tarragona and Carolina McLean from St Mark’s Church in Buenos Aires offered to come and accompany us. They had visited previously with a larger group from their church, and at the time had been impacted by the life and ways of the Indian Communities and struck by the many challenges they are facing. Mercedes offered to return and accompany us in encouraging children’s teaching / Sunday-School type work. So together we braved the dust, and heat and harsh conditions, sleeping on floors, where the bathroom is the great outdoors, and meeting the surprises along the way with great humour and relish.
I had already had planned a Women’s conference in Santa Teresa, a fairly isolated village in the province of Formosa (the Wichi Christian women try to meet twice a year at different destinations, to encourage one another and to receive some teaching) so we combined children’s work and women’s work!
Mercedes is a highly talented communicator, with a great gift of encouragement and a rare gift of managing to involve everyone, whatever their cultural background, ….so she set about providing learning environments which perhaps were rather different from those experienced before by the Wichi and Toba women, but which seemed to really cut through even language barriers (one person commented that she was convinced that Mercedes was speaking Wichi!)
Using many multi-sensory methods of teaching and communicating the Bible, (eg. making use of wool, drama, movement, songs, skipping, games, painting, simple crafts , naturally found materials …….) she somehow opened up new possibilities of teaching and enjoying the word of God at the same time as teaching its principles. We travelled with a team, taking with us both Toba and Wichi translators who also have a heart for children and it was with great joy that we saw them leading the skills training and teaching!
Some communities are doing some sterling work, they have had many training courses over the years, with very basic tools, but we noticed that many of the communities had neglected to teach their children, saying “because we cannot teach the way the missionaries did….” We hope and pray that this brief visit will have encouraged and challenged many to develop their own culturally appropriate ways to cherish and teach their children who are being influenced by so many outside influences, especially TV, visitors, etc ……and to begin to recognise the need to teach Christian values at home as well as for an hour or two on Sunday….
The women’s Conference was a challenge: we had planned to take two vehicles but the Indian driver needed a lot of convincing to come with us as he had been invited elsewhere. But some “persuasive charm” managed to convince him and he not only came and drove, but also helped and sang! I also got a really nasty flu virus just days before leaving……but we still went, and the main day was focused on the Book of Ruth. Teaching was about “The Family” and especially related to our family relationships, it struck a chord and it was a time of real blessing (even if the men did take over in the evening….)! There is much need of furthering literacy skills, and of encouraging the families (especially women) to resume a more active role in the education (spiritual and otherwise) of their children.
We sometimes think of our life here as being rather like Narnia. Like the children in the Chronicles we find ourselves in a strange land, where anything could happen or anyone/anything could appear at any time (we did not meet Mr Tumnus on this journey.. but we did meet a very cute armadillo, several pet/wild rabbits, and ostriches…who would have spoken I am sure if given half a chance…) But far from being just a story, like Susan and Peter we find we have been put here to exercise influence and fight battles that we never imagined, and it is all dangerously real! We also feel at times, (probably most of the time) that we don’t know how to do this. The Amerindians are often unfathomable, and their understanding of life, their ways, are so different from ours that we wonder if we shall ever be able to bring anything to them and to their situation , of lasting benefit. Fortunately Aslan is on the move!
There were definitely some Narnia moments on this trip: the day we arrived at La Mocha with a load of women (on the way to the Women’s conference) having organised a workshop for the Sunday-School workers in the area and to have lunch. Everyone denied knowledge of the arrangement and had gone fishing. Also at La Mocha some more “persuasive charm” was used to oust the men from the back of the truck who had decided they wanted to go to the Women’s conference instead of the women….!
Mercedes and Carolina also told the story of their visit to the Chorotes at Mision La Paz. Having sat through hours of baptisms (80 + of them!) and asking themselves, “What are we doing here?” a Sunday-School teacher took them to one side and said that she had been waiting for them to come, and knew that God had sent them just for her ………! They were able to pray with her and minister deeply to her.
The joy of seeing everyone, women, pastors, youngsters, learning how to use ”The Book without words” such a simple, effective tool, the privilege of listening to and praying with a woman, who said that she had waited some 8 years to tell someone her problem and to find help and healing. Finishing ministering at 1 in the morning and beginning to wonder how I would find my way back in the dark to our lodgings ….to be surprised by a couple of angels who had come to look for me to guide me home…and all the women were up waiting for me!
The fun of being together as women, laughing at most everything, sleeping as always on the floor, hearing the Wichi women in the dark, praying the Lord’s prayer and reciting psalms as they committed the safety of the night to Him…..some magical moments and such a privilege to be part of the Anglican church in the north of Argentina with its rich variety of styles and experiences.
[For more photos see the link opposite]

too many deacons – (chiapas style?)

We are approaching the end of another school of theology, this time with a larger than normal turn-out, as we tried to insist that those ordained in recent years without the completion of formal training, should take the opportunity to complete their studies. However, this has not been easy as there as so many deacons…

The subject of “too many deacons” came up in conversation the other day with our local Catholic bishop. His response? “Ah, Chiapas” (My ears pricked up since this was the very place where I did my gap year almost 39 years ago, and first had contact with the Indians.)  It turns out that in that one diocese in Southern Mexico the Vatican has forbidden the bishop to ordain any more deacons.

The reason given is that they are not properly trained, and that the numbers are disproportionately higher than in other dioceses. However, some suspect that maybe the hidden agenda is that this is an area where the Indians have been influenced by left-wing movements, and the church is something of a power base (many of these leaders did take up arms for a short time with the Zapatista rebels). Others suggest that this is an attempt to pressurize the Catholic church into accepting the married priesthood in a culture where there is little calling to celibacy.

The local bishop insists though, in line with his much-loved “revolutionary” predecessor Samuel Ruiz, that in fact this is all to do with trying to encourage an “iglesia autoctona” (autochthonous church), where appropriate models of both selection and training of leadership are applied.

I would be fascinated to know what their training consists of, and what sort of indigenous understanding of the diaconate has emerged, since we are being asked for more ordinations, and are tempted to take the Vatican’s line.

more than one horse

Having once described Juarez as a “one horse dorp” (John Buchan, 39 Steps) I was recently proved wrong when the local criollo culture turned out in force to put on their annual “doma de caballos” – literally horse taming/breaking, but more like a rodeo.

This town, which is now largely Indian, became the centre for gauchos and their steeds from many outlying forest stations, to show off their skills, meet their friends (and drink themselves into oblivion once darkness fell) – whilst the Indians faded into the background. As with all cultures there is so much that is good, but which we normally don’t get to see because of the uglier aspects which come to the fore in the racial interface with their neighbours.

This is something we have to juggle with as we slip from culture to culture.

the frozen north

In Pozo el Toro there are two good reasons for gathering wood: making a fire for cooking and keeping warm, and carving. It is important to know where to find the right fallen trees for each. So we discovered when we took a group of visitors from Buenos Aires to experience life amongst the”tayhi lhele” (wichi forest people).

They travelled 16 hours in their new off-road vehicles to our home, and then a further 4 (on off-road tracks) to our destination. After cutting firewood in one place we were shown another sort of tree (“hok” or palo santo) which is ideal for the craftsmen who were due to be running a workshop next day. Jorge from Santa Maria also explained which plants provides the raw material for the production of woven string bags, and dyes. (He then asked Chris thoughtfully, and with some pride, “what esle can we teach them”!)

Pozo el Toro rarely receives visitors, and as yet no church has been planted here. However, at an evening meeting round the fire, the elders asked officially to be included in the Anglican family, and next day sent one of their leaders to the confirmation service at nearby Alto de la Sierra.

Our return journey was a bit longer, as our guide took us down some rather narrow tracks, which turned out not to lead anywhere (the city vehicles were severely put to the test!)  Stefi was also with us, and found the meeting of cultural extremes such as Buenos Aires and Pozo el Toro fascinating! She has since bravely undergone the rigours of two youth camps…

But the abiding memory of this past month has been the cold. Yes, it’s hard to believe that most of the year we suffer from too much heat. But living mainly outside you notice these things, and it really has been a struggle to keep warm. We longed to be home and beside a fire, something which the wichi do well!

Uruguay and Ulster

As part of our trip to UK via Buenos Aires we have discovered the delights of these two places previously unknown to us.  Apart from U what do they have in common?

Both have – friendly people and wonderful hospitality, rolling countryside, important river port and coastline, famous shipwrecks*, and talkative bishops! Good weather too – cold but sunny. A long coastal path to run (or walk) along.  Cool buildings and sculptures. A history dominated by a powerful neighbour or two.  And excellent local brews…

*Ulster is building much of its tourism industry on the fact that Titanic was built and launched in Belfast (“she was alright when she left here!”). Montevideo continues to remember the German pocket battleship Graf Spee which lies at the bottom of the River Plate, after one of the earliest sea battles in WW2.