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RUMC sponsors the EMANA project in Iqueque, Chile. To learn more about this mission click here. Emana's mission is to contribute to the development of the Andean communities in order for the people to live more abundant and dignified lives in accordance with what the Creator wants for all of his children. They do this through a variety of programs, the largest of which is an agricultural school for children of the native Aymara people.

Notes from Becky Harrell:

December 8, 2006

After our recent EMANA newsletter many have responded with questions which I pray the following will better answer. We thank you for your heart for Emana and her work with Andean Youth, and as you to continue to pray for us during this time of transition.

The recess of Kusayapu has come as a decision of the local Methodist Church of Chile, as it is their project. It has not been an easy decision for them. The enrollment of Kusayapu has decreased each year for the past 5 years. We have the capacity for 150 students and need a stable enrollment of about 110 to 120 to financially function. Our numbers have dropped from 100 to 90 to 83 and now to the current 54 students (factors that effected that decrease are various). The Methodist Church of Chile decision to recess will allow EMANA in 2007 to research the current needs of the Aymara people and it is possible that a change in technical courses (from agriculture to another specialty) might be of more interest to high school students. But, in the meantime, there is much God is guiding us to focus on for the families of Andean youth.

Plans in 2007, during the recess are to focus on Community Development....that will include the following at Kusayapu Advance 14791T
Adult Education Courses in elementary and high school level classes. A survey of the pueblos of Canyon Tarapaca will conclude in December 2006. Some funding will come from the Minister of Education, but assistance from congregations by sponsoring an adult is needed.
Opening the Kusayapu library to residents of Canyon Tarapaca. Funding is needed to support training a resident of Pachica to maintain the library. Needs are for automation software, bar codes, labels, etc.
Begin basic computer use and Internet classes in the library. We are looking for VIM's with Spanish capabilities and knowledge of computers to facilitate these classes.
First Aid and other levels of medical training to residents of the altiplano, placing first aid kits in each home.
Expansion of our new Eye Glasses Program, which will require more donated (labeled) prescription glasses and sunglasses. Teams are needed to distribute these glasses throughout the altiplano.
Expansion of our Intregal Health Project to receive additional Medical Teams and Dental Teams for treatment of altiplano residents
Agriculture Training for better seed and better production (to partner with a government program).
Assisting the women of Pachica in selling their artisan goods (a coop with a U.S. Congregation)
Vocational classes to prepare heads of households for new jobs (partner with a government program)
Construction Work Teams are needed at the Kusayapu facility.
The migration of the Aymara people from throughout the altiplano to Alto Hospicio (a city near Iquique) continues. The government has offered the residents of the pueblos affordable land and homes in Alto Hospicio. With the continued decrease in water for farming because of the increase in mining company work in the altiplano, migration to the city has been in great numbers. And as expected, this migration has brought new problems and difficulties.

Center for Family Counseling (CAF) Advance14800A

During the First Aid training at Kusayapu we will explain the counseling services available for women, children and men whose lives are lived amid family violence as a result of addictions and abuse. Although the Center for Family Counseling is located in Alto Hospicio, with the continued migration from the altiplano to the city of Alto Hospicio we feel many Aymara may come to seek the help offered at CAF. CAF is seeking funding for a fulltime professional counselor at the Center. This person is not only in charge of individual and family counseling, but workshops. Currently about 80 (mostly women) are enrolled in this project.

Center for Feeding Children (CEREIMI) (Advance 09751A
Children in the barrio of Lincolyan in Iquique are fed a hot lunch Monday through Friday and volunteers come to tutor students in this afterschool program. For these children, this is the only meal they will receive during the day. Their families are caught up in the snare of drug and alcohol addictions and in some cases prostitution. Donations are needed to support one staff person to purchase food and prepare meals and for food and kitchen supplies. Vocational job training at Kusayapu for qualified adults and parents will effect the lives of these children in a positive way. Currently about 45 children participate in this program.
The Methodist Church of Chile is hopeful that EMANA and her projects will touch the lives of the Andean youth through these projects. But we cannot do it alone. We pray that God will lead you to continue in partnership with us. Your prayers are needed at this moment. We know God is in control and that God is with us. Please remember to pray for the Andean youth and Emana each day.

In a Community of Love for God's world,

Becky Harrell
Coordinator-EMANA

October 25, 2006

The following article was writted by UMC-VIM Ann Burger of Witchita,Kansas, regarding our new project. Ann has been working with us at Emana since January 2006, and will end her term in December 2006. We have been blessed by her presence and by her love of God's people.

Becky Harrell

New Ministry of EMANA Provides Sight in Chile
By Ann Burger, UMC-VIM

The “gift of sight” can bring smiles to the faces of both young and old. During the first week of October 2006, EMANA expanded its Integral Health Project to include an eyeglass ministry for the Andean people in the pueblos of Northern Chile . Over 120 people ages ranging from 14 years old to over 80 years old came through our eyeglass clinic in three days. Nearly 100 prescription eyeglasses were given out to those in need for both reading and distance, along with over 100 sunglasses, which were greatly needed to prevent sun damage to their eyes.

Mission volunteers, Mark and Johanna Waltz brought the necessary eye equipment and expertise to run our first eyeglass clinic. The mission team from First United Methodist Church of Wichita, Kansas brought over 1,500 eyeglasses and sunglasses donated by individuals and the Kansas Lions Club to add to the 400 we already had. We began the new ministry at our school, Kusayapu in Pachica for two days. Students and staff of Kusayapu along with people from the pueblo of Pachica had their vision checked and many received eyeglasses. On the third day, the eyeglass clinic was relocated in Colchane by the Bolivian border, nearly three hours by bus from Pachica. Upon arrival, we were greeted with smiles, open arms and a cup of tea. Our group consisted of 10 people with over 1,500 eyeglasses ready to provide the “gift of sight” to as many people possible. We went to serve and share the love of Jesus Christ with the Aymaran people. Aside from receiving eyeglasses and sunglasses, many also received a Bible. In return, they demonstrated their gratitude through endless smiles, handshakes, hugs, and kisses and prepared a wonderful lunch for us. We received wonderful support from the local Health Department of Colchane who is eager for us to return for another eyeglass clinic.

We are grateful for the donation of a focometer, complete lens set and eye charts that have been given by Mark Waltz, which makes it possible to continue with this ministry next year. We will need the continued support of our future mission teams to bring more eyeglasses and sunglasses, along with more individuals and/or teams to run our eyeglass clinic. A great need here in the pueblos of Chile for eyeglasses and sunglasses has been discovered and EMANA will continue to seek ways to expand its new eyeglass ministry.

Special thanks to the Kansas Lions Club, Mark & Johanna Waltz and the mission team from First UMC of Wichita, KS consisting of, Bonnie Beuning, Cal Gibson, June Moore, Janet & Bob Robinson and Marcia Schuler for their work and support to our eyeglass ministry.


Becky Harrell, Missionary
UMC General Board of Global Ministries
Missionary Code #15141Z
The EMANA Project, Advance #14791T
Casilla 832
Iquique, Chile
www.emana.org

Sent: Wednesday, September 13, 2006
Subject: Instituto Agricola Kusayapu

Dearest friends and family of Emana and Instituto Agricola Kusayapu

Many things have occurred these past months and it is now time to share with our family in the United States. All of you have been aware of our economic condition due to the decline in enrollment over the past several years. Our research and conversations throughout the altiplano and northern region has produced the following decisions, which come only after much discussion (two years) and study.

At the leadership of District Superintendent Maximo Calderon and with the approval of the Junta Administrativa (Board of Directors) of EMANA, Corporacion Metodista in Santiago, and Obispo Neftali Aravena of the Methodist Church of Chile, it has been decided to change the scope of work at Instituto Agricola Kusayapu. That change will come in many forms, so I would like to share that vision with you.

Our first work has been to visit with and work in conversation with the Minister of Education offices in Iquique, who have helped guide us through this process.
We are aware that there is no longer a desire of the Andean youth to study in an internado (or boarding school) setting and few want to study agriculture. Approved plans are to no longer offer high school level studies at Kusayapu. We will, of course, make sure that our juniors are either offered a way to complete their agriculture title next year at Kusayapu or in another nearby agriculture school. Also, we have received an open door invitation from colegios Robert Johnson and William Taylor (our sister Methodist schools) in Alto Hospicio to accept our freshman and sophomore students without question.

Just last night we met with the Directivos of Kusayapu (Principal Jose Salgado, Vice Principal Gabriel Cayo, Chaplain Pastor Ricardo Rojas, Head of Curriculum Jose Quiroz, and Head of Production Paulo Huerta) who were informed of this decision to change the scope of Instituto Agricola Kusayapu. Although somewhat shocked and surprised, after discussion ensued all agreed that our inability to even meet payroll on a month to month basis and complete inability to meet payroll taxes and other expenses like providing meals to teachers and students and fuel for transportation all played a huge factor. This process has begun and parents and students will be notified in October 2006 in a special meeting. As I will not be in Chile at that time, Pastor Maximo Calderon will head up the dialog.

Important to the Junta Administrativa of EMANA and EMANA staff is for our teachers and staff to have the opportunity to contract new jobs in 2007. Had we waited until December to give them this notice, most 2007 jobs would have already been taken, and doing so would not have been responsible on our part. Not all staff will be retired. Some of the remaining staff at Instituto Agricola Kusayapu may have schedule and duty changes, but work at the Instituto will continue as our responsibility to the Andean community continues.

Our next step, upon my return from training at GBGM will be to begin plans for 2007 Adult Education classes at Instituto Agricola Kusayapu; begin the steps to assist the farmers throughout the altiplano in investigation and research of new and better seed crops and production; automation of the Kusayapu library to open this library to all residents of the Canyon Tarapaca; begin computer training classes; offer technical training to adults and young Bolivian youth who are working the farms in most pueblos. The women of Pachica are asking for us to open our property in Huara as a location for them to sell their artisan crafts. UCLA in 2007 will build a new museum and research center in the Canyon Tarapaca, which will effect the population and tourism of the area. Properties in Matilla and Enquelga will be highly critical to the agriculture investigation and research to take place, so it is important that small centers of study be built and begun. EMANA will be expanding our Medical, Dental and Eye Glasses Program to reach the people of the altiplano and even into Bolivia via locations in Colchane on the border.

EMANA will soon become the social organization umbrella for much of the social work of the Methodist Church here in the northern region of Chile relating to the needs of the Andean people, and Instituto Agricola Kusayapu will play a huge part of in that. We have a lot of work to do and we cannot advance in this work without your prayers, without your support, without your help. It is never easy to admit times and needs have changed. But we have done that. We have faced the change and are willing to follow the Lord in what He has planned.

Our hopes for our Student Sponsorship Program are to move that project to the Second Methodist Church CEREMI project which daily feeds and cares for the children in a nearby, poverty stricken barrio. The new CAF project (Central Attencion Familiar) deals with assisting the women of Alto Hospicio, mostly Aymara. These are people who have migrated to the city from the pueblo and are now in dire need.

It is also of great importance for EMANA to join in the discussion regarding water…or the lack of it…throughout the altiplano. We have witnessed the damage being done by mining and are ready to take our agriculture experts to address water and land contamination to those within government and beyond.

Instituto Agricola Kusayapu is also a perfect place of rest, retreat, resolve, reflection, restoration, rejoicing, revival, and renewal and we pray groups will seek to visit her for just those needs.

Teams are planned right now for January 2007. The Cogswell's have planned to come and build needed desks for Instituto Agricola Kusayapu...and we feel the need is even more important now that we will be teaching and training adults and young adults. The Jarrett and Rockbridge teams will be coming to help us in building and painting and repairs. All of which are desperately needed for us to begin 2007 with new programs. And we would ask you to join us also.

EMANA has a huge role to play in the lives of the Aymara people, and we ask you to continue down this path with us. There is still quite a bit of infrastructure which needs to be built, there is painting to be done, there are repairs and roofing, there is a great need for your help, your prayers, your guidance and support. Work teams, medical teams, dental teams, eye glass teams, and individual volunteers are needed to help in our Adult Education training and classes.

It is with great love for God, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit which lives within us….and for you that I must inform you of these changes. Please know that I share my tears with you as you read this letter and my heart remains yours.

Your servant,
Becky Harrell
Coordinator-Emana

07 de Septiembre 2006

Muy buen día amiguitos y amiguitas,

In traveling to Pachica this week I was informed there had been a death in the community. The dear sweet sister of our Señora Nora had died. Her more than 80 years of life ended with a bout of bronchitis.

Those that were here just after the 7.9 Earthquake, June 13, 2005, will remember her. She is the sweet abuela whose adobe home dating back almost 200 years, had fallen in the upheaval of the earth. All of her animals were safe, as was her television, which didn’t receive a scratch, but the walls and roof of her fragile existence stood no more. A visiting work team from Ingleside, Texas helped her remove debris….followed by another work team of ex-alumnos of the Colegio Ingles who graciously constructed her temporary wooden structure provided by the gobierno…followed by the Chilean Bishop and his team of pastors and laity who visited with her as they too helped many in this tiny pueblo with clean up and rebuilding.

We remember her Alaskan husky dog, tied up in front of the rubble of her adobe home, with a huge bowl nearby that most likely held water or food at times during the day…the chickens and birds which took up all of the space just outside her kitchen…her smile and peacefulness in it all. This sweet abuela suffered for years from dementia, which made her daily life very different from ours.

Tuesday morning I visited the home of Señora Nora. As I entered her tiny concrete block structure, the living room/dining room was filled with two caskets…I was surprised, and didn’t fully understand what I was seeing. Sitting to the left of one were two ladies who explained they were nieces of the abuela. A niece motioned for me to come to the side of the casket. As I approached I noticed the customary glass above the face of the reposing abuela…and it brought a smile to my heart to see the smile still on her sweet face. In Latin America, at least here in Chile, embalming is not customary. The deceased is immediately, upon death, laid in a casket for one to three days, then the burial takes place. The decay of the body takes place quickly.

Señora Nora appeared from the outside dirt floor kitchen, which is a part of her little abode. She smiled at seeing me and we exchanged embraces as I gave my condolences for her loss. Later that day I learned that our agriculture school, Kusayapu, would be participating in the pilgrimage from Nora’s home to the cemetery….the school’s Laka Banda would be playing in honor of the abuela.

As I rode back to Iquique, Victor (the Kusayapu chauffer) and I were speaking about the abuela. I asked Victor if he knew why there were two caskets in Senora Nora’s living room. Yes! Years ago her daughter died and at that time was buried in a mausoleum in Iquique. Family decided it would be good to bring her home. Home to lie next to her mother in the community cemetery of Pachica. Home. It made sense to me.

Her 200 year old adobe home was no longer providing shelter as it had for so many years to so many of her ancestors. Now, the 80 plus year old structure which provided for her while on this earth was also gone and was being made a part of the earth from which it came…as was the body of her daughter. Our ever changing and temporal structures and bodies return to the earth from which they were made….the adobe back to the soil from which it came….our bodies back to the dust from it was formed.

But the comfort for me comes from knowing that is not all there is.

Dios te guarde,

Becky Harrell
EMANA
Extensión Metodista al Niño Andino
Chile

"...Job lived a hundred and forty years; he saw his children and their children to the fourth generation. And so he died, old and full of years." Job 41:16

20 de Julio del 2006

¿Que Tal?

We are ending the winter vacation for students and teachers, the middle two weeks of July each year. It has been a busy and interesting time as fellow Texans from Lewisville have visited, supporting Emana and the Methodist Church of Chile.

Los tejanos began by traveling to Emana’s agriculture school in Pachica (Kusayapu). There in the depths of the canyon Tarapaca they spent the week working on “the wall”. It has come to be known as “the wall” by several volunteer work teams. “The wall” is the concrete support at the base of the classroom complex and is designed to protect future structural damage to the edificio in the event of another 7.9 earthquake. Its length is well over 50 feet and it is a good 4 feet in height if you consider the depth of the footer portion of the wall. Pure rebar, rock and concrete. This support wall should prevent the soil below the classrooms from shifting when the earth moves in an upheaval motion.

Before the week was over in Pachica, the tejanos were joined by Patty Henrich, a volunteer in mission who has come to Chile to serve in the Colegio Robert Johnson in Alto Hospicio through the year 2007. Patty will support that school by teaching English.

At the same time work was progressing on “the wall”, students and professors from UCLA were well into their archeological digs throughout the canyon Tarapaca with remarkable discoveries. UCLA is supporting Kusayapu by renting vacant dorm rooms through the month of July while field and classroom investigations progress. Some of their finds may date back to as far as the 4th Century. They are now making plans with the University of Chile to construct a museum in the canyon to house artifacts. Emana and her nearby pueblos are excited at what these discoveries may bring to support future life in the canyon.

This week los tejanos moved into Iquique to continue work on the new sanctuary at Second Methodist Church. Second Methodist has been my home congregation in Chile for more than a year now, so I am delighted to see their support of this new place to congregate and worship God.

Spending a little time working on “the wall” with my fellow Texans got me to thinking about support in general. Especially in regard to Christianity.

“Support given by others is important in the making of disciples. John Baillie once said, ‘I cannot be a Christian all by myself. I cannot retire into my shell or into my own corner and live the Christian life. A single individual cannot be a Christian in his singleness.’ … John Wesley once said, ‘To turn Christianity into a solitary religion is to destroy it,’ God wills not only a new person but a new community, a community of celebration, mutual support, serving, and witnessing. Christ’s invitation to conversion is immediately followed by his call to discipleship…Life in the Spirit of Christ is the life of new openness to others in a fellowship of reconciliation.” ­Faith-sharing, by H. Eddie Fox and George E. Morris, c1986.

May your lives this day and the days the Lord permits adelante be in fellowship with God and with each other.

Con carino,

Becky Harrell W.
Volunteer Coordinator-Emana
Corporacion Metodista-Chile

29 de Junio del 2006

Who are the Clergy and Laity?

When both the laity and the clergy are meeting together in a place of worship there are basic differences and similarities. The clergy are those persons called by God out of the laity, given gifts by God, and invested by the church with authority to perform certain functions in the life of the gathered community…This is the reason for putting emphasis upon “call” and “ordination.” When persons are seeking ordination for clergy ministry they always have to face the question: “Are you called of God?” God calls certain persons out of the laity and gives those persons gifts in order to fulfill certain specific functions within the life of the gathered community. Once these persons fulfill basic requirements laid down for ordination, they are brought before the people of God and the church invests them with two fundamental authorities: the authority to preach the Word of God in the church of Jesus Christ and the authority to administer the sacraments in the church of Jesus Christ. This implies that the clergyperson has no self imposed authority. The authority given is in the form of an investiture. It is the church which invests authority to preach the gospel and to administer the sacraments. Since these authorities are given by the church they can also be taken away or removed if the clergyperson is proven unworthy of such an investiture.

Then who are the laity? According to scripture, the laity are the people of God, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, claimed by God and given the mandate to proclaim the triumphs of the One who has called them out of darkness to light…Thus the laity are the church-a community of people who owe their existence, their solidarity, and their corporate distinctness from other communities to one thing only: the call of God. Notice that the laity are called. Clergy are not the only called ones. This can be seen in Ephesians 4: “I entreat you, then—I, a prisoner for the Lord’s sake: A God has called you, live up to your calling.” This clearly indicates that all of the Christians in the church at Ephesus were both called and responsible to live up to their high calling. Moreover, the writer of Ephesians indicates that each Christian at Ephesus has been given gifts for ministry. He declares, “But each of us has been given his gift, his due portion of Christ’s bounty” (Eph 4:7)

According to 1 Peter the laity are both a “priestly people” and a “missionary people.” As a part of Christ’s royal priesthood, each Christian is responsible to be a priest to the other. In addition, each is claimed by God to proclaim the triumphs of the very God who called all of us out of darkness to marvellous light. First Corinthians 1:9 and Romans 1:6 teach us that God has called us all into the fellowship of God’s Son. God has called us to belong to Jesus Christ. Here we see that God’s calling is directed to the whole people (the Laos). This means every member of the Body of Christ without any distinction or partiality. Ephesians 2:13-16 teaches that Christ has abolished all barriers of race, nationality, class, and sex. This is the abolishment of all privilege and status. The church is one people undifferentiated.

It is against this call of God that the real scandal of “clericalism” may be seen. “Clericalism” or “clergyism” attempts to concentrate status and privilege in the hands of the clergy, which obscures the essential oneness of the people of God. According to scripture, there is no difference in status and privilege. The fundamental difference is in no difference in status and privilege. The fundamental difference is in functions and the invested authority to fulfill those functions. Despite this fact, ever since Constantine thought he did the church a favor by becoming a Christian, there has been a tendency to manipulate a difference between authority and function into a difference in status and privilege. This creates an immense gap between the laity and the clergy.

God’s intent is that the church should be a worshiping and witnessing community in which both of these functions belong to a whole people. The clergy cannot monopolize them and the laity cannot escape them. The ministry of Christ was given to the whole congregation. It is the clergy’s function within that context not to be the center of the show, the mother of the family, but to find a way of embodying a serving ministry for the whole people of God. The model role for the clergy is one of servant hood. However, over the years the church has come to distinguish sharply between clergy and laity, between religious and secular vocations. We find no scriptural grounds for these distinctions. Certainly there was no division into clergy and laity among Jesus and his little band of followers. In manner, speech, and mood Jesus identified himself as what today would be called a lay person. And the disciples, who from our vantage point, were like lay persons, were actually the ones sent out to preach, teach, and heal. In the New Testament there is little sign of the deep vocational difference which eventually infected the church. This disease still takes its toll. Many people continue to believe in what we call the “sacred totem pole.” That is, God is at the top, beneath God are the bishops, then the clergy, and at the bottom of the totem pole the lowly lay person. Have you not heard people say, “I am just a lay person.” Have you ever made that remark?

…Many lay persons have shared that they sometimes feel like “Santa’s little helpers.” That is, they feel that their responsibility is to help the pastor fulfill that pastor’s ministry. But according to the Bible the effectiveness of the clergy’s ministry is dependent upon whether or not the laity seize their ministry. Again, we wish to emphasize, the New Testament word for clergy (kleros) refers not to those who occupy a special place among Christians, and the word for laity (laos) refers not to a passive-recipient part of a congregation but to all Christians. All are called to ministry, and all are ordained by God for service.

…the word lay often is synonymous with an amateur, a non-professional, or the unqualified masses. Because of this the word has taken upon itself an apologetic, condescending nuance. Thus, when people say, “I am just a layperson,” the organization of the Greek city-state has won out over the New Testament. But, in the New Testament the two words denote the same people. In the biblical tradition, ordained persons were never thought of as ontologically distinct from other members of the congregation. It is true that ordained persons have a special function or share in Christ’s ministry. But the difference is in ordained persons exercising their charges of word, sacrament, and order. Other members of the laos were not primarily distinct in essence, nature, or reality but in function.

Who is Responsible for Ministry?

…the one word that brings the two words laos and kleros together is the word ministry.

In the New Testament the word ministry is never used to denote the responsibility of one select, fully ordained group. The word ministry is always used to denote or designate the responsibility of the whole people of God. The clergy are those called of God to serve the laity, that is, to teach them and train them for their life, their work, and especially for their witness and ministry. The ministry of Christ was given to the congregation (Eph 4:11-13). The ordained ministry is responsible for particular functions at a particular time in the life of the church. These are functions of the gathered community. When the church is gathered, the task of the ordained person relates to the function of word, sacrament, and order. But when the church scatters into the community and the world, there is no real difference in function, responsibility, or accountability for ministry.

We must overcome the heresy which teaches that the task of ministry belongs only to the professional worker in the church. Nothing is more crippling to the work of Christ. The idea that we hire a minister in order to do our ministry for us is totally incompatible with what scripture teaches. However, in local churches across the world people have developed the ideal that somebody else will share the faith. Many laity have convinced themselves that they are not adequate. “We are not trained like others. We are not sure we will have the right words to say. We do not know the scriptures, and we do not know all of the doctrines of the church.” Most church members think of the church as a religious institution to which they belong rather than a dynamic fellowship of disciples living in immediate communion with their Master with his mission as their primary concern. Sadly, many church members tend to think of the church as existing for their sake and it would be terribly disconcerting for them to learn that it is the other way around….

Nothing has been more deadly to faith-sharing than the idea that it is a special ministry done by select people who can perform in unusual ways, and only at special events and seasons of the year….The responsibility for faith-sharing belongs to the whole people of God…..No one is called to part-time Christian service.

Word becomes Flesh

…Truth and personality are not synonymous. Personality is the vehicle for conveying truth….It is through the lives of real people that we see and hear the Story of God’s redeeming grace….One of the most important elements in faith-sharing is the person who shares faith…Who says it has much to do with the response to what is being said.

…Christian witness is understood as the testimony given, but it is also understood as the one who gives the testimony…Witness refers to both the message and the messenger…We cannot separate the witness from the witnesses. The distinctive lifestyle of the Christian is the very fiber out of which comes the word of faith…..we share faith in word and deed. God is calling us to this holistic understanding of faith-sharing.

Your Story Matters

Each Christian is unique and each Christian’s story is unique. Each Christian should tell that story at the appropriate time….we have countless people who say “Isn’t there something else I can do? I can mow the church lawn. I can trim the shrubs. I can pass out the bulletins. I can even attend board and committee meetings, but please don’t ask me to share my faith with others.” People will say, “I am not a good talker.” But when it comes to the gospel of Jesus Christ there are no “good talkers.” As a matter of fact, we probably do not want “slick talkers” trying to represent Jesus Christ. No one can be a glib witness.

…Some pastors find it difficult to talk about their faith in Jesus Christ…Talking bout Jesus Christ is harder than giving money, painting buildings, mowing the lawn, attending committee meetings, and many other important matters that are a part of the life of the church. BUT, there is a time to speak. Words are important. A true word is a real deed. It builds up life. There comes a time when we must share our faith with others and do so verbally.

…In faith-sharing we dare tell what God is doing in our lives. The focus is not on what we are doing for God. Rather we attempt to witness to the grace of God in our lives. Each human experience of God is unique and valid. Thus, we dare to speak in the first person and share faith. We dare to say, “Christ has done this in my life.” Sometimes sharing faith means to share our entire pilgrimage with another. At other times it means to point out some specific experience when God’s grace was at work in our lives. Through the networks of our neighbor, co-worker, family, friend, classmate, colleague, or even the stranger, one can share faith with another.

Faith-sharing comes through personality. Each disciple is called to be a witness. Each has a unique story to share. Sharing faith is as natural and normal as inviting someone to the table….You Can! And your story matters! There is a gospel according to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. There is also a gospel according to George and according to Eddie. There is a gospel according to Mary Nell, Barbara, and Shirley. There is also a gospel according to you. Your witness matters.

A missionary came to speak in chapel during the time when one of the writers was in seminary. As that missionary spoke he had a globe placed on the table beside him. He talked of the needs of the whole world and each person’s responsibility. The missionary then began to talk bout the millions of people in the world who could not read. He asked, “What can one person do?” Frank Laubach proceeded to tell how each one can teach another to read. He set in motion a dream and a program. Today there are literally millions around the world who can read because of Frank Laubach´s vision. He taught one to read who simple promised that the would teach another. What a difference one person makes. The witness of each Christian matters a great deal. Each is called to spread the gospel by word and deed. But how do we fulfill our calling?


Faith-Sharing: Dynamic Christian Witnessing by Invitation, by H. Eddie Fox and George E. Morris, c1961.

21 de Mayo del 2006

"A funny thing happened at the end of the parade"....at least I think that is how it goes. 

21 de Mayo is an important date in Chile´s Naval history, and it is celebrated with a parade. Each year, a couple of days before the 21st, every city in Chile clears her main streets and all schools within her borders participate. Students are dressed in their freshly pressed uniforms...and teachers don sunglasses, the women slide their purse strap high onto the shoulder and tuck the bag under their arm...and the men coordinate their ties to match the ladies uniform colors. Bands rally in front of each school group drumming to a military beat so that marchers know the timing needed to "fall in". 

It is very organized, very important, very impressive. Members under the officials tent have titles and responsibilities that cover regions, citys, government, and public service. As each school passes in review, officials stand to honor of the flags they carry and the scholastic excellence they represent. 

For the second year in a row Instituto Agricola Kusayapu garnered position number 2, and her teachers, students, and missionaries served her proud. The flag of Chile, the "Wip´ala", and the bandera of Kusayapu marched to the beat of the Kusayapu Laka band. This year two of her female students participated as part of the Laka band. The flags and band were followed by Director Jose Salgado and his staff of Directivos and Teachers, who were trailed, in unison step, by Volunteers in Mission Ann Burger and Edwin Benner. Kusayapu students then followed in perfect harmony to the beat of the Laka, displaying traditional Andean costumes and dance. 

The vip´s were impressed...cameramen scurried to get a shot of this unusual and different group. Normally, the schools pass in front of the officials tent then scatter among the hoards of parents and friends for photo ops. But not Kusayapu...she marched along the full length of the Baqedaño...past university and minister of education offices, past restaurants and ice cream stands, past street vendors who were waiting for tourists...always maintaining her "beat"...she marched all the way to Iquique´s town square...to the clock tower. Her students never tired...never stopped...the drummers arm´s must have been hurting...the dancer´s feet must have been swelling...the "sampoña" players must have been out of wind....but on they marched. Iquique needed to see the jewel that stays hidden away in the depths of the Canyon Tarapaca two hours away...they needed to see Kusayapu.

All along the way people stopped what they were doing and observed. Once we arrived at the plaza, Kusayapu stopped in front of the teatro, giving others nearby the opportunity to see her fully. Suddenly, a man I presumed to be Chilean, extended his hand to me and asked, in English, where I was from...his accent was certainly NOT chilean....but mexican. When I explained Texas, his eyes lit up..."me too", he said, "where in Texas?". I explained the past 20 plus years near Ingleside and Corpus Christi...he knew it well. He was from McAllen...."NO!" I said. Then I spotted it...that Rotary International logo. It was THEM...the GSE group from my home Rotary District in Texas. Ha!

I heard they were coming and would be in Iquique for 3 days...but with the busi-ness of work, had forgotten. And there they were...it was their leader Joe Aleman who heard my "Spanglish" and came over to investigate. He was incredibly impressed with Kusayapu and was curious about me and why I was in Chile. We agreed to keep in touch! Just to make sure those back home believed his soon to tell story, he asked his companions to snap a photo of us together. He now has proof!

The wonders of a day never cease to amaze me. I am learning it is better not to make too specific your plans for the day. Allowing God room to delight and surprise you has to be the greatest of joys. It has been a good day.

God is Good....All the time!

Becky Harrell W.
Volunteer Coordinator-Emana
Corporation Metodista-Chile

"You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men." Mark 7:8