Thursday, August 27, 2009

Baradero

Above you see Silvia, Nora, and me heading across the tracks into the neighborhoods we're working in. I'm going out to Baradero about every other week now, meeting with Horacio and Silvia, the team leaders. On the day this picture was taken we were working on our "spiritual map" of the neighborhoods. We map the houses plus any altars, brothels, and corners where drugs are bought and sold. This map will be used so that the Baradero team can come up with specific prayer strategies.

Above is an altar to "Gauchito Gil," one of the most popular idols in Argentina. This is in the backyard of a family's house.

Here's a typical house in that part of town. There's a lot of trash around since most of the families don't have trash cans inside or bins out front. In the future, when we have "transformational change agents" improving their own houses and teaching their neighbors, having good trash disposal will be one of the points for a "healthy home."

Above, Silvia is knocking on the door of the house of someone known to be a Christian. We were going to ask her for help with our map, but she was bathing the kids. Late afternoon seems to be the time for washing up, so we usually head to the barrios in the mornings.

I love this picture: kumquats in Horacio and Silvia's yard. All of the above pictures were taken by Bonnie Hudlet, a missionary photographer with whom I became friends when she hosted me on a trip I took to Cordoba. She was in Buenos Aires for some other ministry commitments and accompanied Nora and me on our trip to Baradero, graciously taking these photos for our use.

Monday, August 10, 2009

An answer to prayer: opportunity at my local church

Last Saturday night I had the immense privilege of facilitating a training with the youth at my local church. It was lots of fun! I didn't know a lot of the youth since at church they tend to sit upstairs in a balcony, so I don't even see them. It was also a huge privilege to have as my co-facilitators my good friends Nora and Monica.

A small group discussing how Paul knew so much about the Athenians, and what information he learned about their social and spiritual life.

Yay for Nora! She has been helping me at lots of trainings, and it was so great to have her at this one since she also works with the youth. Above her is a list of some of the ideas the youth had on how to strategically pray for the areas they are going to work in.

Here is the river crossing sketch we use frequently. Here the young woman desperately wants to cross the raging river to go to "El Dot." What, you may ask, is that? Well, while many people dramatize this story by needing to cross the river to be near their dying grandmother, Ana needs to go to the newest Buenos Aires mall! On the right of the photo you can see my friend Monica. She attends this church also and offered to come to pray during the training. However, since she's also taking our training in La Plata, she ended up helping one of the small groups with their tricky, worldview-changing assignment: thinking about relief, individual development, and community development.

Here is another small group. I am so blessed to have had this opportunity, and hope that we can repeat it. Many of the youth said that they want more trainings in these areas, and I also personally want to get to know them better since they are such a vibrant force at our church.


I don't usually use a microphone, but since there were about 50 participants it was necessary.

Florencia, our photographer for the evening -- she even took this picture! She's the daughter of Horacio and Silvia, of the Baradero team.