Missionaries

Perspective: As you've probably heard on the news, Africans that have gone to South Africa fleeing war and poverty in their home countries are being attacked and dozens have been killed. On NPR I heard a woman from Zimbabwe, who is working in South Africa as a street vendor with her blind mother. She said, "To sleep outside, no problem, because we've got blankets. But they must to stop to beat us and kill us."

"If the misery of the poor be caused not by the laws of nature, but by our institutions, great is our sin." -- Charles Darwin

One of the "presents" I brought back with me from my trip to the US (I'd had it in storage) was the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer. Here's one of the prayers for missionaries:

Almighty God, whose will it is to be glorified in your saints, and who raised up your servant N. to be a light in the world: Shine, we pray, in our hearts, that we also in our generation may show forth your praise, who called us out of darkness into your marvelous light; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

I really like that one, since it prays for all of us that have seen a glimmer of God's light to shine out for God's glory, not just the "missionary." I've been listening to some sermons from my friend's church, Bethany Community. In this one (March 9, 2008 -- and watch out, somehow my Firefox closes the first time I try to access each sermon, then works the second time), the pastor is talking about seeing ourselves as in a love relationship, rather than as free moral agents. He notes how freeing it is, to see ourselves as caretakers of a vineyard, as those who see themselves as existing to make God's kingdom visible.


Alejandro and Silvia, standing by the new front door of the church in Baradero. Alejandro has been spending his nights and weekends making this door. Since the church was originally a car repair shop, the front door was gigantic (including all the white paneling you see and more) and with great difficulty slid to the side to be opened. Now the church has a door that opens to the street, rather than only access through the feeding center. The door will soon have a curtain (Alejandro just finished welding the rod you see there). This picture was taken at our Wednesday night prayer meeting last week, and I can also say that hopefully the door will have a glass window soon since it's chilly! Silvia, along with her husband Horacio, have been going to Baradero every Wednesday night and weekend for over a year while working during the week in Buenos Aires. They are now moving there next week as full-time missionaries!