Catherine Le Tissier and Nick Drayson Link Letter no. 20 | November 2019 The call in action churchmissionsociety.org/drayson

Dear friends, Changes One of the things about Christmas in the Southern Hemisphere is that it is usually hot. The past few days have been very hot (105°F in the shade). Fortunately, it is cool again today thanks to the south wind. We are all too familiar with these abrupt changes in the weather, and in the same way both rejoice and despair at changes (or lack of them) in people and situations we know and love! There are so many ways God is at work and we have many reasons to be thankful. At the same time, the challenges are huge, especially as we think of the future and handing over to local leadership in areas such as admin, leadership and training. University students Name: Catherine Le Tissier Nick recently visited Formosa with his fellow bishops, Mateo and and Nick Drayson Crisanto. We were able to visit some of the many Wichi and Toba university students, some of whom receive mentoring and whom we Location: Northern Argentina hope to support. We were reminded of the many changes in society and the challenge of keeping up with how God is at work too! Please pray for these future leaders. Our call: To serve God’s kingdom, making disciples in different AMARE and yes to life cultures and enabling people Catherine and her colleagues in the women’s group AMARE are also to develop appropriate forms of aware of change as AMARE takes on a new shape to help prepare for the church to respond to local needs. future. The work is now carried out in deaneries and some women are very enterprising in reaching out to their communities, praying for the Our role: Nick is diocesan authorities and visiting schools and colleges. However, there is much bishop, overseeing 150 Anglican need for parents to disciple their own children. Please pray for the many churches in rural and urban parenting facilitators to use their training to support parents as they contexts. Catherine coordinates struggle forward in a confused and confusing world, and for mothers and the work of AMARE, the fathers to take seriously their role within the family setting. Argentine branch of Mothers’ Meanwhile, some AMARE groups are touching the needy lives Union. around them. Marylina Lopez and her church are working with young people with addictions. An unexpected donation meant that they could buy footballs and kit for a group of young men and the team “Si a La Vida” are enjoying playing in tournaments. Pray for this model of “adopting” marginalised kids who are then able to return to a more normal life within the church community and as they return to school. Books under the tree Stocking fillers don’t often include books these days! But here are four for you! 1. Waite Stirling: “God’s sentry in Ushuaia”. Language: Spanish. In recognition of the 150th anniversary of the first Anglican bishop and mission in South America, we have produced a reprint of the biography by Arnoldo Canclini. This is being presented to the public in Buenos Aires and Ushuaia. As mentioned in other letters and articles, it is good for the Anglican churches here to recognise our Three bishops with a Wichi university student: roots and to see how this solitary missionary effort has grown into a Nick recently visited Formosa with his fellow continent-wide church in many cultures. Spanish is not the mother bishops, Mateo and Crisanto

Continued over the page tongue for most of our church members. However, many indigenous young people are now attending university and access to social media means that there is much more contact across the cultures. The youth congress being held in Lima in January, which some of our leaders will attend, has as its theme “God’s sentries”, based on Stirling’s vision. Please pray that the flame keeps spreading! 2. A recording of the New Testament “Sinia’ Jlamtis”. Language: Chorote. Twenty two years ago, the translation that Nick had worked on for many years was finally printed and presented by Bible Society. For various reasons it has never been widely read or understood, despite our best efforts at literacy and promotion. Now, as part of an initiative called Faith Comes Through Hearing, which is creating Scripture audios in all the regional languages, a recording is being prepared in Mision La Paz with local readers. Incidentally, recordings in other local languages (such as Weenhayek and Nivacle) are circulating, which is creating a wider interest in this project. Pray that this will produce a much-needed boost to the identity and depth of Chorote believers. 3. “Gramatica Wichi” and possible new translations of the Bible. Language: Wichi. This is the mother tongue for most of our members. A major part of our work as a church has to do with language, in worship and witness, as well as doing theology. It extends to encouraging the use of local languages at all levels of society, and supporting literacy and Bible use. This grammar initiative is an attempt to set out in an orderly way the findings of linguists over recent years, and is currently being promoted for the northern part of the area where Wichi is spoken. This is a great support for work in schools and training for translators such as those working in the law courts. At the same time, in the southern part of the region, we are assessing the need for a new translation or adaptation of the Wichi Bible, which is read with difficulty – if at all – by many. Please pray for wisdom as to how to address this need. 4. The Book of Habakkuk. Language: Western Toba. The Toba translation team continues to work on the Old Testament despite many setbacks. Their latest offering, to coincide with the 150th anniversary celebrations, is the Book of Habakkuk. It includes an introduction showing how the gospel reached the Tobas and offers a translation of the letter written by Allen Gardiner from the beach where he died, promising them the Scriptures: “If the vision tarries, wait for it!” This people group has seen some remarkable answers to prayer; please pray that the Tobas will take God’s word to heart. So, there is a pile of books to put under the tree! Happy reading for all of us this Christmas! May the Word of Life increasingly guide our thoughts and actions in all the challenges we face in 2020. Love Catherine and Nick

Photos from top to bottom: Toba women at a AMARE meeting share items for prayer and praise; yes to life – football is helping marginalised kids return to a more normal life within the church community and attend school again; the Wichi grammar and Stirling biography; Chorotes reading the audio scriptures.

GOING FURTHER WITH CHURCH MISSION SOCIETY You can give to Catherine and Nick at: churchmissionsociety.org/drayson Christmas appeal: People are being excluded from life because they have physical or mental health struggles, or because they’re not Contact details: “normal”. This Christmas, you can invite everyone to join the feast by [email protected] giving to CMS at: churchmissionsociety.org/christmas [email protected]

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