Losing and Finding the North

A phrase in Spanish we hear when someone has strayed off-course is “perdió el norte.” (lit., he lost the North). It refers to a person who lost his bearings, or simply drifted away from her purpose.

One way we “keep our North”, as your southern-most missionaries in Chile, is to keep our mission’s goals before us. 

Where We Find Our North

We take Isaiah’s vision of what happens when the poor receive the gospel as our theme. Isaiah envisions them becoming like “oaks of righteousness” who change their world (61:1-4).

From this passage we have gleaned the three goals that define the “North” of our work, helping people move:

• from shame to Dignity
• from poverty to Productivity 
• from vulnerability to Virtue, or strength of heart.

Your Support Helps Us Stay the Course

Your support makes possible the changes in people’s lives that we get to see.

The World Mission Offering, received this month in ABC churches, remains one of American Baptists’ best ways to “keep our North.” The WMO goes 100% to equip our missionaries and partners in mission to live and share the good news of the Kingdom of God.

Your Prayers Keep Us On Course

Your personal support, and your support of the World Mission Offering, is raising up people who are becoming “oaks of righteousness” in Chile, people who are changing their world in the power of the Gospel and the Spirit

Here are some updates and prayer requests we ask you to hold in your hearts:

National Baptist Convention of Chile – We just held a mission conference here. Mario Morales, our missionary colleague in Bolivia, and a Brazilian missionary serving in Peru, challenged the convention to move from being “objects” of mission to being “subjects,” that is, actively joining God’s mission.

• Pray for our partners as they seek to create a new culture of mission, and build helpful relationships with sister conventions in Brazil and Bolivia.

Language Revitalization –Helping people recover the use of their native language is one of the best ways we have found to raise up more confident leaders in the Mapuche churches. We have Beginner and Advanced Mapudungun classes that also attract unbelievers to the churches. This year we have five men who tell Dwight that they want to teach Mapudungun in the schools, which would also provide them a livelihood.

• Pray for us as we gather a team in the U.S. to help us train teachers in more effective second-language teaching methods, which can also help us extend the reach of this program in Chile.  If you are interested in being part of this team, e-mail us: dbbolick95@yahoo.com

Girls’ Clubs – We have a nice problem: the parents at the school that adopted the program are demanding that all children be included, but we do not have the financial or personnel resources needed. 

• Pray for the best helpers to come alongside Barbara to help in the arduous process of editing the materials and producing a curriculum.

Instituto Berea –This year we are asking the question, “Are we prepared to show people the way to maturity in Christ?”

• Dwight and invited teachers are preparing discipleship materials and methods for Mapuche churches to use.

Beekeeping – This spring we are testing a different type of beehive, the top-bar hive, which has lower costs, less heavy lifting, and perhaps a simpler management system, more natural.

• Pray for our four new, and four second-year beekeepers to master new knowledge and skills.  

Rainwater Collection Project – The inauguration of the restored medical clinic will occur this month.

• Pray for us as now we can move forward on the rainwater project, and the long-range plans with the community for the site’s use as a development center.