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Furlough
It is incredible how fast the year of furlough that we had went
by. It was special to be able to see many of our supporting churches,
which are mostly in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, though we went
to North Carolina once, too. We realized how important it is for
us to worship in your churches, to feel your joys and your pains,
to get reacquainted with your pastors and members. It is the only
way we can continue to pray with and for you and be your ambassadors
overseas.
During our year in the United States, Juan was able to complete
a master’s degree in theological studies, with an emphasis
in mission, and I continued adding slowly but surely some more
courses toward a master’s of divinity degree. We are thankful
for having been able to continue our studies.
One other task that we enjoyed during the year, and which took
quite a bit of effort, was to work with the Worldwide Ministries
Committee of Lehigh Presbytery, helping start their program of
church-to-church partnerships. This allowed us to get to know
many churches, their dreams and their desires to join hands with
partner churches overseas. We pray for the continued desire, vision,
and work of U.S. churches and their partner churches to strengthen
those relationships.
Back to Argentina
The return here was quite rough. Our energy was too low to struggle
with an extremely cold winter and a country where people were
and are rather depressed and unhappy due to high unemployment
and continued corruption. We did not have much time to reflect
upon what we left in the United States because we needed to readjust
quickly—we had to prepare for a new group of six young adult
volunteers sent by the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). While their
orientation was being organized, the difficult situation of the
receiving churches and Christian organizations became evident.
There were and still are internal crises, financial needs, and
leadership changes that we had to give in prayer to the Lord.
Juan is now more involved with the office of projects of the
Evangelical Church of the River Plate and the Evangelical Lutheran
Church. He works with a small team that deals with diverse tasks
involving churches projects, workshops, budgeting, evaluations,
micro-enterprises and support to families in crisis. He is also
involved in the Presbyterian Hunger Program and visits, supports,
and evaluates projects of this program.
Juan is looking forward to organize visits or work-weeks of teams
coming from PC(USA) congregations.
So feel welcome!
Young Adult Volunteers
Now we have six young people adjusting to their new context.
Margaret is working in "Casa San Pablo" with the Evangelical
Church of the River Plate. Jonathan is in a ministry called ANELC
and working in "La Paloma" with street children who
are sent there by the judge as a last option before institutionalizing
them. Erik is working in "La Lecheria," a community
center located in a poor, violent neighborhood. Elizabeth is in
"La Asociacion El Telar," a ministry that welcomes more
than 300 small children and adolescents of a marginalized neighborhood.
Rena and Matthew are a young married couple working with the Evangelical
Lutheran Church, using their gifts and love for God and others
in La Plata, a city next to Buenos Aires.
Please keep these young people, the local churches, Christian
organizations, and us in your prayers so that we can continue
to be strong in God as well as humble and loving towards our neighbors.
Our love to you,
Juan, Manuela, Laurence and Camila Kauer
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