| Manuela is also involved in developing
a program in a local congregation to train and develop lay leaders
to respond to the desperate needs (spiritual and physical) caused
by the economic crisis in Argentina.
Juan’s work has three main areas of responsibility: (1)
cultivating and nurturing relationships with churches and agencies
(2) social and economic justice ministries, and (3) hosting delegations
of interested Christians—mostly PC(USA) members—who
go to the region to understand the reality better. Juan is also
working with the Evangelical Methodist Church of Argentina in
diaconal training. He coordinates training for pastoral, diaconal,
and mission teams and assists with the design and promotion of
community projects of the church.
“Every day people knock on church doors to ask for food,
clothes, work, and spiritual support,” write the Kauers.
“It is now difficult to find middle class people in Buenos
Aires. Many have given up searching for non-existent jobs and
have taken to collecting cardboard and newspapers in order to
exchange them for a few pesos to cover their daily needs. Argentina
is country of many resources—human, industrial, and natural—but
it lacks clear direction from the government, which struggles
with corruption at all levels and is loaded with a heavy external
debt.”
“Once,” write the Kauers, “when we were leaving
a small charismatic church we had visited in a poor neighborhood,
the pastor asked a young man of the church to get us some presents.
We were embarrassed, not knowing what to say, being aware that
they had very little themselves and wondering what they would
give us. Soon the young man came back several beautifully wrapped
gifts and handed them to us. We thanked them very much, and at
the request of the pastor we opened the presents. Three lovely
gifts, colorful and skillfully made out of discarded goods, were
before us. The pastor then told us, ‘People often see us
as discarded people, almost as garbage, excluding us from society
when we live in shacks. But if we can use the discarded goods
and do lovely things that we can offer to others, don’t
you think that God can do much greater things with us? We are
a blessed people.’ This is hope!”
Juan, a native of Buenos Aires, studied in Argentina and Switzerland.
He holds an MS in economic development from Eastern College (now
Eastern University) in St. David's, Pennsylvania, and a master’s
degree in theological studies from Eastern Baptist Theological
Seminary.
Manuela claims Aranjuez, Spain, as her hometown. Her undergraduate
work in Switzerland was in business administration, and she earned
her MBA from Eastern College in St. David's, Pennsylvania. She
has been an administrative assistant and translator for corporations
in Switzerland and the United States. Working with First Presbyterian
Church of Bethlehem, she served in Costa Rica for two summers.
She also worked as assistant to the registrar of Eastern Baptist
Theological Seminary in Philadelphia. Manuela is now finishing
a master’s of divinity degree and prayerfully considering
being ordained to the ministry of Word and Sacrament in the PC(USA).
Manuela finished a master of divinity degree in May 2005 and
is prayerfully
considering being ordained to the ministry of Word and Sacrament
in the
PC(USA).
Juan and Manuela have two daughters: Laura and Camila.
Birthdays:
Manuela - February 1
Juan - July 27
Laura - October 22, 1991
Camila - November 13, 1995
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