Greetings from Chile!

Here is an update on our life and work among the people of Chile, representing American Baptist churches.

We are working with two Mapuche communities of Baptist churches in development projects.Dwight meets frequently with them to talk about their way of life, to plan and reflect on ways to improve the quality of life and create income. They have identified four initiatives:making fruit jams, a cooperative mill, organic agriculture techniques, and traditional weavings and crafts.

Dwight coordinated training for the Mapuche churches in making jams and preserving vegetables.Most Mapuche families only do subsistence farming and lack steady income.But they have an abundance of fruit trees, and berries grow wild.Most of it goes to waste, for lack of knowledge of techniques to preserve them.

They were thrilled with the training, and now the next step will be to give them some basic orientation and training in production, marketing and management.

Since moving to Temuco, Dwight meets with a Rural Evangelism Network, a group of missionaries and Chilean pastors who work among the Mapuche.In July, they introduced a new cassette recording of the New Testament in Mapudungun (the Mapuche language). For the Mapuches, this public launching of the New Testament in their language is a significant validation of their culture.

Dwight is now studying Mapudungun with a Mapuche tutor.Although most Mapuche speak Spanish, for many older people Mapudungun is their "heart" language.A new generation of young people is learning it in schools, so it is worthwhile to learn it.We will be working in the years ahead to encourage the Mapuche to sing and preach and evangelize in their language.

Barb's long-term project is helping the women's convention develop resources and materials in Christian education for children.She is currently coordinating a series of all-day seminars.They are presented in each of the three districts, stretching from Santiago to Temuco. The first seminar deals with identifying and caring for abused children in the church community.The second seminar will give Sunday School teachers ideas and resources to help them create age-appropriate materials.Most churches cannot afford to buy craft or instructional materials, so the emphasis is going to be on making things themselves with things at hand.

Worldwide Gifts at Green Lake just placed another order for 750 cards and bookmarks that two women in Coronel make.They also want more of the Mapuche weavings.Barb works with these women, mainly helping them develop and present their products.

Our days and weeks are full and we are happy.One night recently we had a dinner in our house for 16 people, to welcome the convention president, Mario Ramos, back from Baptist World Alliance meetings in Spain.Barb served authentic Chilean empanadas that our neighbor taught her to make, which were a real hit.

Jack is already three years old, and perfectly at home in Chile and in Castellano (Spanish).He loves Sunday School and the refreshments after worship. (Two hours is a lot for him!)He always loves going out to "el campo" to stay with our Mapuche friends.

We appreciate the many cards we receive from you on birthdays and holidays.Please note that we have a different mail box number than previously in Chillan.Our current address is :Casilla 9, Temuco, CHILE

"May God, who puts all things together, makes all things whole, provide you with everything you need to please him, make us into what gives him most pleasure, by means of the sacrifice of Jesus, the Messiah…" (Hebrews 13, from The Message , Eugene Peterson)

The Bolicks