When Christ enters a community, lives change. We know that. But still, these are the places where God is surprising us, doing far more than we ever imagined.To witness our friend's changing realities is more beautiful than we expected. We love them more than we expected to and it is a privilege to see first hand the peace, the shalom of Christ, taking root in their lives and communities.

Each one heard them speaking in the native language of each."In our own languages we hear them speaking about God's deeds of power."Amazed and astonished….. (Acts 2:6b-7a)

It probably happens more often than we are awake enough to realize.You are somewhere watching an event unfold when suddenly you say to yourself, "hey, this is what I have been praying for!"

Last Saturday the Mapudungun class was reading and talking about the story of Zacheus and the translation of the word for "rich." Our teacher, Antonio Canio, contributed to the translation of the New Testament into the Mapuche language several years ago.The students asked why a particular word was chosen over others to translate the word "rich."A vigorous discussion ensued.Then it dawned on me, "they are doing theology in Mapudungun, their mother tongue."My prayer being answered before my eyes!

Lives are being changed in these Mapudungun classes.There is a kind of energy, a joy, a sweet Spirit, when they are speaking Mapudungun that I have not seen before.One of the young persons studying Mapudungun is Elizabeth Catrin.She wants to be able to communicate the Gospel to older people who do not like to speak Spanish.We praise God for this foretaste of a Mapuche church being strengthened for witness and service by recovering their identity.

Mapudungun (Ma-pu-thun-gun) is an ancient language. Enthusiasm to learn Mapudungun greets us wherever we introduce the idea.

It has been our most surprising project. Why?Not only is it enthusiastically received, but our students demand more classes!Over half of our participants are in their mid twenties and younger. They want to recover the language of their parents and the pride of being Mapuche.

Most importantly, this project has turned into a ministry by the church for the whole Mapuche community.Each course has several non-Christian participants, recovering through the ministry of the local Baptist church the language they had taken from them as children. The real kicker: they are using a Mapudungun New Testament as the textbook!

God Placed the Art of Weaving in Her Heart (Exodus 35:35-36:1-2)

Before the weaving project began a few years ago Barb was doing a Bible study with the women in the Mapuche church in Curihue.Knowing that most of them were weavers, Barb looked for people in the Bible they might relate to.They read from the narratives in Exodus about the furnishing of the Temple.These verses jumped out at them, because they could see that their skill at weaving was a gift, an endowment from God, too.

Carolina Catrin said, "I can't read or write.(Spanish is her second language)I depend on my husband or the pastor to tell me everything I know about God.Why has no one ever told me about this passage?Why has no one ever told me that my weaving is a gift God has placed in my heart?"

Lives are changed when people realize that God has given them an identity as people made in God's image, and a vocation to be productive stewards of God's creation. They want to make something beautiful for God, and contribute to God's Shalom taking root in their community.(Jeremiah 29:7)

We've seen this in the life of Patty Coñoepan. Some of you may already display her weavings in your homes. Patty works as a weaving instructor for us in communities where new weaving groups are just beginning. The original Lake Weavers Group is including other groups of women in this income-generating endeavor.They are beginning to catch the vision of the church as the servant of the community.

Finding an open space on Patty's agenda these days takes some work. She has just been hired as the principle weaving instructor for the Department of Women in the municipality of Panguipulli, the town close to Curihue where she lives. The director was so impressed by the quality and character of her work that she asked her to do a weaving to be presented to Michelle Bachelet, the new President of Chile, on behalf of the city.Also, she has been invited to go to Argentina in October to represent Mapuche weavers at an indigenous peoples' conference.

Many of you have been a part of her success. Your contributions made it possible for us to provide the training she needed to perfect her art. Thanks to you she is quickly becoming a leader among indigenous women both in her own community and nationally.

She recently told us, "with my weaving and my language, I feel complete, like I have recovered what was part of me, and the incredible thing is that it is my church making it possible."

The Time for Singing Has Come!(Song of Solomon 2:12)

Alfonso and others of his generation remember being punished as children for speaking Mapudungun in school. Those days are over, and the time for singing has come. Alfonso and some of his friends from the Mapudungun course, Ivan, Elizabeth, Erica, Mirta and Mauricio, have formed a singing group. They use traditional instruments and wear traditional dress as they worship through song in Mapudungun.

Their debut at the district meeting was nothing short of a smashing success. When they began to sing and beat the kultrun (Mapuche drum), the whole church erupted, hands clapped and feet stomped. There was really more movement going on than is generally considered acceptable in a Baptist church. We knew as we all praised God together that we had been given a little taste of heaven on earth, an unexpected gift of joy that we don't deserve, but that encouraged us to push on with courage, knowing that the time for singing has come!

We recently had a delightful lunch with this new group.They asked us to help them buy the materials for their traditional costumes and also some Mapuche musical instruments.Their vision is to tour other Mapuche churches and communities and through their performances, give testimony to the Gospel of Jesus Christ as it is contextualized in their culture.

Be surprised by God.

Pray. Give. Be amazed!(Ephesians 3: 20-21)

These are just some of the ways we, along with our missionary colleagues around the world, are seeking to be "obedient to the heavenly vision," to carry out the Great Commission and the Great Commandment.In the long run, it is God's mission and we are just privileged to participate in what God is doing,...

• To bring the Gospel to the unreached.
• To bring food clean water to families for the first time.
• To care for and comfort those suffering and dying from AIDS.
• To build classrooms for eager pastoral students.
• To bring a baby to the doctors that can save her life.
• To create safe homes and rescue those enslaved by human trafficking.
• To save just one more life.
• To bring just one more to God.
• To raise just one more church.
• To heal just one more community.

What is it worth to turn a life around?

John the Baptist called people to repent and be baptized. Repentance means turning around, doing a complete about-face from the direction in which you've been heading. Just like John the Baptist, the World Mission Offering is about turning lives around. And we can't do it without you.

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!" - Isaiah 6:8, NIV

The World Mission Offering is a necessary part of International Ministries' ability to reach out to others in the Gospel and to change lives around the globe. It is the single largest source of financial support for the global outreach God accomplishes through IM. We need your help to achieve what God is calling us all to do.

But we're not setting a limit this year - because we know and believe in faith that God is planning a great surprise for us all - one that will amaze us when we look back and see what God is doing in the world. Instead of a goal, we want to offer you a challenge, ­one that can bring turning points in literally hundreds of thousands of lives around the globe.

Thinking Outside the Box

$3 X 12 MONTHS X NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN YOUR CONGREGATION = BE AMAZEDI

Think about it.

Three dollars is less than you'd spend for a gourmet coffee.

Three dollars is less than you'd spend for a fast food meal.

Three dollars is less than you'd spend on a tip at a restaurant.

Three dollars is less than you'd spend on 8 postage stamps.

$3 X 12 MONTHS X NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN YOUR CONGREGATION = BE AMAZED!

Thirty-six dollars is less than you'd spend in a month on internet service.

Thirty-six dollars is less than you'd spend in a month on your cell phone bill.

Thirty-six dollars is less than you'd spend on a tank of gasoline.

Thirty-six dollars is less than you'd spend in an evening on a reasonably priced meal for two.

Thirty-six dollars is less than you'd spend for a night at the movies with your family.

Three dollars, per person, per month. That's only $36 per person for an entire

Year of Mission giving.

That could TRIPLE the amount of global ministry IM can do. We think it's worth it to turn a life around. How about you?

If you have not already done so, we encourage you to consider giving generously to the 2006 World Mission Offering in one of the following ways:

1. If you attend an American Baptist Church, the best way that you can support us is by giving to your church's collection of the annual World Mission Offering.Most American Baptist Churches take this offering in September or October.If your church does not normally promote this offering, we would encourage you to talk with your pastor about the possibility of adding the World Mission Offering to your church's schedule.

2. If you are not a member of an American Baptist Church, or you prefer to make a direct contribution to our ministry, then send your gift to the following address.

2006 World Mission Offering

International Ministries, ABC

PO Box 851

Valley Forge, PA 19482-0851

It is also possible to give electronically by going to: https://donatelinq.net/aslan-donate/intlmin-donate.asp?mid=InternationalMin

Thank you for your prayers, your words of encouragement, and your financial support.

In the grace and Shalom of Christ,

Barb and Dwight Bolick