CAMPAMENTOS PARA ADOLESCENTES
Teen camps in Cachi, Argentina
The forgotten teens of Cachi, Argentina
The concept of a family founded on the standards of God’s design is nonexistant in Cachi, Argentina. Girls begin to get pregnant at the age of 13 which means by their twenties, they are mothers to 4, 5, or 6 children. Usually these children are not all with the same man. In this culture, the women are undervalued and considered only able to raise children and satisfy the desires of whatever man she is living with… often until he later abandons her. A common saying among men is, “If you want to be a real Cacheño [man of Cachi], you must have 2 or more women.”
Children are born in the middle of these relationships and into a morally and psychologically violent home. They have no father figure to follow, and they see how their mothers are abused by alcoholic boyfriends. This problematic situation usually becomes insurmountable for the family, leading to children who have grown up with a limited intellectual engagment that dramatically hinders their learning capacity.
The impact of reaching teens
What happens during childhood naturally affects adolescence. Therefore the work of evangelism requires a thorough, committed, and patient work. Local teenagers are not disposed to reading or writing, nor to systematically studying any book - let alone the Bible. They flourish best when taught in an informal way through conversations and discussions, where they can ask quesitons as they relate to their daily lives.
We know that the Gospel not only saves, but also educates. With the Lord’s help, our work in Cachi is to continue sharing the message of salvation, but also to share Christian values so that these teens, and by extension their parents, can be transformed to live the will of God, free from the slavery of broken lives that they will surely live if the Lord doesn’t intervene.
What we do
ESCUELAS DE OFICIOS
Trade schools at local church plants.
In Argentine culture, the most difficult people to reach with the Gospel are men. Churches are composed primarily of women and children. This is much more evident in small towns where people are more prejudiced than in large cities.
Missionaries have tried many strategies in small towns in Northern Argentina to reach the men, but to no avail. Out of this need has arisen las Escuelas de Oficios - or trade schools.
Why trade schools?
Escuelas de Oficios is all about bringing job training to people who don’t have access to ways to seek a better job. The schools are primarily focus on teaching men, for the purpose of reaching these men with the gospel. The type of jobs available in these small towns is rapidly changing, often leaving residents behind. People who have built their trades on 19th century work (tending sheep, running snow plows, herding animals, etc.) are now looking for work in the 21st century, and are often exploited by land owners. Without new trade skills, they have no choice but to work for very little.
How does this impact the kingdom?
The classes taught are hands on and practical. This allows the Christian teachers to spend a lot of time with students, getting to know them well and relating with them. Over the course of the class, trust is earned and lives open. On the final day of the class, a clear presentation of the gospel is given, as well as a Bible for them to have in their household. In a region with very little religious clarity, a bible in the home is an important first step.
All Escuelas de Oficios are held in areas with a local reformed church plant, and throughout the class, we work to connect men and their families with these churches. We have already seen families connected to the schools gathering together in churches to continue relationships with local believers.
