Mission veterans build on indigenous spirituality [Toba people]

Last summer, Willis and Byrdalene Horst visited an elderly Toba woman to record stories of how churches began in the Argentine Chaco in the 1950s and 1960s.

The Horsts have lived in Argentina for almost 30 years, nourishing the evangelical church begun over 40 years ago with the guidance of Mennonite Board of Missions workers. They serve with a team that includes Germans of the Evangelical Free Church tradition, North American Mennonites and Argentine Baptists.

"We share a common Anabaptist spirituality and common convictions about the appropriate style of missionary presence among the Toba indigenous people," says Willis.

The vision carried by the Horsts and their team does not fit the missionary stereotypes.

"We come to share the good news that the life-giving Creator, who has been with them and inspiring...their culture since the beginning, has now spoken a new word in Jesus," says Willis. The team acknowledges that "the gospel does not erase, suppress or supplant previous culture and spirituality, but rather enhances it, bringing possibilities for new life and hope." The missionary is "always a guest, never a conqueror."

Willis says that Jesus brings to completion the indigenous people's "Old Testament" in much the same way that he fulfilled the best of the Jewish tradition.

Byrdalene works on helping indigenous women discover their gifts and build a biblical foundation for their faith.

"I have become much more conscious of discrimination against women, of the need for inclusive language, and the need to encourage indigenous women to exercise their gifts in the church, and for the men to give them space to do that," she said. She is beginning to see this happening.

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A powerful testimony to the understanding of these women is their dramatizations of verse collections Byrdalene puts together for Christmas and Easter.

"One Toba church planned a dramatization and memorized the verses, but when they began the practices, they were so moved by the story that the actors broke down crying and could not continue," she said.

The Horsts believe the indigenous church has something to teach the North American church:

- Don't bring us handouts. Come walk with us.

- Don't teach us your solutions. Read the Bible together with us.

- Don't come to help us. Come to learn together with us how we can help each other.

- Don't lay up treasure on earth. All the Creator's gifts are meant to be shared. Stinginess is the worst sin of all.

- Accept each other as God accepts you. Welcome the outsider; be gracious and hospitable to all.

- Have faith in Jesus who is the most powerful of all powers.

- Watch and wait for Jesus is coming.

"The indigenous believers have taught us that God is so much greater than we could ever have imagined," Willis said.