Financial need: 22,000 €
Project: 
21020

Patagonia

Mission among the Mapuche people

Evangelism of the Mapuches in Argentina

Patagonia has always been home to the Mapuche, both in Chile and in Argentina. When in the 15th century, the whites penetrated into the homelands of these Amerindians, they acted very brutally against them. The Indians were driven out ruthlessly of their ancestral habitat, often into the inhospitable parts of southern Argentina, into the pampas and into the mountains. Today, they live in the slums on the outskirts of the cities or in the seclusion of the pampas and the mountains. These uncommunicative Indians feel they are second class people. After all they had suffered from white people, they could not be reached by their mission. When Pedro and Noemí Boretsky moved to Esquel (Argentina), they had above all the white population in mind. But God’s amazing guidance made things turn out quite differently. It all started with a Mapuche couple who asked the missionary to bury their deceased six-month-old child. The funeral service triggered a mission work. The parents and many of those listening to the sermon were deeply impressed by the Gospel.

So the Boretskys started to bring God’s love in word and deed to these uncommunicative people, who are often very withdrawn. By now, their mission field covers an area of more than 600 km in length and about 200 km in width!

Seven mission churches have been planted. More than 20 workers are being trained for missionary service.

The lives and the ministry of this couple take the assurance into many a Mapuche hut that God has not neglected them, and this affects their whole lives.