Newsletter by Shana Harrison, UMC Missionary

Spilling the Chile Beans April 2009
Newsletter from Shana Harrison and La Esperanza

As Alain, Adriana and I left the group home en route to spend Christmas at the beach, Adriana inquired with a voice of indignance, “Do you know what Tia Alejandra asked me?” I responded with a gentle, “What?” Adriana continued, “She asked me if I believe in Santa Claus! I told her OF COURSE I do! I have been BAPTIZED and CONFIRMED!”

First Quarter
Life at La Esperanza is very much in motion! 2009 began with a bang as a VIM team from Texarkana and Hope came to help us get the group home and workshop in shape to meet the standards of the Ministry of Health. A new classroom and a new bathroom were installed at the workshop. In addition to that, much of the space in the group home was renovated, leaving us with a very nice laundry room, staff bathrooms, and a space where families can meet with the residents in private. Many, many thanks to those who made all of these improvements possible!

Just as the group was winding down their labors, I began having back problems and ended up spending the majority of the summer (end of January and much of February) in bed, avoiding surgery on a herniated disc. Fortunately the bed rest paid off, and I am back at it 100%! I continue to swim and do some exercises to strengthen my back. So, hopefully I won’t find myself in the same condition any time soon. Many thanks for your prayers and words of encouragement!

As summer drew to an end, everyone returned to discover and appreciate the new spaces at the workshop and to begin once again the balance of work and play. This semester the participants are making gift bags, gift tags, cards, and chains for holding glasses.

We welcomed a new member into the group home in mid-March. Lorena enjoys helping out with tasks around the house, particularly sweeping, and thus far she successfully shares a room with Edith. (I was afraid that the nightly snoring contests would be a problem, but there have been no complaints!) I continue to appreciate the way that the residents and participants so warmly welcome new members into the community. I have a lot to learn from their gifts of hospitality and acceptance.

You may have noticed a drastic change in both the style of the newsletter and its delivery. Enrique, the one responsible for creative design, web management and newsletter delivery took a full time job in his home town. We hope to have someone more creative and computer literate than I am in place soon. We also experienced problems with the delivery of our last newsletter as it was considered SPAM. So, we will be contacting you and asking you to sign up once again if you are interested in receiving the newsletter.

En Crescendo
After 3 ½ years, the Chilean government approved La Esperanza’s change of legal structure. What does this mean for us? We have changed from being a dependent of the Methodist Church of Chile to being a foundation. The new board of directors includes three representatives from the Methodist Church of Chile (including the bishop), three representatives from the families of the beneficiaries or volunteers of the organization and three members from the community at large.

We will continue to operate in the same locations, providing services to the same people. We will now be known as Crescendo instead of La Esperanza. We will soon have a new logo and a new website.

As a foundation, we have our own tax I.D. number which will improve our chances at having government projects approved. As a dependent of the Methodist Church of Chile, when we applied for government funding, it appeared that we owned all of the properties of the Methodist Church of Chile, etc and thus were not in need of assistance compared to other organizations. Now there will be clarity that we are an organization that needs and deserves the government’s support in meeting the needs of adults with developmental disabilities.

What does this mean for you?
You still have the opportunity to be an active part of this ministry with adults with disabilities in the offering of your prayers, presence and gifts. Donations are to continue to be directed to the same Advance Special #14056A under the name of Crescendo. We are striving to involve more and more Chileans in this ministry and to eventually obtain the large majority of funding from within the country. Last year national donations tripled, totally approximately USD 30,000. The beneficiaries are also paying more than they have in the past. However, given this time of financial crisis and this time in which we are not yet able to apply for all of the government projects, we still need your continued financial support to ensure the quality services offered to adults with developmental disabilities.

In My Mind I’m Gone to Carolina….and Arkansas, Tennessee and Virginia…
The good news is that it is not just in my mind this time! I will be itinerating from August through October. So, if your church would like a visit, please be in touch with me at sdhchile2003@yahoo.com or shana@laesperanzachile.org. I will be in Arkansas August 16-17 and again from September 30 until October 30th. I will be in Tennessee on August 19th and then I go on to the Western North Carolina Conference from August 20-23rd. I will be with the North Carolina Conference from August 24th-September 21st and then in Virginia from September 22nd -27th. There are still dates available, and I am eager to meet with you and your congregations to share the exciting and important events that are happening in Santiago. So, please drop me a line if you are interested in a program.

I do look forward to seeing as many of you as possible while I am in the States. Many, many thanks for your continued support. Your prayers, cards, emails and donations are of tremendous value not only to me personally, but also to the community of Crescendo. Together we are making a difference in the lives of adults with developmental disabilities and in the way that Chilean society views and incorporates these people.