In the poorest country in South America, young people have little hope for the future.  Over 80% of Bolivian children live in extreme poverty, and 80,000 of them are addicted to drugs.  Many children are abused, trafficked or simply abandoned by parents unable to care for them.  Tunari Treasures is a small not-for-profit Foundation   making a difference for the lucky few in the heart of the country, Cochabamba.  They are training up a group of disadvantaged young men, some of whom come to them through Compassion and others from an orphanage. Teaching them metalwork helps them stand a better chance of earning a living in the future.  As well as being taught practical skills, the students are also taught administration and life skills, so that they are more rounded and capable individuals when they graduate.

When the students finish the course, they will have the skill set to design, produce, work out the cost of products and sell them.  They’ll also know how to do some basic administration.  This will help them set up their own small business, so they’re not dependent on finding an (often abusive) employer. In addition, because they are mentored as well as trained, they will have personal integrity, respect for others and for themselves and, most importantly, a deeper understanding and knowledge of God.

Gray and Andrea Parker, who set up Tunari Treasures in 2004 after moving with their family to Bolivia to work with Latin Link, now employ a team of Bolivians to share the responsibility. Their aim is that one day Bolivians will take the project on.  Gray commented after six students recently graduated:

During the graduation ceremony I realised that this was the most satisfying thing I’ve ever done. I thought to myself “if I never do anything else in mission again, I feel I’ve made an important impact in the lives of these 6 lads”. It was brilliant. One of the lads, Wilson, gave an impromptu speech, saying to the other lads (who’ve only just completed half the course) that the certificate he had just received wasn’t just to be thrown away, but really meant something. Wilson was the one who 8 months ago nearly got chucked out of the course for breaking some ground rules. The leader of the Compassion project where he goes says Wilson is a different person!

Graduation isn’t the end of the relationship between the staff of Tunari Treasures and their students.  Even after the lads go on to get jobs, or start their own businesses, staff will continue to monitor and mentor them, to help them navigate the difficult path into self-sufficiency.  There are also plans to make private business loans to graduates of up to £600 in order to help them set up their own small enterprises.

The biggest problem facing Tunari Treasures is, unsurprisingly, financial.  The students are charged a nominal 20 Bolivianos per month (about £2).  The real cost of their training is twenty five times that.  Moreover, the programme has attracted such positive attention that Tunari Treasures has been asked to look at the possibility of opening more training centres in other cities.  This of course requires a lot more logistical support, premises costs and the training of new staff.

• Please pray for the staff of Tunari Treasures to be able to effectively train and mentor young men, and help release them from the bondage of poverty and low self-esteem.
• Thank God for the young men who have graduated and pray that they will find employment and take ownership of their lives
• Ask God to provide more funding so that this valuable work can be expanded to help more people. They would really like to have their own premises so that they can be truly independent.

If you would like to donate to Tunari Treasures, go to http://www.latinlink.org/Donate.aspx and where it says “support a person or associated project” choose “project” and then scroll to “Gray and Andrea Parker: Tunari Treasures”.

If your PC’s been humming along under your desk for more than a year or two, I’ve got news for you: the chances are that inside the case, half a dozen dust bunnies are dancing around your hard drive, leeching onto your CPU fan and fluttering about your motherboard having a grand old time.

This is not good.

Today we’ll go over how to clean out the guts of your computer, tighten, tune and oil things up to make your PC happier, healthier and more likely to stick around longer.

Note: Your best bet is to do this type of cleaning next time you’re inside your PC’s case, like during a new RAM or hard drive installation.  If it’s simply been years since you’ve looked inside your computer – especially if you’re a pet owner or smoker, or if your computer’s fan’s gotten noisier over time – it might be worth the dust bunny evacuation now, upgrade or not.

This past weekend I added some memory to my PC and used the instructions in this excellent article at PC Stats (http://www.pcstats.com/) to clean my PC’s innards while I was in the neighborhood.

What you’ll need (from left to right):

1. A Phillips head screwdriver.

2. Mechanical oil with a dropper.
I used 3-in-1. PC Stats, with good reason, does not recommend WD-40.

3. A can of compressed air.
Pick one of these up at any computer supplies or electronics store.  If you can’t get hold of one easily, you can use a vacuum cleaner with a brush attachment, but do it gently.

First, prepare the computer for cleaning.

Before anything else, back up all your data (better safe than sorry).  Then disconnect the power cord, monitor, keyboard, mouse and any other peripherals.  Take the tower to a well-lit place outdoors on a porch or to the garage, or maybe to the basement.  Do not skip this step because the compressed air is going to blow up a cloud of dust and chemicals you don’t want in your home office or in your eyes or nostrils.  Open up the case.  My Dell goes on its side and when you push the release on the top and bottom, it slides open like a Delorian.  Your case may (most likely will) vary.  Consult your computer’s manual for how to get yours open.

Next, create a dust storm.

Use the can of compressed air with the thin narrow straw attached to the nozzle to blow the dust off all the components inside your PC’s case.  Keep the can upright as much as possible to avoid liquid coming out of the can, but if it does, it shouldn’t harm the computer’s innards.  Don’t do this near kids or pets, and know that as you use the can, it will get cold in your hand.  Be sure to get into all the cracks and crevices, and do dust the grill on the back of the machine as well. PC Stats says that compressed air should not be used to clean fan blades because it will make them turn faster than they were meant to and this could cause harm.  The fan is plastic anyway and can be cleaned with a damp cloth, which we’ll do next.

Thirdly, clean the fan.

There are two fans in your computer: one inside the power supply and one over the processor.  The power supply fan on my machine was sealed tight and inaccessible; so I cleaned it as much as possible from the outside grill.  We care about the fan over the computer processor.  Airborne dust, pet hair, smoke and particles can build up over time and slowly break this fan down and eventually overheat your computer.  Some cleaning and a drop of oil can prevent this type of catastrophe, or at least put it off.

In my particular Dell (a Dimension series), the processor fan is covered by a green hood that flips up and snaps off.  Using the screwdriver, dismount the fan from the inside of the machine without disconnecting the cords.  Wipe down the plastic blades and casing with a damp cloth. I’m not a smoker or a pet owner but you can see my fan was blackened with dust.

Finally, lubricate the fan mechanism.

Pull up the sticker on the fan.  PC Stats says some computers may have a rubber plug over the bearing inside; my computer did not.  If yours does, pull up the plug with a fingernail or screwdriver.  Then place one single drop of oil over the axle part which turns the fan.

Then replace the sticker and remount the fan, hood and any nearby parts you had to remove to get to it.

Before you close up your case, make sure all the connections inside your PC are tight and that no wires are hanging loose or pulled too tight.  Firmly tighten any screws mounting PCI cards or drives and close up the case.  Return the PC to its home location, reconnect all peripherals and boot up.  If possible, place the machine on your desk instead of on the floor to reduce dust exposure.

After the cleaning, your lubed-up, clean PC should run quieter with a much reduced chance of a hostile dust bunny takeover – that is, until the cat starts rubbing up against it.

Adam Brown, Technical advisor

If you are involved with Christian work, there comes a time when it’s necessary to keep supporters up to date with what’s happening. Whilst modern technology provides various ways of communicating, it still means that most people send a regular form of newsletter. Whilst some have natural skills in writing, others struggle with this whole area of communication.

As the Alumni Co-ordinator for a Mission Training College, I have the privilege of receiving over 350 newsletters per year!  You can imagine that there is every conceivable type of newsletter that arrives on my desk, but the great thing is that each one is a reflection of the person who has sent it and a small window into each situation that they are living through.

It is not an easy job to be able to communicate all that you are living through onto one sheet of paper (or one brief email), choosing how to balance both the good things and the challenging aspects of life.  Communicating reality without being too negative or too positive is a skill that often develops over time.

Given that you send the newsletter to a diverse list of supporters, some of whom you know well and some who you don’t know very well, is a challenge in itself.  I don’t think there can be instructions for the ‘perfect’ newsletter but here are a few pointers that may help you communicate the things that you want to impart.

The Title – Having a letter that is clearly marked by some title is good, perhaps a memorable rhyme or phrase using the surname of the authors of the letter. One of the best examples I’ve seen was  ‘The Heintz Catch-up’ written by the Heintz family! It is also good to see a prominent indication of which organisation and country the writers are working with (this may be different for those who are in ‘sensitive’ situations … we will tackle this later).

The Body of the Letter – Most newsletters take up one or two sides of A4 at most. Some will fill every corner and have you reading the extra notes written in the margin all the way around the outside of the page. It’s good to write enough detail to involve the reader whilst also keeping it ‘readable’. Most folk include photos, which always brightens up the letter. It’s good to have one of the family occasionally, but perhaps not necessary every time.  I was very pleased to see that one family I write too added a photo of themselves in their newsletter recently as I had been writing to them for four years or more and I didn’t know what they or their children looked like.  Now I stand some chance of spotting them if they come to visit.  It also seems to help with praying for people if readers can picture them.

The Family’s Viewpoint – Some families get each member to write a paragraph or have a children’s section. This can be good as the view of life is often quite different for the job holder, as it is for the spouse or the 8 year old child.  It also means that readers remember the needs of the whole family and not just the work that they are there to do.

Situation ethics – Involving readers in your situations is good. There is one couple who have a section called ‘Going Deeper’ where they pose several questions asking ‘what would you do in this situation?’.  Most of the time there is no right or wrong answer but it allows readers to see some of the day to day dilemma’s that you are faced with and it gives them a good insight into living and working cross culturally, allowing them to pause and consider.

Living in a Sensitive Situation – Having a role which you can’t be so open about (e.g. because of security), provides challenges for communicating through newsletters. Some organisations give guidelines on what you should and shouldn’t write, along with instructions about using secure email. Some give very little. A few points of advice for sensitive situations is to never mention names (of places or people), to avoid using overtly Christian words or terms (like mission and evangelism) and to always think what the consequences might be if your newsletter got into the wrong hands. It’s good to explain to your readers that writing certain things might endanger your family or your work. The reader then knows to take a step back and read ‘between the lines’ in order to discern how things are really going. It is ironic that those who face the most difficulty in communicating their news due to their situation are often those folk who need the most support and prayer.

How Regularly? – Having a regular pattern to sending your newletters is good. The traditional stance has been to send a full letter 3 or 4 times per year. However, the ease of online communication means that you can send a brief update more often enabling your supporters to walk your journey with you, rather than only meet you at the staging posts along the way. Some people do this monthly, the keen ones weekly! Beware, however, that more often doesn’t always mean more interest. Some readers will be fatigued by the amount of communication if you send it too often.

Prayer Points – One of the main reasons of writing is to ask for prayer, and having a few ‘prayer points’ is a really helpful way of guiding the thoughts and prayers of supporters.  It is encouraging to see how God has answered previous prayers so having some points of thanksgiving is good too. This also helps the writer to stop and give thanks rather than just have a rolling ‘shopping list’ of prayer.

Whilst not comprehensive, maybe this has given you enough inspiration to get writing. Perhaps my final point would be to encourage you to remain true to yourself. Don’t try to dress it up too much but just write about what you are doing and what you are facing. That way your readers will get a true window into your situation and will feel privileged to join you on the ups and downs of your journey.

This article was written by Cheryl Frith and originally appeared on the Oscar website – http://www.oscar.org.uk.  It is reproduced with permission.

A youth event considering the appeal of pornography in society

ICF is an exciting and innovative way of doing church which is growing quickly throughout Europe.

Since the first church was started in Zurich in 1996, the movement has spread rapidly and now has 40 churches in 8 different European countries, mostly in Switzerland, with plans to start up in several other countries.   With a lively worship style, youthful leadership and up to date use of technology, they are attracting a large number of young people wherever they set up.

ICF’s youngest church leader is Christian Gfeller, who started a new church in Schaffhausen just two years ago, which has already grown to some 200 people worshipping  God in three separate Sunday services.  When Syzygy met Christian at a conference recently, he explained that their vision is to bring people back to church by letting them see that church can be dynamic, relevant and contemporary.  This, he believes, is what attracts people who are not accustomed to thinking of church as anything other than old-fashioned, irrelevant and boring.

Christian Gfeller

ICF has a strong ‘corporate identity’ (to use their own words!)which clearly cascades right through the movement.  Quality and fun manage to walk hand in hand.  In their desire to be relevant, they are willing to change things, be experimental, and take risks.  They’re also committed to planting new churches.  By the time a church grows to 350 members, they’re already thinking about moving to multi-site meetings to enable the growth to continue.  This has attracted attention in the Swiss press, which can’t quite get its head around the fact that church can be fun and Christians can have an infectious zest for life.

Surprisingly, the bulk of the church growth has not come from disaffected Christians leaving other churches and joining ICF.  Christian says that only about 10% of the members of his church in Schaffhausen joined from other churches.  Half the members had been churchgoers as children but had long since ceased attending, and the remainder were mainly unchurched.

Asked about the sort of social work that the church does, Christian  explained, The biggest social work we do is offer community. This may well be the key to why ICF is bucking the trend among young people, who research shows are increasingly disinterested in church while becoming more open to exploring their spirituality.  In an age when many young people have to cope with social dislocation and fractured families, offering them a loving and committed Christian community may just be the way to reach a generation for Christ.

You can find out more about ICF at http://www.icf-movement.org/

We believe that prayer is the number one need of every mission worker.  A regular feature of St Paul’s letters was a request for prayer that the gospel would spread through his ministry.  If he needed prayer as part of his missionary endeavours, how much more do we!  As J O Fraser observed when he realised that the breakthroughs in his ministry to the Lisu people of China were directly linked to the prayer of his supporters in the UK:

Solid, lasting missionary work is done on our knees.

So we’re committed to praying, and helping others to pray, for our mission partners worldwide.

For this reason, we’ve set up the Syzygy prayer network for mission workers with prayer needs.  If this is you, just email prayerrequests@syzygy.org.uk and your message will be automatically forwarded to everyone who’s in our prayer network.  Please don’t send us your regular prayer letters – just a short paragraph to cover your emergency needs.  Remember that we’ve got no control over what people do with it, so you might need to be discreet in what you say.  Those in CANs who are concerned about the security risk of being overtly linked to Syzygy might like to email our colleague Chris who will pass messages on to us.

If you’d like to join our prayer network and pray for world mission needs, just email pray@syzygy.org.uk and we’ll add you to the circulation list.  Please don’t forward emails or pin them on noticeboards as there may be security implications for the sender.  You can also find specific prayer needs on our homepage, particularly on the Featured Ministry entries.

For those of you who’d like to pray for particular countries or issues, we recommend the World Prayer Map.  It is updated regularly by a variety of mission partners across the world, and can be accessed by country or by topic.  Go to www.worldprayermap.co.uk to access it.