Esteban and Susana González Zugasti always cherished their family visits with the indigenous communities in the Chaco region of Argentina, where they, along with their three children, are mission workers. But when their second child, Bernabé, was born with Down syndrome and required around-the-clock care, Susana realized she would no longer be able to continue making regular trips.
So she prayed that God would open another area of mission. God answered her prayer with “Patch Adams.”
The film starring Robin Williams is about a doctor who used humor to connect with the children who were his patients. After watching the film, she realized she could do the same thing. She learned about a local program of payamédicos—clown medics—that supports hospital patients emotionally. Now, she is a trainer, helping prepare new payamédicos.
The González Zugasti family—now Paloma, 9; Bernabé, 8; and Raquel, 4—has served since 2004 as part of the Mennonite team—an intercultural, interdenominational ministry sponsored by Mennonite Mission Network in the Chaco region of Argentina. Originally from Mar del Plata, Argentina, they live in Resistencia, the capital of the Chaco province, and a launching point for visiting the Mocovi and Toba-Qom communities.
“This was important for me because I knew I was in the place I needed to be (caring for their children), but I was thinking about how I could work with indigenous folks who had much pain and sadness,” she said.
The clown medics work in groups of two or three, using improvisation and silliness to help patients release anxiety and share their feelings.
And while her face may be painted, she’s recognizable as a source of joy. Recently, when visiting an indigenous community, a woman looked at her with a glimmer of recognition in her eye. The woman approached Susana with a young girl in tow, her face beaming.
“You visited her in the hospital,” the woman said. “We were in the burn unit. You had a blue wig!”
Download full-resolution image.Though Susana mostly stayed in Resistencia, Esteban continued visiting indigenous communities, walking with the spiritual leaders of the Mocovi and Toba-Qom groups. One of his most important tasks was to help convene conferences in which the indigenous community leaders could come together to discuss not only theological issues, but also the common challenges their communities face—lack of land, difficulties gaining access to good nutrition, discrimination by the broader society, and drug and alcohol abuse.
“In churches in general, people don’t talk about these things,” Esteban said, “so we felt it was important that we open a space to reflect together.”
In Argentinian society, indigenous groups are almost invisible, even among evangelical churches in the country, Susana said.
“There is little connection between the ‘white’ Argentinian world and the indigenous world,” she said. “For most white Christians, the only time indigenous groups are visible is when they (white Christians) come to give out clothes, or do evangelistic crusades.”
But since the 1940s, the indigenous evangelical churches in the Chaco have had their own leadership, pastors, teachers, evangelists and missionaries.
“Our role as the Mennonite team is not to plant churches, but to accompany the indigenous churches and encourage their own theological development,” Esteban said. “Our approach comes from an Anabaptist perspective.”
Download full-resolution image.Esteban and Susana said that their experience of Christian community with other members of the Mennonite team in the Chaco has led them down a new path. They have learned from team members who lived in intentional communities in the United States. When the house next door to their good friends became available, they felt God’s call to buy it, and the money became available in amazing ways. Upon their return to Mar del Plata in December—a seaside city of 614,000 people—they will be starting an intentional Christian community.
Gretchen and Keith Kingsley, who served in the Chaco region along with the González Zugasti family, said Esteban and Susana brought “invaluable gifts” to the team and the community.
“Their embodiment of humility, collaboration, and earnest discipleship has deeply touched many people, fellow team members and native partners alike,” the Kingsleys said by e-mail. “It was an inspiration to work with them.”
Esteban plans to continue visiting the indigenous churches in the Chaco two or three times a year to maintain relationships and support ongoing gatherings of indigenous leaders.
They also hope to continue educating the “white church” about the presence and importance of the indigenous communities and churches.
“We have received so much from them—they have a perspective on faith, on what God is like and what Jesus is like, that is distinct from ours,” Esteban said. “We think the white church could learn a lot from what the indigenous churches have to share.”
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Mennonite Mission Network, the mission agency of Mennonite Church USA, leads, mobilizes and equips the church to participate in holistic witness to Jesus Christ in a broken world. Media may contact Andrew Clouse at andrewc@mmnworld.net, 574-523-3024 or 866-866-2872, ext. 23024.
