Año Puente: discipleship gap year
Martin and Julie Field are serving with CMS in Argentina. After many years in university student ministry, they are starting ‘Año Puente’, a discipleship program for school leavers. Julie shares how they hope to train and mentor godly servant leaders through this new program:
Challenges for university students in Argentina
Argentina is a naturally beautiful and well-resourced nation, but has significant economic, political, and social challenges. As a result, many young Argentines seek university education to achieve stability. However, for most students, the transition from high school to tertiary education is not smooth, as they don’t have the necessary skills to enter university and progress assertively. Many students change career paths at least once due to a lack of vocational guidance. Others are buffeted by the challenging worldviews they encounter on campus. These challenges lead to a huge dropout rate, and slow progression through their degree (taking on average 8-10 years to finish). For Christian students, it can also be a potential threat to their faith.
Introducing Año Puente
After witnessing these challenges for Argentine university students over the past 16 years, we are commencing a new gap year project for school-leavers, called ‘Año Puente’. Jorge Camandona is our neighbour, friend, and youth pastor of the evangelical church down the road. He has embraced Año Puente with great enthusiasm: “How special it would have been if I could have enjoyed a year like this when I finished High School,” he shared, “but I have a son, and I know of many other young people who could benefit from this program, so together with my wife Laura we are praying for Año Puente.”
Currently, the Año Puente program is gathering its first cohort of students, including Jorge’s 18-year-old son Timoteo. The students will engage in full-time study of Scripture through the MOCLAM courses, receive ongoing vocational guidance and study skills techniques, worldview and ethics training, and encouragement in Christian service.
We are delighted to offer this course alongside our long-term friends Esteban (Tebi) and Constanza (Conti), who we met through the university ministry of ABUA many years ago. Tebi is a psychologist with a special interest in career guidance, and Conti is an English translator. They are both theologically trained, and eager to see God equip young people for university and beyond. It is a joy to encourage and train local leaders like these friends of ours. We are so thankful for their initiative in promoting and developing the course while we were on Home Assignment recently.
Equipping young people for life
Our great desire is that Año Puente be a locally led and sustained ministry that enables young people to confidently discern God’s plan for their life so that they would be a blessing to others. The skills acquired in Año Puente have the potential to equip a student for life as a servant of God in the church, family, and workplace. Would you join us in praying for these precious Argentines?
PRAY
Give thanks with Martin and Julie for the group of students and their families who have committed to Año Puente in 2024. Pray that this program may train and equip godly leaders for a lifetime of serving Jesus and his people.
