MISSIONARY FEATURE
Mennonites
Carry On
Spiritual
Peace Corps
Paraguay Indians benefit from missionary outreach.
assistance from MEDA was received, the project was revived and put on a paying basis. The first crop will be harvested in 1963. Another successful project is Causarina which is com posed of some 60,000 acres (300 of which are cleared) and on which cotton, beans, peanuts and kaffir com are grown. The ranch already has over 800 head of cattle. South Amer ican Mennonites are eligible to be come active partners or stockholders in the enterprise. The work of MEDA has been high ly commended by the State Depart ment of our government. Realizing the tremendous assistance which is rendered to colonists, as well as to natives of the areas, the work of ME DA has grown strong. Future business projects for ME DA may include such practical fa cilities as a fruit-juice extracting plant, meat market and grocery store, ice cream manufacturing plant, sisal factory for making of burlap bags, a brick factory, a soap factory, and ul timately a central bank for the vari ous participants. It is hoped that in the years to come other dedicated Christian busi ness men in America may take up similar projects with Christian peo ple in other lands and experience the opportunity of true spiritual growth as well as progressive economic de velopment. Similarly, in eveiy other project maintained, the people of the area are able to witness to the power of the Gospel to those who have no knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ and the basic truths of God’s Word, the only foundation upon which any individual or nation can rest.
the number of stockholders rapidly expanding. In 1961, the Uruguay Set tlements Association merged with MEiDA so that the present organiza tion is expanded. Some of the interesting projects which are carried on include a Model Dairy farm in Fernheim Chaco, Par aguay. Rugged Chaco bush land had to be cleared away so that the facility could be set up. High grade bulls were imported, to be crossed with native cattle. The result was increased milk production and cash returns. Previously, farmers in the area had no market for the hides of their slaughtered animals. They were of extremely poor quality. Since ME DA has established a tannery, how ever, a steady income for useful leath er products has been received. As a natural step from a tannery, MEiDA began the Fortuna Shoe Com pany with necessary capital for ma chinery to manufacture the average workingman’s shoes. While capacity is small compared to American stand ards, the 100 pairs of shoes a week which are turned out mean tremen dous advances and opportunities for the people of the area. Ingenious Mennonite colonists have also established a crude foundry for casting dies for farm implements and industrial machinery. Now, with help from America, the Fernheim foun dry continues to move forward in production facilities for such neces sary tools. Refugees who came out of Russia during World War II established Col ony Volendam in 1947. Severe eco nomic pressures were placed upon the group. One of the first casualties was its important rice plantation. When
Some of the improved dairyherd in Chaco. Below, two colonists brand a young heifer.
45
AUGUST, 1963
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