Ubuntu in Argentina (Marian Thorpe and James deBoer, Argentina)

by Global Ministries | published on Oct 10, 2014

Marian Thorpe and James deBoer serve as long-term volunteers with the Round Table for Mission Development of the Disciples of Christ Church in Argentina and Paraguay, as a consultant for mission development. This is their mission reflection:

We were leading a workshop in which we asked people what they thought were the basic human needs. After food, shelter, clothing, we moved to purpose, community, and identity. Then someone mentioned “mate“, and we paused to think about whether mate was properly a physical or emotional/spiritual need, eventually settling on both. So, we think that mate serves as a living expression of the togetherness implicit in Ubuntu:

One of Argentina’s favorite beverages is mate (“MAH-tay”), a tea-like beverage made from a South American relative of the holly plant. It’s a little bit like a very strong green tea. We’ve seen all kinds of people drinking mate in every possible setting: the cashier was drinking it when I bought vegetables at the corner store. A few days ago we saw a woman drinking mate on the back of a moving motorcycle. And of course we drink lots of mate at church meetings.

Drinking mate has certain rules. We definitely don’t know all the rules yet, but here’s what we’ve figured out so far.

First, mate requires special equipment. You need a special cup, also called a mate, to hold the mate leaves. You also need a metal straw, called a bombilla that has a strainer on the end to filter the tea. And you need a thermos, or termo, to carry your hot water around with you, on your motorcycle or wherever.

Second, when you’re with a group, mate should be shared. The entire group uses one mate cup and one bombilla, with each person drinking their own cupful in turn. One person self-designates as the server, preparing the mate cup, pouring the hot water carefully over the leaves, and making sure that everyone gets a chance to drink.

Third, if you want more mate, it doesn’t pay to be polite. Saying “gracias” when someone hands you the mate cup means that you’re done drinking. So when someone offers you the cup just accept it and sip away.

Mate seems to be an essential part of church meetings. It has a little bit of caffeine to keep everyone awake, and the process of passing the cup offers just enough distraction for folks who get bored easily. But best of all, at least for us, is that it reminds us that even in the minutiae of church business, we can always find opportunities for sharing and collaboration.

James deBoer and Marian Thorpe, Long-Term Volunteers with the Round Table for Mission Development of the Disciples of Christ Church in Argentina and Paraguay