We have just published the latest Buena Vista, issue number 2. This edition focuses on:

• Claire Holmes
• Sewing projects in Paraguay
• BTN trips
• Red Box, and
• Fusion volunteer David Alanis

To download Buena Vista 2 click on the image below. It’s a 6MB PDF file.

Some recent prayer letters into the SAMS Ireland office:

• The Vergaras in Argentina
• The Barr Johnstons in Argentina
• FEISA teacher training college in Paraguay
• Caroline Gilmore White in Paraguay

The latest SAMS GB prayer line:

Let’s give praise for answered prayer in response to the Youth Encounter weekend last month in Salta, Northern Argentina. At least 4 young people made a profession of faith in Christ, others expressed real interest to consider the implications and others made renewed commitments. Pray for them.

Praise God too for answers to prayer at the two women´s retreats held recently in Lima and Arequipa, Peru. Penny Marcés asks us to pray that the challenge to serve isn´t forgotten back in the normal routine of life.

Still in Peru, please continue to pray for the health of Bishop Bill Godfrey. Bill has been undergoing surgery in Florida to try to resolve the wound sinus from last year’s operation. Pray that this will resolve this aspect of the problem; and keep Bill and his wife Judith in prayer.

Sue Woodcock is encouraged by good worship and a growing congregation in Sabadell, northeast Spain. One result is a new monthly meeting for folk between 20 and 35 years of age starting this Saturday (15th). Sue asks us to pray for this group to gel and for deep fellowship as they get to know one another and share together.?
Sue also requests prayer for a conference address she is giving in one of the Barcelona universities on Friday (14th), with a repeat in a different context on Wednesday 19th. It’s an opportunity to proclaim good news with sensitivity, so please pray.

Finally, end-of-year exams for 1st and 2nd years at FEISA teacher training college in Asunción, Paraguay, begin next Monday (17th), continuing for three weeks. Please keep students and staff in your prayers.

The SAMS team are busy preparing the next Friday Night Live 2009. This year the event has had to move to a larger venue - the Craigavon Civic Centre - due to the enormous interest last year.

Another exciting programme is planned. Ckick the image below to download the invitation for more details.

Some recent prayer letters into the SAMS office:

• Linn Tedman in Paraguay
• The Leakes in Argentina
• The Morrisons in Chile
• SAMS work in Olinda Brazil
• Caroline Gilmore-White in Paraguay
• FEISA teacher training college in Paraguay

Two SAMS Ireland volunteers have recently started work. Helen King is a volunteer in Argentina with the Red Box project. Meanwhile David Alanis has come from Argentina to work in Lisburn, Co. Antrim.

You can read more about Helen and David in their profile pages in the People page.

The latest prayer line from SAMS GB.

Pupils in the Primary Department of St Andrew’s School in Asunción, Paraguay, are beginning their end-of-year exams this week. Please pray for them and their teachers.

Associate Mission Partners Stuart & Kathryn Broughton are seeking new working visas to continue their ministry among Portuguese speakers in Sydney, Australia. They expected to be notified by the end of October, but are yet to hear a response to their application, so please pray.

On Friday (7th) the annual distribution of wheelchairs begins in Lima, Peru, in conjunction with the Peruvian charity Corazones Unidos. Pat Blanchard, whose Shalom ministry to the disabled has grown encouragingly, will be involved. Please pray.

And three events in northeast Brazil for our prayers:

Ruth Hollingdale Vilella asks us to pray for a big thanksgiving service and party on Thursday (6th) for all ex-participants of the pregnancy group at the House of Hope project in Recife, together with their babies
a youth conference this weekend on the theme of celibacy before marriage, with ten young people from Siméa & Ian Meldrum’s church of Living Waters in Olinda attending
Siméa herself is speaking at a diocesan conference for women on Saturday in João Pessoa on the subject, ‘Breaking the poverty cycle’.

Some recent prayer letters from SAMS mission partners:

• the Barrets in the UK
• the Jordans in Spain
• James Palmer in Chile
• Mission Uruguay prayer letter.

The people in Makxawáya church put the section of roof blown off back on, in August, just a day or two after I went in with David Orrit and Rev Peter Hunter. They have done a very temporary sort of repair, with bits of sky visible from the inside of the church, and some of the wall near the roof missing some bits! The wedding on Sunday August 10th went ahead and none of the guests mentioned the roof!
 
Chris Hawksbee has been in Mak today with Caroline Gilmore-White and a couple from one of Chris’s supporting churches. I think they were probably going to look at the church and see what needed doing. The people in Mak keep asking me when proper repairs are going to be done!
 
I shall be in Mak this weekend, taking young folk / musicians to a couple of weddings in El Estribo, weather permitting. Rain is forecast.

Read more…

SAMS GB Prayer line for this week:

… starts as a Praise Line. Thank you, first of all, for praying at the end of September for the visit of Murray & Penny Metcalfe and family to Buenos Aires. Their trip from Asunción in search of British documentation for their adopted Paraguayan children was successful, with visas granted and passports forthcoming. Let’s praise God for this, and pray for the Metcalfes as they prepare to leave Paraguay in December after many years’ service.

Secondly, Marcus & Tamara Throup thank us for prayers for the men’s Cursilho event in João Pessoa, Brazil, in mid-October. 39 men attended and many gave their lives to the Lord, including an atheist who was baptised at the end of the event. So again let’s give God the praise, and continue to remember those men in prayer.

Tomorrow in Reus in northeast Spain a meeting is held between Sue Woodcock from Sabadell, Rafa Arencón from Reus itself, Peter Jordan and English chaplains to discuss the development of Anglican ministry in the region. Please pray for this gathering and its outcome.

Jill Ball returned to Ecuador two weeks ago after UK leave. Pray for Jill in resumption of her ministry to the disabled and marginalised of the Santo Domingo area.

Finally, a reminder to keep in prayer:

* this weekend’s retreat for women of the Diocese of Peru, held in Arequipa and involving Penny Marcés
* Richard Crofts of SAMS GB who is himself in Peru until Monday (3rd) when he moves to Brazil
* Walter Barrientos in Bolivia, continuing his treatment for cancer of the larynx.