SAMS Ireland Prayer Partners in South America:

• Nick & Catherine Drayson - serving in Northern Argentina.
• Peter & Sally Bartlett - serving in Paraguay.
• Dani and Flavia Lescano - training for ministry in Argentina.
• Cecilia Valdiviezo - Red Box Project Coordinator.
• Gerardo & Suyai Gimpel - mission partners in Chile.
• Raquel Greco - youth ministry, Paraguay.
• Gonzalo and Leticia Soria - serving in Uruguay.
• Hugo Vergara - Diocesan manager in Northern Argentina.
• Bishop Andres Rodrigez - auxillary Bishop of Paraguay, based in Concepcion.
• Edmeia Williams - manages the Dona Marta project in Brazil.
• Pablo Ochoa - working in Chile.
• Pamela Gomez - Red Box assistant.
• Alf Cooper - serving in Chile.
• James Palmer - teaching theology in Chile.
• Lizbeth Varillas - Diocesan Youth Ministry Co-ordinator Peru
• Samuel Lago - training in Chile for ministry.
• Rev. Marcus and Tamara Throup - working in North East Brazil.
• Jordan Wilson - working with the Red Box Project as part of her Gap Year.

SAMS Ireland Latin Partners based in Ireland:

• David Alanis - from Argentina, based in Lisburn Cathedral.
• Esteban Alvarez - from Chile, based in St. Saviour’s Parish, Craigavon.
• Saray Martin Roca - from Spain, based in Primacy, Bangor.
• Cristian Ascui - church worker in St. Lauran’s Derryloran Parish Church

SAMS Ireland staff based in Ireland:

• Denis Johnston
• Geoff Hamilton
• Claire Holmes

SAMS Ireland volunteer staff based in Ireland:

• Dawn Hamilton
• Tom Stevenson
• Felix Blennerhasset

Updates and news about the people involved with SAMS Ireland are below.

Just an update on Throup life! Please continue to pray for Tamara and me, as it is quite hard being apart. You’ll recall that I’m on a post-graduate diploma course in Theological Education in Belfast, whereas Tamara is at her Mum’s in Recife, finishing her post-grad course in Psychology. Studies are going well for both of us, and one good piece of news for me is that the University of Nottingham accepted my PhD proposal in New Testament studies, so I am now officially a (part-time) PhD student!

The pregnancy is going well and via Skype I am able to have some idea of our daughter (Rebekah’s) progress. Tamara is now 22 weeks and so far so good; this Thursday Tamara is due in for another important scan so please pray for her and Rebekah.

Here in Belfast, I’m having a productive time.  As well as studying around 10 hours a day on the Theological Education and on the doctorate, I have done a small amount of Greek teaching and may yet do some further teaching in other areas. I’m also learning a little Swahili with Dr Paul Mwangi, my Kenyan roommate! We’re quite an international group, with college lecturers and principals from all over the world. A lot of us (me included!) are feeling the cold now! Term is coming to an end though, and on January 1^st, after Christmas with my folks, I’ll be getting on a plane to Brazil!

Both Tamara and I sense that this is a very special and formative time in our lives. The arrival of Rebekah and the start of the PhD bring new challenges and serious commitment, but both of us are sure that the Lord is with us, guiding us through. As of next year, alongside the PhD hours, I’ll be doing various teaching jobs that the bishop has lined up for me. Please pray that both of us will be refreshed and rested over the coming Christmas break, so that we can be at our best for the things God has for us next year.

With every blessing in Christ

Marcus and Tamara

Please remember a number of people who are travelling this week:

On Friday (23^rd) the Irene family arrive back in La Paz, Bolivia, after a holiday which has included time with Nicky’s parents, Bishop Greg & Sylvia Venables, in Buenos Aires.  Please uphold Nicky, Ronny and the children as they resume their vigorous pastoral and evangelistic ministry during an unstable period in Bolivia.

On Monday (26^th) Gwen Carlisle and Mags Southern fly back to Paraguay after their month in the UK. Pray for their travel and preparation for the new academic year at St Andrew’s School in Asunción, starting next month.

Also on Monday Andy Roberts and his Brazilian fiancée, Rose, arrive in the UK for a visit of several months. Andy is a volunteer at My Father’s (safe) House in Olinda for boys at risk and is seeking God’s will about serving there full-time with SAMS.  Andy and Rose became engaged just last week.

Starting on Monday SAMS Chilean Partners Pablo & Pamela Zavala will be far from their La Serena home directing a course on sexuality for young people in Temuco, down in the south.  Remember this ministry in your prayers.

Please pray for Rev Malcolm Kingston, and the local parishes of Kilmore and St. Saviours as they host a special South American Long Weekend taking place from February 6th to 11th. The planned programme is extensive, fun and focussed on mission matters here at home and overseas.

Fri, 6th Feb (7.30pm) : SAMS Friday Night Live in Craigavon Civic    Centre.  This annual celebration event never disappoints!  Peter and Cecilia will take part, as will the Shankill Parish Worship Group, Bishop Ken Clarke and Rev. Dr Maurice Elliott.

Sat, 7th Feb (7.30pm) : Salsa Night with Cecilia in Kilmore Parish Centre. Have you been inspired by the Latin Dances on Strictly Come Dancing, then ladies and gentlemen, come along for a lot of fun!

Sunday, 8th Feb : Morning Worship in both churches with Peter & Sally Bartlett, followed by BBQ in St Saviour’s Hall.

Sunday, 8th Feb, 7pm : Evening Worship with Cecilia in St Saviour’s.

Mon, 9th Feb, 7.30 - 8pm  : A meeting of Refresh (youth group for those of Secondary School age plus) with a South American theme,  in Kilmore Parish Centre.

Tues, 10th Feb : Church Girl’s Brigade South America Night in St Saviour’s Hall. All girls are most welcome! 

La Familia Cerón Espinoza

San Lucas, Santiago, Chile.

Dear friends,

We are at the beginning of a very special year and are convinced that God has great things prepared for us, in spite of the current crisis! He is real, and will show the world his beauty and faithfulness as we proclaim Jesus in our home countries.

There is a lot going on in Chile and we would be very grateful if you would join us in prayer for the things set out below:

Our family now has a new member – our daughter, Jacinta Lael, was born three months ago. She is a beautiful, calm baby and has made us very happy. Alejandra is rather tired, so we would ask you to pray for us to get into a healthy routine this year. In the midst of tiredness, we would like to be able to really focus on family life and continue serving God joyfully.

This year we will be researching the university world. In 2010 we would like to establish a university church plant in the centre of Santiago and want to find out what God’s plan and strategy is so that we can work with him. It will be a year of walking the streets, doing evangelism, praying and forming training teams. Please pray that God will give us the WISDOM AND COURAGE we need to start out in this mission work, completely new in Chile, and which we would like to do with real passion.

This year too will see the Urban Mission Operation, which brings together over 500 young people in Santiago, and has now spread into many different cities. It is an evangelistic mission, which I am leading and which has simply become too big for us, thanks to what God is doing to make it grow. Throughout Chile many young people are making a commitment (and also in Argentina and other Latin American countries). Pray that this passion for evangelism will continue to grow and that these urban mission projects will be led by HIM in the different cities where they are taking place. The goal is that by 2010 we will be able to celebrate a National Urban Mission Operation when all the young people can go out in their own cities during the same week to share the good news of Jesus. Pray too for us, so that the power of God will be manifest in Chile as we preach the gospel of his Son!

Thank you for your continued support and wishing you many blessings for the coming year.

 (Cristóbal, Alejandra, Belén y Jacinta).

25th December 2008

To my very wonderful family and friends….

Hola from sunny (and slightly thundery) Salta!! This is my very first time bein in the southern hemisphere for Christmas and also I think the 1st time I’ve ever written a Christmas letter. (apart from those to Santa Claus)

Well as the muppets would say, there’s only one more sleep til Christmas. Although this year for me it’ll be quite different…no turkey dinner, no freezing/rainy weather, not bein with the familia , bein in a different hemisphere, there’s one thing that’s the same!!The reason we celebrate…the amazin fact that Jesus came to earth as a baby FOR US!! ‘She will have a son, and they will name him “Immanuel” which means ‘God is with us’! How excitin!!!!

They actually do most of the celebrating here on Christmas eve…today!!woohooo! In true Argentina style they start late at night and finish early in the morning!! Thats my favourite kind!! Although they don’t have church here on Christmas day, I’ve been part of a Nativity play as Mary and the other night a load of our church ones were playing CHRISTMAS CAROLS in the main plaze in town!beautiful!!

It’s going to be strange not being able to see you all and wish you Merry Christmas in person but know that I’ll be thinking of you and even if I’m enjoying Christmas here (which I’m sure I will be!) there’ll be a big part of me missing you and wondering whats goin on with each of you on Christmas day!Make sure you all enjoy some extra mince pies or roses chocolates or M&S Christmas food on my behalf!!(mmmmmm) I hope you all have a fantastic Christmas and really feel God’s love and peace all around you! Don’t fofget that He is the reason we have this amazin season!!

HAPPY CHRSTMAS!!!!!!!!!

FELIZ NAVIDAD!!!!!!

I LOVE YOU!! GOD BLESS!!!!

Lots of Christmas love and hugs!

Helen xxx

Rev. Nick Drayson, former mission partner in Northern Argentina and Spain, has been appointed Assistant Bishop in the former of those dioceses with special oversight of the Indian work. Nick and Catherine will travel to take up the new post in 2009.

A simple insight into the challenges of sharing the love of Christ in tragic circumstances.

I went last week to the Pilcomayo river to see if I can help with job creation through crafts. Río Pilcomayo is a river in the central parts of South America, longest western tributary of the Paraguay River, and its watershed extends across 270,000 km². The Pilcomayo rises in the foothills of the Andes cordillera, between the Bolivian departments of Potosí and Oruro, east of Poopó Lake. From there it flows in a southeasterly direction 2,000 km through Chuquisaca and Tarija departments, passes through the Argentine province of Formosa and the Gran Chaco plains of Paraguay, forming the border between these two countries before it joins the Paraguay River near Asunción.

I visited very poor communities far from the river. The kid in the photo doesn’t know his age or his surname; he is 8 but never has gone to school. Very sad. His dad is in the other photo with the dry “water hole”. The authorities dump water in this dug out hole but the plastic is broken and the water disappears. It was 47 degrees Celsius my friends… and with no water!!! It drives me up the wall only to think this exists! I’m thinking what to do and the best would be a simple plastic water tank of 1000 litres approximately cost £120.
 
 
Un abrazo fuerte y bendiciones hermanos!
 
Alec  

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 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…

Claire has sent her latest Prayer news from Concepcion.