Cecilia Valdaviezo and Guadalupe her sister have spent the past few months in Ireland . Cecilia has been working with different churches and groups during that time. They are now back in Argentina . As we thank God for their time here, we pray for them as they settle back into Argentina , for Cecilia’s ministry there in schools and for her health.
Penelope Perez from Chile will be arriving in Ireland in September where she will be volunteering with “The Church of the Resurrection” Queens University and working alongside the Church of Ireland chaplain for QUB Barry Forde in pastoral ministry there. As we thank God for Penelope’s visa coming through, we pray for all the practical details as she prepares to leave Chile and as preparations are made for her arrival here.
FUSION Volunteers Jackie McCallum and Oscar Leon have now been with us for coming up on a year. We pray for God’s guidance for the future for each of them, giving thanks for their faithful witness in Northern Ireland . We continue to pray for them and for their family and church at home. We also continue to pray for Gerardo and Suyai Gimpel, and Tommy as they minister in Knockbreda, thanking God too that Tommy is learning English so quickly.
Esperanza Foster Home in Asuncion has received the news that they can no longer rent the current house that they have been using for many years. We pray for God’s guidance for the right way forward for esperanza in the light of this. We give thanks for Barbara and Victor who are now being visited by future adoptive parents after more than 3 years of being in care and pray for the family into which each of them will go. We also pray for Jose Antonio another child in the foster home that he will be able to have his squint operated on. We praise God for the ministry of Esperanza Foster Home and pray for all those who are involved in any way.
The Hickmott Family have now been in Asuncion for almost 3 weeks where they have gone to work in St Andrew’s College. Matthew is teaching Science through English and Kim is teaching English in Primary and Secondary. The boys are settling into school very well and the family hope to get involved in the English speaking church. We pray for them as they continue to settle in, and for their language training that Spanish will come easily and naturally to them. Matthew writes “we do both feel as though we are in the place that God wants us to be and it is with that certainty that we relish the next few weeks and months as they unfold in front of us.”
Team Concepcion Paraguay The team to Concepcion Paraguay has been and gone. We are very grateful to God for being in control of every aspect of the team and we thank Him for safety in travel, good health, easy communication despite language barriers, and for the opportunity to serve Him and to serve and encourage the Paraguayan church. The SAMS team from Ireland worked alongside the Paraguayan church in the ongoing children’s and youth ministry. As a team we were also encouraged and learnt a lot from our brothers and sisters in Concepcion.
Mission Paraguay The first part of the Mission Paraguay team is now almost finished and we pray for them as they travel home, and also for the next group who are beginning their work in the Chaco . The team has been involved in practical projects, sewing workshops, and children’s work and we praise God for all He has achieved through them. We pray for David Orritt as he co-ordinates the team, and for his wife Jean at home.
Catherine & Nick Drayson Northern Argentina Please continue in prayer for mission partner Catherine Drayson as she prepares for further kidney treatment in the UK . Her operation takes place on 10th August. Tentative plans for return to Northern Argentina are that Nick will now return on 21 Aug and Catherine on 12 Sept (with their daughter Stefi, who will be heading to South America for her gap year).
THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR PRAYERS AND SUPPORT