Some prayer letters recently arrived in the SAMS Ireland office.
Some for the SAMS Latin partners have been reporting difficulties with food supplies following protests by farmers in Argentina. The farmers are angry at taxes on commodity exports and have been blockading main roads. Several teams will be travelling to Argentina in the next few weeks and months. Please pray for Argentina at the moment.
You can read more from the BBC article, New strike by Argentine farmers.
Here is the latest SAMS Prayer line.
Thank you for your prayers for the Women’s Retreat held last month in Zaragoza in the Diocese of Spain. Sue Woodcock described it as one of the best she’d been to. Women came from many churches, including 8 who made the long journey from Seville. Praise God for this and pray his continuing blessing.?
Please pray for Sylvia Venables, wife of Bishop Greg; she is in pain after her replacement hip came out of joint. And remember too the Somervell family as Tony returns to Paraguay on Friday to be reunited with Chris and the children as they prepare for their final return to the UK next month. This is an emotionally difficult time for them after so many years’ service in South America.
Also in Paraguay there’s a need for new teachers at St Andrew’s School: infant (1), primary (1), secondary to teach English with TEFL/languages degree (2), computing to GCSE level (1). Please pray God will supply every need.
Finally, please remember God’s servants overseas in this period when the weaker pound and even weaker dollar are making things more difficult.
Naomi Francey is from St. Paul’s Parish, Gilford. She currently works in Armagh Planetarium, at least until Sunday when she leaves for the Red Box project in Salta Argentina.
Your leaving on Sunday right?
Yes, it’s Father’s Day!! My parents are pretty anxious about me going, but excited as well! My mum wil miss me doing the ironing, and Dad will just miss me!
So how do you feel about it all?
Surprisingly not really worried. I don’t think the reality has set in that I’m going for such a long time. I’m really excited, and will be relieved when I arrive in Salta after catching all my flights.
Do you know what you’re doing yet?
Not really! I’m happy to be put where I’m needed. I’ve done a bit of Spanish and I’m looking forward to improving it and working with the children and local community.
How will you be keeping us up to date?
I have a blog about to go online – it’s at NaomiFrancey.co.uk. I plan to keep it up to date with what’s going on, photos, and prayer points. Look for an update about once a month.
The diocese of Paraguay last Saturday voted to select a new Bishop at an extraordinary synod. Once the candidate formally agrees and other Bishops ratify the decision an official announcement will be made. The new Bishop is expected to take up the post in the last quarter of 2008.
The previous Bishop John Ellison and his wife are now retired to England.
Thank you to everyone who had been praying for Paraguay.
Some prayer letters came into the SAMS office over the weekend.
We’d like to welcome back Gayle Stevenson from Argentina. She returned this week from the Red Box project. We’ll be updating the web site with her reflections soon. Please pray for her as she readujsts to life back in Northern Ireland.
Here are the dates for some comissioning services for volunteers and teams going out this summer. Please pray especially for Naomi who is leaving in the next few weeks.
Naomi Francey, Red Box volunteer to Argentina – Gilford Sunday 8th June.
Love for Life team to Paraguay – Sunday 8th June in Magheralin.
La Caldrea Team to Argentina – 2nd July in Holywood Parish.
Fivemiletown team to Red Box in Argentina – Sunday 15th June in Fivemiletown.
Please remember the Irene family in Bolivia. On top of the political and social uncertainties of the country, Ronny has had to go to the city of Santa Cruz where his biological mother is in intensive care, having suffered a perforated intestine. Nicky and the 3 children remain in La Paz.
This Saturday evening (7th) a gospel concert is held in the main square of El Escorial, the town in Spain where Jonathan & Hilary Rowe and family live. The visiting choir consists of 300 young people and is the largest gospel choir in the country. Please pray for God’s hand upon this event, from the weather to the follow-up ministry of the small evangelical church there.
Over this weekend another Youth Encounter event takes place in Asunción, Paraguay. Pray for the coordinating team and for the young people invited, that God will touch the lives of many, leading them into new relationships with him and with their families.
Finally, this Sunday (8th) Bishop Bill Godfrey conducts a joint confirmation service for the churches in Lima, Peru. Pat Blanchard has a number of candidates from her church of Jesús el Nazareno, and asks us to pray for a real blessing and outpouring of the Spirit in their lives and in the lives of all being confirmed.
Here is the latest prayer calendar for Paraguay. Click here to download it in PDF format.
Another major prayer point for tomorrow. on the 31st of May there is an Extra Ordinary Synod meeting in Asuncion to make a decision over the appointment of the next diocesan bishop. Please keep the church in Paraguay in your prayers.