SAMS GB has published the Spring Share magazine. This edition includes news from Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay, and Argentina. Also included are interviews with retired Bishop John Ellison and volunteers going to South America in the summer.
Claire Holmes has sent her latest prayer news. She writes of
Read the prayer letter in full.
Welcome to the SAMS Prayer Line for the week commencing Wednesday 12 March.
Please pray for the members of the Anglican church of ‘Vida Nueva’ in Canal Beagle, Viña del Mar, Chile, which has been devastated by fire, caused apparently by an electrical fault. Remember them as they meet together in homes and begin the long process of rebuilding.
John Sutton of SAMS GB continues his short tour of eastern South America. Currently in Recife and Olinda (Brazil), on Friday (14th) he moves to Uruguay. Among those he will spend time with are SAMS Latin Partners Gonzalo & Leticia Soria. Pray for John’s time with them and with other members of the diocese.
Two special services merit our prayers:
(i) On Friday St Andrew’s School in Asunción, Paraguay, holds its Easter Service, with Patrick Butler preaching. Pray for Patrick’s ministry and that the whole service may bless students and staff with the life-giving message of Easter.
(ii) on Tuesday (18th) in northeast Spain, the Church of Christ, pastored by Sue Woodcock, will be holding a united service for Holy Week with the Baptist churches of Sabadell. Pray for this special event at a special time in the church’s year.
Finally, please remember Alf Cooper as he flies back to Chile on Monday (17th) after UK ministry, rejoining Hilary and the family in Santiago.
Linn Tedman, a SAMS Mission Partner in Asuncion Paraguay writes..
The main news focus has been on an outbreak of yellow fever in the country and some people have died. This caused widespread panic. The Government issued warnings as far back as eighteen months ago that Yellow Fever could reach Paraguay but no vaccination programmes were started. When yellow fever was confirmed there was very little vaccine in the country. People have been demonstrating and fighting each other and the authorities in order to get vaccinations.
Eventually neighbouring South American countries sent in vaccine and France has just sent 2 million doses. Over the course of a fortnight more people have been vaccinated. The problem seemed to be down to lack of monetary resources to pay for vaccine, but some money has now been found.
There is now a massive clean-up campaign to try to eradicate the breeding areas of the mosquitoes in rubbish which can trap water. A new law means that anybody who does not clean up will be put in prison. (Prisons are already grossly overcrowded.)
Here are several prayer letters from SAMS Mission Partners:
The Meldrums in Olinda, Brazil have sent this prayer news update about My Father’s House orphanage in Brazil.
Urgent prayer requests have come in from the Teacher Training College, FEISA, in Asuncion Paraguay.
The Barr Johnstons in Northern Argentina write with news of 26 people baptised after coming to faith.
There continues to be more evangelistic outreach in the Juarez area than in Salta. In Juarez, 10 new believers were baptized on Sunday 27th February… Please pray for them all, that they may grow in their faith and witness to others, and that the Lord may bring many of these friends’ relatives and workmates to know Him. Vicar Narciso is also evangelising and teaching evangelism, and is already thinking of preparing more possible baptism candidates. Pray for him in all this.
In Yema Vicar Tuqui is preparing 8 new believers for baptism, and in Quemado Vicar Juan is preparing another 8. These are the first 8 to be baptised in Quemado, though many more there have made a profession of faith in Jesus, and each Saturday they come regularly to meetings lead by Vicar Juan. The problem is that it is the first baptism, and many are fearful of it, which is not surprising, as this isolated village was full of superstition when we started regular meetings in about June 2001. The village is the centre for many who live in isolated houses where they look after their cattle. Some of these have also come to know the Lord. Please pray for Juan and the team he takes with him, which includes Sylvio and Juan’s son Cristian.
Read the full letter.
Beryl Baker is a nurse who has served in the Paraguayan Chaco for over 30 years. Here are some highlights from her latest prayer letter.
Read the entire letter.
Cati (Gayle) is back in Salta and along with her return comes the next edition of ‘The Argentine News’.
I’ve spent the last month helping at and attending summer camps both here in Salta and Jujuy another of Argentina’s northern provinces. After saying our final goodbyes to Cecilia and Pamela we got into a remis (taxi) and headed for the bus terminal and onto Jujuy for our first taste of summer camp Argentina style. The camp Lozano in Jujuy is run by an American missionary couple and is up in the mountains meaning it was a lot colder and a lot greener (I almost thought I was home again). Anyways for the first camp we were campers, it rained and was freezing for the whole week (not good when you end up having to wear the same clothes everyday for a week as you desperately try to keep warm ha ha).Now I’m going to be honest with you all here so you better appreciate it…I absolutely hated the first few days there…because I was scared (don’t tell anyone), to find myself in a new place, not knowing a single person there never mind not speaking the same language ( at least not confident in it) it was absolutely terrifying. So basically I arrived, took a major panic attack and then started to think like someone who actually believed in God and handed the situation over to Him…the week ended up being absolutely brilliant! The guys in my group were amazing and through all the activities i.e drama sketches, writing and performing a song, sports, quizzes, a cross country race thing, worship and sermons I learnt so much. So after a week of very little sleep and a lot of fun on we went to the next camp.
Lapen was a camp for kids and it was back in Salta at the orphanage/soup kitchen where I normally work. Here we were “helpers” and I was one of the cooks. The week was busy but pretty quiet and a real blessing too, as I wasn’t a leader I was able to be a friend to the kids there and not have to tell them off or keep them under control and the time we had playing, messing about and talking about silly things was something I will never forget.
The last camp was back in Jujuy for teenagers and again we were working in the kitchen. Over the course of the week we made some great friends, learnt a lot and for me one of the highlights was the worship, the songs were amazing, praising God in another language is just unreal.
We returned to Salta absolutely exhausted and spent the next few days running here there and everywhere as Hannah (from Richill) said her goodbyes before returning to sunny Northern Ireland last week. Since then I have been trying to catch up on a lot of missed sleep, tidying up the house and starting back to work with the church.
That’s pretty much me for the month of February so if you have a free minute send me an email and let me know how everything is going at home (I feel very out of touch)and stick a prayer list at the bottom. So for now I will love you and leave you with some prayer requests…? ?For “El Redentor” my church, for unity and growth.?For my safety and the safety of the house as I live alone until Cecilia’s return from Northern Ireland.
That God will use me to do His work in my last 3 months here.?That I will learn to seek God more and hear His voice more clearly.?For Cecilia and Pamela’s work in Ireland.?For Hannah as she returns home and for missionary opportunities when she goes to Australia.? ?Thanks so much for your support, you’re all in my prayers.?Dios te bendigo
Gayle/Cati/Caterine
e-mail me at: gaylesteve@hotmail.com