Blog

Walter Barrientos, pastor of the church in Tarija, Bolivia, has been suffering from throat cancer . This Friday is Walter’s 40^th birthday; let’s pray with and for him and Sandra, that God will be close at this challenging time.

Give thanks for the recent Women’s Encounter in La Serena, Chile, which, says Pastor Pablo Zavala, surpassed all expectations both in number of participants and in outcome, with several women coming to church as a result of the event.  Pablo & Pamela ask prayer for this ongoing ministry and for a way to reach men for the Lord.

On Thursday the school year ends at St Andrew’s and the Annexe schools in Paraguay.  Praise God for all achieved and pray for a thoroughly refreshing summer break for all staff and pupils.

Finally, a number of events to pray for this weekend:

Synod of the Diocese of Chile in Temuco (Friday-Sunday)

Marriage Encounter at La Trinidad, Las Condes, in Santiago, Chile (Friday-Sunday)

Service of blessing in Río Verde, in the Paraguayan Chaco, on the new church of San Mateo, which is led by Ed & Marie Brice (Sunday).

New Suffragan Bishop Nick Drayson and his wife Catherine write: “After the high of the consecration and a brilliant journey round the local communities of Northern Argentina, we have been literally bedeviled by the detail of trying to set up home [in Juárez].  It has seemed like a relentless series of delays, breakdowns and natural disasters!”  Please pray, then, for Nick & Catherine, and also for protection as they travel to different communities this month, Wichi language study, and wisdom as situations arise.  The church is under attack from some quarters in relation to its stand on deforestation, and some of the communities have been subjected to racially motivated violence.

Across the border in the Paraguayan Chaco nurses Beryl Baker and Wendy Power ask prayer for God to bring Iocals from the darkness of following witchdoctors into the light and freedom of Christ.  A 28-year-old man died recently of TB, leaving a widow and several orphaned children, because the witchdoctor instructed him not to take his tablets.  Beryl and Wendy also request prayer for a young woman with learning difficulties: to manage the care of her two children effectively, and for a mentor figure to teach and support her as a mother.

Finally, please remember Ruth Hollingdale Vilella who is in temporary accommodation with husband Efraim in Porto Alegre, southern Brazil.  Ruth has been ill with flu and a sinus infection which has gone to her ears.  Pray too for Ellelein Kirk in Gómez Carreño, Chile, who is having emergency dental treatment.

Some prayer letters received into the SAMS office:

• Ruth Hollingdale Vilella (Mission Partner, Brazil)
• Ronny & Nicky Irene (Latin Partners in Bolivia, preparing to move to Paraguay)
• Ed and Marie Brice
• Paraguay Prayer Calendar November/December 2009

After a short delay Ruth & Efraim Hollingdale Vilella have completed their move from Recife to Porto Alegre in the south of Brazil.  Please pray for them as they settle into their new home, for Efraim in his work with Wal-Mart, and for Ruth as she eagerly seeks a project in which her medical, social and pastoral skills can be used.

Bishop Henry Scriven was much blessed by his visits to partners in South America, including Jill Ball in Ecuador.  Jill is encouraged by developments in, and provision of resources for, the planned home for abused women in Santo Domingo.  Please pray with Jill for God to call a suitable couple to administer it.

Francisco Pérez, coordinator of the indigenous communities association Lhaka Honhat, has been in Washington to plead the cause of the Wichi people who live in two sizeable areas of land in the Argentine Chaco.  Francisco appeared before the Interamerican Commission on Human Rights on 3 November to represent their land claims and call for a just resolution to the issue by the provincial government of Salta with fair distribution of the land.  Please keep this matter in your prayers.

On Saturday a Women’s Encounter takes place at the Church of the Redeemer in La Serena, Chile.  This is the first to be held there: pray that God will bless all participants and that the Encounter will give real impetus to the women’s ministry in the church and greatly encourage Pastor Pablo & Pamela Zavala.

Also on Saturday former missionaries in Chile John & Ann Jacklin will be in London for a special launch of John’s autobiography, ¡Gloria a Dios!  Pray for John & Ann and for the impact of this event.

Latest News & Prayer requests received into the SAMS office:

• Caroline Gilmour – White
• Ceron News and Prayer
• Nick and Catherine Drayson

This month students at St Andrew’s School in Asunción, Paraguay, are sitting their International GCSEs, and this week pupils in the primary department are starting their exams.  Please pray for them all, and for the teachers in marking and report writing.

The Church of the Resurrection in Gómez Carreño, Chile, had a great ‘Fiesta of Light’ as an alternative to Halloween.  Ellelein Kirk says that among the children who participated were 26 who didn’t know the Lord, some with their parents, and all had the opportunity to hear the Good News as well as enjoy the activities.  “It is our prayer”, she adds, “that they give their lives to Christ and that the Lord transform them and their families”.  Let’s pray with Ellelein and Daniel for that.

Sue Woodcock pays a brief visit this weekend from Spain, principally to attend a consultation and prayer on Friday and Saturday for mission in Europe, held at St Aldate’s, Oxford.  She invites anyone in the area to join the prayer on Saturday.  Please pray for Sue’s time here and for events at the Church of Christ in Sabadell while she’s away.

Please continue to pray for Tony Barratt, ex-SAMS missionary and a founder of SEAN, whose heart is very weak.  Son Terry says that things are “difficult but peaceful and there’s no shortage of blessings to encourage us on our way”.

Finally, alongside our regular remembrances at this time of year, let’s recall the 150^th anniversary this Friday of the massacre in Tierra del Fuego of the SAMS catechist and crew of the schooner Allen Gardiner, and give thanks to God that his work in South America (and later in Spain) did not falter but has prospered for his glory.

Latin Partner Mario Ágreda has completed his visit to the UK and is flying back to Argentina today.  As we give thanks for the blessings from his ministry here, let’s pray that what he has learned and experienced will benefit his pastoral and evangelistic work in Buenos Aires.

Crossing the Atlantic in the opposite direction tonight will be General Secretary Tim Dakin who is flying back from Argentina after the Provincial Executive and the consecration of Nick Drayson.  Pray for Tim, and also for Bishop Henry Scriven and Paul Thaxter of CMS who are visiting SAMS’ partners in the Diocese of Recife, Brazil.  Pray for fruitful meetings, and for their return journeys on Thursday and Friday.

On Friday a ‘Light Party’ is being offered at Jesús el Nazareno church in Lima, Peru, as an alternative to Halloween activities which have grown in recent years.  The party has been a great success in past years, and Pat Blanchard asks us to pray that this year also “we will deter the children in the neighbourhood from going off into the streets and that they will rather be encouraged in their faith through the activities and teaching we present to them.”

Praise God that on Sunday two ordinations to the priesthood take place in Madrid.  Rafa Arencón leads the mission church in Reus, and Rafa Arias manages the Anglican Student Centre in Salamanca as well as running the church there.   Pray for the service and for the two Rafas as they take this major step in ministry.