Prayer Requests from Bishop Abelino and Paty in Chile

26th January 2009
Chile, PRAY

For reasons of diocesan strategy and progress of the Chilean church we are now living in Santiago.  We thank the Lord we are getting used to live in the city, but we do miss the south.

 

Please pray for:

Our ministry in Santiago.  We are pastoring the ‘Church of the Saviour’ in the community of San Joaquín, which could be an 8-year assignment.  In addition I am required to assist +Tito in his visits here in Santiago as well as in the north and south. The brethren down south were deeply saddened by our departure.  Pastor Joel Millanguir has taken charge as Archdeacon of Araucania, while continuing his role as Area Coordinator for Chol-Chol.  I ask your prayers for this great challenge.  We regret that for various reasons the 9th Region has fewer pastors.  Some have come to Santiago to study at the Centre for Pastoral Studies (CEP), but are unlikely to return.  Please pray for this large and significant change in the life of the church of the 9th Region.

 

For obvious reasons, the Rural Bible Institute is also much weakened.  It does not have enough pastors to undertake the teaching and is also short of money.  Last year we praise God that 6 people graduated and hope that there will be other students graduating this year.  Despite the limitations they willingly continue their studies.  Let’s ask the Lord for more workers for his harvest.

 

The school for deaf children is going through a financial crisis and has had to reduce its staff.  Please pray.

 

William Wilson School at Chol Chol has good plans for the future but is currently weak in the area of Christian education as a consequence of my wife Patricia’s departure.  I ask your prayers for new mature Christian influence.

SAMS Prayer Line for the week beginning Tuesday 20 January

20th January 2009
Latin Partners, Mission Partners, PRAY

 

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

 

On Friday (23rd) 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 (26th) 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.

South America comes to Armagh!

20th January 2009
Argentina, Mission Partners, Paraguay, PRAY, Red Box, UK-Ireland

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! 

San Lucas, Santiago, Chile.

20th January 2009
Chile, Latin Partners, PRAY

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).

Paraguayan Chaco

13th January 2009
Paraguay, PRAY

 

The following request has just arrived from Beryl Baker in the Paraguayan Chaco:

“Please pray for Liberato Cabanas, the Health Promoter from Sombrero Piri, who has suddenly gone blind and no physical cause can be found.”

Prayer Line

13th January 2009
PRAY

Please remember in your prayers Pat Blanchard and her mother.  Pat is currently over in the UK from her Lima parish accompanying her mother who has suffered a stroke.

 

Although it’s still mid-summer in South America, the administrative staff of FEISA teacher training college in Asunción, Paraguay, will be back at work on Thursday 15th.  Please keep them in prayer as they begin another challenging year of work helping to meet the diversity of Early Years needs in the country’s education system.

 

On Saturday the week-long Youth Camp begins at La Caldera, near Salta, in Northern Argentina.  Pray for René Pereira and the leadership team, as well as all the young people coming from different parts of the diocese.

 

One of the churches planted by Alf Cooper’s congregation in Santiago, Chile, is in the neighbourhood of Vitacura.  This Saturday Guillermo Martínez is ordained as deacon to be its new minister.  Pray for Guillermo, and also for retired SAMS mission partner John Cobb who will continue to coach him for the next few months.

 

There’s a mission exodus from the UK on Monday 19th with Efraim Vilella and the Kirk family leaving these shores.  Efraim returns to Brazil after a month here, leaving his wife Ruth to continue UK ministry before joining him a month from now.  Daniel & Ellelein Kirk, along with young sons David and Joshua, fly off to spend a month in Ellelein’s native Mexico before taking up their ministry in Chile.  Please remember all these friends as they prepare, travel and readjust to Latin America.

 

Finally, next Tuesday 20th members of CMS GB vote on whether to merge with SAMS GB.  Please pray for this meeting in Oxford.

2009 Prayer

7th January 2009
PRAY

2009 Blessing

 

May you be blessed, as you consider the challenges that lie ahead.

May you be blessed as you engage with others, as you find the time to participate and give others the chance to do the same.

May you have the courage to create and take risks, and may you find your rest in God.

 

May you be blessed, as you acknowledge your weaknesses and accept God’s grace in 2009.

May others see that you are fragile and may your fragility bless them.

May you understand the importance of being broken, as it enables wholeness.

May you understand the value of brokenness.

 

May you go to the places that scare you.

May you deal with anger and with sadness.

 

May you be blessed because you are perfect in your imperfections, as you are forgiven.

May you be blessed, as you accept yourself as you are, at times broken, wounded, and hurt.

May you be aware at all times that you are loved, but especially in this coming year.

Amen.

Prayer Update

7th January 2009
PRAY

Thank you for your prayers for the appeal made to the Supreme Court of Argentina by representatives of the Wichi people and settlers calling for a halt to deforestation in the Chaco area of the Province of Salta.  Last Monday the Court upheld the appeal, pending a public hearing on 18 February.  The ruling applies to permissions to deforest given by the Province of Salta from the last quarter of 2007.  Chris Wallis of ASOCIANA thanks us for our prayers and for this sign of God’s kingdom and his justice.  Please continue to pray.

 

Next week SAMS GB holds its annual conference for overseas and home staff at Dalesdown in Sussex from 5-8 January.  Pray for these days of Bible study, presentations, discussion and fellowship.  Remember especially Interim Executive Director Bill Lattimer who completes his service with SAMS on Friday and his replacement, Bishop Henry Scriven, who has just taken on his new post of Mission Director of SAMS GB.  Among others present will be Peter & Sally Bartlett as they prepare to serve in Paraguay; Peter’s consecration as diocesan bishop takes place on 29 March.

 

In Chile Pablo & Pamela Zavala ask prayer for the first Sunday School camp for the children of La Serena church, held the week beginning Monday 12 January.  This reminds us that it’s the holiday season in South America and a number of summer camps for children and young people are taking place.  Please keep the participants and their leaders in your prayers.

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