: Paraguay

Lift to God Bishop Peter and Sally Bartlett, praying for daily grace and refreshing in their varied and demanding ministry. May they help others to find spiritual freedom and to mature in Christ through the ‘Growing in Maturity’ course. Pray for leadership development throughout the diocese.

Pray for Assistant Bishop Andrés and Estela Rodriguez, for time for rest and reflection enabling them to maintain God’s perspective in the oversight of churches and children’s clubs in the Concepción area. Pray for new members to be added to the church leadership team and for safety in all their travels.

Ed and Marie Brice ask prayer for Chaco pastors Elvio, Teodoro, Juan and Romualdo studying the Matthew SEAN course. Their time is much in demand by the people and they need our prayers to prioritise their time and complete the study between classes. Pray for Remigio translating SEAN Bible studies into Enxet, and for pastors and leaders to use these in preparing sermons.

Pray about the problem of alcoholism in the Chaco communities, and for those campaigning against the indiscriminate sale of alcohol. A motorbike accident in Rio Verde, which killed a 13 yr old girl, and the murder of a 15 yr old boy in Makxawaya were probably related to alcohol abuse. Pray for the families involved, and for Christians to be salt and light in the darkness.

Caroline Gilmour-White, preparing to receive the Mission Paraguay teams in Asunción this summer, writes, “TAM [airline] are telling David Orritt, the Mission Paraguay coordinator, that the volunteers can only bring 23kg in luggage from Sao Paolo onwards which is v. tough and inexplicable. When they first booked, they could have two suitcases of 23kg and of course their churches have been piling stuff on for the sewing project and other useful items. Identifying the participants for the sewing workshops is not easy because people from satellite churches want to come and buses are not practical for them. So I have to weigh up whether it’s a) good and beneficial and b) economical (in the Lord’s terms) to get them to come and go in a taxi. This is the last time we can run these workshops in such strength. The Lord is sending volunteers who are such capable, trained people who’ve been beavering away in the background to prepare for the workshops.”

There’s lots happening – please pray for us on these dates

From 15 – 25th July Women from isolated indigenous communities in the Paraguayan Chaco will be exhibiting their crafts at the national agricultural show in Asunción. They have only exhibited once before in 2004. Many indigenous families depend on their sales for food and clothing so they hope for lots of customers and to raise awareness of the difficult situation they live in.

Mission Paraguay volunteers will launch 3 sewing workshops. We’re aiming to teach the basics for tops, skirts and trousers in one week (19 – 23rdJuly) and

then one day, 8th August. A special 3 hour course on making shoulder bags will run on Friday 6th August. Volunteers are stepping in to replace the course the government workers are not continuing. Pray we’d overcome any language barrier and make great friends very quickly. Please pray that all the participants would enjoy the training and get everything they need to make good use of it. That some may be able to sew for a living. Once again thanks to all the donors of lovely cloth and haberdashery. It’s a joy to use

Happy holidays, Caroline

Thank God that once again this year he has called people with generous hearts to give of their time and resources and to use their gifts to serve the Church in Paraguay.

Pray for safe and smooth, uneventful journeys for the volunteers travelling from England and Ireland on 12th, 13th, 15th July and 7th, 10th, August.  Pray especially for a smooth passage through immigration and the additional check-in this year at Sao Paulo Airport in Brazil.  Pray for the safe arrival of luggage and donated goods.

Pray that through the mutual dependence upon each other, the volunteers and the Paraguayan Christians should grow in faith as they work together.

Thank God for our brothers and sisters in Christ who live in a different culture, often suffer from severe hardship but have warm, welcoming and generous hearts.

Praise the Lord for his generosity through donations from supporters towards the work of Mission Paraguay this summer and for the great encouragement from SAMS Ireland.

Ask for the Lord’s direction and guiding hand over the planning meeting in Asunción on 14th July when decisions will be made upon the allocation of donated funds between the different projects in Concepción, the Chaco and the Asunción areas.  Pray that the funds should be used wisely to extend the work of the Church, to relieve suffering and to promote self sufficiency amongst marginalised people.

Thank God for Bishop Peter Bartlett and all pastors and lay workers in the Anglican Church in Paraguay.  Pray for their ongoing work amongst the poorer communities in outer districts of Asunción and Concepción and with the indigenous people in the Chaco.

Pray for the missionaries in Paraguay who will be working with the volunteer groups:

• Caroline Gilmour-White is the Paraguayan based link person for the volunteer visits and will be working with the July group.  She coordinates the sewing workshops began by Mission Paraguay in 7 venues;
• Chris Hawksbee who will be working with the Chaco group in August on water storage projects, new homes and toilet facilities for Indian people;
• Ed Brice our link missionary who leads the Rio Verde church and supports the Indian pastors in the Chaco churches;
• Tim Curtis who leads the project to translate the Bible into the Enxet language.

Ask God to oversee the day to day arrangements for travel, accommodation and meals.   Thank Him for the work of Silvia and Paula, our translators and Elias our driver.

Pray that through the work of the Mission Paraguay volunteers this year the churches visited may be strengthened and encouraged with more people entering into a living relationship with Jesus as their Lord and Saviour.

Thank God that once again this year he has called people with generous hearts to give of their time and resources and to use their gifts to serve the Church in Paraguay.

Pray for safe and smooth, uneventful journeys for the volunteers travelling from England and Ireland on 12^th, 13^th, 15^th July and 7^th, 10^th, August.  Pray especially for a smooth passage through immigration and the additional check-in this year at Sao Paulo Airport in Brazil.  Pray for the safe arrival of luggage and donated goods.

Pray that through the mutual dependence upon each other, the volunteers and the Paraguayan Christians should grow in faith as they work together.

Thank God for our brothers and sisters in Christ who live in a different culture, often suffer from severe hardship but have warm, welcoming and generous hearts.

Praise the Lord for his generosity through donations from supporters towards the work of Mission Paraguay this summer and for the great encouragement from SAMS Ireland.

Ask for the Lord’s direction and guiding hand over the planning meeting in Asunción on 14th July when decisions will be made upon the allocation of donated funds between the different projects in Concepción, the Chaco and the Asunción areas.  Pray that the funds should be used wisely to extend the work of the Church, to relieve suffering and to promote self sufficiency amongst marginalised people.

Thank God for Bishop Peter Bartlett and all pastors and lay workers in the Anglican Church in Paraguay.  Pray for their ongoing work amongst the poorer communities in outer districts of Asunción and Concepción and with the indigenous people in the Chaco.

Pray for the missionaries in Paraguay who will be working with the volunteer groups:

·       Caroline Gilmour-White is the Paraguayan based link person for the volunteer visits and will be working with the July group.  She coordinates the sewing workshops began by Mission Paraguay in 7 venues;

·       Chris Hawksbee who will be working with the Chaco group in August on water storage projects, new homes and toilet facilities for Indian people;

·       Ed Brice our link missionary who leads the Rio Verde church and supports the Indian pastors in the Chaco churches;

·       Tim Curtis who leads the project to translate the Bible into the Enxet language.

Ask God to oversee the day to day arrangements for travel, accommodation and meals.   Thank Him for the work of Silvia and Paula, our translators and Elias our driver.

Pray that through the work of the Mission Paraguay volunteers this year the churches visited may be strengthened and encouraged with more people entering into a living relationship with Jesus as their Lord and Saviour.

Mission partner Linn Tedman writes, “Please give thanks that the Lord has sent a young man to help me in the school library. Please pray for Giovanni as he starts to work with me. He is not a trained librarian, so he has a lot to learn as quickly as possible. Please pray that he will be able to cope with everything, that he will develop a good relationship with the staff and pupils and that he will be really happy here in St Andrew’s School.”

Pray for Lara Clare Bourdeaux as she spends her last few weeks at St Andrew’s School in Asuncion. Give thanks that she has enjoyed her time there and pray for her as she returns to the UK to finish her studies next month. Please pray for Ed and Marie Brice as they work with local churches. Give praise for the SEAN Matthew course which local pastors have been studying, and for resources now available to the people Ed and Marie work with in their own language of Enxet. Pray for them as they share Jesus with those they minister to.