Beryl Baker In Paraguay
Dear Praying Friends,
The prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. James 5:16
Thank you all for your prayers. Please keep praying.
Comings and goings.
The Lord knows the end from the beginning of all things.
Newly qualified American doctor Sharon Mauus has been with me for two weeks as part of her Paraguayan experience. She has now left but has left me with Oscar, a three month old giant anteater. Misty and Oliver died within 5 days of one another – they are greatly missed
Rhett’s 70th birthday celebration gave way to renewed contacts with his friends and Sherry from Houston has been reading a Christian book and for the first time ever was beginning to see her own spiritual needs. Pam also a Texan who lives in Paraguay wants to get back to God and the Anglican church. Her husband is Paraguayan but looks more Texan than she does!
Patrick is coming back to the ranch. He was there when he was 17 to toughen up before he entered the US Marines. Now after two postings to Iraq and a time at University in Texas he can’t get a job. May the Lord’s purposes be achieved – he needs to get acquainted with Jesus.
Urgent prayer
For Tomasa Gomez. wife of Miguel (Rhett’s Paraguayan ranch manager) Tomasa has renal failure – nearly died two days ago but people prayed and now she is doing a lot better but is not off the danger list.
Her daughter Graciela,son-in-law Silvino and their two small children are at a Bible school here in town. Their cousin Hector became a Christian in my Chaco home last Good Friday and he and his partner Paula are reading the Bible. Tomasa and Miguel need to be born again and we pray for Tomasa’s physical recovery and for a new abundant life that only God can give. Aria Salinas, indian lady with ? cancer of the cervix. Likewise Dolores Alvarico,Paraguayan lady with 7 children who are still at school.
Rodrigo fernandez, 4 year old indian boy acutely ill in Asuncion. Teresa Maidana, pastor Augustine’s wife who is suffering from a nervous breakdown Health Promoters Liberato Cabanas – still unable to see.
Norma who is going to Washington USA in June D.V. for a conference, Lydia Ayala – that she may soon receive a government salary- praise for her recovering from T.B. Narcisas Rojas who has problems with her alcoholic schoolteacher husband, Marciel.
Praise for
Positive attitudes and progress within the Ministry of Health – more doctors and nurse now in the Chaco – food for T.B. patients and milk for undernourished children.
Praise for the rain that has fallen and prayer for more.
Lots of love and prayers,
Beryl.
Paraguay
Linn Tedman, mission partner at the San Andres school in Asuncion, asks for your prayers: Please pray for Paraguay where there are many more people struggling to exist without jobs. There is no welfare state here to help them. Also pray for San Andres school as primary exams start next week, and for the staff as they have marking to do and reports to write, especially for the English staff who have a double load each. Pray for their stamina and for good health. Linn asks you to pray for a librarian to be found to help her, and for their much-loved school nurse, Mariella, who has just left to have a baby. Also pray for secondary English teacher Nicky Irene who has been off school with a few pregnancy problems. She has been resting. Pray for her husband Ronnie and the family all helping Nicky and each other. Pray for our churches as changes begin to happen, for the Lord to guide each congregation and for him to open their hearts and minds to move forward.
Paraguay
Pray for David Orritt as he organises Mission Paraguay 2010. As you can imagine there are numerous logistical and practical issues to be sorted. Dave as we call him at SAMS Ireland is a valued friend so pray for Gods peace to be upon him in a rich and discerning way.
Caroline Gilmour-White asks prayer in identifying the right translators and transport for the volunteers and for safe travel in all their journeys. Pray too that the decorating of the library and diocesan offices this month will create a smart and welcoming workplace for all users.
Uphold Ed & Marie Brice in their teaching and pastoral ministries in the Chaco. Ed works with indigenous church leaders, and Marie with women and children, including a twice monthly Saturday group in Rio Verde for women.
Paraguay
Chris Hawksbee in the Chaco shares about his agricultural work: We are progressing well with the projects I’m helping with. In March we started with strengthening beekeeping in three communities, and next week we get the cash advance to start the fencing for two cattle projects. Please pray for a possible interview being arranged for next week with the President of Paraguay, where I hope to present projects to use Moringa Olifeira (dried leaf powder) as a supplement in the government’s school children’s nutritional programme and for patients recovering from tuberculosis, and using the fruits form the Chaco forest for income generating activities in Indigenous communities.
Brazil & Paraguay
Brazil
After the serious floods, leaving 150 people dead in Rio de Janeiro, David Weller asks for prayers for those grieving and those whose homes have been destroyed. There has been only minor damage to the church building. Praise God for the safe arrival of mission partners Marcus and Tamara Throup’s daughter Rebekah, born on 28 March weighing 6lbs 8oz.
Paraguay
Pray for Gwen Carlisle and Mags Southern and give thanks that a new classroom is to be built with a gift of funding from a church in England. Please pray for the school camps planned for the older pupils, where they hope to go up to the Chaco and help build latrines and paint a school. They are dependent on the weather to be able to go into this area.
Pray also for the staff of FEISA teacher the training college in Asuncion and give thanks for each of the 25 students they have enrolled in the first year, especially given the economic situation in the country which is stopping young people from studying at university. Thanks to the donations received it has been possible to give scholarships to 12 students. Despite this help the economic need is very great and although most of the students work it is difficult for them to cover the costs of their studies. Please pray that they might be strong and healthy and so not need to spend money on medicines, that they might administer their money well and that they might receive good wages for their work.
Pray for Caroline Gilmour-White and give thanks for the books she was able to buy in Buenos Aires on her return from home leave, for use in the mobile library at the diocesan office in Asuncion. They have just finished painting the library and offices to look their best, in time for the launch of a first ever course in spiritual maturity for the mobile library readers and other church folk, starting after Easter. Please pray that the hunger many church members experienced for books last year would lead them to take up this offer of training in the city centre.
Pray for Ronald Irene from Asuncion, where he and the family are settling into their new ministry, home and school. Please give thanks that their house is now furnished mainly with donated furniture. Ronald is involved in leading two congregations at the Cathedral church – one Spanish and one English-speaking. He is also chaplain at San Andres School, giving talks, leading services and offering pastoral counselling – he asks for prayer as there is a lot of work to do. The family’s most important current need is for a car as their home is some distance from the school and church. Please pray with them that a vehicle will be provided, and also for the family’s health as Ronald and their youngest son have not been too well since their move from Bolivia.
Paraguay
With the beginning of the academic year pray for the Annexe School. Pray for Head Víctor Santa Cruz and his staff, and for the impact of the Christian education they provide to the people of the deprived and often dangerous Chacarita area of Asunción.
Pray for Linn Tedman as she resumes her librarian role at St Andrew’s. Pray also for teacher Babs Owen in her work and witness in school and local churches.
Praise God for all that FEISA, the Early Years Teacher Training College, has achieved. In the new academic year, pray for resources to provide high quality training which will improve the standard of teaching across Paraguay.
News & Prayer
Pray for My Father’s House in Brazil, a safe house for boys at risk in Recife. Andy Roberts, writes; “a few months ago we were told that the Brazilian Federal Government have plans to develop the coast in Olinda. This includes building a road along the sea front with the proposed road passing straight through where My Father’s safe house is. We have just been informed that we now have two months to find and rent/buy a new house for the project. Do pray for us as we try to find a new place for the boys and the project… two months isn’t very long. God has always provided in the past but do pray that he will give us wisdom and guide us to the right property for us.” Please also pray for Ian and Simea Meldrum, who work with Andy and Rose Roberts at Living Waters Church and My Father’s House.
Pray for the country of Chile after the earthquakes (the largest being 8.8 magnitude), aftershocks and tsunamis experienced last month and another earthquake last week during the inauguration of the new president. Please pray for those who have lost loved ones, their homes and their livelihoods, as they try to rebuild their lives, and for the new presidency. Praise God that the Kirks, their family and colleagues were kept safe during this time, and they also ask for prayer for new initiatives at their church such as new discipleship and leadership courses, and prayer groups. Richard and Sue Pamplin also ask for prayer for a new home to rent as their current landlord’s house was affected by the quake and so they will need to move out so that he can move in!
Alison and Chris Hawksbee in Paraguay ask for prayer for more rain in the Chaco areas to fill reservoirs, water cisterns and for the growth and maintenance of subsistence crops. Please also pray for Chris as he liaises with representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture about funding and running courses in the Chaco on basic livestock husbandry courses, cheese making, beekeeping and brick making.