Prayer line
Among the many parts of the world enduring extreme weather conditions is southern Chile, where floods have caused considerable suffering and loss. Please pray for the people of that area, and include in your prayers Bishop Abelino & Paty Apeleo, the Anglican churches and the two schools – William Wilson School in Chol-Chol and the School for the Deaf in Temuco. (Photos may be viewed on the diocesan website www.iach.cl.)
In Olinda, northeast Brazil, Ian & Siméa Meldrum have put their house on the market and want to move to a smaller place which will meet their needs and be safe. Pray for them in this, alongside their very busy ministries among the poor.
Praise God for answered prayer for Alejandro Mesco’s visa which arrived in time for him to travel to the UK, where he’s now visiting churches and telling of his pioneer ministry in Peru’s Colca Canyon. Please continue to uphold him.
Finally, three prayer points from Paraguay:
On Thursday (11th) the third Alpha Course begins in the centre of Asunción, involving the folk of St Andrew’s Church and the San Andrés morning and evening congregations. Pray for all involved, including pastors Agustín Maidana and Patrick Butler.
This weekend FEISA’s final indigenous nursery project visit to Yatnata, in the Paraguayan Chaco, takes place. Pray for Samantha Parsons and all participants.
Next week (15th -) is Youth Week at St Andrew’s School with a number of special activities. Pray for everyone involved.
Recent prayer letters from SAMS mission partners:Prayer line
The latest prayer line from SAMS GB:
SAMS Latin Partner Alejandro Mesco is due to arrive on Friday from Peru to spend much of September in the UK visiting his link churches. Pray for his visa, yet to arrive, for his time here, and for Doris and the family back home in Arequipa.
In João Pessoa in northeast Brazil Archdeacon Souza is suffering from an infection in the ureter which may necessitate the removal of a kidney. His colleague Marcus Throup asks us to pray for his recovery, and also for Marcus himself with extra preaching responsibilities each Sunday.
Meantime in Asunción, Paraguay, Linn Tedman is recovering from a broken toe. Uphold Linn in prayer in this and in her teacher-librarian work at St Andrew’s School.
Linn highlights again the need for more teachers at the school, particularly for the Secondary section. Please pray for this, and keep Head Gwen Carlisle, Deputy Mags Southern and all the staff in your prayers.
SAMS Prayer line
Here is the latest prayer line from SAMS GB.
On Friday SAMS Latin Partners Josias & Dani de Souza arrive in the UK from Recife, Brazil, for a visit to supporting churches. Josias will be here for 6 weeks while Dani returns in mid-September. Pray God will bless their journey and their time here; remember too their UK friend and link-person Graham Lowcock as he oversees their visit.
At the same time please uphold SAMS Latin Partner Coordinator Mary Rollin as she finalises the plans for the visit in September of Alejandro Mesco from Peru.
This Sunday will be Peter Jordan’s final one as chaplain of St George’s, Barcelona. Pray for this special day and for Peter and Barbara as during retirement they continue to work with Spanish- and English-speaking groups.
SAMS Prayer line
SAMS Prayer Line for the week commencing Tuesday 15 July
Please continue to remember the Hawksbee family. Derek, former SAMS missionary and GB staff member, has been diagnosed with bone cancer in his spine; as yet a realistic prognosis is not possible. Derek’s wife is Betty and their son Chris has flown in from mission work in Paraguay; please keep them all in prayer.
Tomorrow the Rowe family return to Spain after 3 weeks in the UK. Uphold Jonathan, Hilary, Elizabeth and Benjamin in travel and settling back to life in El Escorial, and continue to bring to God Hilary’s longstanding back problem.
Two important events are coming up in northeast Brazil this weekend. First, a seminar on urban mission is hosted at Living Waters Church in Olinda where Ian & Siméa Meldrum minister. There will be speakers from other churches and groups and it’s a big step forward to get town people to this slum area. And secondly, a children’s camp is held at Mission Esperança in Recife where Ruth & Efraim Hollingdale Vilella serve; it will be attended by 40 youngsters from 6-10 years-old who live in the nearby slum. Please remember these events in prayer.
Next week is the 25th anniversary of the Anglican ministry in the neighbourhood of Villa el Salvador in Lima, Peru. Pray for the witness and impact of the events and for the ongoing ministry of Juan Carlos & Penny Marcés at the church of Jesús el Salvador.
René Pereira in Northern Argentina asks us to pray for a training week starting on Tuesday (22nd) in Misión Chaqueña for leaders of youth groups among the Wichi people. The emphasis is on vision building and holistic mission. Many young Wichi are succumbing to the temptations of substance abuse.
Also next week a 6-day course on HIV/AIDS is held in the Paraguayan Chaco for indigenous health auxiliaries. Pray for this and for Beryl Baker who trains these workers.
Finally, keep in prayer the impact of the SAMS stand at the Lambeth Conference next Monday (21st) and Friday (25th).
Prayer line
Paul & Sarah Tester in Peru ask prayer for the young people of San Patricio Mission in the Lima neighbourhood of Ventanilla. Paul and another leader, Juan Carlos, are taking a group of them away for a Youth Alpha Retreat this weekend. Paul & Sarah write: “Alpha has been a way to start a youth ministry at the mission; we are praying for the young people to encounter God in a real and lasting way and to choose to follow Christ for their whole life.”
Events in the Diocese of Spain this weekend include a Pastors’ Conference on Friday and Saturday (27/28) in Madrid and a Youth Retreat from Sunday to Tuesday (29-1st) in Reus in the northeast. Please pray these will bring great blessing to the church in Spain.
Let’s continue to remember the 6 bishops from the Southern Cone (Venables, Zavala, Godfrey, Lyons, Cavalcanti, Apeleo) gathered at the GAFCON meetings in Jerusalem. Bishop Robinson Cavalcanti has with him a number of clergy from the Diocese of Recife, including Marcus Throup, so please remember that delegation in your prayers.
SAMS prayer line
The prayer line from SAMS GB has just arrived. SAMS GB is in merger talks with CMS, as SAMS Ireland is autonomous this will not affect us directly, but please pray for our sister organisation.
Pat Blanchard in Lima, Peru, has requested prayer for an important meeting over the next couple of days. The local council are meeting with Pat to discuss the possibility of their donating land to her church of Jesús el Nazareno for their Shalom ministry to disabled people. This is a progressive ministry but does need a ‘good home’, so let’s join with Pat in prayer.
Please remember the Indian peoples of Northern Argentina, as Andrew Leake reports that some members of the provincial government of Salta have just presented a motion that could rescind the recently passed law limiting deforestation in the Chaco.
The Argentine Bible Society, meanwhile, hosts a long-awaited conference from Monday (23rd) on the provision of Scriptures in audio form. This involves the translations into Wichi, Toba, Chorote (Argentina) and Enxet (Paraguay).
Jonathan & Hilary Rowe thank us for prayers for the Gospel Choir evening in the main square of El Escorial in Spain on 7 June. Over 1,500 people attended, including the mayor. Let’s support follow-up work with our prayers. Meantime, Jonathan, Hilary and their children come to the UK on Monday (23rd) for a short period of home ministry, so please uphold them at this time.
Arriving this Friday from Chile is Bishop Tito Zavala. He and Assistant Bishop Abelino Apeleo are attending the SAMS General Council meeting this weekend before proceeding to the GAFCON gathering of bishops in Jerusalem. Pray for them … and pray too for the SAMS General Council who meet over 24 hours in London from Friday (20th) to discuss further whether the Society should merge with CMS or remain independent. Following this, the GB staff take a 24-hour retreat starting on Monday.
Prayer letters
Some prayer letters came into the SAMS office over the weekend.
- Beryl Baker – Health worker in the Paraguayan Chaco.
- The Barr Johnstons – in Salta, Argentina.
- Tim Curtis – Bible translator in the Paraguayan Chaco.
- The Meldrum’s – in Olinda Brazil, working with young people.
- The Rowes – Seminary teachers in Madrid, Spain.
- Linn Tedman – a teacher in St. Andrew’s College, Asuncion, Paraguay.
- The Testers – in Lima Peru.
- Sue Woodcock – in Sabadell Spain.
SAMS Prayer line
Please remember the Irene family in Bolivia. On top of the political and social uncertainties of the country, Ronny has had to go to the city of Santa Cruz where his biological mother is in intensive care, having suffered a perforated intestine. Nicky and the 3 children remain in La Paz.
This Saturday evening (7th) a gospel concert is held in the main square of El Escorial, the town in Spain where Jonathan & Hilary Rowe and family live. The visiting choir consists of 300 young people and is the largest gospel choir in the country. Please pray for God’s hand upon this event, from the weather to the follow-up ministry of the small evangelical church there.
Over this weekend another Youth Encounter event takes place in Asunción, Paraguay. Pray for the coordinating team and for the young people invited, that God will touch the lives of many, leading them into new relationships with him and with their families.
Finally, this Sunday (8th) Bishop Bill Godfrey conducts a joint confirmation service for the churches in Lima, Peru. Pat Blanchard has a number of candidates from her church of Jesús el Nazareno, and asks us to pray for a real blessing and outpouring of the Spirit in their lives and in the lives of all being confirmed.