: News

Gwen Carlisle and Mags Southern Pray that the Lord will bless Gwen and Mags in their leadership and give them wisdom as they deal with the staff and pupils.  Pray for the secondary pupils who often take time off to go travelling, as there are no restrictions on school attendance.  Pray that the pupils will settle and take school more seriously and know the Lord’s hand on their lives. 

Peter and Sally Bartlett Pray for Peter in his role as Bishop of Paraguay, for wisdom and guidance. Pray for Sally and Peter especially as they think through children’s ministry in the diocese.  Pray for Sally in her role as president of the Esperanza Foster Home. Pray for the children there, for a new helper in the house and for Teresa and Maidana, the 2 mothers from St Andrew’s school who help.

Claire Holmes Pray for Claire and the youth ministry she is involved in, that the youth will continue to attend church and know the love of God.  Pray too for San Pablo church that it will know God’s guidance in the coming months with Bishop Andrés’ retirement drawing closer. Give thanks for the ministry of Bishop Andrés.  Pray too that God will raise up leaders in the church who will take on the responsibility of sharing the gospel in their community and beyond.

Cecilia Valdiviezo Pray for Cecilia and her work in the detention centre. Pray for every girl she meets, that they will come to faith and follow Jesus every day of their lives.  Pray that the possibility of Cecilia taking one of the girls out for visits will become a reality.  Pray also for Peter Harrison this month as he concludes his gap year with the Red Box Project on 28^th April. 

Alec Deane Give thanks for all of the families who are now involved with the Garden project, there are now over 100 families benefitting from the project.  Pray for government support, both financially to provide more seeds and drip irrigation to enable more families to be a part of the project, and also for an improved water infrastructure to create better growth for the plants.

The Tester Family Give thanks for the youth camps in Lima and Arequipa and pray for the youth that attended, that they will be strengthened in their faith.  Pray for Sarah, specifically for health and strength throughout her pregnancy.  Pray too for Paul in his work with the youth.

Chris and Alison Hawksbee Pray for Chris as he has been doing more pastoral work, pray for his visits to La Patria which aim to cover 17 villages, encouraging pastors and leaders to meet together. Pray as they prepare for a retreat for the pastors, deacons and their helpers in Rio Verde in May.  Pray too for Alison and her responsibilities as academic director at the Asunciόn Christian Academy.

Dany Alvarez Give thanks for SAMS Fusion volunteer Dany, from Chile.  Pray for her as she spends a year volunteering with the church and sharing the gospel with those around her.  Pray that Dany will be blessed in the work she is doing and also that she will be a blessing to those around her.

• 101 Mission Ideas for You!

March 2014

FUSION Pray for Dany Retamal Álvarez who arrived mid-February from Santiago, Chile and is placed as a FUSION volunteer with Willowfield Parish in Down and Dromore. Give thanks for Dany’s openness to being a part of the FUSION programme and pray for her as she participates in God’s mission within Willowfield Parish. 

ARGENTINA Pray for Cecilia as she settles back in to life in Salta. Give thanks for the time Cecilia had in the UK and Ireland, especially for each of the churches she was able to visit and participate in. Pray for God’s blessing upon each of the projects that she is involved in within Salta and continue to pray for Red Box volunteer Peter Harrison.   

PERU Pray for Paul and Sarah Tester and Diocesan Youth Coordinator Lizbeth Varillas in Lima. Give thanks for the Youth Camps that were held throughout February and pray for the youth ministry developing regionally and for the various young people in new missions around the country. Pray for Sarah and her antenatal check up on 4^th March and for Lily and Teófila as they take on extra responsibilities in Sarah’s absence.

URUGUAY Pray for Bishop Michael Pollesel as he continues to get to know the clergy and members of the Anglican churches. May he know God’s grace especially as he seeks to encourage and develop leaders.   

PARAGUAY Pray for Chris and Alison Hawskbee as they are now back in Paraguay. Pray for discipleship training in the local churches in Asunciόn and for the building up of weak churches in Sombrero Pirí.  Pray too for Mags & Gwen as they settle in to the new school year and that God will pour out His blessing upon St Andrew’s school. As Peter and Sally Bartlett have recently returned to Asuncion, pray that strong teams will be built within the church and for spiritual wisdom to lead to unity in purpose and vision.  Pray for the church in  Asuncion and the church leaders; that they may know God’s guidance in the work they do.

Pray for Gwen and Mags this month as they have just started another school year. Pray for them in their roles as Head and deputy Head. Pray for wisdom and clarity as they make decisions daily. The pressure is always immense, last year was challenging but God’s faithfulness was evident, so at the beginning of this academic year keep Gwen, Mags and the staff team in your prayers.

Pray for Claire and the ministry she is part of in Concepción. Pray specifically for young adults and potential leaders who Claire is investing in. May Claire have moments of encouragement and insight when choosing discipleship resources.

FRIDAY NIGHT LIVE Give thanks for Friday Night Live that took place on 7^th February, for the people who met together to hear of various ministries throughout South America with SAMS. Give thanks too for the wonderful offering of over £6,000 which is going towards leadership development.

Garden Project update recently received into the SAMS office:

• Garden Project update

SAMS would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who attended our anual Friday Night Live gathering at Craigavon Civic Centre. It proved to be another humbling evening due to the love and support shared by hundreds of faithful supporters. To God be the glory! It has been encouraging listening to the feedback and we have been blessed by the generous offering of over £6,000 which will be going to Leadership Development.

We look forward to a continuing partnership in mission with you.

Again THANK YOU.    

Spanish Worship Night

The next Spanish Worship night will be on Tuesday 4^th February at 7.30pm for tea and coffee, starting at 8pm and will be held in The Hub (22 Elmwood Avenue, Belfast, BT9 6AY).  Pray for those who organise the Spanish Worship Night and a real sense of fellowship with those who share a passion for South America and/or Spain.

Friday Night Live

Pray for Friday Night Live (FNL) preparations and also the FNL gathering which will be held in Craigavon Civic Centre on Friday 7^th February at 7.30pm. FNL be an evening to be informed challenged and encouraged on missional developments in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, and Peru. There are exciting stories of God at work, so pray with us and for us. Refreshments afterwards will create an opportunity to meet old friends and make new ones!

Gwen Carlisle and Mags Southern

Pray for Gwen and Mags who travelled back to Paraguay on 28^th January.  Pray for them as they settle back in to Paraguayan life and for St Andrew’s School as they prepare to start back after the holidays.  Give thanks for the time they were able to spend in the UK and for each of the churches they visited. 

Claire Holmes

Pray for all the ministries in Concepción.  Give thanks for the children and youth who have recently been involved in summer camps and pray that they will be spiritually strengthened from the camps.  Pray too for Claire, for the work she is involved in and for her to have time for rest in between all the work she does.

Student Ministry, Chile

Pray for Max Díaz, who has recently started his student ministry work in Chile and for God’s wisdom throughout this project.  Pray that God will open the doors for the gospel in the universities and for boldness for Max to proclaim the message.  Pray also for Cristóbal Cerón, that God will give him strength, guidance and vision as he is finishing up the third year of church planting. 

The Tester Family

Paul, Sarah and Sophia arrived safely back in Peru at the end of December.  Pray for the family as they are entering camp season starting with Arequipa 7^th – 9^th Feb and Students / Young Adults in Lima 21^st-23^rd February.  Please pray for the young people attending, for God’s will to be done in their lives and for the team of leaders and speakers preparing for the camps.  Please also pray for safety and to work well together.  Pray intentionally for the Tester family as they speak, help, pray and give input into the summer ministries.

FUSION

Pray for Daniela Alvarez from Santiago, Chile who is preparing to participate on the SAMS FUSION programme later this month.  Pray for Daniela’s safe arrival and for her year based in Northern Ireland that it will be a blessing both for Daniela and those who she will be working with.

I am auctioning this piece of art for my dad’s work with SAMS (South American Mission Society). Feel free to bid on this original acrylic of Bendy Amsterdam

Bidding starts at £50. Auction closes midday 31st January let me know if you want to bid!

Tanya Mai Johnston

tanyajohnston1974@gmail.com

Tanya x

If you have a heart for Latin-American and/or Spain and like speaking the language, don’t miss this opportunity of worshipping our Lord and sharing between each other in Spanish.

Save the date: Tuesday 4th of February, 7:30pm for tea & coffee (starting at 8pm) at The Hub (22 Elmwood Avenue, Belfast, BT9 6AY).

See you there! Blessings!

Penelope

ARGENTINA: Please pray for president Cristina Kirchner and her government. Pray for SAMS Red Box Project coordinator Cecilia Valdiviezo and her time in Northern Ireland this month. Pray for Cecilia as she shares with supporting churches – in the midst of a busy programme pray that Cecilia will be refreshed as she catches up with friends.

PARAGUAY: Esperanza Foster Home: Give thanks for the past year, the children who have stayed in the home and the growth they felt through their stay there.  Pray for the future of the home, for Inocencia, who is currently the main foster mum, and pray too for the children who will stay at the home over the next year.  That it will be a place full of love and hope for them. 

CHILE: SAMS are happy to let you know that from this month, we will be supporting a new project with Santiago Apóstol Church in Chile.  The goal of this project is to support a full time worker to share the message of Jesus amongst the many students there.  Santiago is home to at least 50% of the students in the country, but there is not a single local evangelical church in downtown Santiago that works throughout the week, full-time, to serve the thousands of students there.  Pray for Rev. Cristóbal Cerón of Santiago Apóstol Church and the project leader Max Díaz. 

GENERAL COUNCIL: Pray for the SAMS General Council meeting on 16^th January and for all the council members. Pray that God will lead and guide them and that they will be open to hearing God’s voice as they plan for future developments.

TRANSIT: Give thanks for the Christmas visit of Jonny and Lynn Lockhart to Claire in Concepcion, pray for safety in travel as they return to the UK on 14^th January. Pray for Chris and Alison Hawksbee as they return to Paraguay on 21^st January. Give thanks for the encouraging time Chris and Alison had with Annaghmore Parish. Pray for Gwen and Mags as they return to Asuncion on 28^th January. 

FRIDAY NIGHT LIVE: Pray for Friday Night Live (FNL) preparations. FNL will be held in Craigavon Civic Centre on Friday 7^th February at 7.30pm. FNL be an evening to be informed challenged and encouraged on missional developments in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, and Peru. There are exciting stories of God at work, so pray with us and for us. Refreshments afterwards will create an opportunity to meet old friends and make new ones!

“To know the Word of God, to live the Word of God, to preach the Word, to teach the Word, is the sum of all wisdom, the heart of all Christian service.”

“40 years married…would you lead us in the renewing of our marriage vows?”

This was the request I received recently from two very good friends. Both are keen and active supporters of SAMS and it was a pleasure to lead them in a short service of renewing vows. As I thought about them, their lives together, and how the Lord has used them I thought of seeds and service. These two words sum up their lives together. In the Lord’s service, both in South America and here in Ireland, they have been used to plant seeds which are bearing much fruit and everyone who knows them sees their servant hearts. Mission is about sowing seeds and reaping a harvest. Neither sowing nor reaping will happen without humble Christ-like selfless sacrificial service. Recently when I was in Lima Peru I had the joy of meeting a remarkable Christian couple called Julio and Norma. In 1980 Julio was the first Peruvian to be ordained in the Anglican Church in Peru. I asked both of them if they knew an Irish missionary called Raymundo Mills who had worked in Lima with his wife Beth some years ago. Their faces lit up and her eyes filled up. Norma said to me “El es mi padre espiritual!” (He is my spiritual father). Julio and Norma’s home is now a school in a poor area of Lima. They had a vision for reaching the children of the area for Christ and giving them the opportunity of a good education. Now 128 children and 10 teachers occupy their home. As the school expands their living space contracts! As money comes in more classrooms are added by building up. I was deeply moved when I saw the quality of their work and ministry. Their daughter Isabella is the Headmistress and is doing a superb job. This has all come about by seeds planted many years ago through a missionary family from Ireland. The Mills family knew the Lord had called them to serve in South America and they did. Julio’s family have that same heart for service and they are making a difference in the lives of many children and families.

I wonder is the Lord calling some of us to new adventures of obedience in 2014. Are we being called to new steps of faith? Are we being prompted to new waves of generosity? Are we passionate about service or have we lapsed into lethargy? Jesus, the Servant King calls us to serve! Some of us will sow and others will reap but the Lord Himself will give the growth. May seeds and service be marks of our lives and churches!

As I finish, and in case you were wondering who I was referring to…Happy 40th Wedding Anniversary to Gordon and Beryl Whitehead! The seeds they planted continue to bear much fruit in Santiago Chile. They are still planting seeds here in Ireland. May they, and we, keep going!

Bishop Ken