Pray for Bishop Miguel & Deacon Martha Tamayo in oversight of a diocese which in 20 years has expressed its love for God through holistic mission. Pray for wisdom and vision as the leaders aspire to minister in some of the most disadvantaged situations in Uruguayan society.
Pray for Bishop Peter & Sally Bartlett in their many-sided ministry, not least in leadership training groups to develop mature, strong, selfless leaders in all areas of the diocese.
Pray too for growth in the young evening congregation at San Andrés cathedral.
Assistant Bishop Andrés & Estela Rodríguez oversee the churches in the Concepción area: pray for their evangelism to adults and children, work with the San Pablo congregation, and safety in travel to outlying areas and to communities in the Chaco.
Uphold Head Gwen Carlisle and Deputy Mags Southern as St Andrew’s School begins its new academic year this month; pray for them as the school helps transform Paraguay by sharing Christ and the gospel with its influential families. Remember new pupils about
to start.
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We find it hard to believe that it’s now 
a year since we left Paraguay but we are enjoying celebrating this season of Advent here in Cheltenham.
We’re very thankful that the Esperanza Foster Home has been able to continue providing the essential love and security that all children need but which is so often lacking for children in care in Paraguay. In October the Esperanza team celebrated four years of caring for a total of 27 children so far.
[Photo: The Esperanza carers (from left – Juana, Ester, Carmen and Angela) take a well earned breather]
These last six months have been extremely frustrating as there has been so little movement in the children’s legal paperwork. At one point all the Judges were on strike ! But at last we are receiving news of decisions about the children currently in the “Esperanza family”. Surprisingly four of the five children are due to return to their birth families. Elba, who arrived earlier this year, has already gone with four siblings to live with her grandmother. Siblings Barbara and Victor, who came in December 2008 having already been in a large children’s home for a year, are due to go either to their birth mother or their aunt, and Belen who we know well as she arrived in early 2008, has just this week left to live with her grandmother who helps to care for Belen’s unstable mother who has recently had another baby. Having initially heard the reasons why these children were placed in the care of social services, we are always nervous about them returning to the same or similar circumstances so we really would appreciate your prayers for their future. Alexis, who is the remaining child, was legally declared “adoptable” but we understand that there is to be an appeal to this decision.
If the required paperwork does not come through before Christmas, Barbara, Victor and Alexis will spend the festivities with the ladies from Esperanza and their families. This is a chance for some repairs
and redecoration within the home. It is also a time when Juana, the main live-in foster mum, gets to see her family in the interior and have some much needed rest and recuperation. In the New Year the
Adoption Centre will be bringing more children to receive all that Esperanza offers.
[Photo: Anniversary celebrations with local volunteers last year]
One additional item for your prayers is the health of Teresa Maidana who took on the supervision of the home. She has had a string of health issues and at present is confined to her house due to a problem with her spine. Her husband, Pastor Agustin, has been spending more time at Esperanza as a result.
As always we are so grateful for your generous support which is essential if Esperanza is to continue its ministry. May you and your families receive many blessings in 2010.
With love
Penny and Murray Metcalfe
Linn Tedman is feeling much better, thank you for your prayers. She writes; ‘Thank you all for your prayers for Fidel Zavala, the rancher who was kidnapped in Paraguay. The Lord has responded and Fidel was released on Sunday evening after 94 days in captivity. He was released near to where he was captured but had to walk 10 kms to get help. Later he was flown to Asuncion where he was reunited with his family. Please continue to pray for peace and stability in Paraguay.’
Wendy Power, short term volunteer working with Beryl Baker in the Chaco of Paraguay to provide health care returned to the UK this week after 5 months in Paraguay. She writes: ‘Praise: For time here to serve, to grow and to understand; for rain improving life for people and animals here; for opportunity to treat patients, for available medicines; for blessed time with friends celebrating Christmas. Prayer: For Beryl to continue in faithful service here, especially for God to uphold her in times of tiredness and weakness; for those bereaved and hurt through fatalities over the holiday period- that they would be comforted (2 Corinthians 1 v 3-5); for God to bring me back to Paraguay in his perfect way and timing.
Please pray for Linn Tedman who is here in the UK and currently suffering from flu and bronchitis. Linn also has some appointments that she needs to attend here in the UK before she returns to Paraguay at the end of this month, pray for her healing and that she will be able to get to these appointments.
Thank you for your prayers for Pat Blanchard as she has been able to secure the purchase of a new two storey property for Shalom, a ministry which works amongst disabled people in Peru. Pat writes: “God moved everything so incredibly and it is exactly what we needed. It was built as a school so has lots of classrooms and great facilities.”
Pray for safe travel for short termer Wendy Power who returns to the UK this week after working with Beryl Baker for the last five months in Paraguay. Also travelling this month to the UK are SAMS Mission Partners David, Gina, Wesley and Caleb Hucker who are also due to arrive in the UK from Arica in Chile at the end of next week.
Please continue to pray for Ruth and Efraim Vilella travelling back to Brazil this Saturday after spending Christmas here in the UK with Ruth’s family. Please pray that Efraim’s position is clarified with Wal-Mart soon, which would provide the paperwork enabling them to move into permanent accommodation.
Give thanks for the 17 new believers in Remansito, Mirador and San Juan in Paraguay, who were baptised in December and confirmed early January. Give thanks also for the arrival of rain in the Paraguayan Chaco after months of drought in some areas.
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Pray for Brother David Jardine as he leads a team to Colombia from the 13 to 27 January. The team members include Ronnie Orr, Paul Shields and Stanley Gibson. Pray for health and safety in travel.
Paul Tester had the opportunity to travel to the south of Peru and be part of the follow-up to the July youth mission in Juliaca. Working with Lizbeth, the diocesan youth coordinator, and the church in Juliaca, “we prepared a day’s activities for the young people there. It was great to have over thirty attend and see that the group that started after our mission trip is still meeting and growing. I was also able to be part of youth leader training and leading youth groups in Arequipa as part of the same trip. It is encouraging to see many green shoots of youth ministry across the diocese. Please keep praying!
Youth leaders from the diocese came together for the youth leaders’ retreat in Lima, including ones from Juliaca, Arequipa, Ica and Lima. We had times of teaching, ministry, games, worship and fun on the nearby beach and it has seemed to encourage youth leaders in a number of congregations where youth ministry is a very new concept! It is beginning to be taken seriously in Peru and a few of us from the youth ministry team were able to attend the “Youth Specialties” national youth leaders’ conference, which was an encouragement and inspiration for all of us.
