: PRAY

Ruth & Efraim Vilella moved last week from Recife in northeast Brazil to Porto Alegre in the south.  Please pray for them in their adjustment, for Efraim’s work and for Ruth as she explores possible projects in which she can use her skills and experience.  Remember too the House of Hope project in Recife and those in leadership there.  Ruth hopes to visit fairly regularly.

This weekend a Marriage Encounter event takes place in La Serena in Chile.  Pray for the couples attending, that their marriages may be refreshed and enriched, and uphold the leaders, including pastor Pablo & Pamela Zavala.

This weekend is also the 140^th anniversary of the Anglican church in Fray Bentos, Uruguay.  Pray for the celebratory services and events, and especially for pastor Gonzalo & Leticia Soria in their oversight of this congregation.

Early in October Neill Brice, son of mission partners Ed & Marie in Paraguay, marries his fiancée Deysi.  Pray God’s blessing on this wedding and for a long and happy Christian marriage.

Finally, flying in from Argentina on Monday are Latin Partner Mario Ágreda and Bishop Greg & Sylvia Venables.  Mario is making his first visit to the UK and is spending most of October here visiting churches and groups (including the Sheffield Area Roadshow), while Greg is coming principally for a primates’ meeting the following week.  Please keep them all in your prayers.

Thumbs up to everyone who has been supporting the Sewing Project.

Terry Barratt will be involved in an international meeting in Axminster of world representatives of SEAN theological education by extension programmes.  Pray for this major gathering of a global phenomenon which arose out of local church leadership needs met by SAMS personnel in South America.

SEAN is still used to train new leaders of the Indian churches of Northern Argentina.  Another tool is the annual training course taking place now until 4 October in Juárez.  Pray for coordinator René Pereira and the team of teachers and participants as they learn and share together this fortnight.

Nick Drayson is the suffragan bishop-elect with special responsibility for those Indian churches.  He and Catherine fly to Argentina on Sunday to take up their new work and will live in Juárez.  Pray for full recovery from health problems, final preparations, goodbyes, the journey and readjustment to the Chaco.

Chris Hawksbee is away from Paraguay for a fortnight conducting two project evaluations for Tearfund in northeast Brazil.  Pray God’s wisdom for Chris and blessing on him and through him to local Brazilians; remember too his wife Alison and son Ben in Asunción.

This coming weekend a Youth Encounter event takes place in Asunción.  Uphold in prayer the team of young national leaders and all attending and experiencing this exciting event.  Pray God will abundantly bless and that lives will be transformed by his Holy Spirit.

From time to time we have asked prayer for Danilo Hueche, a young Christian from southern Chile who had been studying at the Centre for Pastoral Studies in Santiago.  Danilo, who had been suffering from cancer, died peacefully at home last Tuesday.  As we give thanks for his life and example, let’s uphold his family before the Lord.

Another prayer letter received into the SAMS office:

• Sue Woodcock

Recent prayer letters received into the SAMS office:

• Beryl Baker
• Jill Ball
• Andy and Rose Roberts
• Ian and Simea Meldrum
• Caroline Gilmour-White
• Chris Hawksbee
• Daniel and Ellelein Kirk

Some news and prayer letters received into the SAMS office:

• Linn Tedman
• Linn Tedman photo sheet)
• Paraguay Prayer Calendar for September
• Ed and Marie Brice
• Abelino and Paty Apeleo

Some prayer letters received into the SAMS office:

• Peter & Sally Bartlett – Paraguay Prayer Calendar September / October 2009
• Charles and Linn Barr Johnston
• Marcus and Tamara Throup
• Andrew and Maria Leakez
• Letter from the Apeleos in Chile

On Thursday (27^th) the Yáñez family return to Spain after two months in the UK.  Please uphold Felipe & Sarah taking up a ministry of hospitality and also working among immigrants in the Málaga area.  Pray for suitable accommodation for them, and for sons Samuel & Aaron as the school year starts on 7 September.

From 31^st August to 4^th September SAMS and CMS will be among the exhibitors at the 2009 Forum of the Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship (UCCF), held in Shropshire under the title ‘Mobilising CU Leaders for Mission’.  Pray for many student leaders to be impacted by the information and challenges on offer, and uphold the representatives who include Bob Lunt and Jo Hazelton.

On Friday 4 September Latin Partner Cristóbal Cerón flies out from Chile for a three-week visit to UK churches and Roadshow.  Pray for him in this venture and for wife Alejandra and daughters Belén and Jacinta in Santiago.

Please continue to pray for Nick & Catherine Drayson, now in Guernsey, as they pack and prepare to serve once again in Northern Argentina.  They fly on 12 September.

Finally, please keep in your prayers Barbara Kitchin, long-serving former missionary in Northern Argentina, who is unwell at the moment.