Fresh challenges for St Andrew’s School

10th February 2009
Paraguay, PRAY

Gwen Carlisle and Mags Southern, Head and Deputy Head of St Andrew’s School in Asunción, Paraguay, recently visited the UK. They shared a number of developments:

A new generation of independently-minded young people are growing up who never experienced the Stroessner dictatorship which dominated Paraguay for 35 years. This poses fresh challenges for the school in discipline, moving with the times and instilling in the pupils a love for their country.

Three ex-pupils recently stood for important positions in government, one being successful. This is encouraging and helps meet one of the school’s objectives: to see its Christian ethos make an impact on society.

The Chacarita is a poor area of Asunción where St Andrew’s Annexe School is situated. Increased use of drugs and alcohol are turning the Chacarita into a more dangerous place and, on Head Víctor Santa Cruz’ advice, a no-go area for St Andrew’s pupils.

Thanks especially to the ministry of Patrick Butler, ex-pupils of St Andrew’s are leading evening services at San Andrés church.

St Andrew’s hosts daily Bible studies for its pupils, together with monthly services, assemblies and camps. But parents are asking for even more Christian input, as well as higher standards academically and in sport.

There is a desperate need for a Secondary English teacher to prepare pupils for Cambridge exams.

Sue Woodcock in Sabadell, Spain

9th February 2009
PRAY, Spain

 
Dear Friends

Christmas has come and gone, and almost before I have been able to draw breath, here we are in February!

First of all, a huge thank you to all those who sent greetings for Christmas and the New Year. I really do enjoy receiving your cards, letters and emails that bring news of yourself, your family and your church, although with my lack of response you could be forgiven for thinking otherwise. This year I have decided to enjoy the Christmas cards putting different ones up every week during the first few months of the year!

Read more …

Beryl Baker in Paraguay

9th February 2009
Paraguay, PRAY

After a long time without hearing from Beryl (server failure at her end, probably), we are pleased to report her latest news. At the moment of writing this, her complaint – “we desperately need many heavy falls of rain as the lack of it is causing all the plantations to shrivel and the water that remains is being evaporated with the intense heat. The daily temperatures remain well above 40” – might not attract the sympathy that it ought. Nevertheless we must always be aware of this difficulty.

Read more …

Paul and Sarah Tester in Peru

2nd February 2009
Peru, PRAY

Dear Praying Friends,

Thanks for praying over the last couple of months. Much has happened and we feel we have been blessed in lots of our work. Please keep praying – it makes a big difference! Read more ….

SAMS Prayer Line for week commencing Tuesday 27 January

28th January 2009
PRAY

 

Pat Blanchard has returned to Peru following a visit here to her sick mother.  Pray for Pat as she resumes work in El Nazareno parish in Lima, and for her mother as she continues her recuperation.

 

Ruth Hollingdale Vilella, currently on UK leave, also asks prayer for her mother, who begins a course of chemotherapy this week.  Ruth’s husband, Efraim, is back in Brazil and Ruth is due to rejoin him on 17 February.  Please uphold the family at this difficult time.

 

Tomorrow +Greg & Sylvia Venables arrive from Buenos Aires for a visit to the UK, together with Greg’s participation in next month’s Primates’ Meeting in Egypt.  Pray for rest from their busy schedules during this period.

 

Last week 99% of CMS members present at their meeting voted for a link-up with SAMS GB.  Therefore, on Saturday 1 February Canon Tim Dakin, General Secretary of CMS (Britain), takes over as General Secretary of SAMS GB.  Pray for Tim assuming the extra responsibility, and also for Mission Director for South America, +Henry Scriven, and his wife Catherine.  They especially ask prayer for their housing situation in the Oxford area as they are experiencing obstacles in mortgage application.

 

Also on the UK front, next Tuesday (3rd) the SAMS GB Board of Trustees meets; please uphold them in their deliberations.  Three CMS Trustees are now part of the board (with three SAMS Trustees on the CMS board).

 

And finally, also on Tuesday the teaching staff of St Andrew’s School in Asunción, Paraguay, go back to work after the summer vacation.  Pray for them as a new academic year is set in motion.

Prayer Requests from Charles and Lynn Barr Johnston in Northern Argentina.

26th January 2009
Argentina, PRAY

Prayer Requests from Charles and Lynn Barr Johnston in Northern Argentina.

Thank you again very much for praying for us. Thank you also very much for sending us Christmas cards and letters or emails. We are very grateful for them all, and thank the Lord for you all, even though we have not been able to answer many of them.

Please continue to pray for our son Nick and his wife Nicky, with their children Sadie and Cally. They visited the UK and Nicky’s parents Ken and Gail over Christmas and the New Year. Pray for Nick and his work in Japan, at what must be a very difficult time for all who work in banks. Pray also for our daughter Susan and her husband Emmanuel. They went to Liberia for Christmas and the New Year to visit Emmanuel’s mother, who he had not seen for many years. Emmanuel gave up his job to be able to stay with his mother into February. Pray that he may be able to get another job when he comes back to Switzerland. Susan returned early in January, to continue teaching Biology in her school.

On the last Monday of 2008 at about 9pm while walking fast I tripped over a bike rack I did not see, and was thrown into the street landing on my left hip. As I could not stand, a passerby took me in his truck to the hospital near our house. 3 X-rays showed that no bones were broken. I was there until Tuesday after lunch when, with Ester’s help, I was able to leave the hospital with crutches which Alec hired for me. I managed to get up the stairs to our flat, where I stayed till last Friday (16th January). I have a huge bruise around my hip, with a thick line going down the leg, but now it is much smaller and purple rather than black. Now I am able to walk slowly without crutches, but Lynn walks much faster and further than I can. Please pray for healing for us both.

Pray also for the 2 families who have been looking after us, who we also try to help pastorally from the Bible. One of them is our home help Ester. She usually comes 3 afternoons a week, but when I could not get about, she came far more often. We were in her house for their Christmas Eve celebrations. The other family is that of Blas, Liliana the Bishop’s secretary, and their teenage son Facu. A car ran into Blas’s taxi at high speed at a road junction. They are now blaming Blas. Pray that justice may be done. Blas, Liliana and Facu came to our house for their New Year Celebration.

Please pray for 2 young people’s camps which will soon start in January and for their follow up. One is in Yema. It is led by Vicar Tuqui, and Ricardo with Saturnino helping. The other is in La Caldera near to Salta. It is led by Deacon Miguel from the Principe de Paz church and Rene Pereira from Juarez. Saturnino had an accident in his farming work a few months ago. He has just recovered enough to be made a watchman for the property of the farm. Please pray for him and his wife Elisa and their 3 young children. He seemed a very promising active new believer and leader. Suddenly in the accident he got a physical disability which has laid him off work for several months.

It seems that finally a vehicle will soon be bought for the ministry of Vicar Tuqui with the project money of 2004. Please pray for guidance that the right vehicle may be bought.

Please also pray for Vicar Narciso, who is teaching and discipling 30 young believers using the SEAN Abundant Life Course.

Prayer Requests from Bishop Abelino and Paty in Chile

26th January 2009
Chile, PRAY

For reasons of diocesan strategy and progress of the Chilean church we are now living in Santiago.  We thank the Lord we are getting used to live in the city, but we do miss the south.

 

Please pray for:

Our ministry in Santiago.  We are pastoring the ‘Church of the Saviour’ in the community of San Joaquín, which could be an 8-year assignment.  In addition I am required to assist +Tito in his visits here in Santiago as well as in the north and south. The brethren down south were deeply saddened by our departure.  Pastor Joel Millanguir has taken charge as Archdeacon of Araucania, while continuing his role as Area Coordinator for Chol-Chol.  I ask your prayers for this great challenge.  We regret that for various reasons the 9th Region has fewer pastors.  Some have come to Santiago to study at the Centre for Pastoral Studies (CEP), but are unlikely to return.  Please pray for this large and significant change in the life of the church of the 9th Region.

 

For obvious reasons, the Rural Bible Institute is also much weakened.  It does not have enough pastors to undertake the teaching and is also short of money.  Last year we praise God that 6 people graduated and hope that there will be other students graduating this year.  Despite the limitations they willingly continue their studies.  Let’s ask the Lord for more workers for his harvest.

 

The school for deaf children is going through a financial crisis and has had to reduce its staff.  Please pray.

 

William Wilson School at Chol Chol has good plans for the future but is currently weak in the area of Christian education as a consequence of my wife Patricia’s departure.  I ask your prayers for new mature Christian influence.

SAMS Prayer Line for the week beginning Tuesday 20 January

20th January 2009
Latin Partners, Mission Partners, PRAY

 

Please remember a number of people who are travelling this week:

 

On Friday (23rd) the Irene family arrive back in La Paz, Bolivia, after a holiday which has included time with Nicky’s parents, Bishop Greg & Sylvia Venables, in Buenos Aires.  Please uphold Nicky, Ronny and the children as they resume their vigorous pastoral and evangelistic ministry during an unstable period in Bolivia.

 

On Monday (26th) Gwen Carlisle and Mags Southern fly back to Paraguay after their month in the UK. Pray for their travel and preparation for the new academic year at St Andrew’s School in Asunción, starting next month.

 

Also on Monday Andy Roberts and his Brazilian fiancée, Rose, arrive in the UK for a visit of several months. Andy is a volunteer at My Father’s (safe) House in Olinda for boys at risk and is seeking God’s will about serving there full-time with SAMS.  Andy and Rose became engaged just last week.

 

Starting on Monday SAMS Chilean Partners Pablo & Pamela Zavala will be far from their La Serena home directing a course on sexuality for young people in Temuco, down in the south.  Remember this ministry in your prayers.

South America comes to Armagh!

20th January 2009
Argentina, Mission Partners, Paraguay, PRAY, Red Box, UK-Ireland

Please pray for Rev Malcolm Kingston, and the local parishes of Kilmore and St. Saviours as they host a special South American Long Weekend taking place from February 6th to 11th. The planned programme is extensive, fun and focussed on mission matters here at home and overseas.

Fri, 6th Feb (7.30pm) : SAMS Friday Night Live in Craigavon Civic    Centre.  This annual celebration event never disappoints!  Peter and Cecilia will take part, as will the Shankill Parish Worship Group, Bishop Ken Clarke and Rev. Dr Maurice Elliott.

Sat, 7th Feb (7.30pm) : Salsa Night with Cecilia in Kilmore Parish Centre. Have you been inspired by the Latin Dances on Strictly Come Dancing, then ladies and gentlemen, come along for a lot of fun!

Sunday, 8th Feb : Morning Worship in both churches with Peter & Sally Bartlett, followed by BBQ in St Saviour’s Hall.

Sunday, 8th Feb, 7pm : Evening Worship with Cecilia in St Saviour’s.

Mon, 9th Feb, 7.30 – 8pm  : A meeting of Refresh (youth group for those of Secondary School age plus) with a South American theme,  in Kilmore Parish Centre.

Tues, 10th Feb : Church Girl’s Brigade South America Night in St Saviour’s Hall. All girls are most welcome! 

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