Prayer request from Alec Dean in Argentina

9th December 2008
Argentina, Volunteers

A simple insight into the challenges of sharing the love of Christ in tragic circumstances.

DanielI went last week to the Pilcomayo river to see if I can help with job creation through crafts. Río Pilcomayo is a river in the central parts of South America, longest western tributary of the Paraguay River, and its watershed extends across 270,000 km². The Pilcomayo rises in the foothills of the Andes cordillera, between the Bolivian departments of Potosí and Oruro, east of Poopó Lake. From there it flows in a southeasterly direction 2,000 km through Chuquisaca and Tarija departments, passes through the Argentine province of Formosa and the Gran Chaco plains of Paraguay, forming the border between these two countries before it joins the Paraguay River near Asunción.

I visited very poor communities far from the river. The kid in the photo doesn’t know his age or his surname; he is 8 but never has gone to school. Very sad. His dad is in the other photo with the dry “water hole”. The authorities dump water in this dug out hole but the plastic is broken and the water disappears. It was 47 degrees Celsius my friends… and with no water!!! It drives me up the wall only to think this exists! I’m thinking what to do and the best would be a simple plastic water tank of 1000 litres approximately cost £120.
Poor family 
 
Un abrazo fuerte y bendiciones hermanos!
 
Alec  

SAMS Prayer line

9th December 2008
Chile, Paraguay, PRAY

The latest SAMS GB prayer line.

SAMS Prayer Line for the week commencing Tuesday 9 December

The next few days see plenty of travel between the UK and Paraguay. The 3½-month visit here by Ed & Marie Brice comes to an end and they fly back to Paraguay tomorrow. As we give thanks for their time here visiting link churches, let’s pray for their journey and resettling into the hot Asunción summer.

Coming from Paraguay are Babs Owen, arriving on Saturday for UK leave and Murray & Penny Metcalfe and their three children whose arrival on Tuesday (16th) completes nearly ten years’ service overseas. Pray for Babs on home ministry during the St Andrew’s School summer vacation, and for the Metcalfe family as they face this major change in their lives. And also on Saturday Linn Tedman jets off from Paraguay to South Africa to visit her sister and family, so please keep them all in your prayers. Her sister is very ill.

On Saturday evening the graduation ceremony for six students from the Centre for Pastoral Studies (CEP) in Santiago, Chile, takes place at San Lucas church. Bishop Frank Lyons from Bolivia will be present and the graduates include Raquel Greco from the Diocese of Paraguay. Let’s give thanks for these students who have completed their studies and ask God’s blessing on them as they put knowledge and gifts into practice in different situations. And please pray too for student Daniel Hueche who is suffering from cancer and has returned to his Mapuche community.

Finally, this weekend a regional conference for indigenous young people in the northern Argentine Chaco is held over two days in the town of Las Lomitas. Please seek God’s blessing on organiser René Pereira and all participants.

Sams prayerline

8th December 2008
Argentina, Paraguay, PRAY

The latest SAMS GB Prayer Line for the week commencing Tuesday 2 December

On Saturday SAMS GB General Council voted overwhelmingly to approve in principle a merger of SAMS with CMS. [Note: this does not affect SAMS Ireland) CMS members will vote on the issue on 20 January. Give thanks for God’s clear leading and pray for the Trustees and staff, including from 1st January new Mission Director Bishop Henry Scriven, as this decision begins to be worked out.

Nick Drayson, former mission partner in Northern Argentina and Spain, has been appointed Assistant Bishop in Northern Argentina with special oversight of the Indian work. Pray for Nick and Catherine as they take up the new post sometime in 2009.

In that area Michael Browne, Silvia and their two boys plan to spend most of December in the town of Juárez in the Chaco, making a final push to complete the checking process of the Toba New Testament translation. Pray for them in this work as they prepare the text for handing over to the Argentine Bible Society for typesetting and publishing.

Linn Tedman in Paraguay is having physiotherapy for an injured back. On 13 December Linn is due to visit her sister and family in South Africa for the first time in nine years, and asks prayer that the treatment will relieve the pain enough for her to prepare, pack, travel and enjoy this holiday.

In Concepción, Paraguay, we are asked to pray for God’s light to penetrate the spiritual darkness and bring people into his Kingdom. On Friday (5th) a Nativity play is held for children in the Ramonita and Villa Alta neighbourhoods. As we pray for the impact of this, let’s thank God for Claire Holmes’ ministry there to children and young people, and remember her especially as she flies out on Monday (8th) for home leave and ministry in Ireland.

Also travelling from Paraguay, on Saturday, is Caroline Gilmour-White who will be on UK ministry until early March. Pray for Caroline in travel and readjustment.

Daniel and Flavia Lescano visit N Ireland

30th November 2008
PRAY

Dani and Flavia LescanoDaniel and Flavia Lescano visited Northern Ireland this weekend. They come from Salta in Argentina and are currently studying theology in Buenos Aires Bible Institute.

The couple are the newest link with SAMS Ireland and we will follow them through Bible College over the next three years. They will be linked with St. John’s Parish in Moria. They visited the parish today and Daniel preached at three services and a youth meeting.

When asked what they thought about Ireland they said that it was cold! They day they visited began with a frost of -3C. It gets that cold in Salta at times, but daytime temperatures rise to the mid 20s even in winter.

They also were impressed with the friendliness and family values of people here. Daniel was very touched with the faithfulness of praying people, and the interest in mission. He said, “The sense of mission is very strong here. I met someone who said I’ve prayed for you every day for the last three years. And the thing is we can feel it. There were many times we said, if God wasn’t here this would not have happened. We can feel the prayers of faithful people.”

Since the SAMS Ireland team visited in July the Lescanos held another Youth Encounter (EJE) in Salta. This time over 100 young people attended one of the most successful events they have seen. Many young people have come to faith and are members of the church by an initial invitation to EJE. The Lescaons asked for prayer for this on-going ministry.

They also asked for wisdom to balance time demands on their Latin Link ministry and Biblical studies.

They really enjoyed their visit and are looking forward to hopefully seeing us in Ireland sometime in the future.

Buena Vista no. 2

20th November 2008
Magazine, SAMS Ireland

We have just published the latest Buena Vista, issue number 2. This edition focuses on:

  • Claire Holmes
  • Sewing projects in Paraguay
  • BTN trips
  • Red Box, and
  • Fusion volunteer David Alanis

To download Buena Vista 2 click on the image below. It’s a 6MB PDF file.
Buena Vista 2

Prayerline

11th November 2008
Argentina, Paraguay, Peru, PRAY, Spain

The latest SAMS GB prayer line:

Let’s give praise for answered prayer in response to the Youth Encounter weekend last month in Salta, Northern Argentina. At least 4 young people made a profession of faith in Christ, others expressed real interest to consider the implications and others made renewed commitments. Pray for them.

Praise God too for answers to prayer at the two women´s retreats held recently in Lima and Arequipa, Peru. Penny Marcés asks us to pray that the challenge to serve isn´t forgotten back in the normal routine of life.

Still in Peru, please continue to pray for the health of Bishop Bill Godfrey. Bill has been undergoing surgery in Florida to try to resolve the wound sinus from last year’s operation. Pray that this will resolve this aspect of the problem; and keep Bill and his wife Judith in prayer.

Sue Woodcock is encouraged by good worship and a growing congregation in Sabadell, northeast Spain. One result is a new monthly meeting for folk between 20 and 35 years of age starting this Saturday (15th). Sue asks us to pray for this group to gel and for deep fellowship as they get to know one another and share together.?
Sue also requests prayer for a conference address she is giving in one of the Barcelona universities on Friday (14th), with a repeat in a different context on Wednesday 19th. It’s an opportunity to proclaim good news with sensitivity, so please pray.

Finally, end-of-year exams for 1st and 2nd years at FEISA teacher training college in Asunción, Paraguay, begin next Monday (17th), continuing for three weeks. Please keep students and staff in your prayers.

Friday Night Live – 6th Feb 2009

11th November 2008
Events, Friday Night Live, SAMS Ireland

The SAMS team are busy preparing the next Friday Night Live 2009. This year the event has had to move to a larger venue – the Craigavon Civic Centre – due to the enormous interest last year.

Another exciting programme is planned. Ckick the image below to download the invitation for more details.

Friday Night Live 2009

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