ARGENTINA

26th August 2010
Argentina, PRAY

Uphold Bishop Greg Venables and Sylvia, praying for good health and strength for them both, safety in travelling and wisdom in pastoral oversight in the two dioceses in Argentina. Pray for the churches and clergy in Buenos Aires, Rosario and Cordoba, for those training for ordination and for those working with the youth and children. Remember the staff, volunteers and children in Hogar el Alba.

 

Thank God for Mario Ágreda’s gifts in leadership, teaching and with young people. Pray for him and Paula with Manuel and Maite serving in Villa Devoto and also in Lomas. Pray for spiritual growth in the lives of those in the home groups and youth groups and for the emergence of new leaders.

Red Box News & Prayer Update

25th August 2010
Argentina, PRAY

Sonya Brown from Carryduff Parish who is with the Red Box Project updates us on her 5 week placement.
 
I help 2 missionaries over here, Graziela and Lorena, I am so grateful to having the chance to help these girls in their work on Saturdays making lunch in one of the poorest areas here in Salta and on Wednesdays at the hospital.  This week I am helping them organise for a Bible event for the children this Saturday – busy times!
 
I help in a local school on Tuesdays and Thursdays with English lessons. The teachers and children are so welcoming and its great being there and helping in whatever way I can, whether answering questions, helping with their work, or marking exams!!
 
Your prayers are valued. Pray for the time that I have for myself, that I will reflect on my experiences and take time to refuel! The language is a barrier, in that I can’t build relationships with the majority of the people I meet, which is a tad frustrating to say the least but I’m learning that sometimes words aren’t needed, a smile never fails to get a response!!
 
Also I’m only here for a short time so I ask that you pray that I can plant seeds in the people that I’m spending time with and that I have the energy needed for the long days that I’m out and about, for safety and that my travel back goes as smoothly as arriving here.
 
Many thanks 🙂
love & prayers
 
Sonya xx

Pray for Michael & Silvia Browne and the launch of the Toba New Testament

18th August 2010
Argentina

“The long awaited launch of the recently finished  translation of the Toba (Oeste) New Testament will be on Sunday 29th August in Rinconada. Pray that the consignment of newly translated copies may arrive in time from the printers in Brazil. Pray for Michael Browne and the Toba translators on this significant occasion. My (David) involvement has been to help the translators  by revising the translation and trying to make sure that the phrases flow well. Pray too for the courses that will be undertaken after the presentation, to help people grasp and understand the message of the New Testament, I have been asked by Bishop Drayson to help with these. We plan to be in Argentina for three months. Every blessing, best wishes. DAVID LEAKE”

 

Andrew & Maria Leake prayer items on environmental challenges in Northern Argentina

17th August 2010
Argentina

Meeting the Minister

Together with members of ASOCIANA Andrew participated in a meeting with Salta’s new (latest) Minister for the Environment and Sustainable Development. The Minister had invited ASOCIANA to share their views on conflicts arising from the expansion of the agricultural frontier (read deforestation). Andrew was also able to make use of the opportunity to communicate some of the major weakness in the government’s current implementation of environmental impact studies. The Minister and his staff expressed a major interest in this, and suggested we might help them to run training sessions to help their staff to be better able to evaluate future studies. We hope that this link will develop further and that it may lead to a more constructive relationship with the state.

 

Bulldozers on the move

Anta, the region we are focusing (in southern Salta) in our search a suitable area of land to purchase lands for conservation continues to be battered by the bulldozers. Andrew’s criollo contacts in the region have recently reported having to go and literally stand in front of the machines to stop them knocking down forest on land they claim as theirs. We have submitted a written request to the Minister to send an inspection team to the region to verify the situation.

Andrew and Marcelo will be visiting Anta shortly to conduct a preliminary survey of the situation, and in doing so give a hand to local criollo in their struggle protect  their rights. Later in the year we will have the additional help of Emma Parkhouse, a geography student who will be coming out from the UK as part of her study program. Though details need to be finalized, she will be engaged in gathering more detailed data on the impact of deforestation on the subsistence economy of Criollos in the region.

Bird watching

Andrew has recently met with Maurice Rumboll, one of Argentina’s leading ornithologists, seeking his assistance in designing a regional research project aimed at documenting the effect of forest loss across the Chaco. The idea is to document the presence and of species along extensive transects, both in forested and deforested areas, and especially along the transition zone between them. This will be the first time any research of this nature has been undertaken and should prove valuable in demonstrating the hitherto little understood effects that massive deforestation is having on the Chaco ecosystem. We aim to design a method which will enable members from local Churches across the region to help conduct the required surveys. If this works, it should help towards encouraging more churches to become engaged in conservation.

 

Items for prayer

 

·       Thank God for the opportunity of meeting the new Minister for the Environment. Pray that this link may be strengthened

·       Pray for ongoing work with preparing the formal proposal for the Land for Life initiative.

·       .Pray for creative thinking as we design the bird survey study.

·       Pray for our links with Criollos in Anta, that these may grow, and that whilst they help us understand the situation on the ground in that region we might also help them in their struggle to hang on to their lands.

Rene & Marina Pereira in Northern Argentina

17th August 2010
Argentina, PRAY

Dear friends,

 

We are looking forward to visiting many of you when we come to England in October and wanted you let you have this brief note about my recent and forthcoming activities.

 

The two weeks of youth camps has just finished. The first was held in Ingeniero Juárez from 12 to July 17 and the second in Misión Chaqueña from 19 to 24 July. We all experienced a time of great blessing at both camps. The one in Juarez took place in the Criollo church, where 57 young people met together in all, including some non-Christians invited by their friends. At Misión Chaqueña there were 70 youngsters from eight different indigenous churches.

 

Give thanks to God for the blessings we received during the camps and pray for the young people present

 

I’m now preparing for the new pastor training intensive course in Juárez which runs from 16 to 28 August. We are expecting some 70 pastors from 40 different churches to attend.

 

Please pray for the preparation, teaching and good outcome of the course.

 

Thank you again for your continued prayer and support.

 

Greetings from Northern Argentina

10th August 2010
Argentina, PRAY

We would really value your prayers over the next few weeks as we have embarked on a Youth Alpha after an invitation here at the Criollo church at Ingeniero Juarez, the Anglican church which we attend when we are not travelling to Indian Communities. They have many young people, and have just finished a youth camp, but the leadership has been quite shaky over the last few years. Hopefully, Alpha will not only lead many to a faith in Christ, but also build the team of leaders. It is  a big commitment and quite a challenge as nobody here has ever done an alpha course here before, certainly not a Youth Alpha! The Church has been wonderfully supportive and the team is really working well together. Catherine is doing the Administration for the course..

We were simply amazed when some 75 kids squeezed into a room for karaoke, video clips, choripans, and the introduction to the Course which Nick headed up. We were even more amazed, when 60 of them  turned up at 10.30 am for the first morning. It is an interesting mix too, mainly Spanish speaking Criollos, but also Wichi, and Toba young people too. Some are  travelling from a local church an hour away at Laguna Yema. Everyone is “buzzing” …as they say, but it’s a challenge, not least for the leadership…but there is much faith and we really do pray that there will be much blessing!

Could we please ask you to accompany us with your prayers over the next 10 weeks?

Thank you so much for your loving support and interest and anticipation….prayers!

Every blessing Catherine and Nick

 

Northern Argentina

17th July 2010
Argentina, PRAY

Catherine Drayson writes from Juarez, Northern Argentina for prayer for leadership of the Youth Alpha course they are running; “We had a good Alpha Youth preparation today at 10am, but the youth leader has now pulled out, please pray as we still sense that this Alpha is very much of God. The leaders are really excited about it.”


NORTHERN ARGENTINA

15th July 2010
Argentina, PRAY

Suffragan Bishop Nick Drayson and Catherine ask prayer for insight into the culture and the church and for language learning and making friends. Nick writes: “There is need for wisdom and hopefully the opportunity for change as we look back on almost 100 years of missionary work here, and build on it for a future in which the Indian church will have to become in some way autonomous.”

 

Pray for wisdom and discernment from God for Wichi and Toba pastors and leaders, to deepen their understanding of God’s Word and be able to teach and encourage in their communities. Pray for the Holy Spirit to free the people from all that holds them back.

 

Lift to God those whose lives are dedicated to helping these communities in practical ways: Ana Álvarez, Claudia Lungu and Cristina Vargas and the ASOCIANA team in advocacy and assistance in obtaining health care; Chris and Helena Wallis in literacy; Alec and Ivon Deane with crafts and agriculture.

Cecilia Valdiviezo News

6th July 2010
Argentina, Latin Partners, PRAY

Dear  friends

 

I know I haven’t been in contact with you for a while but you know me! These couple of months have been very interesting for me, God is showing me the need I have to trust in his will and to realise He is in control of everything.

 

As you know the church I am working in is very new (3 years old) so we are in the process of growing and that takes lots of planning, time and hard work. The pastor I work with is a very talented and humble man whose heart is in “mission” so he and his lovely wife support my ministry and encourage me to keep on. For the past weeks I’ve been visiting different churches and helping them with some workshops and some meetings for the youth and women. The one that took my attention was one that is in a shanty town, where almost 60% of the people are into drugs and prostitution. Pastor Celso introduced me the pastor that lives and works in this area, he wanted me to go and visit them and encourage the youth about being a Christian. When I got at the place I couldn’t believe where they meet, they have a tiny room and as there is not enough space they take chairs outside and sit on the sidewalk, the kids are around 40 and almost all of them have serious problems with “paco” ( a popular drug for “the poor”). The pastor, Jorge is his name, has a great love and compassion for these kids and I do know God is using him greatly because through him two gangsters received Jesus and now they are attending the group and since they became Christians violence had decreased . For me this is a real challenge because I worked with 2 drug addicts before and the works is exhausting and because they are sick sometimes they just change their mind and don’t want to go on. As they don’t have a youth leader they ask me if I can visit them at least once a month and spend time with them, so we agreed to do it twice a month and a friend of mine who is also a youth leader will visit them twice a month, we know that is not enough but at least it is a good beginning.

 

Last weekend I spent 4 days in Bermejo (Bolivia), as you know I’ve been doing this for the last two years. For me every time I visit my brother and sisters there is a time of joy and of course a time of very good food!…lol. I don’t mind travelling by bus during the night because I know that as soon as I arrive there the blessing is amazing. I met the women and we spent a beautiful afternoon meditating about the “role of the woman”, that was a time of sharing their stories and learnt from one another, I also spent time with the youth and preached. The best part of my staying there was after the service, when a couple approached to me and asked me if I wanted to be the witness of their marriage! I was over the moon, as I told you before this type of society just live together without getting married but I and some friends have been working during this 2 years about the importance of putting in order our lives so God can bless us. They are the second couple that are getting married I hope this is just the beginning.

 

I don’t want to say good bye before letting you know that yesterday I was invited to El Circulo where the pastor Celso is in charge. Yesterday was their first Sunday service and I know that for almost most of you that have been here know how important this is! The building was used just for the youth meetings and the Happy Hours but now they also are opened on Sunday. We had a great celebration with lovely food…of course!.

 

My friends, there are lots of other things I would love to share with you but I’ll do it in the next letter. I just want to tell you that none of these things will be possibly without your support, I thank God for that.

Once again thanks for you support, your love and your prayers.

Cecy.

 

Prayer Points.

 

Thank God for my time in Bermejo and the blessing of this new marriage.

To give me wisdom to start helping the church in the shanty town twice a month.

To thank God for the visit we did in the schools and to for the future visits in other schools.

For the activities we have in my church so the community can see God is available for everyone.

My future trips to Buenos Aires y Bermejo so I can keep safe.

My future volunteers that are coming in August and September.

To Thank God for my good health.

 

Blessings

Cecy!!! xoxoxox

Northern Argentina

29th June 2010
Argentina, PRAY

Pray for Andrew and Maria Leake working in Northern Argentina. Pray for Andrew as he participates in public hearings on deforestation with partner organisation Asociana where he defends and promotes the land rights of indigenous people. Give thanks for the way in which they have been able to coordinate actions with Asociana. Pray that further opportunities will arise, and that their new working arrangement might prove fruitful. Continue praying for safety and wisdom as they research further into the process of local deforestation. Also pray that they will find people and funds to undertake the necessary studies. Pray for the ongoing work on the formal proposal for the Land for Life initiative.

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