March Prayer Letters
Some recent prayer letters received into the SAMS office:
Liliana Rodriguez : Prayer Diary
Ten items for prayer:
1. At the beginning of February Bishop Greg attended a Primates’ Meeting in Alexandria (Egypt). Afterwards he commented: “There was a wonderful freshness of the Holy Spirit in this meeting; I believe it had something to do with prayer. God was teaching us as a group. Some previous Primates’ Meetings have been marked by lots of anger and underlying tension. Here there was also some anger and tension, but the atmosphere was very calm. The group of biblically orthodox Primates had a peace and clarity about them; there was a measure of grace and love”. He highlighted an increased sense of realism about the state of the Anglican Communion. “We were all agreed. There are two very different understandings of the Christian Faith now living together, indeed at war with one another, in the Communion. Humanly speaking the situation has no long term resolution.” Intercede for Archbishop Venables’ role in dealing with the brokenness and its consequences.
2. During the Summer-months a number of loved ones went to be with the Lord. In Misión Chaqueña all feel the loss of deaconess Nélida as well as one of Rev Marcelino Rojas’ daughters. The leadership in Rivadavia Banda Sur mourn the passing of the Rev Julio Acosta. Give thanks for their life and witness; pray for the families left behind and for the churches dealing with a leadership-vacuum.
3. From Wednesday 11th till Saturday 20th a group of four clergy from Carlisle will visit our diocese. The team will be involved in training and encouragement and its coordinator, Bishop James Newcome, is set to do some ordinations and confirmations in the indigenous church. After a Retreat for the Urban church-leadership over the weekend of 14-15, the party from our link-diocese will move on to Misión Chaqueña and Ingeniero Juarez and beyond. Please accompany our friends with your prayers.
4. Simultaneously with the visit of Bishop James’ party, the Rev Nick and Catherine Drayson will tour the diocese. The couple will overlap with some of the activities of the Carlisle-team in the indigenous church. The Draysons hope to firm up plans for their permanent move to Northern Argentina in August. In October Nick will be consecrated suffragan bishop. May the Lord prepare the road and people’s hearts.
5. In January the Principe de Paz-church organized a young people’s camp in the La Caldera retreat centre. With around 100 campers the resources were severly stretched, but the Lord worked in the lives of many. The congregation of San Andrés organized a short teenage-camp in February. Pray for the follow-up: may the impact of the camp have a lasting effect and produce young disciples of Christ.
6. From March 24th till Saturday 28th the Provincial Executive Committee will meet in Asunción (Paraguay). As well as our Bishop Greg (president), the Venerable Hugo Vergara and Aída Cuenca de Fernandez will attend on behalf of the Diocese of Northern Argentina.
7. The ASocIANA team are thankful for a ‘start of the year’-retreat held towards the end of February in the La Caldera centre. Coordinators Ani Alvarez and Chris Wallis are also grateful for the way the Argentine Supreme Court appears to uphold justice in the case of deforestation and its effects on the indigenous way of life. On December 29th the Court decreed the temporary suspension of some timber-logging operations as a cautionary measure. On February 18th it heard a case brought by a number of individuals and caucus groups, both indigenous and criollo. The provincial government stands accused of shirking its legal responsibilities in the matter and of turning a blind eye to illegal operations. Ani reports that the Presiding Judge showed little tolerance for evasive and longwinded waffle by the provincial politicians in the dock. Pray for ASocIANA’s advocacy-work and its gospel-message by word and deed.
8. The Northernmost city of the diocese, Tartagal, was hit by a mudslide on Feb 9th. Around a 150 houses built on the banks of the river Tartagal were swept away, others severely damaged and over a thousand people needed to be evacuated; two women died. Electricty, water and communications were cut, a entire railway-bridge dislodged and many streets covered by mud and debris. A blaming finger is being pointed at the timber-trade and mineral exploitation in the region; political complicity in these industries is a public secret. Tartagal houses two of the four ASocIANA offices. No Anglican church-buildings were affected, but a number of Christian families remain homeless. Believers and non-believers alike have been quick and generous with donations. President Christina Kirchner visited the city and commented on the scourge of structural poverty. Pray for the hardship suffered at a personal level and pray that the quick and generous promises made by the authorities will become reality.
9. The Venerable Isidro Vilte, president of the Indigenous Pastorate, is having trouble with his eyesight. A recent cataract-operation was unsuccessful and the Archdeacon is seeking further treatment. He is an accomplished translator and the practice of this gifting is in jeopardy. A wichí version of the Abundant Life discipleship course – Isidro’s latest contribution – is currently being digitalized. We hope to try out the course as a pilot-project alongside a major evangelistic effort in May.
10. The Indigenous Pastorate is planning a clergy-retreat over Easter, April 10 – 12. Pray for all the preparations.
February prayer letters
Some recent prayer letters received into the SAMS office:
Andy Roberts, Brazil : January 2009
Dear Friends,
Hello from England!! Rose and I arrived back in this fair land on January 26th after an 11 hr flight from Rio de Janeiro. It’s great to be back even despite the freezing weather! Rose is enjoying getting to know snow for the first time in her life, I’m sure the excitement will die down the moment it turns to slush.
Prayer Line : Week beginning Tuesday 17 February
Please keep in prayer tomorrow’s hearing of the Supreme Court in Buenos Aires, Argentina, concerning the appalling deforestation in the Province of Salta.
On Sunday Carnival starts in Brazil for the four days leading up to Lent. In Recife this is also the time for an evangelistic outreach to the revelers’ and others, so please pray for Espirito Santo church and its involvement in this spiritual confrontation with the powers of darkness. Pray many people will find liberty and purpose through an encounter with Jesus Christ.
Sunday is also the day when Peter & Sally Bartlett have their valedictory service at St Mark’s, Haydock, in Lancashire. Peter & Sally plan to travel to Asunción in mid-March for Peter to take up his new role as Bishop of Paraguay. Pray for this Sunday’s service and also for the legalization of their documents to be completed in time for their proposed departure.
Andy Roberts and his Brazilian fiancée Rose are busy visiting churches here in the UK following Andy’s acceptance as a SAMS mission partner to serve in Olinda, Brazil. Pray for them in this, in preparations for a July wedding in York, and also please remember Jefferson and the team in Olinda working at My Father’s (safe) House for vulnerable boys – where Andy and Rose have been working.
Patrick & Rosie Butler and family ask prayer to know the next stage in God’s plan for them after they return from Paraguay in July. Some doors have closed – pray the Lord opens the right one soon.
Finally, Alf & Hilary Cooper will be ministering tomorrow evening (18th) at St John’s, Birkdale, and from 20-25th at All Saints, Woodford Wells, Essex.
SAMS Prayer Line : Week commencing Tuesday 10 February 2009
Associate Mission Partner Janet Mena has been involved with SAMS since 1964. She and her grandson Felipe arrive tomorrow from southern Chile to spend a month in the UK. Pray for their visit to meet family, friends and former missionary colleagues, and remember Janet’s husband Alberto in Temuco.
Next Monday (16th) classes begin at St Andrew’s and the Annexe Schools in Asunción, Paraguay. Pray for Heads Gwen Carlisle and Víctor Santa Cruz, Deputy Mags Southern and all staff and pupils, especially those starting for the first time.
The following day Ruth Hollingdale Vilella flies back to Brazil to resume her work at the House of Hope project in Recife. Her husband Efraim returned a month ago. Pray for Ruth and also for her mother undergoing a course of chemotherapy.
An article and letter about Charles Darwin’s involvement with SAMS has been sent to both church and secular press. Pray one or both will be published and highlight the success of the Society’s early ministry as well as drawing attention to a little known side of Darwin at the bicentenary of his birth.
Finally, looking ahead to next Wednesday (18th), we ask your prayers for a hearing of the Supreme Court in Buenos Aires, Argentina, concerning deforestation in the Province of Salta. Pray for the Indian representatives and their lawyers, as well as the Supreme Court judges, and for a just outcome which will allow the Indians to live in peace on their ancestral lands.
Fresh challenges for St Andrew’s School
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
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!