Prayer line

25th June 2008
Peru, PRAY, Spain

TestersPaul & Sarah Tester in Peru ask prayer for the young people of San Patricio Mission in the Lima neighbourhood of Ventanilla. Paul and another leader, Juan Carlos, are taking a group of them away for a Youth Alpha Retreat this weekend. Paul & Sarah write: “Alpha has been a way to start a youth ministry at the mission; we are praying for the young people to encounter God in a real and lasting way and to choose to follow Christ for their whole life.”

Events in the Diocese of Spain this weekend include a Pastors’ Conference on Friday and Saturday (27/28) in Madrid and a Youth Retreat from Sunday to Tuesday (29-1st) in Reus in the northeast. Please pray these will bring great blessing to the church in Spain.

Let’s continue to remember the 6 bishops from the Southern Cone (Venables, Zavala, Godfrey, Lyons, Cavalcanti, Apeleo) gathered at the GAFCON meetings in Jerusalem. Bishop Robinson Cavalcanti has with him a number of clergy from the Diocese of Recife, including Marcus Throup, so please remember that delegation in your prayers.

SAMS prayer line

17th June 2008
Argentina, Peru, PRAY, Spain, UK-Ireland

The prayer line from SAMS GB has just arrived. SAMS GB is in merger talks with CMS, as SAMS Ireland is autonomous this will not affect us directly, but please pray for our sister organisation.

Pat Blanchard in Lima, Peru, has requested prayer for an important meeting over the next couple of days. The local council are meeting with Pat to discuss the possibility of their donating land to her church of Jesús el Nazareno for their Shalom ministry to disabled people. This is a progressive ministry but does need a ‘good home’, so let’s join with Pat in prayer.

Please remember the Indian peoples of Northern Argentina, as Andrew Leake reports that some members of the provincial government of Salta have just presented a motion that could rescind the recently passed law limiting deforestation in the Chaco.

The Argentine Bible Society, meanwhile, hosts a long-awaited conference from Monday (23rd) on the provision of Scriptures in audio form. This involves the translations into Wichi, Toba, Chorote (Argentina) and Enxet (Paraguay).

Jonathan & Hilary Rowe thank us for prayers for the Gospel Choir evening in the main square of El Escorial in Spain on 7 June. Over 1,500 people attended, including the mayor. Let’s support follow-up work with our prayers. Meantime, Jonathan, Hilary and their children come to the UK on Monday (23rd) for a short period of home ministry, so please uphold them at this time.

Arriving this Friday from Chile is Bishop Tito Zavala. He and Assistant Bishop Abelino Apeleo are attending the SAMS General Council meeting this weekend before proceeding to the GAFCON gathering of bishops in Jerusalem. Pray for them … and pray too for the SAMS General Council who meet over 24 hours in London from Friday (20th) to discuss further whether the Society should merge with CMS or remain independent. Following this, the GB staff take a 24-hour retreat starting on Monday.

SAMS Prayer line

11th June 2008
Argentina, Paraguay, PRAY, Spain

Here is the latest SAMS Prayer line.

Thank you for your prayers for the Women’s Retreat held last month in Zaragoza in the Diocese of Spain. Sue Woodcock described it as one of the best she’d been to. Women came from many churches, including 8 who made the long journey from Seville. Praise God for this and pray his continuing blessing.?

Please pray for Sylvia Venables, wife of Bishop Greg; she is in pain after her replacement hip came out of joint. And remember too the Somervell family as Tony returns to Paraguay on Friday to be reunited with Chris and the children as they prepare for their final return to the UK next month. This is an emotionally difficult time for them after so many years’ service in South America.

Also in Paraguay there’s a need for new teachers at St Andrew’s School: infant (1), primary (1), secondary to teach English with TEFL/languages degree (2), computing to GCSE level (1). Please pray God will supply every need.

Finally, please remember God’s servants overseas in this period when the weaker pound and even weaker dollar are making things more difficult.

Prayer letters

9th June 2008
Argentina, Mission Partners, Paraguay, Peru, PRAY, Spain

Some prayer letters came into the SAMS office over the weekend.

SAMS Prayer line

3rd June 2008
Bolivia, Paraguay, Peru, PRAY, Spain

Please remember the Irene family in Bolivia. On top of the political and social uncertainties of the country, Ronny has had to go to the city of Santa Cruz where his biological mother is in intensive care, having suffered a perforated intestine. Nicky and the 3 children remain in La Paz.

This Saturday evening (7th) a gospel concert is held in the main square of El Escorial, the town in Spain where Jonathan & Hilary Rowe and family live. The visiting choir consists of 300 young people and is the largest gospel choir in the country. Please pray for God’s hand upon this event, from the weather to the follow-up ministry of the small evangelical church there.

Over this weekend another Youth Encounter event takes place in Asunción, Paraguay. Pray for the coordinating team and for the young people invited, that God will touch the lives of many, leading them into new relationships with him and with their families.

Finally, this Sunday (8th) Bishop Bill Godfrey conducts a joint confirmation service for the churches in Lima, Peru. Pat Blanchard has a number of candidates from her church of Jesús el Nazareno, and asks us to pray for a real blessing and outpouring of the Spirit in their lives and in the lives of all being confirmed.

Prayer line

29th May 2008
Paraguay, PRAY, Spain

On Saturday an Extraordinary Synod is held in Asunción to discuss a nomination to the post of Bishop of Paraguay. Pray for Assistant Bishop Andrés Rodríguez who chairs the meeting, and ask God to guide in all the deliberations, with the possible approval of, and invitation to, the person in question.

Already underway in Paraguay is the first Bible School of 2008 held in Río Verde in the Chaco. Ed Brice asks us to pray for the delegates from the Chaco churches as they meet with him and others to study issues relating to the health and growth of their congregations.

On Monday (2nd) pastors from Sabadell in northeast Spain meet to plan a united outreach in one year’s time. Pray for Sue Woodcock and the other leaders.

Finally, early next week we welcome Jill Ball, home for leave from Ecuador, and Assistant Bishop Abelino Apeleo from Chile, visiting UK churches before going to the GAFCON gathering of bishops in Jerusalem. Pray for them in travel and adjustment.

SAMS Prayer Line

7th May 2008
Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, PRAY, Spain

The SAMS Prayer Line for the week commencing Tuesday 6 May.

Pentecost weekend sees a number of special events:

In Asunción, Paraguay, another Marriage Encounter takes place coordinated by Pastor Jorge & Rebeca Arévalos. Please pray for God to work through them and the team of leaders to strengthen, heal and renew marriages.

In Spain, the Diocesan Women’s retreat is held in Zaragoza, organised by the ladies of Sue Woodcock’s church in Sabadell under the theme of Living Water. Pray for God to refresh and encourage all who attend.

The congregations of the indigenous Toba people of Northern Argentina gather for a conference, with retired bishop David Leake one of the speakers. Pray this event will strengthen the Toba churches in discipleship.

On Friday (9th) Latin Partner Josias de Souza and a colleague begin a ten-day visit to the USA to attend a ‘Purpose Driven Church’ conference in Virginia. Pray for their travel, the impact of the event on them and subsequently on their church in Recife, Brazil.

Last but by no means least, key meetings take place next Tuesday and Wednesday (13-14) in Buenos Aires between the bishops of the Southern Cone and representatives of SAMS and CMS. The SAMS representatives are John Sutton, already in South America, and Chairman Patrick Coghlan who flies out on Thursday (8th). Pray for these highly significant talks which will consider the future direction of SAMS.

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