Blog

Please remember in your prayers Pat Blanchard and her mother.  Pat is currently over in the UK from her Lima parish accompanying her mother who has suffered a stroke.

Although it’s still mid-summer in South America, the administrative staff of FEISA teacher training college in Asunción, Paraguay, will be back at work on Thursday 15^th.  Please keep them in prayer as they begin another challenging year of work helping to meet the diversity of Early Years needs in the country’s education system.

On Saturday the week-long Youth Camp begins at La Caldera, near Salta, in Northern Argentina.  Pray for René Pereira and the leadership team, as well as all the young people coming from different parts of the diocese.

One of the churches planted by Alf Cooper’s congregation in Santiago, Chile, is in the neighbourhood of Vitacura.  This Saturday Guillermo Martínez is ordained as deacon to be its new minister.  Pray for Guillermo, and also for retired SAMS mission partner John Cobb who will continue to coach him for the next few months.

There’s a mission exodus from the UK on Monday 19^th with Efraim Vilella and the Kirk family leaving these shores.  Efraim returns to Brazil after a month here, leaving his wife Ruth to continue UK ministry before joining him a month from now.  Daniel & Ellelein Kirk, along with young sons David and Joshua, fly off to spend a month in Ellelein’s native Mexico before taking up their ministry in Chile.  Please remember all these friends as they prepare, travel and readjust to Latin America.

Finally, next Tuesday 20^th members of CMS GB vote on whether to merge with SAMS GB.  Please pray for this meeting in Oxford.

Some recent prayer letters received into the SAMS office:

2009 Blessing

May you be blessed, as you consider the challenges that lie ahead.

May you be blessed as you engage with others, as you find the time to participate and give others the chance to do the same.

May you have the courage to create and take risks, and may you find your rest in God.

May you be blessed, as you acknowledge your weaknesses and accept God’s grace in 2009.

May others see that you are fragile and may your fragility bless them.

May you understand the importance of being broken, as it enables wholeness.

May you understand the value of brokenness.

May you go to the places that scare you.

May you deal with anger and with sadness.

May you be blessed because you are perfect in your imperfections, as you are forgiven.

May you be blessed, as you accept yourself as you are, at times broken, wounded, and hurt.

May you be aware at all times that you are loved, but especially in this coming year.

Amen.

Thank you for your prayers for the appeal made to the Supreme Court of Argentina by representatives of the Wichi people and settlers calling for a halt to deforestation in the Chaco area of the Province of Salta.  Last Monday the Court upheld the appeal, pending a public hearing on 18 February.  The ruling applies to permissions to deforest given by the Province of Salta from the last quarter of 2007.  Chris Wallis of ASOCIANA thanks us for our prayers and for this sign of God’s kingdom and his justice.  Please continue to pray.

Next week SAMS GB holds its annual conference for overseas and home staff at Dalesdown in Sussex from 5-8 January.  Pray for these days of Bible study, presentations, discussion and fellowship.  Remember especially Interim Executive Director Bill Lattimer who completes his service with SAMS on Friday and his replacement, Bishop Henry Scriven, who has just taken on his new post of Mission Director of SAMS GB.  Among others present will be Peter & Sally Bartlett as they prepare to serve in Paraguay; Peter’s consecration as diocesan bishop takes place on 29 March.

In Chile Pablo & Pamela Zavala ask prayer for the first Sunday School camp for the children of La Serena church, held the week beginning Monday 12 January.  This reminds us that it’s the holiday season in South America and a number of summer camps for children and young people are taking place.  Please keep the participants and their leaders in your prayers.