Dear All,
Yes, we are still doing the Prayer Calendar with the help of emails coming to us from Paraguay and will continue until God shows another way forward! It's a privilege for us and we are so thankful for your interest and prayer support.
We have had a rather full but very interesting and varied time since returning to the UK and are very thankful to the Lord for his strength and guidance. We hope to move to a bungalow in Whitchurch, Hampshire (apparently there are about 6 Whitchurches in the UK!) at the beginning of May.
May God continue to bless and guide you each one in your ministry for him.
With our love in Jesus' name,
John and Judie.
1. Give thanks for a very inspiring Easter service at St. Andrew's School
& for the blessing of the re-ordered San Andres church/cathedral building
which facilitates these events. Give thanks too for the freedom in both St.
Andrew's & the Annexe Schools to daily open God's Word to the pupils &
for the results which are evident both in current students & ex pupils. Pray
that this will increase & be consolidated.
2. Give thanks for rain in the Chaco during the summer months& pray for a
good harvest for the indigenous communities. Pray for Esteban Galeano &
others who, with Chris Hawksbee's encouragement, endeavour to use their land
wisely & productively for the good of the community.
3. Give thanks for the life & witness of Simon Caballero, a longstanding
pastoral assistant in Dos Palmas, El Estribo, & pray for his family at this
time of bereavement. For Mario his son, who is one of the pastors in the El
Estribo community & a member of the Diocesan Executive. Praise God that
Beryl Baker was able to attend & care for Simon until he died.
4. Tonight the bilingual Alpha course takes place in San Andres cathedral. Give
thanks that this unites the 3 congregations in the centre of Asuncion & pray
for the leaders & those who organize the catering. Give thanks for the
encouragement of the Alpha course last year & pray for the witness of each
one involved.
5. Pray for the nation of Paraguay in the run up to the Presidential Elections
on April 20th. There are 4 candidates, including an ex-General who was recently
released from imprisonment for orchestrating a coup a few years ago. There are
many concerns as to whether there will be a fair democratic procedure.
6. Pray for the services in Concepcion today ( there is now a 5 hour time
difference) & for bishop Andres, pastor Guillermo & the lay leaders. For
the children's ministry in the morning & afternoon led by Claire & her
team, and for the young people, led by Javier & Mirian, in the evening
service.
7. Pray for the health of little Romina, who has undergone a further operation
& for the many other children in Concepcion who have been left in the care
of relatives by parents working abroad in Spain. Give thanks for the regular
children's clubs in the church which provide stability & teach them
spiritually.
8. Give thanks for the St Andrew's School camps & working trips to the Chaco
& Concepcion. Pray that the impact of these visits will help students to
truly understand the reality & poverty of other parts of their nation. Give
thanks for a full complement of teaching staff this term & pray for God's
overruling & provision of staff for the latter part of the year.
9. Pray for pastor Tony & Chris Somervell as they continue on sick leave in
the UK & for Alex, Patrick & Ceci as they stay with friends &
continue their studies in Asuncion. Pray for the congregation in Villa Guarani
& for theological student Donald, together with Coto Martinez as they cover
the services there. For growth & spiritual maturity amongst the church
members.
10. Pray for a significant response by the SAMS "family" in the search
for a successor to temporary Director Bill Lattimer. Pray for the person of
God's choice to come forward & take on this exciting & challenging role
in guiding & moving forward support for the church in South America at a
time of considerable change. Pray also for good contacts & discernment
between the directors of SAMS International.
11. Pray for the preparations for Mission Paraguay later in the year & for
David & Jean Orritt as they lead briefings for the volunteers later this
month. There are still a few places free for the team working amongst children
in Luque & San Lorenzo on the outskirts of Asuncion, as from July 9th. Pray
for the right people to accompany that ministry & for all fundraising
efforts.
12. Give thanks for volunteers, like Ruth Pitman who have accompanied Beryl
Baker in her medical ministry in the Chaco & pray that there will be a
continued support during the year. Pray for strength, safety & a clear
Christian witness for Beryl & the indigenous health auxiliaries in their
arduous work in difficult conditions.
13. Pray for Tim Curtis as he prepares to return on Tuesday 15th to his ministry
in the Chaco. Give thanks for wonderful support received from churches in the UK
& pray for peace as he travels. For the Bible translators, Martin, Asuncion
& Juan & their families as they eagerly await Tim's arrival.
14. Pray for the plans for the EJE weekend in June & for Patrick & Rosie
as they support & encourage the coordinating team. Give thanks for the
opportunity of a time of retreat for the team this month & pray for the
deepening of their spiritual commitment. Give thanks & pray for the young
people contacted through EJE who are now participating & leading in the San
Andres evening congregation.
15. Pray for pastor Luis as he continues his 2nd year at the Theological Faculty
in Asuncion, alongside his ministry in Zeballos Cue. Pray for the lay leaders as
they accompany him & for the growing maturity & unity amongst the
congregation. For all the leaders of the PEPE Pre-school, the Comedor for
children & the weekly home groups.
16. Pray for more Sunday School teachers in the Chaco congregations as several
teachers are absent from the villages looking for work in nearby ranches. This
is a constant problem for lay leaders when there are few sources of income in
the communities. Pray for wisdom for Ed & Mari Brice as they consider how to
reorganize the teaching programme for the children.
17. Pray also for more trained state school teachers for the higher levels in
the new school in San Carlos, El Estribo & for sufficient teachers for the
newly built school in Palo Blanco, Sombrero Piri. For the pastors in each of the
indigenous communities, giving thanks for the way they have resisted the offers
of jobs in secular work. Pray for each of their families.
18. Pray for Sra. Estela & the staff at FEISA, giving thanks for a good
start to the academic year & remembering especially the students taking the
new degree course. Pray also for the team who prepare the training programme for
mothers in the Chaco community of Yatnata & for the women attending.
19. Pray for the Nominating Committee as they continue the process to elect a
new Diocesan bishop in Paraguay& for strength & wisdom for auxiliary
bishop Andres as he takes responsibility in the meantime. Remember bishop John
& Judie as they adjust to life in the UK, giving thanks for the provision of
a bungalow to rent in Whitchurch, Hamphire. For John as he is involved in
meetings to do with both the wider Anglican Communion & with SAMS.
20. Pray especially today for the Presidential Elections in Paraguay. For a
government to be formed which will courageously deal with the deep level of
corruption in the nation & truly develop the resources of the country for
the benefit of all the people.
21. Give thanks for the constant flow of people in St. Andrew's English speaking
congregation. Pray for the leadership team, the Sunday services, children's
ministry & Alpha course. For God's grace & wisdom for those who are
living away from their home culture.
22. Pray for wisdom & perseverance for those studying in the Paso a Paso lay
leaders' course on Wednesday evenings & for all home groups in the local
churches. Pray for a growing awareness of the need to read & understand
God's Word, & then to share it with others.
23. Pray for wisdom & discernment for the bishops of the Anglican Southern
Cone Province of South America as they are approached by orthodox bishops in
other parts of the Anglican Communion for oversight & support. Remember
Presiding bishop Greg Venables in his heavy work load both in the Argentine
diocese & in the Province.
24. Pray for pastor Cefe, Ana & the lay leaders in Roque Alonso & the
annexe churches in Remansito & Mirador. For vision & unity as they
evangelize the area around the churches & also reach out to Limpio &
Emboscada. For Adelio & Isabel as they care for the retreat centre in
formation in Emboscada. Pray that this may be steadily built up & become a
place of unity for the Asuncion Christians, especially those who are rarely able
to leave their own areas.
25. Give thanks that Rut Cabrera has continued her nursing training despite many
difficulties & pray for her as she spends a few weeks working in the private
Yalve Sanga Mennonite hospital in the Chaco. For God's guidance over her future
work or studies. Continue to pray for a state hospital to be provided for the
vast Chaco region
26. Give thanks for the wonderful work accomplished through the Annexe School in
Asuncion. Pray for Head Victor Santa Cruz & his staff & for the pupils
who come from the dangerous shanty town area. Give thanks for those who recently
became Christians & are now attending the San Andres congregation. Pray for
vision & strength for pastor Agustin, Teresa & the lay leaders & for
Sharon McCreerie in her pastoral & evangelistic contacts with pupils &
their families.
27. Pray for the leadership team in all the preparations for the EMA weekend
next month, especially in the absence of pastor Tony & Chris. Pray too for
God's protection & grace for all Christian couples in the local churches
& their witness to other families.
28. Pray for those continuing their theological studies - pastor Luis, Feliciano
& Donald in the Evangelical University & pastor Patrick doing further
studies with the Open Theological College via the Internet. For perseverance
& good concentration & a close daily walk with the Lord. For their
families.
29. Pray for pastor Jorge, Rebeca & the lay leaders in Luque & San
Lorenzo as they prepare for the arrival of the Mission Paraguay volunteers in
July. For wisdom over the purchase of the site in San Lorenzo to be developed
for the children's & young peoples' ministry. For pastor Jorge's
contribution as the Anglican representative in the Association of Evangelical
Churches in Paraguay.
30. Pray for the annexe congregations near to Concepcion. For the lay leaders
& for pastor Guillermo & bishop Andres as they visit them. For Claire
Holmes & her team in their wide ministry amongst children each week both in
& around Concepcion & for Saul & Norma as they look after the
indigenous hostel in the city. For outreach to young people through "El
Puente" coffee bar ministry.