PRAYER CALENDAR    -  Iglesia Anglicana Paraguaya -   January 2007

                                Proverbs 9:10  “ The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”

1.      Pray that at the beginning of the New Year, we may seek God’s will as a diocese & be obedient & faithful in our relationship with him.  For all the pastors & lay leaders & their families.

2.      Pray for the 7 delegates from Paraguay who are attending the Youth leaders conference in Chile.  Pray that the 2 couples & 3 young people may make a commitment to this vital ministry & be challenged & encouraged by the teaching & fellowship.  For their safety & good health, & for the children who are being cared for by grandparents during their absence.

3.      Give thanks for the abundant rain which has fallen in the Chaco over the past few months & for the crops which are already giving a harvest. Pray for the indigenous communities as they learn to use their land wisely.  For strength & discernment to reject offers from those who would try & exploit them & cut down their woodlands.

4.      January is the summer holiday month in South America.  Pray for real refreshment & rest for bishops Andres & John, Estela & Judie. Continue to pray for God’s direction over the appointment of the next diocesan bishop & for vision & strength for the members of the Nominating Committee. For good communication with church leaders & Mission Partners.

5.       Pray for the Diocesan office staff – Teodosio & Osvaldo on holiday, & for Lina & Zuny at work. For God’s protection over them & the whole of the centre site in Asuncion.  The diocesan office, San Andres church, indigenous hostel, pastoral house & the St. Andrew’s Chapel.  Give thanks to God for the generosity of Christians in the UK which has made it possible to repair & improve this strategic area.

6.      Pray for pastor Agustin & Teresa & the San Andres congregation.  For wisdom over the development of the ministry amongst underprivileged children this year & the building up of a larger team to lead it. Give thanks for the changes seen in the children & pray for the contact with their mothers.

7.      During this month, when the majority of people are away,  there is a coming together in San Andres church of the 3 services which usually take place on Sunday – St. Andrew’s, & the San Andres morning and evening congregations.  Pray for those who will be leading & for a special blessing for those unable to leave the city at this time.

8.      Pray for Stephen & Eileen Trew who head up the St. Andrew’s pastoral leadership team, as they take a holiday break.  Continue to pray for Eileen’s mother in Ireland, as she awaits news of a liver transplant.  For peace & strength for the Trews as they seek God’s guidance over their departure from Paraguay to be alongside Eileen’s parents.

9.      Pray for SAMS Mission Partners taking part in the Dalesdown Staff Conference 9-11 Jan.  For God’s wisdom in their participation  & discernment in the evaluation process underway. For a special blessing for all the children present.

10.  Pray for God’s protection over the Anglican Centre in Rio Verde, Chaco & for Genaro & his wife & family as they return there from their holiday leave.   Genaro believes it might be right for them to return to their community in El Estribo, so pray for wisdom over that decision & for another family to look after the Centre this year.

11.  We continue to give thanks for the amazing recovery made by Gloria Morel,  (a teacher from St. Andrew’s School who received 60% burns in the supermarket fire several years ago), & rejoice with her in her marriage on 27^th December. Pray for her as she starts a new life in the Mennonite Chaco town of Filadelfia.

12.  Pray for a full complement of teaching staff, both English & Paraguayan, for St. Andrew’s & the Annexe Schools this year. For strength for Gwen Carlisle & Mags Southern on home ministry leave in the UK & for the other members of the Senior Management Team. For sufficient rest & relaxation before the start of term in February.

13.  Pray for the good working through of plans & alterations to buildings in Zeballos Cue, in order to start a small kindergarten through the PEPE scheme, which has proved so valuable in Latin America.   For Gloria & her team & for Chris Hawksbee & Teo Rivas as they work on practical details.

14.  Give thanks for Beryl’s long term medical ministry in the Chaco & pray for God’s strength for her during these very hot & humid summer months. Give thanks for successful eye surgery last year & improved vision.  For safety in travel.

15.  Pray for Raquel Greco as she prepares to travel to Chile to study at the Anglican Theological Seminary in Santiago.  Pray also for God to raise up others to be part of the leadership group in the San Andres evening congregation. Raquel is a key member of that group.  Give thanks for Donald’s participation & pray for him & Caroline & for his theological studies.  For ongoing financial support for Donald & Raquel.

16.  State medical services are substantially reduced this month. Pray for good health & protection for the indigenous communities & marginalized people in urban areas.

17.  Pray for Mission Partners as they visit churches in the UK & Ireland. For good preparation time, safety in travel & good communication in their link churches. For quality time with their families.

18.  Pray for the Villa Guarani congregation & pastor Tony & Chris. For the steady integration of families into the life of the church.  Pray for wisdom for them & others in the development of the EMA programme this year.

19.  Continue to pray for the Bible translators & their families on holiday in their respective Chaco villages.  Pray too for Tim Curtis that he may get adequate rest & relaxation before work resumes in February.  Give thanks for the steady advance in the translation process.

20.  Pray for the next stage in the electrification process in the Lower Chaco area. This has been held up by the heavy rains at the end of last year.  For Teo Rivas as he negotiates the future installation of cables into the Anglican Centre in Rio Verde & for understanding & wisdom for the indigenous leaders with all that electrification implies for their communities.

21.  Pray for continuing contacts by bishop Andres & other leaders with the congregations in Rio Verde & Nueva Mestre. For the building up of relationships between Paraguayan & Indian Christians in these areas.

22.  Pray for ongoing preparations, both here & overseas, for the visits of volunteers during July & August this year.  For meetings today in the Diocesan office preparing budgets for the different projects.   For good communication between Paraguay & the church in other places as we plan ahead.   Pray for David Orritt as he coordinates these different initiatives with us.

23.  Pray for the ministry within the city of Concepción & the annexe churches around it.   For pastor Guillermo’s pastoral & teaching visits to San Juan & Yvypobo & for those who are studying God’s Word, that leaders will emerge in these areas.  For perseverance & strength for the lay leaders in Tacuati & the small groups of believers along the Chaco Road. 

24.  Pray for Bishop Andres as he gives oversight in Concepcion alongside his ministry in the Chaco communities, and in his role as Chairman of the Nominating Committee.  For wisdom & discernment & strength for him & for Estela & the family at this time of transition in the diocese.

25.  Pray for pastor Cefe & Ana as they return from their summer break.  For renewed vision & guidance for them & the lay leaders involved in ministry in Roque Alonso, Remansito & Mirador.

26.  Give thanks for the emerging Anglican Centre in Emboscada & for all the hard work done so far, both by the volunteers last July & Paraguayan Christians here.  Pray for perseverance & God’s provision so that work can continue this year & for wisdom over outreach in the area. For protection for Adelio & Isabel as they live on the site & especially for Isabel’s health.  For the service there on Sunday 28^th with the Zeballos Cue congregation   .

27.  Pray for Teo & Lidia & their team in the Luque congregation as the ministry amongst children & adolescents in San Lorenzo recommences.  For pastor Jorge & Rebeca and for Sara Gonzalez & the family as they continue to adjust to the loss of Samuel.  Give thanks for their testimony to God’s strength in their lives over the past months.

28.  Pray for Bishop John & Ed Brice as they prepare for the Bible School in Rio Verde tomorrow & for the Chaco pastors & leaders as they travel to it.  For tranquillity, without interruptions, so that everyone may be able to really concentrate on God’s Word & it’s relevance to their ministry & daily life.

29.  Pray for all the preparations for the World Day of Prayer service on March 2^nd, which comes this year from Paraguay, with the title “United under God’s tent” or in Spanish “United under God’s (Manto)cloak”, as the translation of “tent” varies in South America, both in word and meaning! For the launching & information meeting on February 9^th.

30.  Pray for an English couple from York, Dan & Rachael, who are having their marriage service in St. Andrew’s chapel this Thursday 1^st February.  Pray too for God’s protection on Christian marriages, that there may be a strong testimony from Christians worldwide to God’s purposes for men & women.

31.  Pray for the staff at St. Andrew’s School as they begin to return from the summer break for the start of the academic year.  For God’s overruling of the staffing needs for this year, especially for the English departments, which are stretched to the limits!  For good health for each one.