Prayer letter from the Browne family in Northern Argentina
Michael and Silvia Browne (with their sons Kevin and Chris) are working with the Toba Indians in the Chaco region to the north. They serve as CMS Associate Mission Partners, working in full-time missionary service, but without a monthly salary.
• Please give thanks for Michael's recent visit to Juárez, and contact with one of the translators, Hilario Tenaiquín.
On the Saturday afternoon, Michael was asked to preach at a confirmation service, where 12 young Tobas were confirmed.
Hilario gave to Michael his translation of Micah and 3 chapters of Ezra(!). He has also started doing Lamentations: a book they wanted to, as their neighbours the Pilagás have found it helped them to understand past sufferings. Michael didn't get to see José Manuel this time (due to ill health of one of his sons), but according to Hilario, José has done Hosea and Zechariah. This means that of the Minor Prophets, just Malachi and part of Amos are still unaccounted for.
Please pray for José and Hilario to find time to continue working on these translations, and for the checking of the Minor Prophet texts, which will take more time than the first draft translations that have just been done. Pray for good health for them and their families.
We will soon be moving into the area of literacy materials, looking to produce booklets of Bible stories for school children.
Give thanks for Rodrigo from Buenos Aires who recently ran two music workshops for the Tobas. Later in the year, Michael plans to give some Bible teaching on music.
• Pray for the presentation of audio recordings of the Gospels and Acts to the Pilagá Indians, to be held in Las Lomitas (Formosa Province) on 8th June. Pray also for Michael's meeting with Argentine Bible Society representatives, in order to talk about possibilities for printing the Minor Prophets in Toba.
• Pray for the Anglican Church of N Argentina - pray that God would raise up new leaders with vision and spiritual authority to take on the challenges of today's church. Pray for Assistant Bishop Nick Drayson and Catherine, currently visiting the UK.
• During 2011 there are several celebrations in different parts of the Diocese of Northern Argentina for the 100th anniversary of the arrival of the first Anglican missionaries. The Toba churches will have their celebration on 30th October.
• Continue to pray for Nano, building up confidence with a group of teenagers in La Unión estate through volleyball on Saturday afternoons, and for Nilda leading the children's ministry in a neighbouring estate called Juan Manuel de Rosas. Both are poor areas, with little or no Christian presence.
• Pray for our health and wellbeing as a family - for spiritual refreshment for us week by week, and protection from all the enemy's attacks. Give thanks that we continue to enjoy good health generally, especially that Michael's diabetes (latent type 1) is being controlled with diet and exercise. Pray for Silvia still with treatment for premature menopause.
• Please pray also for support for the ongoing work with the Tobas. During April and May, we only received £50.00, which has made Silvia look at producing craftwork for sale, while Michael is considering looking for opportunities to teach English part time.
• Further details of these stories, photos and other information can be found on our web site, as well as information about making donations towards this vital work. Look at
www.michaelandsilvia.com
Many thanks for all your support in prayer! God bless you!
With love in Jesus,
Michael, Silvia, Kevin and Chris
June 2011