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Andrew & Maria work with CMS (SAMS) in Salta, Northern Argentina, where his father and grandfather were missionaries among the Indian peoples.
Andrew is setting up a new conservation initiative LAND FOR LIFE in the Chaco, (South America´s second largest ecoregion after Amazonia), where there are many churches of different denominations existing in a context of severe poverty because of deforestation & neglect of the land.
He also acts as a consultant for Compassion International, assessing the impact of their work with sponsored children in S America & beyond.
Ten years ago Andrew helped set up ASOCIANA, the Anglican social programme serving the indigenous people, especially in issues of land rights and deforestation. He has done research & writing for them, & used his skill as a pilot to fly over the Chaco, monitoring & filming the advancing deforestation. Recently he resigned from their board because there are good new members from the local people to take over. He will continue to provide technical assistance to the team.
During 2010 there was less deforestation because of the 2009 ruling of the Supreme Court. Unfortunately the government is now re-classifying land so that it can be deforested & exploited despite the former ruling. This has led Andrew to embark on a new initiative - LAND FOR LIFE - which aims to acquire land for conservation to avoid the disastrous social & economic consequences of deforestation. Andrew & his colleagues are setting up the conservation project independently of ASOCIANA, but they will work together. They have established a land trust, known as Fundacion Refugio, through which they will be conducting their future work in Argentina.
Latest prayer requests
Give thanks that Fundacion Refugio is now registered with the government as a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) so it can receive funding. Also that registration with the tax authorities has moved forward.
Pray for wisdom for Andrew as he assesses a possible piece of land for purchase,& that this can be completed quickly before the rainy season. For wisdom for the whole Land for Life team, and for the current owners of the land to be patient & flexible.
Andrew also acts as a consultant for Compassion International, assessing the impact of their work with sponsored children in other countries of S America & beyond. In Columbia he was very moved to talk with young people whose lives had been dramatically changed by the support they had received. In El Salvador he saw how CI helps children to grow up & avoid being involved with the violent struggles of the internaional gangs there.
Since July he has travelled to El Salvador,Bolivia, England,Ethiopia ,Sydney ,Singapore & Peru.His next trip may be to Cambodia in January.
Give thanks for good health & safety in travel;pray that this would continue.
Maria does translation for agencies like Compassion International & World Vision.
Pray for her as she balances running the house and family, especially whilst Andrew is away, and coping with translation work. Pray especially for her as she drives the girls in Salta where the traffic is very bad. She can do up to 100kms in a day!
Family
They have three children, Tomas (20), Cecilia (16) & Carolina (13).
Tomas is in his second year at Cordoba University studying aeronautical engineering & learning to fly. He is living in a flat this year.
Ceci & Carolina will be visiting the UK after Christmas to visit relatives & so that Ceci can gain some work experience in biological research at the University of Hertfordshire and explore the possibility of studying in the UK.
Pray for Tomas and his studies, that he may be able to manage his time wisely ,work hard even when he finds the teaching monotonous, & cope with the many exams.
Link person is Alison Head
Pray for the girls in their studies at school, for Cecilia as to whether she will study biology at university & if so where - UK or elsewhere, and for wise decisions regarding funding for this. Pray that the girls will have a safe and hassle free visit to the UK.
Pray for energy for Andrew & Maria in coping with family life as well as work .Praise God for a holiday in Costa Rica- their first without the children.
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