They are associate mission partners with CMS (SAMS)

After serving God in both Paraguay & Northern Argentina, they are now based in Asuncion, the capital of Paraguay. Chris is involved in advising on rural development & encouraging the local Anglican Ameri-Indian congregations. Alison is teaching science & Bible at the Asuncion Christian Academy.

Family

Chris grew up in the Paraguayan Chaco where his parents were missionaries.

Alison grew up in Exeter & became a Christian through Contact at St Leonard's.

Their older son, Samuel, a civil engineer, is now studying for a PhD in Sheffield.

Hannah is working as an administrator at All Souls Church in London.

Their youngest, Benjamin, is doing International Business studies at university in the USA.

Chris & Alison spent 2 months in the UK last year & returned to Paraguay feeling refreshed. Alison's Father died in September 2011-she was able to return to the UK for his funeral.

Praise God that they were all able to be together for a few days over Christmas  & for a trip to Northern Argentina .Pray for Alison  and her family as they mourn the loss of her Father. Also for her work teaching  at Asuncion Christian Academy ,& studies for her Open University degree. Now all the children have left home pray for her on her own when Chris is away in the week with the Indian communities .

Work

In Asuncion Chris & Alison preach regularly at their local church, Zeballos Cue. 

The church is building a second storey on their church hall to make room for their youth work. It is going well but there is a shortage of cement in Paraguay.

Pray they will soon be able to complete it. 

Chris's main work is among five Indian communities in the Chaco advising & supporting pastors & community leaders. He travels each week from Asuncion to the Rio Verde Anglican Centre - a multi-purpose centre for holistic mission - where he assists in Bible teaching, when pastors & pastoral assistants come for courses.

Chris is skilled in agriculture & development, so he provides technical advice & training in subsistence level farming & cash cropping, so these Christians can support themselves & help their communities.

Chris helps the local people to analyse, evaluate & prioritize their needs, & then write up their own projects for the government, NGOs & international aid donors. Two communities have recently presented cattle projects to the Ministry of Agriculture for funding.

Pray they will get a favourable response. 

 Two communities have been provided with beehives. Some have already been loaded with wild swarms. The project is going well. Chris has also helped some of the unpaid pastors who have done training courses with him to have a few beehives each. One of them has also built himself a hive out of adobes & it is functioning well.

Pray  they will be conscientious in managing their hives & so be able to help support their families through the sale of honey.

Chris has trained Estaban Galeano as an extension worker.  He lives in one of the communities & works in agriculture, beekeeping, water supply & making adobe (sun-dried) bricks for house building. He has been employed by another NGO to train people in adobe making in another of the communities Chris visits. When in the UK Chris asked for prayer for a cattle project in the Village of Santa Fe. The funding has been provided  and the work is  progressing quickly.  The managing of this project by the Community organization is  under the leadership of Esteban Galeano which is going very well.

Chris has  been encouraging the farmers to grow moringa trees as their leaves provide a nutritious food supplement. Chris is also advising another NGO, Coopi, which is working on setting up a processing centre for moringa products, on technical details & costings .

Give thanks for answered prayer for funding .
Please pray for trials of Millettie Pinnata trees for bio-fuel on Esteban's plot, good rains after the frosts and for some new plantations.

Chris is considering taking his ideas into Northern Argentina, where he previously worked.

Pray for guidance about this.

 Link person is Alison Head