Good cheer! ‘God’s word has taken root in so many parts of Bolivia. On a visit to a particularly difficult area of La Paz I was blessed to find a large theatre filled to capacity and overflowing onto the street nearby with Bolivian Christians praying and praising God. We‘ve encountered many effective forms of evangelism on our travels and fruit borne in the lives of many people here.’

News like this, fresh from members in Latin America has come across so positively in the last month, in sharp contrast to the world news. Prayer Guide this month is full of things to pray for.

1 A month's Bible School is planned for November in the newly formed presbytery of Vilcabamba in Peru. Margaret Saunderson and Nat Davies are among those teaching during the first fortnight. Pray that the event will bring much benefit and encouragement to this isolated area, which is also very poor. Please pray for safe travel.

9 ‘The ladies from El Capricho came to see me this morning, as enthusiastic as ever,’ writes John Hart from Ecuador. ‘ “Juanito, when can you come to San Ramón with us, the people are begging for help and some of them really want to be Christians; if you don´t come soon we shall have to walk in when the rains start, and it will be a six hour walk in mud.” I set a provisional date for the 9th November, when we should be able to get there using our four-wheel drive pick-up!’

12 Donated wheelchairs from the USA via Joni and Friends' ministry ‘Wheels for the World’, have arrived in Peru – 80 rolling south to Arequipa. The Christian and Missionary Alliance church – which Latin Link’s Ruth and Rosemary attend – will receive 12 of them for distribution among their contacts. A special afternoon programme will be held on Monday 12th. Pray for this time of personal evangelism with recipients and their families, and the actual hand-over of the wheelchairs, walkers and crutches. Ruth and Rosemary will be leading the programme and translating for the team of four from the USA. ‘For the present situation, this is a real praise point!’ writes Ruth Green.

15 Two teenagers from Jan Greenwood’s group gave their lives to Christ at a special evangelistic service in September. Please pray for Carlos and Luana to grow in their new faith, as they join a newcomers group which will lead to preparation for baptism.

• Please pray also for Phil Greenwood as he develops his new advisory role as part of a small team which supports and advises the national executive of the student movement ABU.

18 Three children. Emperatríz, aged 14, and her younger brothers, John and Miguel especially need our prayers. They have been taken in by the Rainbow Home at Huaraz, Peru. María Jesús tells how they know nothing of giving or receiving love, because of what they have suffered both physic-ally and emotionally from their parents. She asks prayer too for spiritual freedom for the parents, involved with satanism and the occult.

• Pray also for Strider Emma Simpson, who has just arrived and is adjusting to the needs of the children

21 ‘Pray for the seminary students, please,’ asks Manuel Reano. ‘November is the month when our students graduate. For many of them this is a time of real stress as well as a time of sadness, having to leave the campus and Medellín, after four years. It’s also a time of uncertainty, as some of them don’t yet have a definite position to go to.’

24 Latest TOPIC. Please pray for Stuart Aitken who has been invited to attend the ‘TOPIC’ conference in Quito, Ecuador, this month. It is for all those involved in theological education in the Andean countries and up to 600 people are expected. ‘This should be a really good opportunity to see what is going on in the continent, not just in Ecuador.’ Stuart writes. It’s particularly relevant to the development of his ministry.

28 Classes have started again in Monte de los Olivos Quichua church, with about ten students of very varied abilities: ‘Many of the Quichua adults have not had education past junior school, and some have had less than that; but the young people coming up have opportunities to go much further, some of them no doubt will be the future leaders of their churches. I am preparing to teach classes on 1 Peter, and on “The Church” for a national pastor, Hugo, to teach.’ Tim Pawson, Ecuador.

30 Series of setbacks. Please pray for Marcelo and Silvana Vargas and family. Marcelo leads the Latin Link Team in Bolivia. They have experienced several discouragements lately. Please pray for God’s hand in their situation and his guidance to make everything come right.

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2-3 John Barnett asks us to pray for a Congress for Sunday school teachers for the whole of the south of Brazil, to be held in Curitiba, Paraná. Brenda Parkins is coming from Peru to look at the possibility of adapting the Brazilian materials for Peru. Pray for John and Ann who are organising it and heading up a team of 12 speakers.

3 Mission event at Dun Laoghaire Evangelical Church, Dublin, the sending church of Verna Langrell, who started mission training in Brazil earlier this year. Pray that the planned live phone-link with her will work! Latin Link’s Glenn and Winifred Every-Clayton from Brazil will be the speakers, and Britain and Ireland Team Leader Alan Tower will also be there. Ireland Co-ordinators David and Hilary Morrell ask for prayer as they get to know the church better and develop relationships in the south.

5-7 Reasons for Hope in the 21st Century, An Assembly of Evangelical Christian Leaders, takes place in Cardiff. Latin Link will be represented by Alan Tower, and Ray Miller and Claire Siddaway of Latin Partners. Pray for this opportunity to network with church leaders about Latin Link and Latin Partners.

9-11 Latin Link’s much heralded Latin passion conference takes place at Sunbury Court, west of London. Pray that all who attend – Latin Link members and supporters – will feel newly motivated and inspired to serve the Latin church – and enjoy themselves too!

9-17 Regional meetings of Misiones Mundiales Southern Cone. Paul and Wilma Davies will represent the Argentinian mission movement, as well as Latin Link. Pray for successful meetings and new models of co-operation between the republics.

29 Latin Partners bi-annual committee. ‘We have a whole list of different opportunities for working partnerships, and other ideas to discuss,’ explains Claire Siddaway. ‘So we need wisdom to make the most strategic contribution we can towards Latin mission.’

More ways to pray:

Prayer Guide, sent on request by post or email each month, is one of a number of Latin Link prayer resources:

• Latinfile is our regular publication, with news and stories from Latin America
• Members’ prayer letters – an insight into their work and country of service, as well as personal and family news – on request
• Prayer groups – join with others in praying for the work of Latin Link. Ask for your nearest group, or we can help you start your own
• Prayer cassettes, with recorded news and interviews, are produced bi-monthly to provide additional material for prayer groups
• Prayerline – call 020 7939 9018 any time, updated weekly
• 2001 Prayer Calendar features all current Latin Link members, with a brief description of their country, their team and their work. With pages dated 1 to 31 and prayer points for each day

For further details, please telephone or email us.