Keep up with the latest news from our Link Missionaries here:

Click on the person who you would like to know about and you'll be taken to the latest information we have from them. Obviously as the communications between these countries and our is sometimes a little less than reliable, the information may look to be a bit old.

Tony & Chris Somervell and family in Paraguay

Richard, Bianca and Myles Reeve in Mozambique

Rev. Tony and Chris Somervell, Alex, Patrick and Ceci
Postal address:
Casilla 1124, ASUNCION, Paraguay, S. America
Phone / Fax: 00595-21-607-928
website: www.anglicanos.net
e.mail: somervell@anglicanos.net

Current Status (2002)
1. Mission Partners with the South American Mission Society (SAMS)
2. Pastoring Cristo Salvador church (small, but growing steadily) in a residential suburb
3. After consolidating the core these recent years, they seek to disciple people more (often one to one, or couples) and develop a leadership team, hampered by demands set on professionals with heavy work and family ties
4. They run fortnightly Bible Studies for some in the church and lead a Parents’ Support Group at the Anglican foundation Colegio San Andres
5. Tony and Chris coordinate the Marriage Encounter ministry that has been very fruitful in other South American countries. Over 150 couples have now attended the weekends (twice a year) and a small percentage have joined the church as a result
6. Tony has pioneered a Spanish website since 1998 beyond parish and diocesan level, as a mission and ministry to the Hispanic world, reaching over 250 people weekly with a “seedthought” via e.mail. Other material on the site explains the Anglican way in a seeker friendly manner, refuting for example the common theory that Henry VIII ‘founded’ the Anglican church!

Prayer Pointers
Give thanks for the slow but sure growth in the congregation, Marriage Encounter and website work and for God’s sustaining over the years. Please pray on...

1. For new vision and faith to inspire the congregation to grow as individuals, families and as a community. For Feliciano (lay leader) and Oscar and Lida helping lead services. That we ‘make disciples’ who will in turn make more!
2. For strength and protection coordinating the Marriage Encounter (next w/e 19-21 April); for wisdom and perseverance in the follow up; that couples join Cristo Salvador as a result
3. For good health for all the family, and stamina during the heat
4. For the our friendships with school parents to develop and opportunities for sharing faith to grow.
5. For the website to develop, reaching out especially to seekers; for other dioceses to catch the vision and people to contribute their own material. For sufficient funds to maintain the site.
 

Back to Top

Richard, Bianca & Myles Reeve

 Mozambique

Web link: http://www.crosslinks.org.uk/who/people/mp_reeve.htm

Dear friends,

Richard writes:
Greetings from Mozambique.
Our final preparations in the UK went well. We also thoroughly enjoyed a weekend away with my side of the family. It was sad though important to be able to say our goodbyes.
We were able to see an allergies consultant and a nutritionist regarding Myles' milk protein allergy (to casein) and related eczema. His food intake
is still limited accordingly, but the skin on his face is about 98% better than it has been, and we now understand a bit more about how to handle the
situation.
Our time in Portugal was valuable, my Portuguese language still needs a lot of work but I'm getting-by with my three closest colleagues, two of whom can only speak Portuguese with me.
Work at the Christian Council (of Mozambique - 'CCM') began the day after we arrived (July 18). A Canadian mission partner - who had been involved with work similar to mine - was due to leave, so I needed to liaise with him as quickly as possible. In week two I attended a United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) meeting, helping a Mozambican colleague report on the church's response to the famine situation in Mozambique. The WFP has identified 515,000 people in 43 districts of southern and central Mozambique who are at serious risk of starving to death due to a drought which has persisted since last December. CCM will use grain from Canada to meet some of the need here. I have also been meeting with CCM department heads to see how - through the use of posters and other print media - we can further their objectives of Evangelism, Justice and Reconciliation and Children's work.
It has been great to have funds available to get another computer for work in the CCM Communications Department, and we thank Crosslinks partner
churches for responding to that request.

Bianca writes:
Whilst we have been finding and preparing a house to move into (by August 28) we have been house sitting in the home of a family away in the UK. We still have so much to do on our place but we are happy - it has a garden at the back which we should enjoy, especially Myles. The house is also only 5 minutes walk from the new CCM offices. The office move is scheduled for Sept/Oct.
The first Monday after our arrival I was invited to lead prayers and a short Bible reflection for all the staff at the CCM offices (about 30 people). It
was exciting to be into things so soon but also daunting. I have made a number of visits to a 'girls centre' in a Bairro (district)
called Liberdade, 20 minutes drive from Maputo centre. There are 28 girls living at the centre who have come from a variety of backgrounds. Some have - for one reason or another - been living on the street, others have come straight from families who can no longer support them. At the centre they learn domestic skills, embroidery, drawing and painting, and dance. I will be working two days a week leading Bible studies for the older girls.
Myles joined me on my first visits, he loved all the attention given to him as the only boy around. We do however need to arrange something long-term
for his care whilst I am working there and in other capacities. Myles seems to be enjoying everything and everyone he meets and that makes
us very happy. He is crawling everywhere at speed and has begun to find cupboards and drawers more interesting than the odd toys we have brought for him. We have started to think about the furniture we will NOT have in our house - to avoid conflict between Myles and his Mummy and Daddy!

We are very grateful to you for your prayerful support which sustains us and brings hope during the early struggles. Thank you.

With love

Richard, Bianca and Myles


Pointers for prayer:

Thanks...
- good send off and family time in UK
- help received re Myles' health
- language study time in Portugal
- computer funds
- help folk have given as we settle-in
- a home near work

For...
- effective world and church response to southern Africa's famine
- preparations for - and move into - house
- our security in home, whilst we are travelling and on street
- work: Richard's colleagues in communications are Zita, Fredrico and
Inacio; Bianca's colleagues are Pastor Marcos (Evangelism), Mamma Natalia
(Girls Centre) and Senhora Gilda (Work with women).
- safe daytime care solution for Myles
- Residency visas and 'dires' to continue working here (there is a mountain
of bureaucracy between them and us!)
 

Back to Top