Dear friends,

“What do we do if the church doesn’t provide food or accommodation for the people who come for the course?” With three days to go before the training course in Misión La Paz, David was ringing to talk about contingencies.

This was a new venture, one we hope will be a model for training in the future. A model that will have a better chance of surviving in the absence of missionaries and their funds. For it to work, however, responsibility for accommodation and food must be taken by the local church. We decided what we would do if that didn’t happen but we needn’t have worried; when it came to it, the generous hospitality of the church and community was overwhelming! Not only were we served the standard fare, rice or pasta and meat, but every day, we were regaled with fresh fish

caught in the Pilcomayo River and roasted over the embers. The team organising the meals served with remarkable good humour and joy.

The majority of the participants came from Misión La Paz. Relations with the rest of the diocese had been strained until recently, but here was a clear sign of the reconciliation which God was working out. The churches in the Pacará zone (Pacará, San Benito and Lapacho 2), near Tartagal sent a delegation of four. They made the journey on motorbikes (a four-hour journey). At least one of the motorbikes suffered a serious problem and the journey was not without cost. Such was the enthusiasm of the

ED AND MARIE BRICE LINK LETTER NO.12 | SEPTEMBER 2016

Hello from Northern Argentina!

CHURCHMISSIONSOCIETY.ORG/BRICE

Name: Ed and Marie Brice

Location: Tartagal, Northern Argentina

Our role: Ed trains local Christians to walkwith Jesus, helping them discover anddevelop the gifts they have and assumeresponsibility with others. Marie has a heart to share Jesus through 1-1 contact, helping them grow and flourish in their faith.

Our call: Ed feels called by God to ongoinginvolvement in overseas mission. Marie has a passion for children and teaching.

Top and above: Meals were served with good humour and joy

CHURCHMISSIONSOCIETY.ORG/BARTLETT

participants that, before the end of the course, a petition was sent round for people to sign, requesting the diocese to provide regular training in Salta Province. Up until now, all the training in recent years has been done in Ing. Juárez, in Formosa Province.

As well as David, Chris and Ed, Victor – for the church in Tartagal – came to share his personal experience of coming to faith in Jesus Christ after having been a Jehovah’s Witness. It was a very powerful story which had a deep impact on many people. The Jehovah’s Witnesses have made inroads into a number of Indian communities within the area. Auxiliary bishops Mateo and Urbano and Pastor Isidro also joined us in Misión La Paz. On the Sunday the two bishops each took a confirmation services, one with Bishop Urbano in St Luke’s church and the other with Bishop Mateo in St Stephen’s church, in the

neighbouring community of ‘27 de diciembre’. In total 16 people were confirmed and a number of others commissioned to ministries in the local church.

We couldn’t really have wished for a more encouraging beginning; please pray now for wisdom for the next step.

Our landlord is also our neighbour as he owns both the houses and the large plot of land. When he first moved in he spent a lot of money converting a building used as a store room into a “quincho” (a place designed for cooking and eating a traditional Argentina “asado” or barbecue). He probably uses it a couple of times a month to entertain friends and said that we could use it whenever we wanted.

We decided to take him up on his offer with The Marriage Course party we were running. Invitations were sent out to 15 couples which included the two couples who had completed the Marriage Course and the two who had started but hadn’t finished. When we checked the tables and other facilities in the quincho, we calculated that there was enough room for about 12 couples! At the same time we really wondered just how many of those invited would come.

“When it came to it, the generous hospitality of the church and community was overwhelming! Not only were we served the standard fare but every day, we were regaled with fresh fish caught in the Pilcomayo River.The team organising the meals served with remarkable good humour and joy.”

Top left: Confirmation with Bishop Urbano, and pastors Julian and Isidro in St Luke’s church

Top right: Happy families in Paraguay

ED AND MARIE BRICE LINK LETTER NO.12 | SEPTEMBER 2016

In the end, we were five new couples plus the two couples who had finished the course and ourselves. The couples who had completed the course shared how it had helped them. To our delight, all the new couples signed up for the next course, due to start this month. However, we are very sorry that Enzo and Gisel didn’t come; they have been going through a difficult time with debt problems and are in danger of slipping off the radar.

We have, however, seen some encouragement in church attendance since our July letter. Guillermo and Gladys now come fairly regularly and they have also signed up for The Marriage Course. Viviana and Claudia seem to be really committed to the family services, which is a great encouragement to be able to count on their contribution.

Finally our trip to Paraguay in the second week of July. The connections from one bus to another were not quite as published, but it didn’t present any problem either on the way there or the way back. Since our last trip, two years ago, Neill and Deysi have a car and

have moved into a new house. They came to meet us at the border. On the drive back to their house we could see all the road improvements being done to deal with Asunción’s traffic problem. The two little boys were rather shy on the journey but before long we re-established friendly relations.

We were so glad to see Deysi’s Dad who, earlier this year, had been diagnosed with lung cancer. He was in very good spirits and had just started his chemo and was still experiencing the positive results of the radiotherapy on secondary tumors in his arm. He lives with his mother and they both share a strong faith in Jesus. Neill and Deysi drove us up to the town where Javier and Melody live and it was so good to be able to relax and share together with the grandchildren. Javi proudly showed us the foundations of the house they are building, little by little, with the income from bread and secondhand clothing sales. The present house they have is on loan, and need to finish the new one sooner rather than later.

With love in the Lord,

Ed and Marie

You can give online to Ed and Marie at: churchmissionsociety.org/brice

Contact details: ed.g.brice@gmail.com

WE WOULD LOVE YOU TO PRAY FOR US

Please take time to pray for us as we continue to put our call into action

Praise the Lord for safe travel and a happy time in Paraguay and for Deysi’s Dad’s improvement; the generous hospitality of the people in Misión La Paz and the good attendance on the course; for the Marriage Course party, the excellent attendance, facilities and good response, and for those who have started coming to church.

Please pray for the next steps in ministry training, in Salta Province; wisdom, boldness and a new syllabus.

Pray for the new Marriage Course and giving follow up to those who did the first one.

Pray for the family services and the integration of new contacts, especially Enzo and Gisel.

Left: Deysi and Neill