Basque Country Prayer Points for June 2024

Sampie Brown on June 28, 2024

Prayer Points and verse for the month:

Prayers points:

  • The increase in home prices is continuing for both renters and buyers with no relief expected in the near term. They are saying it is due to several different factors. One of the largest of those is the lack of available housing. Others are the recent laws that were passed, apartments for tourists and for Donostia and its growing popularity.
    • Pray for people as they look for housing, the builders and leaders as they look for solutions
  • For the upcoming school year the trade schools (formación profesional), are seeing a significant increase in students registering. The number of employers who will support the program is also increasing. They are seeing this as beneficial as the labor market has shortages across several areas: factory mechanics, business admin and accounting, electricity and several other areas.
    • Praise that the trade school system is seeing an increase and for the collaboration with business to meet the needs. Pray for the students and teachers as they begin these programs.
  • The population in Basque Country with a university degree is the 4th highest percentage in all of Spain. Additionally the number of Basque Students that choose to continue studies in University is also 4th. This comes as Basque Students complete the exam for entering the university system at the beginning of June.
    • Praise for the high number of University Educated people living here and prayer for students as the look to make a decision about their education.
  • The European Parliament elections were held June 6-9. The results in Basque Country compared with 2019 saw PNV support drop and EH Bildu along with PSE-PP seeing an increase. For all of Spain, the PP party gained 9 seats and PSOE (PSE-PP)  dropped 1. Overall the PP party has a 2 seat advantage (22-20). The next largest party is VOX (far right) with 6 seats. The right wing parties did make some advancements, though not enough to have a majority.
    • Pray as these newly elected officials meet to form coalitions that will govern the EU for the upcoming 5 years.
  • Absenteeism is a growing concern for Basque businesses. Over the last ten years the number of days that workers are absent has doubled to be 22 days in 2023. Two listed causes were longer wait times to be seen by the health care system and mental health issues. The concerns for this increase are being voiced by business and political leaders.
    • Pray for workers, business and political leaders as they look for solutions on decreasing the number of days workers need to be absent.

The verse for the week:

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 

2 Corinthians‬ ‭4‬‬:‭18‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Basque Country Prayer Points for May 2024

Sampie Brown on June 2, 2024

Prayer Points and verse for the month:

Prayers points:

  • Recently pharmacies have agreed to help share the phone number to report sexual aggression with it being visibly posted. Additionally, people can ask for a small piece of paper that will have the number for them to call, report and ask for help.
    • Pray for those who are in these situations and for those answering the phones.
  • The global economy is having its effects on Gipuzkoa, with the first two months of the year seeing a large drop after a record setting year in 2023. Concerns exist with the other EU countries, the US and China.
    • Pray for a healthy global economy as the effects are felt by everyone.
  • With the results of the recent Basque election, the parties that are currently in control (PNV and PSE) have a list of several projects they’d like to complete. The top 5 are about the hospital system and transportation. Over the past several years larger projects have not made progress as expected.
    • Pray for the efforts of the government as they look to improve the lives of the citizens in Basque Country.
  • Identity Theft is on the rise in Basque Country. Over the last 5 years they have seen a ~73% increase. They are also seeing that 9 out of 10 attempts happen over the phone. People usually find out when they are attempting to sign up for a new service and have a large balance that needs to be paid.
    • Pray for those who are affected by identity fraud, the authorities as they look for the offenders, businesses working to reclaim the charges and those that are doing the taking of identities.
  • On June 6-9 elections will happen for the European Parliament. The last elections happened back in May 2019. A lot has changed since then. The parliament has 720 seats with representatives from the European block. Spain has one of the largest delegations with 61 seats.
    • Pray for people as they select representatives for the European Parliament and the decisions this governing board will make for all of Europe.

The verse for the week:

Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.

‭Psalms 42:11 NIV‬

Basque Country Prayer Points for April 2024

Sampie Brown on April 30, 2024

Prayer Points and verse for the month:

Prayers points:

  • Elections for Basque Country happened on April 21. Part of the coverage included an article stating that ~94% believe corruption was present in the political system. Part of this they felt was due to some old cases that have been re-opened for both socialist and populist parties. The results saw very little change from the previous 4 years. The majority party will still be a pact between PNV and PSOE, though EHBildu did gain 6 seats in the election.
    • Pray for the newly elected leaders as they look to make decisions that impact the people
    • *Note*: Last week Pedro Sánchez announced that he was evaluating his future leading the Spanish government due to an investigation of his wife. On Monday he announced that he was going to stay in office while the investigation was going on. This situation should also be held in prayer. 
  • On April 15 a new center was opened that has 10 spots to host children and young adults who are having problems within the family. Currently ~81% of the need are  female, with an average age of 14. This was created due to the increasing demand being seen with them needing a safe space due to violence or difficult situations in the home.
    • Pray for the leaders of the center, the family and children/young adults dealing with these difficult situations and the allocation of the limited spots currently available.
  • The Basque Country are the leaders in Spain for sports betting, betting on almost any sport: soccer, pelota, tennis, basketball, etc.. The average person is spending 25€/month/person. It was also reported that ~30% of men between the ages of 18 and 30 have placed a sports bet. Most people think they can control it, though some are unable and it causes quite a lot of problems in their lives.
    • Pray for those that have a gambling problem, the families that are impacted and organizations that attempt to help them stop.
  • Praise that wages in Basque Country are increasing and are showing to be the highest in Spain. On the other side though food costs are high and continue to be a large part of the budget for families.
    • Pray for families as they look to spend money wisely

The verse for the week:

The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.”

‭Zephaniah 3:17 NIV‬

Basque Country Prayer Points for March 2024

Sampie Brown on March 27, 2024

Prayer Points and verse for the week:

Prayers points:

  • Recently the Basque police visited the local schools to talk with students about the dangers of social media. They have seen a rise in Sexting, Grooming, Sextorison and cyberbullying.
    • Pray for the young people, parents, school staff, and government officials as they work to address this problem.
  • Farmers in the Gipuzkoa region have recently held protests in the streets due to laws being in place that do not allow them to make a livable wage and bureaucratic processes. These protests are happening in several other regions of Spain and greater Europe as farmers look to address these issues.
    • Pray for the farmers and political leaders as they look for solutions to address these problems.
  • Young adults trying to start life in Basque Country are finding it challenging with salaries not being high enough to live on their own. Most young people are having to live with their parents into their late 20s/early 30s due to wages required to be independent.
    • Pray for young people, their parents, businesses and the government as they explore options to help young people start life.
  • The Spanish Catholic Church has elected new leadership with Luis Argüello being president and José Cobo being the vice president. They will face many challenges in the upcoming 4 years of their term with the number of priests reaching retirement age, the abuse scandals and the continued secularization of Spain.
    • Pray for these church leaders as they look to guide the Catholic church over the upcoming term.
  • Basque elections will be happening at the end of April and 25 seats in the congress will be elected, which could result in a change in the controlling party.
    • Pray for the political candidates and citizens as they prepare to vote in the upcoming elections.
  • Spain has chosen to continue with the budget from 2023 and not make updates for 2024. They will work to make changes for the 2025 budget. One reason for continuing with the 2023 budget is because it took quite some time to elect new leadership after the summer elections.
    • Pray for political & government department leaders as they work through having the same budget as the previous year when changes may have been expected.

The verse for the week:

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. 

‭Romans 1:16 NIV‬

Basque Country Prayer Points for Week of January 22, 2024

Sampie Brown on January 28, 2024

Prayers points:

  • The number of healthcare workers in the Basque system who requested mental health assistance has almost doubled compared to what was seen in 2019. The treatment is for anxiety, depression and for burn out. The increase in requests are also being seen across other communities in Spain.
    • Pray for the mental health of healthcare workers.
  • Suicide continues to be one of the leading cause of death for all ages and for youth it is currently near the top. This has raised concerns and they are working to understand them while looking to provide solutions for the causes identified. It is also being seen across the world as an issue. One solution for Basque Country has been to provide training in primary schools (US elementary school), talking with health care professionals on how to see at-risk people and have a special number for people to call for help.
    • Pray for those who are contemplating suicide, their families and leaders as they look for ways to address the situation.
  • The results for a EU wide evaluation exam of the education system showed that Basque Country had a significant drop in scores across language, reading and science. In Math, Basque country, even with the fall, was still above the rest of Spain & EU countries. However in reading and science they were below the averages.
    • Pray for the educators, students and leaders as they investigate the drop in test scores and look to improve them for the future.
  • Since 1975 the King of Spain has delivered a message on Christmas Eve at 9pm. For 2023 King Felipe VI started talking about the different problems in Spain. The focus then shifted to 45 years of the constitution for Spain, what it provides and how it needs to be protected, as well as the importance of unity in Spain as it looks to move forward in the future.
    • Pray for the future of Spain and all the different regions that make up the country.
  • Inflation is currently at 3.4% in Basque Country and is expected to continue to be high in 2024. The cost of food for the Christmas meals was higher than last year, as a result some families moved to other non-traditional foods for the meal. People are continuing to make changes to their regular purchases to get the most of the money they have.
    • Pray for the population as they look to spend the money they have wisely
  • Basque Country will be having elections sometime before August 11, 2024, with them likely happening sometime in April. The parties have started to circulate candidates for the open positions. At the national level Sánchez and the PSOE party continue to face opposition from the PP party due to the amnesty agreement.
    • Pray for the upcoming Basque Country elections and that the national politicians would work together.
  • Statistics about pornography were recently reported with ~63% of young people (13-17) have seen it for anywhere between 300-400 hours. Boys are more likely to consume ~82% compared to girls at ~40%. The government has attempted to put a verification system in place, though it does not seem to be working. The Basque school system currently has sex education in 5th/6th grade, though is thinking of moving it back to be in 3rd/4th.
    • Pray for leaders as they look for solutions and young people to not be drawn to this form of media.
  • Pope Frances is nearing the completion of his 11th year. Recently he stated that priests are permitted to bless same sex marriages or those who were divorced previously and remarrying. This is also after his announcement about baptisms for trans-sexual and babies of some sex couples.
    • Pray for the catholic church and the impacts of these decisions.

The verse for the week:

Sow righteousness for yourselves, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord, until he comes and showers his righteousness on you.

‭Hosea‬ ‭10:12‬ ‭NIV‬

Basque Country Prayer Points for Week of November 27, 2023

Sampie Brown on December 3, 2023

Prayer Points and verse for the week:

Prayers points:

  • Recently the Spanish government reduced the hours for a work week from 40 to 37.5. Employees will still be paid for the 40 hours, though employers will have 2.5 less hours of their time. Spain already had a lower productivity rate than the rest of Europe, so greater concern now exists with the reduction in the work week hours.
    • Pray for employers and employees as they adjust to the new work week changes.
  • The sexual abuse that happened in the Spanish Catholic church continues to be discussed. Some of the current points under discussion are the number of victims, the damage it caused and justice for what has happened.
    • Pray for those leaders, counselors, perpetrators, victims and their families as they search for answers and healing.
  • Pedro Sánchez has been re-elected as the leader of the Spanish government. This happened through an agreement to grant amnesty to Carles Puigdemont and others that were part of the Catalan separatist movement. This has caused quite a bit of concern in the political parties and with the citizens.
    • Pray for peace as Sánchez looks to lead another 4 year term.
  • The Basque language is facing challenges from the judicial system as some of the Basque people want it to be a primary language for Basque Country. They made changes to the employment requirements for the language and the priority it is given for being taught in school.
    • Pray for those who see the Basque language as part of the heritage and how leaders can support it to continue to be so for future generations
  • The number of marriages that happened in 2021 increased. Last year saw the highest number since 2017. While many of these were civil marriages about ~10% were done in a church.
    • Praise that the number of marriages is increasing, pray this continues and existing families are strengthened.
  • The region has seen a couple of large protests. The first was on November 25 and was to continue to call attention to gender violence caused by males. Then on November 30, was one for equality of women and was quite large. The November 30 protest saw impacts into the workforce as several different unions supported it with some business closing and buses running on reduced schedules.
    • Pray for those impacted by male violence and for equality of women.

The verse for the week:

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

‭Ephesians‬ ‭2:8‭-‬9‬ ‭ESV‬

Basque Country Prayer Points for Week of October 23, 2023

Sampie Brown on October 29, 2023

Prayer Points and verse for the week:

Prayers points:

  • Over the past 10 months the Canary Islands have seen more 28,000 African immigrants. This is the highest number they have ever seen and the support system is having a hard time keeping up. Some of the immigrants are likely to be arriving in Basque Country in the coming weeks. Many are looking to find a better living situation.
    • Pray for the immigrants as they try to start a new life, those who serve them, and the leaders as they look for how to best handle the situation 
  • Experts are sharing the impacts of access to mobile phones is having on young people. One of those impacts is access to pornography. They are seeing that the age for exposure is 10 and under. Some of the impacts they are seeing from pornography is how they relate to each other and expectations. Another impact is language development and the feeling of being isolated.
    • Pray for youth who have access to cellphones, along with parents and leaders as they look on how to best allow access to them
  • The job market in Spain continues to do well, which was not what was expected. They are reporting an employment growth of 3.5% over last year. These are being reported as  record numbers.
    • Praise that the job market is holding strong in Spain and pray that it will continue to do so
  • Spain still has not completed the process to elect a new president. Pedro Sánchez is still trying to work through an agreement with different parties to win an election to remain president. The current path is likely to come with agreement with some of the Catalonia parties by granting amnesty to Puigdemmont, which has strong opposition. The election process needs to be completed by November 27 or new general elections will need to take place in January 2024
    • Pray for the leaders as they work to form the next government
  • Workers in the public sector (teachers, public transportation and others) are making their voices heard through being on strike. The total number of days is 25 days during the months of October, November and December. Some groups have 1-2 days while others have 3-5. A protest for the events in Gaza has also happened.
    • Pray for the workers, those impacted and the leaders as they look to address the situation.

The verse for the week:

“And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in you.

Psalm­ 39:7 ESV

Basque Country Prayer Points for Week of September 25, 2023

Sampie Brown on September 30, 2023

Prayer Points and verse for the week:

Prayers points:

  • Inflation continues to be a problem, while it’s not as high as it has been people are still feeling the effects. To help, the government has reduced taxes on gas and electricity while reducing public transportation fees, though households are still feeling the effects as wages have not been increasing either.
    • Pray for families as they look to figure out how to pay for food, rent and other life items and the government/economists as they look for ways to assist.
  • Osakidetza (Basque public healthcare system) is continuing to explore solutions to help with suicide prevention. A new risk system has identified that it has helped close to 400 people over the past 15 months. They are planning to continue to evolve the system and will be sharing training materials with those who work in the health care system to help in identifying those who may be at risk.
    • Pray for healthcare workers as they look for those who are contemplating suicide and for those who are in the situation where they believe suicide is the best option.
  • Basque Country is seeing the highest level of narcotic drugs in its history. With the prices going down and the purity level increasing it has also required the hospital system to be more prepared, along with recovery clinics. Recently Ertzaintza (Basque Police) and the Spanish military police seized ~600 pounds of drugs, which included hashish, cocaine, marijuana, speed, and ecstasy.
    • Pray for the police as they look to understand the problem, and the hospital system and rehabilitation clinics as they look to treat patients. That the population young and old would not see this as the right source to escape life.
  • The Basque legislation recently passed The Law for History and Democracy, with an objective to remember the victims of terrorist attacks between 1936 – 1975 and work to ensure that the acts against democracy are not repeated. The voting was 68 of 75 in favor, which is one of the largest margins for passing a law in recent history. Additionally, the leader of the Basque Government, Urkullu is wanting the Spanish Government to explore gaining more autonomy, though some are unsure if the Spanish Constitution as written would support it.
    • Pray for those who have been impacted by the terrorist acts and the leadership as they look to explore more autonomy.
  • After the July national elections, the newly elected leaders are working to form a new government. Part of the process is selecting a new leader. Feijóo was the first candidate put forward given his party (PP) has the most seats though not an absolute majority, Feijóo was not successful in gaining an absolute majority this week after two different votes were taken. King Philip IV has called for meetings with the political leaders on Monday, October 1 and Tuesday, October 2 to start the voting process for Sánchez. Sánchez has been working to make agreements with other political parties to gain enough support to be elected. Some are not happy with the commitments Sánchez is making with the other political parties to get elected.
    • Pray for the newly elected political leaders as they try to elect a new leader and then begin and address the items on the congressional docket.

The verse for the week:

 My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

James 1:19-21 NIV

Basque Country Prayer Points for Week of September 4, 2023

Sampie Brown on September 7, 2023

Prayer Points and verse for the week:

Prayers points:

  • The number of cases of sexual diseases in Basque country is on the rise, so much so that health care officials are concerned. The number of cases of syphilis and gonorrhea have gone up exponentially since 2018. The director of public health shared this was not a problem unique to Basque Country as similar increases are being seen in other parts of the world.
    • Pray for those who are sexually active with multiple partners and the health care workers that are treating them.
  • Basque country currently has ~5700 people who have some level of protection due to male violence. Most of the protection is directed towards women, though children and men are being protected as well. Four levels of protection exist with most of the cases falling in the basic level of protection.
    • Pray those who are being protected, those that are doing the protection and those who are the attackers.
  • The Basque Country budget has increased ~21% over the last 3 years. The three areas that have driven the largest part of the increase have been: health care, education and government services to help with employment and social services. Thankfully they have been able to address the increase with European grants and taxes.
    • Pray as leaders work to ensure these areas are well funded without neglecting the other areas.
  • Schools officially are scheduled to start on Thursday, September 8. New education rules were passed and were partially implemented for the last school year. This school year they are obligatory. The evaluation process is an area that is seeing considerable change as they move from a number grade system to be one that uses 5 different categories to communicate mastery of the material.
    • Pray for educators, parents and students as they return to school and as they work through the impacts of the new education laws.
  • The next steps are being taken politically after the July 23 elections. On Saturday, September 2 Pedro Sánchez was inaugurated as the leader of the PSOE party. He is also the currently functioning president of Spain. The legislature will vote on who will be PM on September 26/27. It’s expected to be a close vote between Sánchez and Feijóo (leader of the PP party). Puigdemont is also back in the news as his upcoming trial starts Thursday September 7 for his actions in the Catalonia separatist movement in 2017. Also, conversations have restarted about changes in how some regions interact with the Spanish government, with Basque Country being one region that is leading the request for this change.
    • Prayer for the political leaders as they begin the legislative session at the national and regional levels.
  • The employment market took a turn in August, and the impact was felt across several different sectors. It‘s much better than 2022 and they believe it’s part of the normal cycle that has been seen in previous years during the month of August.
    • Prayer for those who are seeking work, business owners and leaders as they work to understand the situation now and for the future.

The verse for the week:

The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.

Zephaniah 3:17 ESV

Basque Country Prayer Points for Week of August 14, 2023

Sampie Brown on August 20, 2023

Prayers points:

  • The results of the July 23 election are in, with the PP party gaining some additional seats and PSOE losing some seats. Neither party has the absolute majority by themselves. Each party was working to put agreements in place to have an absolute majority for the election of a new legislative leader. Pedro Sánchez was able to gather enough support to be re-elected leader of the coming congress.
    • Pray for the newly elected political leaders and coalitions as they start the legislative process.
  • On May 26, the Spanish legislation passed a new law in order to help with home rent prices. However, it’s not helping as the paper showed a graph where rent prices have increased by ~18% since May of 2022, with the prices increasing 10% since April. Property owners are increasing the price due to the changes in the law causing the opposite of what was desired by the new law.
    • Pray for legislators, realtors, renters and owners as they look to determine reasonable rent prices.
  • Recently data about suicides were analyzed to understand and determine what improvements in the health care system can be made. They discovered that 75% of them had recent contact with the healthcare system. Only 30% of them had been in contact with a mental health professional.
    • Pray for the health care workers and leaders as they work to see early symptoms and explore other options for those who are thinking of suicide and people who are contemplating the option.
  • The Gipuzkoa region of Basque Country labor market is doing well, though they are having some challenges with younger workers. They are looking for more than just a salary, they would like to see a career path. People on unemployment assistance has dropped and is at the lowest levels since 2008, which is when the last financial crisis happened. The labor market also saw the creation of almost 12,000 jobs.
    • Praise that the job market in Gipuzkoa is seeing growth and pray that the growth continues through the coming months as the younger workers are entering the workforce.
  • For the first time since the end of the pandemic the wait times for most medical specialists is decreasing. It has taken almost 3 years to get back to this state.
    • Praise that the wait time for most medical specialists has decreased.  Prayer that the wait time continues to be stable and improves for the specialties that have not yet seen the decrease.

The verse for the week:

For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.

Romans 8:6 ESV

Basque Country Prayer Points for Week of June 19, 2023

Sampie Brown on June 22, 2023

Prayer Points and verse for the week:

Prayers points:

  • After the recent local and regional elections, the different parties are having to renegotiate the relationships to determine how they will co-govern as no single party won an absolute majority. This has been completed and leadership in the various levels of government is in place including the ceremonies to present the new leaders.  The other parties in Basque Country who were trying to gain influence are having to rethink their strategy given it will be another 4 years before the next elections. The national elections have been set for July 23, which was a bit of a surprise. The political parties have been working to organize themselves in preparation for these elections. The PP party is hoping to gain additional seats in congress which would result in a change in the majority party.
    • Pray for the newly elected leaders and the coalitions that will need to be formed over the coming weeks to start the legislative process. Additionally, pray for the upcoming national elections.
  • A local college professor published a book on suicides and was then interviewed. He pointed out several different facts about suicides. The most critical age currently are people between the ages of 40 to 60. In 2021 that age accounted for 50% of the total ~4000 suicides. They also said that currently a system of prevention does not sufficiently exist.
    • Pray for those who are contemplating and those who have been impacted by suicide. 
  • The number of women leaders for businesses in Basque country is at ~22% which is lower than the 40% required by the law in 2023. Some do not like the quota though understand the need to start the change. The women also talked about the difficulty they have faced as they have moved into positions of leadership.
    • Pray for business leaders and women as they look to fill leadership roles in different businesses.
  • The previous leader of the Spanish pension system committed to bring it back in balance in 2023. However, that was not possible and it will run a deficit through 2025. Part of the impact was the record number of new applicants to the system and the cost of inflation.
    • Pray for the new leader of the pension system as they look for ways to bring the system into balance as it supports millions of Spanish citizens.
  • This week was the end of the 2022-2023 school year and families have had to determine how to care for their kids during the break. This year summer break has ~80 days. Families are exploring the best option(s) available between day camps, staying with relatives or hiring a sitter. Each family has its set of challenges to get the coverage in place: financial, aging parents and number of vacation days for the parents.
    • Pray for families as they look to make plans for child care for the summer and that kids have a nice summer break.

The verse for the week:

Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

James 1:27 ESV

Basque Country Prayer Points for Week of May 28, 2023

Sampie Brown on May 31, 2023

Prayers points:

  • On May 28 elections were completed for the local (city) and regional level. I was incorrectly stating the national level in the past editions. The regional and local levels have several different political parties who are looking to either maintain or gain power to make changes. In the Basque region the party who was currently in control retains that control, though the margin is much lower than 4 years ago. Other places in Spain saw a similar shift with several regions moving to be more conservative. Pedro Sánchez, a member of the socialist party, and the current PM called for the national elections to be pulled in from December to July 23. That was quite a surprise after the results that happened on Sunday.
    • Pray for the newly elected leaders and the coalitions that will need to be formed over the coming weeks to start the legislative process. Additionally, pray for the upcoming national elections.
    • *Note: If you’d like to have more information on the voting process let me know and I’ll share what I’ve learned thus far.
  • Young people are looking for more security, flexibility of hours and other advantages offered by the public sector compared to the private sector. Over the last 4 years the public sector has been hiring more workers than the private sector. The private sector has been highlighting this gap and they are looking to understand what can be done to ensure they get the talent they need.
    • Pray for the public and private sectors as they look to find solutions in hiring young people.
  • A cold front recently came through that was very wet. One area saw the rain falling at the rate of ~65 gallons/minute. With that amount of rainfall in a short time it caused some significant localized flooding for those residents. One area saw damage to 240 homes and businesses and 95 vehicles.
    • Pray for those who have been impacted by the floods and as they look to recover
  • On Tuesday, May 16 a woman was shot and killed by her ex-partner, who then killed himself. This happened in a public park while several people and children were also in the park.
    • Pray for those who have been impacted by this event and search for answers.
  • The EU has communicated to the Spanish Government that adjustments need to be made to adjust their spending to be within a 3% deficit. This means the Spanish government will need to reduce ~9 Billion euros from the current budget. One area to be considered is the government subsidies that are in place, which have an anticipated cost of ~14 billion euros.
    • Pray for leaders as they review budgets and make adjustments to satisfy the request from the EU.
  • Recently a few fans made racial remarks towards a professional football (soccer) player, which is not often talked about here. The government has a number for people to report these incidents should they witness them. The local paper also interviewed 6 different people who live in Basque country who shared their experience with racism.  Some have experienced name calling and another was detained in Germany in security while traveling without explanation.
    • Pray for those who commit and are impacted by racism

The verse for the week:

Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God! Let your good Spirit lead me on level ground!

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭143‬‬:‭10‬

Basque Country Prayer Points for Week of May 8, 2023

Sampie Brown on May 13, 2023

Prayer Points and verse for the week:

Prayers points:

  • On May 28 elections will be happening at the local (city), regional and national level. The regional and local levels have 5 different political parties who are looking to either maintain or gain power to make changes. Leaders across the different parties are communicating messages for why people should support them and their party.
    • Pray for the people as they look to determine which candidate will best represent them in the coming years to make legislative decisions.
  • The regional government is building a new location for those who are affected by male violence. It will have space for women with children, women who are solo and for people who are in need of additional privacy or monitoring. They have double the number of spaces available over the last 5 years.
    • Pray for women & children impacted by the violence, men who are acting in this manner and workers who support those impacted.
  • Concern about the Basque Pubic health care system continues. A couple of weekends ago thousands of people in the 3 Basque capitals took to the street to protest the situation. Many are seeing that making certain types of appointments are taking months to get or that the local health care centers do not have enough staff to support the needs of the community. The leader of the system provided comments that contradict this view talking about the investments that are being made in the system, which have increased over the last 10 years.
    • Pray for those who are looking for care, the workers and leaders as they all work to navigate the current situation.
  • The effects of the low national birth rate are continuing to be seen. The latest area of impacts is in the education system. The number of students enrolled in schools over the last 5 years has dropped by ~8500, which has resulted in reduction in the overall number of classrooms.  Even some schools have closed or consolidated with others due to this drop. Another effect is the decrease in first communion in the catholic church, with another reason being secularization of the population.
    • Pray that young people will start to have a desire to have more kids and for leaders as they navigate the current situation.
  • Last year the price of electricity was the topic of considerable discussion as the price was very high. Thankfully this year the price thus far has gone down, with the daily rate recently being ~62€/MWh compared to ~178€/MWh on the same day last year. Another area where costs have also been high is food items. The local paper over the last year has shared the cost of the same items in February, March and now May. While the overall cost is being recorded at historic highs, thankfully this month saw a slight overall decrease, though some items in the list saw an increase.
    • Praise that people are seeing some lower energy bills after having high electricity  & gas bills. Pray for people as they look to determine the best way to spend their money.
  • Over the last several years a group of historians in Basque Country have been researching the biographies of soldiers with Basque heritage that participated in World War II. They believe in total ~2500 soldiers are in that profile, and they are working on biographies of 1600. Recently they made a presentation in Texas about their findings.  They also have a desire to have a monument built for the 85th Anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack in either California, Nevada or Idaho where there is a large population of people with Basque heritage.
    • Pray for these historians as they look to show the contribution of Basque people during World War II.

The verse for the week:

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Ephesians 4:32 ESV

Basque Country Prayer Points for Week of April 17, 2023

Sampie Brown on April 19, 2023

Prayer Points and verse for the week:

Prayers points:

  • Over Holy Week the province of Gipuzkoa saw a significant increase in the amount of tourists both national and international, with hotels being filled to somewhere between 85% to 95%. Also restaurants and tourist spots saw a similar large increase in tourism.
    • Praise that over the Holy Week Gipuzkoa saw a rise in tourism which is good for the economy
  • Basque Country is continuing to see the population between 18 to 29, which is ~44% of the population, not being involved in associations (sociedades, cultural clubs, etc.).  Several reasons where shared from they do not connect with them, change in habits and values.
    • Pray for the young people and organizations as they look to find ways to support each other
  • With the upcoming election in Spain on May 28 one of the local newspapers had an interview with the current President of Spain. A variety of topics were covered: unintended consequences of the new “only yes is yes” law, education, pension and labor reform.
    • Pray for the people as they look to determine which candidate will best represent them in the coming years to make legislative decisions.
  • Part of the economic engine in Basque Country is manufacturing. During the 1950s through 1980s it made up between 45% to 48% of GDP. It was declining to a low ~21% in 2010, recently it’s started to pick back up with 2021 showing an increase to 22%. The gap in the economy has been filled by services and construction.
    • Pray for the different economic sectors of the Basque Country as they look to provide sustainable jobs and income
  • The Basque Government shared recently that the fraud department, which is focused on job related incidents, had 24 cases of sexual or gender-based harassment reported in 2022. The previous 2 years they had 0. They are working to understand the difference. One reason stated is people are more aware of this type of behavior. Overall 2022 saw ~400 more reported irregularities.
    • Prayer from employers as they look to provide good working conditions for the employees.
  • Point of Interest: The recent winner of the Master Golf Tournament in Augusta GA was Jon Ram. He was born in Barrica, Biscay, Spain which is part of Basque Country. I just wanted to highlight that this region has a rich participation in international sports.

The verse for the week:

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

John 15:4-5 ESV

Basque Country Prayer Points for Week of January 23, 2023

Sampie Brown on January 29, 2023

Prayer Points and verse for the week:

Prayers points:

  • The Basque region was the second most generous region in Spain with donations to charitable organizations. The data showed the region had a 4% increase from the previous year.
    • Praise that the people in the Basque region continue to be generous with their money.
  • The general cost of food at the supermarket has increased ~16% which has impacted the types & quantities of foods being purchased, according to one of the local supermarkets.
    • Pray for families as they look to adjust to the rise in food costs.
  • Last year saw some changes to the labor laws for employee contracts with businesses. One year later some of the news is positive and some not so positive.
    • Pray as businesses look for employees & employees as they look for work.
  • This is an election year in Spain. Several primary races have already been held and Sunday May 28 is the date for general elections.
    • Pray for the candidates and those voting as they look to elect leaders for the next term
  • The public healthcare system (Basque name: Osakidetza) continues to have tension and negotiations are ongoing.
    • Pray for the healthcare workers, leadership, politicians and those needing care as they work through the situation.
  • The current Basque legislative had plans to address 36 different laws, to date they have only addressed 17. They are hoping to address the other 19 before the end of the legislative session in 2024.
    • Pray for the political leaders as they look to work through the remaining legislative calendar.

The verse for the week:

Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.

Hebrews 12:14 ESV