Monday Evening

I received this from a friend. We have seen and heard about what happened in Mumbai please be in prayer for our fellow believers in India that are being hunted down. Pray for militants to hear God’s call to stop what they are doing and follow the Lord. Pray for God to be glorified throughout India so all will know who the TRUTH is.

Thank you for praying!

Melinda

———-
Date: Fri, Dec 5, 2008 at 10:43 AM
From YWAM (Youth with a mission) missionaries in India

We have never seen anything like this. We knew that Orissa was the most resistant and hostile State in India as far as the Gospel is concerned. And we brushed off the continuous threats and harassment we faced as we went about His work. But none of our staff imagined that they would see this kind of carnage…. And it seems to be totally under the radar of the Western Media…. Let me explain…. A militant Hindu priest and 4 of his attendants, who were zealously going around the villages of Orissa and re- converting people back to Hinduism, were gunned down by unknown assailant Orissa last weekend.Immediately the Christians were blamed. The cry rose up…’Kill the Christians!’ And the horror began….

In the past 4 days, we have first hand witness to hundreds of churches being blown up or burned and many, many dozens of Christian tribals have been slaughtered. For no other reason than they bear the name of Christ. Night and day I have been in touch with our Good News India Directors spread across 14 Dream Centers in Orissa… they are right in the middle of all this chaos. In Tihidi, just after the police came to offer protection, a group of 70 blood-thirsty militants came to kill our staff and destroy the home. They were not allowed to get in, but they did a lot of damage to our Dream Center by throwing rocks and bricks and smashing our gate, etc. They have promised to come back and ‘finish the job’. Our kids and staff are locked inside and have stayed that way with doors and windows shut for the past 3 days. It has been a time of desperately calling on the Lord in prayer.

More police have come to offer protection. In Kalahandi, the police and some local sympathizers got to our dream center and gave our staff and kids about 3 minutes notice to vacate. No one had time to even grab a change of clothes or any personal belonging. As they fled, the blood thirsty mob came into the building. We would have had a mass funeral there, but for His grace. In Phulbani, the mob came looking for Christian homes and missions. The local Hindu people, our neighbors turned them away by saying that there were no Christians in this area. So they left. We had favor. The same thing happened in Balasore.

All our dream centers are under lock down with the kids and staff huddled inside and police outside. The fanatics are circling outside wait ing for a chance to kill. Others were not so fortunate. In a nearby Catholic orphanage, the mob allowed the kids to leave and locked up a Priest and a computer teacher in house and burned them to death. Many believers have been killed and hacked into pieces and left on the road… even women and children. At another orphanage run by another organization, when this began, the Director and his wife jumped on their motorbike and simply fled, leaving all the children and staff behind. Every one of our GNI directors that I have spoken to said: ‘We stay with our kids…. we live together or die together, but we will never abandon what God has called us to do.’

More than 5000 Christian families have had their homes burned or destroyed. They have fled into the jungles and are living in great fear waiting for the authorities to bring about peace. But so far, no peace is foreseen. This will continue for another 10 days….supposedly the 14 day mourning period for the slain Hindu priest. Many more Christians will die and their houses destroyed. Many more churches will be smashed down. The Federal government is trying to restore order and perhaps things will calm down. We ask for your prayers. Only the Hand of God can calm this storm. None of us know the meaning of persecution. But now our kids and staff know what that means. So many of our kids coming from Hindu backgrounds are confused and totally bewildered at what is happening around them. So many of their guardians have fled into the jungles and are unable to come and get them during these trying times. Through all this, I am more determined than ever to continue with our goal: the transformation of a community by transforming its children. Orissa will be saved… that is our heart’s cry. If we can take these thousands of throw-away children and help them to become disciples of Jesus, they will transform an entire region. It is a long term goal, but it is strategic thinking in terms of the Great Commission.

What can you do? First, please uphold all this in fervent prayer. Seco nd, pass this e-mail on to as many friends as you can. We must get the word out and increase our prayer base for this is spiritual warfare at its most basic meaning. We are literally fighting the devil in order to live for His Kingdom. The next 10 days are crucial. We pray for peace and calm to pervade across Orissa. Thank you for taking the time to read this. Please pass it on and help us to get as many people to partner with us on this cutting edge effort to fulfill His mandate: Go and make disciples of all nations…. Prayer works!

Blessings,

Chip & Sandy W

Col 2:2 MBI

Team Facilitators to YWAM frontlines

—
Blessings
Deb

Monday Afternoon

The following is the current prayer request for Freda. Monday, December 8, at 12 noon, EST, she is to have a series of spinal blocks to try and determine the source of the pain or at least to narrow down the area of interest. For this test and the one on December 10 she has had to be off blood thinner for one week and without food and liquid since midnight the night before. After the spinal block she has a MRI or something similar (3 PM, EST) where they will try to look at the spinal column from all directions. The front of the spine is of particular interest. Then she is to return December 10 with the results of these procedures and they have another procedure of some kind scheduled that I suppose should result in a conclusion as to what the problem is that causes so much pain. I will let you know more about that procedure and the time along with how thing go Monday as soon as I know.

Freda and I appreciate your prayers,

Floyd

Remember Freda is in the US at John Hopkins Hospital while Floyd is in Bucharest.

Melinda

Please pray for Chris, Jill and Christian W. serving in Russia.
Today Chris received a 3 day notice to leave Russia. They have been
struggling with visa issues for some time now and were recently told
they would soon have to leave Russia. Pray mercy will be shown by the
Russian government and that more time will be given to deal with this
issue. Pray for clear direction from the Lord.

Central Easter Europe Prayer Team

In Russia the missionaries have to leave about every 3 to 6 months to renew
their visas outside of the country. Pray for this family and others that
are having visa problems.
Thank you for praying!
Melinda

Dear Prayer Partners,

I know I should not be amazed by what the Lord continues to show me but I am. This morning while looking my Facebook page to see what is going on (I have learned this is important when having a Facebook page) my attention was drawn to a link from a colleague who serves in Czech Republic. I am attaching the link for you to read. http://hope4cee.org/ceestories/index.php/2008/12/journeyman-from-russia-makes-an-impact-in-the-czech-republic/ The article is about a Russian journeyman that is now serving in Czech Republic. It is an amazing story of how she came to know the Lord and how God is now using her for his glory.

God bless you as he uses you in your community throughout this week. Pray he will use you to reach out to those that do not know the Lord.

Love,

Melinda

Journeyman from Russia makes an impact in the Czech Republic
December 8th, 2008

by Karen Pearce

Natasha enjoys the first snow of winter

Natasha enjoys the first snow of winter

Natasha, an International Mission Board (IMB) Journeyman to Olomouc, Czech Republic, was proud of herself for buying her own train ticket, finding the correct platform and even boarding and locating her seat. However, since she had been in the country only a few weeks, she didn’t realize the train she had chosen was going in the wrong direction.

As she paused from reading her book to glance out the window, she saw valleys, hills, tunnels, towns and villages she had never seen before.

“For the first few minutes after I realized what was happening, I felt so sick I wanted to throw up,” Natasha said. “Instead, I prayed God would calm my heart and give me wisdom to know what to do.”

Natasha found comfort in the fact that she was listening to music that seemed to be playing just for her.

“Lord, I don’t know where all this is going, or how it all works out; lead me to peace that is past understanding, a peace beyond all doubt…” sing the Newsboys, a Christian group that’s words seemed appropriate for the moment.

After four hours of travel, instead of the necessary two, Natasha safely made it home.

“The good part of it was that I was not scared or having a heart attack, but rather enjoying the scenery and falling in love with this beautiful country, parts of which I would have never been able to see if not for a wrong train,” she said.

This is just one of many adventures Natasha has experienced since giving her life to Christ and following His call from Russia to America, and then back to Europe.

The journey

Natasha grew up in Tartarstan, Russia, and lived her childhood knowing of God only through the Orthodox Church, which kept Him distant and un-engaging. That changed in college when Natasha’s classmate returned from a year in America, now a believer, and shared about her personal relationship with Christ. Though Natasha faced accusations of betrayal and was ostracized by many, she committed her life to Christ, clung to her new-found faith and let it shape her future. Her church in Russia became the hub of her life, and there she learned through evangelism and discipleship in surrounding villages that “missions” is a vital part of her faith.

Through an American/Russian partnership with her church, she was invited to study dental hygiene in America, and followed God’s leading. Her love of sharing Christ continued in her new Texas home, and eventually she heard God calling her back to Europe as a missionary. In fact, God gave her such a strong burden for the Czech Republic that she considered moving there on her own, learning the language and culture and sharing Christ.

However, friends told her about the IMB Journeyman program and she looked into that, instead. When she saw a request for an ESL (English as a Second Language) teacher in Olomouc, she was excited and started researching the Czech Republic, its people and religion. What she found about the low number of believers and the secular lifestyle broke her heart.

“I started crying—it was weird—I was bawling in the bookstore,” she said. “I felt like God was telling me, ‘Nobody goes there.’ I was like, ‘I’ll go. I really want to go.’ I felt like God was really telling me that was the place where He wants me to be.”

So, once again, Natasha followed God to a new country.

New home

Since arriving in Olomouc, Natasha has started language classes, begun teaching English, and served cookies, candies and Bibles to passers-by at her ministry team’s annual Christmas booth. She has learned valuable lessons—making eye contact is not something Czechs value, saying, ‘Excuse me’ when trying to exit the elevator gets no response, and, of course, checking the direction of your train is very important. However, despite the cultural differences, Natasha loves her new calling.

“My life here is incredible, and God has been showing me His love, mercy and care over and over again,” she said. “I love every bit of my days here, and pray that they would be filled with … words and deeds for His glory until the end of my term.”

Team Moravia

Steve and April Brown are the leaders of Natasha’s ministry group, Team Moravia. They consider their newest member a direct answer to prayer.

“We’ve been praying for someone to join our team for four years now,” April said.

Natasha’s arrival could not have come at a better time. God has been doing some amazing things in Olomouc in the past few months.

Not only are several members of the team’s home group awaiting baptism, but a young man named Honza recently accepted Christ, and the Browns have begun an international church in Olomouc that is averaging about 50 people each meeting.

“God constantly brings people to us and we are so grateful for it,” Steve said. “April and I are meeting with people weekly for cappuccinos and conversation–they talk, we listen; we talk, they listen. We have had great opportunities to share the hope that lies within us.”

In this atmosphere, Steve is grateful to have Natasha on their team.

“With her perspective and background, it will speak immensely into the hearts of Czech people,” he said. “She’ll be able to speak to them more clearly than us, since she has a better understanding of where they come from.”

For Natasha, she knows she is where God wants her.

“I went to America because I was sure God had a plan for me,” she said. “Now I know He took me over there so I could leave.”

Her ministry

Natasha’s friend who led her to Christ taught Natasha a lot. She didn’t push the Gospel on her, but lived what she believed. Her attitude, perspective and conversation evidenced her faith.

“I remember her being different,” Natasha said. “She was just an attractive person you wanted to be with—and then to find out what changed her—I knew I needed that.”

Now Natasha wants God to use her in the same way. She desires to truly love the Czech people.

“First Timothy 1 says that love comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience and a sincere faith,” Natasha said. “My prayer is that I have those qualities to show the love of Christ and to be a bold witness.”

For more information on how you can be involved in what God is doing in the Czech Republic, visit the Web site.

Spread the word about Hope4cee.org Stories:

Read more stories from Czech Republic.

Since this posting is all about missionaries and MK’s, I’ll add my latest missionary/MK story. Miles, almost 9, broke his right wrist at soccer practice this afternoon. Before taking him to the doctor, Jennie gave him medicine for pain. The Czech doctor asked Jennie if Miles had had any ????? (new word to Jennie). Jennie said yes, ibuprofen. The doctor looked at her with a strange expression. ?????? was the Czech word for X-rays! Miles has a new cast. Jennie has a new Czech vocabulary word.

Monday

“He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.” Deuteronomy 32:4

Let’s pray for Mrs. Faye Price to be a little better than she was yesterday. Small “steps” in the right direction would be very welcomed. I’ll post an update later.

Majel Dean’s sister and brother-in-law are both doing well. Thank-you for your prayers for them.

Pray for those who will attend the grief seminar Thursday. Pray each speaker has the right words for those who are listening. Continue to pray for the many who have experienced the loss of a loved one lately. If you need more information, please contact Jan Hammons or FBC.

Pray for the children of FBC as they prepare to present “Miracle on Main Street” next Sunday night at 6 P.M. “Main Street” arrived at church yesterday afternoon. Thanks to Peggy Alford and others who created the scenery. Thanks to Wendy A. Fowler and others who had worked with the children to prepare for next week’s presentation. You are invited to attend next Sunday at 6 P.M.

Deacons for the week: Jimmy Tolar and Lloyd Hayden

Now that the Week of Prayer for the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering is officially over, I thought I would share some information about various missions in different parts of the world. I hope you enjoy learning more about international missions. Each one is supported through the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. 100% of the money given goes directly to missions.

Drive-thru missions
When people line up for the car ferry from Europe to North Africa, they often get more than a boat ride. They can get a copy of the New Testament. When these Bible portions at $3 each are multiplied enough for a mass distribution, the cost can run between $15,725 and $17,550. It’s a price paid in full by the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering and from other participating agencies.

Behind the scenes, project volunteers from several countries form an assembly line, boxing up packets for distribution to motorists. Each packet contains a copy of the New Testament, which motorists can choose in one of four languages: French, Kabyle Berber, Arabic and Chawic [shaw-wee] Berber. A copy of the JESUS film and other materials complete the packet.

Given this drive-thru ordering system, it wouldn’t be too unusual for someone to say, “I’ll have a Kabyle Berber Bible to go, please.”

Even without the window, many such orders are filled. Motorists who take these materials into North Africa can read about Jesus’ love for them and thus satisfy their hunger and thirst after righteousness.

INTERNATIONAL MISSIONS PRAYERLINE
INTERNATIONAL MISSION BOARD
Monday, December 8, 2008

“Now Jesus has appeared one time, at the end of the ages, for the removal of sin by the sacrifice of Himself” (Hebrews 9:26b, HCSB).

Dear Intercessors, this is Eleanor Witcher of the International Prayer Strategy Office, praying with you for those who need to understand the true sacrifice.

Eid al-Adha, the Islamic Festival of Sacrifice, is celebrated on December 8 (or when the new moon is sighted) this year. Also known as Korbani Eid, Bakra Eid, or Eid Kbir, every Muslim who is financially able will sacrifice their best sheep, goat, cow or camel in commemoration of the willingness of Ibrahim (Abraham) to sacrifice his son for Allah. The sacrificial ritual is followed closely because Muslims believe it will atone for the sins of the people in their household.

The meat is divided into three portions, two of which are shared with the poor, and their neighbors or relatives. It is very important to share with the poor so that no impoverished Muslim is left without sacrificial food during this holiday. The third portion is for the immediate family.

Eid al-Adha provides one of the greatest redemptive analogies in Muslim culture. Scripture tells us,”Then the Angel of the LORD called to Abraham . . . and said, ‘By Myself I have sworn, says the LORD: Because you have done this thing and have not withheld your only son, I will indeed bless you and make your offspring as numerous as the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. . . . And all the nations of the earth will be blessed by your offspring because you have obeyed My command’” (Genesis 22:15-18, HCSB).

* Please pray for Muslims across Northern Africa and the Middle East, West Africa, Central Asia, South Asia, and the Pacific Rim that their hearts will yearn for an explanation of true sacrifice.

* Ask God to open doors of opportunity for believers to explain that Jesus is the ultimate sacrifice for their sins.

* Bow in gratitude to Jesus who removes our sin and brings us abundant joy.

DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOU’RE GOING?

There’s a Hasidic story about a rabbi who crossed a village square every morning on his way to the temple to pray. One morning, a large Russian Cossack soldier, who happened to be in a vile mood, accosted him, saying, “Hey, rabbi, where are you going?”

The rabbi simply said, “I don’t know.”

This infuriated the soldier. “What do you mean, you don’t know? Every morning for twenty-five years you have crossed the village square and gone to the temple to pray. Don’t fool with me. Why are you telling me you don’t know?” He grabbed the old rabbi by the coat and dragged him off to jail.

Just as the Cossack was about to push him into the cell, the rabbi turned to him, and softly said, “You see, I didn’t know.”

James taught those of us who are Christians to live in such a way that “we don’t know where we are going”. He put it this way:

“Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit’; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.” (James 4:13-14)

There’s nothing wrong with making plans, but we need to remember that there is much that may happen in the future that we don’t know about right now, and things may happen that we don’t have much control over. We have only to look back over our lives to see how things in the past often turned out very much different than we thought they would.

What James says is true — death could come at any moment. Or Christ could return. Or any of a hundred other things — good or bad — could happen to us shortly. So where am I going? I don’t know. But as long as God is with me, it doesn’t really matter.

Have a great day!

Alan Smith
Helen Street Church of Christ
Fayetteville, North Carolina

This devotional thought was very thought provoking for someone who likes to plan the month, week, and day like me. My written schedule seems necessary to accomplish what I see as important. Pray I will be more open to what God has for me. Pray for others who seem to function best with a planned out schedule.

Have a marvelous Monday!
Anna Lee

Sunday

Go, therefore, 12 and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. 13 And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” – Matthew 28: 19-20

Continue to pray for Mrs. Faye Price, the medical staff, and the family. I’ll post an update before I go to Sunday School.

http://www.hope4cee.org/index.php
If you haven’t explored this site lately, you might want to.

Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions
2008 Theme – Go Tell the Story of Jesus

Watch this video:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMDidl0WPMg

Day 8
Urban Poor of Brazil

It’s 9:20 P.M. when Eric Reese maneuvers his truck through the dirt roads of a slum in Rio de Janeiro. With frequent shootouts, prostitution, and drug trafficking in the streets, the favelas (slums) are a rough place to share the Gospel. He taps on the ceiling light of his Chevy pickup as he drives. It’s a signal to everyone outside the cab that he’s not a threat.

“In these communities, it’s an ugly evil you’ve got to deal with,” Eric says, “but you’ve got to deal with it. We can’t stand here and let these people shoot and kill each other without the Gospel being preached.”

Seeing past the violence and corruption is a challenge for the Reeses. But the self-destruction that keeps some from receiving Christ is precisely what compels the Georgia natives to share.

“Communicating the gospel with these folks cannot wait until tomorrow,” Eric says. “You’ve got to share it with them today because you don’t know what their tomorrow holds.”

Pray:
Ask God to use the difficult conditions in Rio de Janeiro’s slums to show people their need for a Savior. Pray for Eric and Ramona’s personal safety as they work to share the Gospel in this dangerous place.

For more information go to http://www.imb.org/main/pray/page.asp?StoryID=5750&LanguageID=1709.

KneEmail
Catalog

TIS THE SEASON to receive catalogs in the mail….
Every trip to the mailbox ends with an armload of slick holiday catalogs. Each one claims to offer me something I need–immediately. “Don’t wait!” “Limited offer!” “Order now!”

The lure works. I open the pages to discover what I didn’t know I needed. Sure enough, I see things that suddenly seem essential, even though a few minutes earlier I didn’t know they existed. Manufacturers use catalog illustrations to create desire for their products.

In a way, Christians are God’s catalogs. We are His illustration to the world of what He has to offer. His work in our lives makes us a picture of qualities that people may not know they need or want until they see them at work in us.

As you browse holiday catalogs, consider what the “catalog” of your life says about God. Do people see qualities in you that make them long for God? (Julie Ackerman Link)

“You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men” ( 2 Cor. 3:2).

Posted by Mike Benson at November 14, 2008 11:34 AM

“You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men” ( 2 Cor. 3:2).
That’s why we have to “Go Tell the Story of Jesus” with our words and our actions.
Anna Lee

Saturday

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV)

It’s too early to get an update on Mrs. Faye Price. I’ll post something later.

Emily Panter: Emily continues to improve. She’s eating better and walking more. Keep praying.

Update on the Don and Diane Denton family:

Another amazing day in the Denton household today! Don arrived in Bolivar today at about 2pm.

It was a most beautiful sight to see. And to top it off, he did not get sick on the flight and on top of that was not sick at all today.

WE waited anxiously, Joshua jumping and squirming with joy. We actually saw the plane coming and the video started rolling. The pilot let us come out to the plane and we took many pictures of smiling faces and lots of tears. These are the most happy tears we have had in 2.5 months.

There was a time that we thought this day would not come. We were being told by the doctors that it would be a miracle if this day came for us. Back when Don was in ICU, one nurse asked me if I believed in God. He said that they would give Don all the tools to help his body to make it through this and then it was up to God. This nurse told me that I needed to pray and ask everyone to pray for Don. That was about 2 months ago. Many of these days where spent in a dark room waiting. As I have thought through this journey, it has been a journey of “waiting” Waiting for the headache to go away, waiting for Don to be able to talk again, waiting for test results, waiting for insurance decisions, waiting for housing, waiting for change, waiting for good news, waiting on God. Things we hope for, things we pour our heart out to God for sometimes don’t ever seem to come. There is great loss and grief. Loss of dreams, loss of time, loss of laughter and life together as we knew it. Waiting comes in many forms.

The other theme for me throughout this journey has been ” Believe”.

Believe that God is able. Believe even when the doctors are not hopeful. Believe in our God who says I will never leave you or forsake you. Even when there is no change. It is the waiting that is the hardest. It is in the waiting that darkness seems to overwhelm one. Sometimes the hardest thing to do is Believe when we can’t see. Even when our emotions are depleated and we are so discouraged, we can Believe, not in our ability but in God’s.

It is not an easy thing to wait. It is in that waiting that we need each other to hold onto. I have found in the waiting God’s people waiting too. WE pray and hope and wait. Thank you for waiting with us. Thank you for taking this journey with us. Thank you for your words of hope and encouragement. Thank you for your honesty and allowing me to be honest with my struggle.

And we continue to wait, waiting for further change of improvement, waiting and praying asking how are we going to get through this new phase of healing. WE will. That is the hope that we have not in us, but in Christ.

We are truly seeing a miracle today. The fact that Don is home and carries on conversations as if nothing ever happened is pretty amazing.

I felt compelled to share this with you all. I don’t know why.

I have more prayer requests.

* This one is for me. I have to confess that as happy as I am and I am elated at Don being home, I am exhausted as well. I have been a “single mom” for 2.5 months now. Please pray for me that I will have the wisdom and strength that I need and that I will be present with them both.
* Pray for Julia’s foot that she twisted.
* Pray that Don will continue improving.

Another thing I need to say is that in coming home and finding the nice surprises, I got so carried away in the emotion. Please know that during this very long journey, I have forgotten to say thank you to so many people who have reached out to us when we were in Springfield hospital for those 25 days. So please bear with me as my memory is not what it should be.

We have a very busy week this next week. I will keep you posted.

Visitation Times

I will post visitation days and times for those of you who would like to come and see Don. Once we get schedule for rehab. He would love see you.

Blessings to you our family and friends.

Diane

KOMpray
Kids on Mission Pray
Prayer requests

“Let the little children come to Me, and don’t stop them, because the kingdom of God belongs to such as these,” Luke 18:16b

TONS OF PRAYER

The Xhosa (pronounced KOH-sah) people live in South Africa. They’re very traditional, they dress in certain ways, believe certain things…very strongly…and their language is one of the hardest to learn. So their culture and people are really hard to reach. They believe in a Creator God but also count on “shamans” (medicine men/women). The Xhosa will go talk to the shaman when they are sick or think they have been cursed.

Missionaries Mike and Amy Boone work with about 40 Xhosa children and youth. Several kids have accepted Jesus, but their moms and dads just aren’t interested.

The Boone’s daughter told us about the Xhosa people and said, “I ask for prayer for my family and their ministry. My brother and I go to a school where things are not very Christian. My school needs tons of prayer…so please pray for us, our ministry, and that God can continue to reach the Xhosa people. Thank you.” GRACE, age 14, (Central, Eastern and Southern Africa)

MORE PRAYER REQUESTS FROM MISSIONARY KIDS

My culture is normal like a typical American’s culture. Please pray for the youth of South Africa SARAH, age 13, (Central, Eastern and Southern Africa)

Please pray that I may have an opportunity to tell the Good News to the people that live in my neighborhood. ANNDREA, age 11 (Pacific Rim)

I pray that all would hunger and thirst for Jesus Christ. NATHANIEL, age 10, (Central Asia)

My family and I are in language school for Kiswahili. After language school we will move to work with an unreached people group. Please pray that my family will adjust to life in Africa.

LINDY, age 12 (Central, Eastern and Southern Africa)

Dear God, please help my older sister in college in the U.S. Please help there be foreign children in my city that are my age. Please help my parents learn the language quickly. Please help the people in my city learn about God. Please help me in school. In Jesus’ name. Amen. HR, age 10 (East Asia)

I live in a very dirty place, with lots of people. Some may be nice and some may not be. Please pray for my Indian friend, Dove, who became a Christian when I told her. But she moved away. And please pray that my brothers and sisters will become Christians. TABI, age 9 (South Asia)

Please pray for: Open doors, wisdom in how to reach out, direction for me in choosing a college, good leadership for my class at Rift Valley Academy, unity for our class. MICAH, age 17 (Central, Eastern and Southern Africa)

Pray I’ll have strength in my walk with Christ as I go to school in an environment that is really sinful and worldly. Pray that the Bible studies that we have will grow and continue to lead to Christ. KAYLA, age 15, (Central, Eastern and Southern Africa)

Lottie Moon Christmas Offering
Day 7 – REAP North, Peru

Going into mountain and jungle villages, missionaries Larry and Nancy Jackson endure bumpy, unpaved roads and 10-hour boat rides to plant churches in Peru.

The Jacksons, from North Carolina, hold out hope that a Southern Baptist church will feel led to adopt each people group they research. Through REAP (Rapid Entry Advance Plan) North, the couple, in the International Mission Board’s Masters Program, helps churches connect with people groups in Peru and Bolivia. Masters missionaries are those 50 or older who commit to at least two or three years of overseas service.

Today more than 25 churches have promised to invest their efforts in approximately 15 areas with the Jacksons. Fanning out from the more evangelized city centers, Larry will continue researching and contacting people groups on the edges of darkness to connect Baptists with the lost of South America.

Because you give:
“You can see your money at work when you look at us because that’s how we’re funded,” Larry says. “When you give money, people’s lives are changed. If you want to come to Peru, I’ll show you.”

Calling an ‘Undeniable,
Irresistible’ Force
By Chris Watts

ROME (Baptist Press)

Calling, to me, is a funny thing.

In my experience, God’s call comes upon you with a furious intensity and drowns you in an incredible desire to do something huge and glorious, something that is completely beyond the measure of your own abilities.

It changes your path completely and thrusts you into a new and unknown world where utter reliance on the plan and providence of God is an absolute necessity. After a time, though, once the realities and routines of this new world have set in, some of that initial intensity fades a bit, and the calling evolves into the stabilizing foundation upon which every facet of your new life is built.

It never diminishes in its strength or importance, but rather than a sword with which to storm the walls of a lost world, calling becomes more of a compass for staying true to your path. I believe this evolution is necessitated by the fact that “the calling” serves two distinct roles.

People contentedly strolling along in an easy and comfortable life often need something violent and fierce to move them powerfully and awaken them to the harsh realities of a lost and dying world. Our Baptist cocoon often insulates us from the pain and hopelessness of a world without Christ.

Some of us, me included, need to be slapped pretty hard to see things clearly and hear the voice of God. Often it seems that change never comes to those who can stand to live without it. This initial calling causes us to be dissatisfied with anything else. It is undeniable and irresistible.

However, once you start down that path, you are confronted on a daily basis with these hard realities. You no longer need to be awakened; you need to be sustained. This life is incredibly difficult. A missionary must make the conscious decision every day that this lifestyle is still worth it. “The calling,” always lurking in the background, often gives you the strength to keep trudging forward.

This doesn’t mean the passion diminishes. On the contrary, the passion for the work grows as you witness with your own eyes the incredible ways in which God is at work in the world, as you see lives being transformed and you sense the intense pain in the hearts of those around you. You begin to understand the power of the Gospel and you long to see people receive the love of Christ.

I am convinced that this job to which I have been called is the greatest, hardest and most worthwhile way in which I could spend my life. And until I am called, kicking and screaming, to something else, there is nothing that could make me quit.

(Chris Watts and his wife, Colleen, serve as Southern Baptist missionaries in Rome. Originally from Georgia, they were appointed in 2000 and have a 1-year-old-son named Cotton.)

Rosalie Ranatza Capdeboscq
(February 24, 1915 – December 5, 2008)
Died at 4:15AM on Friday, December 5, 2008 at Landmark Nursing Home in Hammond, LA. She was a native of Plaquemine Parish, LA and a lifelong resident of Husser, LA. Age 93 years. Visitation at St. Dominic Catholic Church, Husser, from 9 a.m. on Tuesday until religious services at 11 a.m .Tuesday. Services conducted by Fr. Chris Romain. Interment St. Dominic Mausoleum, Husser, LA. Survived by Daughter, Gloria Capdeboscq St. Pe’, Dallas, TX, 4 sons, Camille B. Capdeboscq, Jr., DDS, Tickfaw, Henry A. Capdeboscq, Sr., Husser, James J. Capdeboscq, Sr., Hammond, Richard J. Capdeboscq, Husser, 1 sister, Marie DiMicelli, new Orleans, 15 grandchildren and 28 great-grandchildren. Preceded in death by husband, Camille B. Capdeboscq, Sr., Sister, Camille Jennings. McKneely Funeral Home, Amite, in charge of arrangements.

Coming in 7 days: Lottie Moon Christmas Tea @ New Zion Baptist Church @ 2 P.M.
This is a wonderful opportunity to learn about Lottie Moon and the beginning of international missions focus in Southern Baptist Churches. It is also a time to teach our young girls and women more about missions while being entertained with young talent and enjoying special teas and Lottie’s special tea cakes. If you need more information, I can direct you to the proper people to talk with. The bottom line is: I hope you will attend!

Have a great weekend!
Anna Lee