September 2009 - Blogs

 CC Smolensk (Russia)                                                                 

Spiritual growth and unity at church

For the new believers at church 

The finances for the church 

That God provides support for the church ministries and financing of the church building 

Team-work/evangelism with the evangelical churches of Smolensk 

The wisdom in leading the church and following God’s will concerning ministries and strategies in managing the church  

Pastor Victor and his family 

For help those who are in need  

Mark Piester (Russia)

Pray for Anton Fromin and the other children who repented this summer. Pray for the parents and family members who became Christians after hearing the gospel from their children who attended camp. 

Pray for Ludmila Samikova and her family, that the Lord will provide her with a better paying job. 

Continue to pray for Sasha and Luba Cherednichenko as they undergo medical treatments. Pray for their work among the children at risk in their region. Pray for the proposed project and the needed finances for the proposed building project, “House of Mercy.” 

A heartfelt thank you for your ongoing support and prayers which give me the opportunity to serve God and the Russian people. Praise to the Lord for his ongoing work of changing and redeeming lives of children, young adults and people for eternity - God is at work through your prayers and financial support. 

John Michael & Abra (Israel)

Thank you so much for holding us up in prayer. This week has been a busy and adventurous one, and we really appreciate your support. 

Praise the Lord for ministry growth- S.A.L.A.M,  the ministry we\'ve been working with in Bethlehem, had it\'s first meeting at the local Christian school there. Several school staff attended, as well as a group from SEND ministry, that we met in Jerusalem.  They were all enthusiastic about the SALAM meeting, and plan to continue attending. We\'re already seeing our little Sunday group expanding a lot, and everyone is excited about the future of ministry in Bethlehem!

Praise the Lord for unexpected ministry opportunity- I reconnected with a friend I hadn\'t seen in about 3 years. She is a Jewish believer, living just outside of Jerusalem.  She showed up at our congregation on Saturday, looking for a new fellowship.  I expressed how happy I was to see her again and encouraged her to get plugged into a home fellowship here too. This Monday night, she unexpectedly called me, asking for prayer, and confided in me some of the struggles she\'s been having lately.  We had a great conversation and prayer time. Please be praying that miss "Z" would be firmly planted in fellowship, and remain open to ministry.

Prayer - Please be praying for these upcoming ministry projects:  

Worship team- Our worship team leader at Shemen Sasson, is taking some time off to have a baby.  John Michael has been asked to help fill in and lead worship for part of the time she is gone.  He was also asked to lead worship this week at another congregation in Jerusalem called King of Kings 

Outreach-The Jewish Holidays are coming and we plan to participate in a holiday outreach.

Small Group- John Michael and I have been asked by the singles at Shemen Sasson to help facilitate a small Bible Study and fellowship group for them.  This is still in the planning stages and we\'re having a get together this Friday to discuss the plans. 

Prayer- Please  continue praying for an increased ability to converse in Hebrew- the prayers are really helping! This week I\'ve come to realize, more than ever, how important facility with the language is here. We met this week with some Americans who are new to Israel, and I "re-visited" with them, some of the difficulties of trying to get along here without Hebrew. I understand not only that it is crucial to our ministry but also to our adjusting to the culture and feeling "at home" here in Jerusalem. This week I had an entire phone conversation, about the children\'s ministry schedule at our congregation, in my broken Hebrew.  It wasn\'t very sophisticated, but I did it!

John Michael and I thank each of you for your prayers.  We are so encouraged to know that you\'re partners with us in this ministry. 

Shawn Somers (Ensenada, Mexico)

helping with the building project of the Calvary Chapel Bible College using his engineering background.  He has been there for almost a month

Please continue to pray for me as I walk by faith in His Spirit, that He might continually reveal the path He has laid out before me. I feel like I am right where He wants me, and I want to continue to answer His call, for “in [His] presence is fullness of joy” (Psalm 16), and I can personally attest to that. The joy that is spread around this campus is simply indescribable. I thank each one who reads this, and my gratitude for your prayers is immeasurable.

Orphan Prayer:

Let\'s pray for Philip Hayden Foundation in China

Meagan Webster (Mexico)

Praise 

A woman at the park who accepted the Lord during our lunch

The faithful servants of the Lord who built Meagan\'s (and the others\') house

The people God has placed at the church to serve with diligence at any cost for Christ

Prayer 

For this woman to come to the church and take part in discipleship

For the woman\'s friend who heard the whole conversation

For discipleship at the church

For the Lord to be the director of Meagan\'s steps through every day

The Pottengers (Kisumu, Kenya)

Praises

They are in their home and getting all the rooms in order 

She is at the end of her cold and KG\'s tummy is better!

Grace is with them along with Rachel

Rachel being blessed by going out with other missionaries

Prayers

For Grace, she has a cold and she is really tired

Peg- the critters are really a struggle for her. mice, bats, cockroaches

Other than the night guard and "Sunday" their daytime outside help, I haven\'t heard about others, so pray they find the right people for those positions

Nancy (Ohio into Kentucky)

Praises

all the wonderful people she has met along the way and the reconnects God has allowed.

blessings from others

How the LORD has used her with others

Prayers

Body- strength and renewal, in particular, knee and thigh muscle

this next part of the journey- starting to go into the slave states

feeling fear about this next part of the trip, spiritual warfare?

Discernment, putting on the armor of God Daily, continuation of God\'s provision and her availability for the appointments HE has

Don & Marta (Lagos, Nigeria)

Pray for us to adjust to life in Lagos as it is so hectic.

Pray for Kefas to remain faithful and to become a shepherd with the compassion of Jesus.

Pray for wisdom, discernment, protection, and for our health

Pray for wisdom on where and when to start services.

For the unsaved to repent and receive Jesus

For provision for the new ministry here

Pray for our families to seek the Lord.

CC Latvia

Pray for the Powers that God would continue to direct them

Pray that the Lord would continue to bring the lost to Him

Sharon Porterfield (Thailand)

Prayer Requests

Urgent!  The plan of the Burmese government is still to terminate the Karen living in the Karen State in Burma before their 2010 election!  Even though the rains have started, the attacks have increased  It is an all out attack to either kill the Karen, or get them out of Burma.  The men are sought after to be forced porters and land mine sweepers.  The Burmese don\'t like the Thai helping the Karen, which makes it very tense for the Karen in Thailand, and can be difficult to help them when they arrive on this side.  I just received news that the Burmese have arrived near the southernmost point of the southern Karen State, called the Tenasserim Division. We have been helping them for the last two years.  Please continue to pray for their safety & for the Lord to turn the enemy back in a miraculous way - that all will see His hand of protection & He will get all of the glory!  Thank you!

Please continue to pray for my friend Carol, who has cancer in her liver, and her husband, Brian, pastor of Calvary Chapel Half Moon Bay.  The chemo.  has not worked and surgery is not an option - please pray for the Lord to miraculously heal her & for them to focus on Jesus and not the disease.  Please pray the Lord will bless them abundantly during their two week vacation together - thank you!

Please continue to pray for the many physical needs here.  Naw Day, that was asked for prayer last month, ended up in the hospital for kidney stones, totally unrelated to her other problem!  We totally saw the Lord\'s hand on her, as she was already in the city for her doctor\'s appointment & the attack came the next morning before they left town.  The team from King\'s Harbor church was able to visit & pray for her, and she is safely back in her village now!  Both she, and the patient from Whey Mah Lai have follow up appointments next month.  Klee Moo Gay & her husband, Law Wah, both just had surgeries and are recuperating in my room in Hua Hin.  We brought another patient , May Lay, from the IDP area in the south,.  She has been diagnosed with low hemoglobin & Parkinson\'s disease.  She is 36 years old.  All patients have follow-up appointment in September - please pray all of them will have good healing reports when they return to their doctors - thank you!

Praise Reports

Praise the Lord for a fruitful time teaching the FBR students - there were five new students and all needed much encouragement!  Nick, from FBR,  taught  the Bible during my week absence to host the King\'s Harbor Church team.  The trek going back in was a bit rough because of lots of rain during my absence, but the Karen provided rain boots for me, which made everything so much easier!  The trek back out at the end of the training ended in the rain in the dark - never a dull moment serving the Lord here!

Praise the Lord for answered prayer for Lay Htoo, a patient prayer request last month.  He is ok now and ready to return to teach at the IDP school again! Praise the Lord for His provision for May Lay to get the treatment she needs!

Praise the Lord for people coming to minister to the Karen!  Returnees - Derrick from Harvest Riverside, Hoai from Calvary Chapel in England; newcomers - King\'s Harbor Church team of ten, and Gordon from Ventura Missionary Church (through a contact a Shoreline Calvary Chapel).  Also, praise the Lord for His provision for all needed surgeries and hospital bills for so many patients.!!