December 2008 - Ministries

 The Pottengers (Kenya)

Praises

• For the LORD bringing them through their first major transition, with no complications.
• For the sweet time with family in the winter wonderland 
• That Peg is finally feeling better

Prayers

• For Kenya Grace, better sleep, teething, getting used to schedule 
• Wisdom for Peg & Matt as parents 
• Their marriage, connecting time. 
• for the ability to focus on getting important things done, but not missing family and relax time 
• Safe travel for Peg's parents (Sunday to Michigan) 
• Intimate time with the LORD, individually and as a couple

The Compeans (Nairobi, Kenya)

• Thank you for praying for the trip to Turkana. God blessed in many ways. Bible studies in two villages were organized into operating churches with national pastors. That is a huge thing among unreached peoples. 
• Rick is an assistant pastor at Living Water church and a representative for Firefighters for Christ, he also does Bible studies in various communities. Please pray for Rick. Please pray for his wife Ruth.

Operation Nic. (Israel)

• Praise the Lord for a safe and easy reentry into Israel.  Abra received a 3 month tourist visa which allows us plenty of time to work on her permanent status.  No questions were asked and we didn't even have to show any special documents, just our passports.
• Praise the Lord for the way He arranged everything on our trip to the States.  We were able to visit our families, several Churches and congregations and meet many new people who are excited about the ministry here in Israel and are committed to praying for us.  There's no way we could have managed all that in three short weeks without the Lord's help.
• Praise the Lord for all our wonderful supporters, prayer partners and care team members.  We were amazingly blessed by all the love support and practical help during our stay.  We were gifted with a place to stay in Morro Bay, a rental car, a local cell phone,much needed dental care, and a guitar for John Michael to use.  Those were just a few of the many blessings and gifts we were showered with, the most important of which was seeing so many of you face to face.
• Prayer- Please pray for Abra's Dad Rich.  His father recently passed away, his brother is very ill and Rich has many family related responsibilities, including sharing the Lord with unsaved family members (which he does faithfully).  Please pray for Abra to have peace as she's leaving her family behind in California, and that she'll be able to fully trust the Lord to care for them.

• Prayer- Please pray that the Lord will continue to prepare the path before us as we reenter Israeli society and take on the various ministry responsibilities waiting for us here.  Pray also for our neighbors in this building as we just saw a notice that someone has passed away two days ago (possibly our land lady's mother.)  Please pray that this will be a ministry opportunity.
• Prayer- Please pray for our transition this week: that we would both remain healthy, that we'll be able to adjust to the new time zone without difficulty, and that there won't be any major "snaffus" with our bills or scheduled responsibilities here.

EspoClan (Hainan, China)

 Paul Bunyan

• Please keep Paul and his family lifted
• Though Paul has lived with us for a couple of years, his wife and children must live in the village.  It is very difficult for them to cope with not having Paul around.  The family system is almost feudal.  Power plays and caprice have marked the decisions that Paul’s brother makes as he heads up the family.  There has been elder abuse and other abuse that I just can’t put on paper.  Those around Paul’s wife think she is a fool. 
• Paul’s physical condition has gotten much better. He now has a job making crafts that his employer sells.  The crafts are wonderful and Paul has become quit an artist but the job pays pennies.  It is not enough to support his family but it helps in other ways. It has certainly reinforced the idea that there are things he can do to take care of his family’s financial needs.  
• We are looking at the possibility of purchasing a three wheeled motorcycle taxi for Paul.  Though I am tempted to make it a gift, we will instead purchase the taxi and let Paul pay for it month to month.  It will be mine until what is essentially a no interest loan is paid off.  The vehicle itself can be purchase for $1000 to $1500USD.  Not much by most standards but an impossible sum for Paul and his family.  We really want to see Paul and his family whole.     

 Village Outreach

• Please keep the village and those that going out there lifted.  We need favor with the authorities and endurance.  

 Orphanage

• The orphanage group has really been doing a good job. Please keep the group lifted up.  Their presence in the orphanage depends on a good relationship with the authorities.  The boss has given them that. It has taken a tremendous effort to get into facility. Everyone must do their part for us to continue to impact the lives of these kids. 

 Interns

• Over all the interns are doing great
• Pray for one of the interns whom Tim had to talk with about what he was teaching and allowing to be taught at a local group. After being spoken to this intern has left the ministry. Please keep this group leader lifted.  Please also lift up my having and opportunity to meet with him and get him on the right track.  

 The Back Burner

There are a few things on the back burner. They need to be lifted up.  We really need wisdom, direction and provision for these things to move forward.  

• The skate park and coffee house are like this.  We really want to see those two things happen but there are hurdles we just can’t seem to get over.  No need to abandon the idea but we just don’t have an open door through which we can step.  I feel a little like Paul trying to get into Asia and every time he makes a left, the Spirit says no.  Doors continue to open in other areas and we are going to keep lifting and stepping through doors as often as we can.  Please keep this lifted.  
• Also on the back burner is midweek through the book study. It would be a cattle call taught in Chinese and English.  It is sorely needed and would give people tools that they simply don’t yet possess.  They are certainly not getting that in their local groups.  
• In addition to another study, Trudy is also champing at the bit to get Kid’s Club off the ground.  That’s going to take a lot of work in preparation.  We had a pretty good set back recently when a virus destroyed a hard drive.  The file menu was eaten.  It looks like everything else on the drive is there but without that menu there is no way to open the files on the disk.  Most of what Trudy and Kristin had managed to translate was on that drive.  We are hoping our friend can get to the files.  Please keep this lifted.  

 Wedding Bells

• We’re down to the biggest deal on my calendar.  In less than two weeks, Greg and Alice are getting married in Hong Kong.  It’s pretty exciting stuff but it sure comes at a hard part of the year.  There are Christmas parties to host and attend so that the good news can be given.  Right on the midst of that, Alice’s parents are coming in for the holiday and the kid’s wedding.  You thought Christmas shopping was stressful…you ain’t seen nothing. There still hasn’t been any blood spilled but please keep all of us lifted up.  

Eric Doster (Mexico)

• Pray that his time in that states would be a blessing

Meagan Webster (Mexico)

Mexico Team

Israel Team

Pottengers (Kisumu, Kenya)

P3 praises; Rejoicing in God's Grace and LOVE;

• car sold,
• much support from team and
• financially (and still coming in)
• God's strength in the warfare (still a battle)

Requests;

• Health and logistics
• Final details to get worked out before Dec 7
• Keeping their eyes on the LORD

Meagan (Mexico)

• Selling her car
• Dec trip building project; planning
• provision for the trip/project, thru fundraising or TRUST the LORD

Vicky & Ramsey (Nairobi, Kenya)

• We are just asking for continued prayer for Vicky. We are now at 39 weeks and she is having lots of normal discomfort. The timing of the birth could be any day now or even up to another 2 weeks. So we are just asking for prayer as her body is going through this transition time of getting ready.

Compeans (Nairobi, Kenya)

• Thank God with us as building has begun for the church. Well, building may be a bit of a stretch, but the beginnings of a fence are up and should be completed next week. A water tower is also being installed. Please thank God with us as we move forward. Please also pray as the work continues. Please particularly pray for security.
• Please also be praying as we seek to put up some type of temporary meeting hall on our church plot ASAP. The hall we are renting does not have a roof and we have been repeatedly forced to meet in our small office because of rain. The landlord refuses to put a roof on the building and there are no other alls to rent. It is a horrible position for the church, but also more of an opportunity for God to be glorified. Through all this we believe God is confirming for CIF to pour the slab for the future children's ministry building and put up the roof as a temporary meeting place as the hall is built.  Please pray as we go forward in God's power and be meeting in the future CIF children's ministry space before mid-December. Please also pray we can have a cargo container delivered to the site for secure storage.

Rich & Tricia (Kenya)

·     Pray for Rich as he travels to the horn, the trip will be about 2.5 weeks

·     For the car to hold up on atrocious roads.

·     For safety on atrocious roads. (from other drivers, bandits, whatever…)

·     For smooth border crossings.  (we go from Kenya to Ethiopia to the Horn… then back)

·     For Paul’s wife (Virginia) to heal.  The Dr.s have not had any success in finding out what she has.

·     For Tricia as she stays in Nairobi with the kids.  Cal and Brynne will be out of school before I get back so it’ll be a 1 to 6 ratio for a while.

Susanta (India)

·     That my family and myself along with my coworkers will remain faithful & committed to God and serve the untouched millions effectively.

·     That we will continue to maintain a holy life and that our life will speak louder than our words.

·     That in the midst of persecution we will stay focus and not loose our vision.

·     That God would provide for the needs of our pioneers who toil on the fields and that we would lack anything specially as we are struggling financially to pay the salaries of our pioneer church planters. That God would provide new partners who stand with us so that these pioneer church planter would not loose their monthly allowances due to financial crisis in our world today.

·     That God would release us from this struggling that we are going through and provide us new advocates who would introduce and connect us to new donors.

·     That the bereaved families and families who are living in trauma will be recovered soon in Orissa.

·     That God would continue enlarge the courts our tent for His glory and kingdom in Northern India.

Pastor Ramiro (Mexico)

• Pray for Mexico trip over Christmas break, trip will center on the weekend of December 27-28
• Please pray for someone to come who has a big truck and for lots of good things (food, warm clothing, toys) to fill it
• We have been praying for the funds to buy the house and lot where the Pan de Vida comedor is, and so far about $1500 has come in!!  This should be just enough for the down payment and then there is another $4000 to make in installments.  Pray for this to come in too.  This will allow the comedor to continue and for this house to be a shelter for a homeless family who will help run the comedor.  There is an increase in hungry children coming for breakfasts and Ramiro is praying for more chairs to seat them all.  The slow economy here in the US has caused a lot of lay offs and less work for people in Tijuana.
• Pray for Leonardo and family.  A faithful member of the congregation, Leonardo, lost his house in a fire.  While they were at church for an evening service his house burned to the ground.  His whole family including teenagers lost everything down to food and clothing and their house is gone so they are homeless, staying next to the church for now.
• Please pray for Pastor Ramiro and his family's spiritual and physical health.  They are doing well.  He sends his greetings and love.