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Overseas Prayerline

The 'Day' and 'Country' designations below refer to the respective right-hand page(s) in the 2012 edition of the Points for Prayer Handbook, which contains useful background information to these prayer requests.

Click on these links for further information on Countries, Partners and People.

Day 4 – SPAIN

Derek and Jane French are pleased to report that the evangelistic event for students, called ‘A Chat and English’, which is held every other Friday night, is going well. 

Around 20 students attended their Christmas dinner, including several non-Christians, and a clear presentation of the Gospel was given through testimony and talks. 

This semester Derek and Jane are using a course called Identity which uses John’s Gospel to address two key questions “Who is God?” and “Who are we?”

• Pray for those coming to the evangelistic event on Friday nights that they will come to faith in God. 
  
  
• Pray that the Identity course will be a great tool for explaining the gospel clearly.
  
  
• Continue to pray for the various GBU groups and the on-going weekly Bible studies and theological training classes. Pray that students who attend will understand the Bible better, and grow in their faith and relationship with God.

Day 5 – PORTUGAL

Last Friday, James Cochrane completed a module of study (Integral Mission) with the Friday night students in Olhão. The course was enjoyable and very practical, evoking many questions and discussions. However, James is glad to have a break for a few weeks to prepare for his next module.

Obreiro Aprovado, the discipleship course using the gospel of Matthew, is virtually at the halfway point with three out of the six books almost completed.

James and Heather have been very encouraged by their involvement with GBU in Portugal over recent weeks. A small group of students is meeting fortnightly on their local university campus and James and Heather take it in turn to attend. Over the weekend of 10th to 12th February, GBU is hosting a retreat for students in the southern region of Portugal (including Algarve, Beja and Évora).  So far about 15 people have indicated they will attend. 

• Give thanks for the students meeting in Olhão on Friday nights. Pray that God would work in their minds and hearts, challenging them to think missionally and carry over this vision to their churches and communities.
  
  
• Pray for James on Monday evenings as he leads the students through the Obreiro Aprovadodiscipleship course, helping them to think through and better understand some of the theological issues raised in Matthew’s Gospel.
  
  
• Pray for Soraia, the student who heads up the local GBU group, and pray that James and Heather would be an encouragement and support to her. Pray that other Christian students would see the benefit of meeting with other Christians and commit to attending these Bible studies.  Pray also that they would invite their non-Christian friends to attend.
  
  
• Give thanks for the organising and planning that is underway for the GBU Retreat weekend. Pray for James as he prepares for and leads two Bible Studies on 1 Peter Chapter 2; and for Heather, as she prepares for, and leads two workshops on prayer during the weekend.
  
  
• Pray that God would continue to lead James and Heather during this year as they seek to serve Him in the best way they can in Portugal. 
  
  
• Pray for rain for the Algarve region. This winter has been warm and sunny and there are fears that if sufficient rain does not come in February, the water in reservoirs will be at critically low levels.

Days 12 to 14 –KENYA

Galana – Eddie and Mary Dorrans arrived safe and well in Kenya last week. They travelled by road to Timau to make preparations for the next stage of construction on the second footbridge across the Galana river. This Saturday (4th), Eddie has a meeting with the structural steel work suppliers in Nairobi. It is vital to the progress of the bridge that their work is finished in good time. 

• Pray for safety as Eddie and Mary return by road to Nairobi tomorrow, Thursday (2nd), and then travel on to the coast, possibly on Sunday 5th.
  
  
• Pray that they will quickly readjust again to climate, altitude, travelling, food, etc.
  
  
• Pray that the meeting with the structural steel work suppliers in Nairobi will go well, and that their work will be finished in good time.

Timau – From the profits made in the Meru Kisima flour outlet store, WHEAT is now ready to give scholarships to 20 very needy teenagers who are attending four different day-schools.

• Pray for these young people that they will really appreciate this financial help and see it as the hand of God on their lives.
  
  
• Continue to pray for the girls in Nanyuki Secondary School, that they will be able to grasp God's perspective on issues like teenage pregnancy and abortion. Pray for great wisdom for Linda Roulston as she discusses these sensitive issues and that the girls will have the desire and commitment to follow God’s direction in their young lives.

Tuum – Form 1 students are reporting to schools all over Kenya this week. This will increase transport needs. Tuum Girls’ Secondary School (TGSS) expects 45 students, and Stephen Cowan and his colleagues are trying to provide transport for some who are coming from Baragoi.

• Continue to pray for change and progress in the school. A good increase in student enrolment will improve morale in the school.
  
  
• Pray for the Board of Governors’ meeting at the school planned for this Friday (3rd).
  
  
• Continue to pray for students with ‘Youth with a Mission’ (YWAM). One discipleship training course finishes next week with another beginning next Monday (6th) which two students from Tuum will attend. Two people from Samburu area continue to work with YWAM, supported by Christians in Tuum.
  
  
• Continue to pray for Kasoni (a Christian Samburu girl from South Horr) who is on placement in Nakuru as part of her course in Community Health.
  
  
• Pray for future preparations for a schools based programme to challenge cultural issues that have serious health implications.
  
  
• Pray for progressive interventions in development rather than emergency interventions that are generating a negative attitude to work.

Day 15 – BMO SPECIALIST SERVICE AGENCIES

John Hamilton and Marlene Beattie from the Belfast office of Wycliffe Bible Translators will be at the Wycliffe UK Conference in England on Thursday (2nd) and Friday (3rd) this week. Topics will include: Where is God leading us?; Wycliffe Global Alliance and SIL Reinvention; reports from members completing first field terms in Cambodia, Senegal, The Gambia; and the debate on current translation issues.  

• Pray for the Wycliffe UK Conference and for those attending to have vision for the future and good fellowship together.

Meanwhile Bible translation continues with Wycliffe personnel involved in almost 1,500 languages around the world. God values people, whatever their language. No language is superior to another; God can speak through them all. People’s language is part of their identity and gives them dignity.  

• Pray that Wycliffe members will have a genuine respect for their host community, and that this will open doors to introduce people to the Scriptures and to Christ.
  
  
• Pray that local communities will realise the long-term benefit of Bible translation and be able to take the responsibility, and that God give them the vision and strengths needed.
  
  
• Pray that people will share what they have learned, and encourage life-long learning. Pray for opportunities for others to develop their leadership potential.

Days 16 to 19 – MALAWI

Mphatso Nguluwe, Director of Livingstonia Synod Aids Programme (LISAP), reports that LISAP’s annual evaluation and planning week held in January was very successful with staff being realistic in planning the year ahead.  The Family Life training they ran at the end of the week also went well. 

• Give thanks that these meetings went so well.
  
  
• Continue to pray for the work of LISAP and for Mphatso Nguluwe.   
  

The College of Theology at Ekwendeni is training 36 people for ministry within the CCAP Synod of Livingstonia. The new semester was due to start on 10th January, but didn’t due to a financial crisis.  The way forward is still not very clear, but a decision has been taken to open on 14th February. 

• Pray that sufficient funds will come in from the congregations so that the new semester can commence on 14th February.
  
  
• Pray for students and staff, that they will be encouraged as they live with the added uncertainties at this time.
  
  
• Pray for the leadership of the CCAP Synod of Livingstonia as they face many challenges – material and spiritual. Pray for unity and wisdom as they grapple with issues affecting the life and witness of the Church.

Days 21 and 22 – INDIA

Rev Uel Marrs (Overseas Secretary), who left today (1st), is on a two-week visit to the Gujarat Diocese of the Church of North India. Tomorrow (2nd), en route to Ahmedabad, Uel will have a brief stop-off in Delhi to meet with CNI’s General Secretary and other Synod officials. In Gujarat, he will meet church leaders, visit a number of projects and institutions run by CNI, and travel widely around the Diocese – speaking at a Pastors’ Conference and a number of Spiritual Conventions. 

• Pray that this visit will be encouraging and help strengthen the partnership between CNI and PCI. 
  
  
• Pray for good health, safe and trouble-free travel for Uel, both in air travel and on the roads. 

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