Overseas Prayerline
Wednesday, 28th July 2010 | No: PL2010-30 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The 'Day' and 'Country' designations below refer to the respective right-hand page(s) in the 2010 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
In August, Spain almost comes to a standstill as many people take this month off as their annual leave. It is the same for the GBU staff workers.
- Pray for GBU staff workers as they take August to rest, relax, spend time with family and pray that they would all come back refreshed spiritually and physically for a new academic year.
Derek, Jane and Gabriela French will be heading back to Ireland (North and South) for around three weeks on home assignment and are due to leave Spain this weekend. During their time in Ireland, they have several work commitments and they also plan to attend PCI’s Special Assembly 2010 held from 16th to 19th August.
- Pray for safe and trouble-free travel to Ireland and that they too will be refreshed spiritually and physically for the new academic year ahead.
Days 13 to 15 – KENYA
A referendum on the new draft constitution of Kenya is taking place on 4th August.
- Pray for wisdom to prevail in campaigning and that voting will be free of corruption.
In Tuum preparations are taking place for the August youth camps. This year, it is hoped young people from the village of Seren will attend the camps, following recent outreach and visits to Seren. The camps will provide a good opportunity for the young people from this village to learn more about the Gospel.
The Girls’ Secondary School in Tuum closed today at the end of the second term, (a little earlier than usual due to the referendum), and the girls from Maralal will travel home today, (28th).
Prayer Points: –
- For the preparations for the youth camps.
- For the teaching times planned for August on dangers and wrongs of female circumcision. Give thanks that at least four girls from the area maintain their stand against it, which is vital as their presence challenges many of the cultural teachings and fears generated by the circumcisers and others in society. A number of child marriages have taken place recently in the area, preceded by early morning circumcision - only the gospel of Jesus can bring change!
- That the students who will be sitting for the Form 4 exam in October will study well during the school holidays.
The burial for the Kenyan lady from PCEA congregation for East African expatriates in London, who died a few days ago, takes place today (28th) at Croydon, London. Rev Kiriaku, who together with his family spent almost a week visiting the congregation, left yesterday (27th) to return to Georgia, USA.
The young people from the PCEA congregation are eagerly awaiting the arrival of a team of eight young people from PCI (organised by Board of Youth and Children’s Ministry). The team arrives this Friday (30th) and will work alongside the young people from the PCEA congregation in leading a Holiday Bible Club and engaging in some community engagement programmes.
Prayer Points: –
- For Mrs Kiiru and her family at this sad time.
- For safe travel for Rev Kinyua and family as they travel back home.
- For the PCI youth team’s visit and that the Bible Club and community engagement programmes will go well.
- For Edwin Kibathi as he continues to minister and lead the PCEA congregation.
Days 16 to 19 – MALAWI
The College of Theology at Ekwendeni opened for the second 2010 semester with a Communion service led by Robin Quinn, yesterday (27th). There are 12 new students starting there for the Ministry of Word and Sacraments. This brings the total number of ministerial students at Ekwendeni to 37. The second year students have just returned from a month's practical experience in congregations throughout the Synod.
Unfortunately, the Principal of the College missed the opening of the semester having been in hospital. A new lecturer, Rev C C Mambo, is due to start at the College, but his arrival has been delayed due to a lack of housing for him.
Prayer Points: –
- For the settling in of the new students, adjusting to a very different situation and in many cases leaving their wives and children at their parents' home.
- For the second year students reflecting on their practical experiences in seminar groups over the coming weeks.
- For the Principal, Rev Dr Overtoun Mazunda, that he will be restored to good health again and be able to resume his teaching and administration quickly.
- For Rev Mambo, that his housing will be sorted out quickly and he will be able to settle into his teaching role easily, especially since it is his first time to teach.
- For Robin as he covers some of Rev Mazunda’s work over the next month.
- For Robin, Helen and their two daughters and son-in-law who are currently visiting Ekwendeni.
As part of the implementation of the Synod Strategic Plan, the Taskforce on Minister and Lay Leadership Training are finalising a Policy Document and writing a curriculum for Lay Leadership Training at a workshop from 29th July to 1st August 2010.
Prayer Points: –
- Give thanks for good progress so far in this process.
- Pray for a clear, simple and workable policy.
- Pray that the taskforce will be enabled to write a relevant and very practical curriculum for training lay leaders.
Day 24 – NEPAL
Two attempts have been made in the past ten days to elect a new Prime Minister who will then form a new government. Both have failed due to the inability of the three main parties to reach agreement. A third attempt will be made early next week. Meanwhile important development, health, and education projects are either being delayed or moving very slowly due to officials being unable to make decisions in the current situation.
Last week’s Forgiveness and Reconciliation Programme for church leaders from around the country which Joe Campbell was involved in, went very well. Many have been inspired to teach forgiveness principles in their congregations and in the wider community.
Patricia Drummond (a member of Fitzroy Presbyterian Church, Belfast) has completed her one-year term as tutor at Dhulikel Hospital Physiotherapy degree programme. She departed yesterday (27th) for her home in Belfast.
Janet and Joe Campbell are packing up and preparing for home assignment and are thankful to the wider church for their prayers during their four-year assignment in Nepal. They write “Time and again we have sensed the presence, love and protection of God". Janet and Joe arrive back in Ireland at the beginning of August and will begin deputation in September.
Prayer Points: –
- That new visionary and courageous voices will be heard among the political leaders, and that energy spent fighting one another will instead be focused on tackling the many critical development issues the people face in their daily lives. Too many are dying of preventable diseases, not having access to proper sanitation, clean water and adequate food.
- For safe travel for Janet and Joe and for God's blessing as they re-connect with family and friends in the coming weeks.
OVERSEAS TEAMS
A number of teams are overseas over the next week as follows and we encourage you to pray for them:
BOLVIA – A team of 12 adults and one infant from High Street, Holywood Presbyterian Church are due home today (28th) from Cochabamba, in Bolivia, where they have been working alongside Marcos and Gwen Quinteros and La Corona (The Crown) Church Fellowship for the past couple of weeks [Team Blog].
BRAZIL – A team of ten adults from Bloomfield Presbyterian Church are in Recife, where they are working alongside Adrian and Judith Stewart, Presbyterian missionaries with Latin Link. This week, they are helping to lead a camp for teenagers, which is being run by a local congregational church plant in an area of Recife called Tejipio. Following this, they will do a mixture of follow-up work with local children, English teaching and possibly other types of workshops, as well as engaging in some construction work on site (a former seminary building). The team is due home on 15th August.
ENGLAND – A team of eight young people organised by PCI's Board of Youth and Children’s Ministry (YAC) leave on Friday (30th) for London where they work alongside Edwin and Anne Kibathi in the Kenyan Church in East London and will help lead a Holiday Bible Club. They will work alongside Kenyan young people and children’s leaders, and will also be involved in some community engagement programmes. The team is due to return on 8th August.
JAMAICA – A team of eight people from The Mall, Armagh Presbyterian Churchis due home today, (28th) from Jamaica where they have been involved in children’s work for the past two weeks.
KENYA – A team of six people from Hillhall Presbyterian Church are working at Compass School, just outside Nairobi, where they are helping to build a crèche. The team is due home on 7th August.
MALAWI – A team of eight teachers, organised by PCI’s Board of Youth and Children’s Ministry and Board of Mission Overseas,is in northern Malawi where they are working alongside Diane Cusick and Fiona Innes. They are assisting in the running of workshops for those who in turn train other nursery school teachers. These workshops will promote interactive teaching methods – including games, music and movement, effective storytelling and questioning and making resources. The team is due home on Monday (2nd August).
A team from Greenwell Street Presbyterian Church, Newtownards is in Ekwendeni. This week, they are helping lead a children’s club for five days at Ekwendeni, and next week they will lead a club for teenagers. They plan to work alongside local Malawian Sunday school teachers for the children’s club, (last time they had up a thousand children each day), but it will be the first time they have held the club for teenagers. They also hope to do some work with the Livingstonia Aids Programme (LISAP). The team is due home on 13th August.
ROMANIA – A team of 18 people from Annalong Presbyterian Church are working at a Christian camp in Romania. The team have divided in two, with 12 men doing some building work and the other six (men and women) are helping to lead a camp for Romanian children. The team is due home this Sunday (1st August).
A team of 12 people from the congregations of Portstewart Presbyterian Church| McQuiston Memorial Presbyterian Church are helping to run a camp for teenagers in Romania. The team is due home on Tuesday (3rd August).
Rev Nigel and Antonia Craig are leading a group of 12 teenagers and six adults to Romania. The young people and their leaders are from Ray and Newtowncunningham Presbyterian Churches, and two other Presbyterian congregations in Co. Donegal. The team have spent a few days in the village of Bihor Vajda, assisting Hungarian Reformed minister Rev Endre Kondor, with youth and children's work. They are now participating in an IKE (Reformed Church's youth movement) camp in Algogy; which has been organised by Csaba and Ilona Veres. The team returns home on Monday (2nd August).
UKRAINE - A team of 11 people from West Kirk Presbyterian Church leave for Ukraine this Friday (30th). They will be working alongside a church in the village of Karpilovka in north-west Ukraine, in an area which is still affected by the Chernobyl disaster. The team will be running a Bible Club for children and literature distribution around the village. The team is due home again on 11th August.
Prayer Points for these teams –
• Good health, safety, strength and energyfor all the team members and those they are working with.
• The work that each of the teams will be involved in.
• For the Word of God to be explained clearly and for spiritual fruit in the lives of those the teams are going to help or work alongside.
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