PL2010-04, 27-Jan-10
Wednesday, 27th January 2010 | No: PL2010-04 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 11– SUDAN
Over the past year, Rev Peter Ret Riek, from the Presbyterian Church of Sudan (PCOS) has been undertaking a UNISA course at Carlisle College, Nairobi, in preparation for his future service with the PCOS. Peter’s studies are being funded by the PW Birthday Project and he will be sitting important exams from 1st to 16th February 2010.
- Pray for Peter and the other students as they study for and sit their exams.
Days 12 to 14 – KENYA
Stephen Cowan writes, “The outreach at Seren was a great opportunity to live out the gospel before the eyes of people who know almost nothing of Jesus Christ. We met several hundred people, who had come to receive the relief food allocation for the month. The monitors had been delayed so we had a great time singing,teaching and preaching the good news of Jesus Christ. We also made some ‘black stones’ which are usedeffectively when people get bitten by snakes, and left one man producing many. The following day we checked the water source which had problems for several months and helped men identify the problem, although we were not able to fix it without tools (we will have to bring some in at a later date). At aneighbouring village, Kaisepo, the borehole pump had a problem, so we fixed that and people wereencouraged. That night the whole village came to hear the Word of God and also watched a video.”
Intake of First Year’s at Tuum Girls’ Secondary School is due to take place on 1st February. Many students struggle for fees and sadly this year the Cowan’s are not in a position to assist any students due to financial constraints. More responsibility is being placed on parents, which is the correct way; but this assumes that the parents care about their children's future, which is often not the case. Stephen Cowan says, “We live with this daily, dealing with the deceit created by survival and the lure of easy money offered by sex, even as we seek to offer a secure environment to many girls. Life and progress begins and ends with people starting to fear theLord God.”
Prayer Points –
- For Julius and Wanjiku, as they plan to go soon to live in Seren. Outreach there will be a long-term task with the way Julius and Wanjiku live as Christians being a vital and daily witness to the grace of God. Pray that they will know God’s strength and wisdom as they seek to get to know and be accepted in this community, and share the Gospel message with the people who live there.
- For the head teacher of Tuum girls who was involved in an accident. Halima was to go for a check-up on Monday, 25th January.
- For girls who want to attend school but don’t have the money needed to pay the fees and, with little or no support from their families, are open to temptation and sexual exploitation.
- Pray for Kasoni (who lives with the Cowan family) as she prepares to leave Tuum and go on a Youth-With-A-Mission Discipleship Training School (DTS), beginning on 1st February. Remember the other Samburu - Moses and Daniel, who attended the previous DTS; and Sarfino and Sebastian, who are WYAM staff members. Pray particularly for guidance as to the ‘next step’ for each of them.
Day 22 – ASIANS in the UK
Christopher and Nivedita Benjamin send the following prayer points:
- Pray for the sorrowing family and friends of Don Lundie, an elder in Wembley Park United Reformed Church (where Christopher and Nivedita are members), who died last weekend. The funeral will take place tomorrow, Thursday 28th.
- For the members of Wembley Park URC which is going through a difficult time at present.
- For Christopher as he leads Christian prayers this Friday (29th) at a meeting of the Ghandi Foundation.
Day 24 – NEPAL
Joe Campbell is in Ahmedabad in Gujarat (NW India) this week with nine Nepalese who are from five different faiths. Along with ten Indian nationals, they are involved in a multi faith peace-building programme. The group are looking together at what the various "holy books" say about peace, and are working on plans to intervene as mediators in local disputes before they become major issues. Also with Joe, is one of UMN’s Conflict Transformation Officers, who is heading up this aspect of UMN's work.
On Saturday (30th), Joe will travel to Delhi, where, on Monday (1st February), he will have a meeting with the Irish Ambassador before returning to Nepal on Tuesday, 2nd. This meeting is to discuss the arrangements for a group of senior Nepali civil servants in the Peace Ministry to visit Northern Ireland in April and build on the learning from the previous meeting about peace-making.
Prayer Points –
- For positive outcomes for Joe and the Nepali team from the meetings in Ahmedabad and Delhi.
- For wisdom about the plans for a further Nepali delegation to visit Northern Ireland, especially given the current political situation.
Tomorrow (28th), Janet Campbell plans travel to Tansen by the hospital minibus and will spend Friday, Saturday and Sunday meeting with UMN staff working there and taking them through their annual personnel review. On Monday, she hopes to travel to Butwal to see Paul and Jean Dobbing and their two year old daughter, Jennifer. The Dobbing family are the only expatriates now living in Butwal and can therefore feel quite isolated. Jennifer has been ill on and off over the past month. (Many of UMN staff members have had colds and flu recently).
A Dutch couple, Jan and Maaika, who worked for UMN 18 months ago, had a baby daughter, called Tamsin, who was born on 6th January. Sadly, Tamsin is suffering from respiratory failure due to a virus and is now on a respirator.
UMN’s Retreat Planning Committee held its last meeting earlier today (27th), ahead of the retreat planned for February, which Rev Dr Trevor Morrow (minister in Lucan Presbyterian Church) will travel over to lead the devotional sessions. Nigel Eves plans to come out to Nepal at the same time.
Prayer Points –
- For safety in travel to Tansen and Butwal and for wisdom and enabling for Janet as she meets with UMN staff for their annual review.
- For baby Tamsin to recover fully and for wisdom for the doctors treating her. Pray for emotional and physical strength for the parents at this difficult time.
- Pray for the first session of the Marriage course to be held Friday February 5th. There are eight couples coming. Pray that marriages will be strengthened and enriched. Pray too that adequate electricity will available to allow the evening to run smoothly.
- Praise God for the ongoing plans for the retreat in February.
Day 31 – DISASTERS AND EMERGENCIES
It is estimated that up to 200,000 people have died as a result of the Haiti earthquake, which devastated the country two weeks ago. In some areas, 90% of all the buildings have been destroyed. Thankfully, aid is getting through to many of the people who are in desperate need of food, water, medical help and shelter, however, due to the numbers of those in need and the devastation caused, much more is still needed, and will be needed for some time.
Prayer Points –
- For all those who have been affected by the earthquake; especially for those who have been injured, have lost loved ones, or have suffered damage to their homes, possessions, or livelihoods.
- That emergency supplies will quickly reach all those in need and for those who have been injured to receive medical help.
- For wisdom and energy for aid workers, medical staff and all those trying to bring help to so many people in desperate need.
Donations towards the Moderator’s Appeal for Haiti should be sent to the Financial Secretary’s Office,
Church House, as soon as possible, but not later than the end of February 2010.
Cheques should be made payable to ‘The Presbyterian Church in Ireland’
and marked ‘Haiti Earthquake Appeal’.
Where possible, members should be encouraged to contribute under the Gift Aid Scheme.
(Gift Aid to be recovered by the congregation).
Alternatively, people may give directly to Tearfund and Christian Aid.
Details are available on their websites.
Prayerline is also available as a recorded message, normally in a shortened version. |
Thank you for sharing in the ministry of prayer |
