Presbyterian Church in Ireland - Mission Overseas - PL2010-19, 12-May-10

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PL2010-19, 12-May-10

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

Two GBU groups in Vitoria University are studying the Christianity Explored Course.

• Pray for Lina and Rosalina as they organise this and for the three to four non-Christians who are attending the course. Pray that they would each come to know Christ personally.

Day 8 – UKRAINE

Rev Uel Marrs arrived home safely on Saturday (8th) following his visit to the Transcarpathian Reformed Church (TRC), an ethnic Hungarian denomination linked with the Reformed Church in Hungary (HRC) that serves the mainly Hungarian-speaking population of Western Ukraine.

• Give thanks for good meetings and pray for wisdom as consideration is given to finding appropriate ways of further developing the links between our two churches.

Days 12 to 14 – KENYA

The visit of Headmaster, Donald Mudzomba, and teachers, Robert Mramba and Naomi Wambua, from Bombi Primary School(in Galana) to the Royal and Prior Comprehensive School in Raphoe, Co Donegal has reinforced the partnership between the two schools. Rev Stanley Stewart, Chaplain at Royal & Prior, writes: “Thanks to the support given by Worldwise (a section of Irish Aidmanaged by Leargas) a mutually beneficial partnership has been forged. Derek Roulston has helped enormously in overcomingbureaucracy and logistical problems. Students and teachers have been inspired and motivated to reach out in friendship and support; appreciating the richness and benefits of diversity; seeing and hearing of thetransforming power of the Gospel in people's lives andcommunities. While those in the wider church community have embraced the visitors and beentouched by their stories.”Ash-cloud permitting, the three visitors are due to fly back to Kenya this Friday (14th), arriving back in Galana on Saturday (15th).

• Give thanks to God for the relationships established and developed between the two schools and pray that the exchange of ideas and experiences will be beneficial to both school communities.
  
  
• Pray that the Kenyan visitors will have a safe and smooth flight back to Nairobi and a trouble-free onward journey to Bombi in Galana District.
  
  Pray that this trip will help motivate them with fresh vision for the way ahead for their school, and for their own spiritual walk.
  
  
• Pray for the ongoing planning for a visit to Bombi School in June/July this year by a group of Irish teachers and students, and that all involved will be greatly blessed and enriched as they go and see, and have opportunities to share with and learn from the community in Galana.

Derek Roulston and his colleagues plan to hold another Field Day on the 24th May on the site of their office and potato demonstration plots, which will seek to show different means of disease control and fertiliser applications, as well as seed quality in relation to crop yield.

• Pray for Derek and Linda Roulston as they travel to Nairobi this week to follow up the progress of their work permits, which they are anxious to get sorted as soon possible.
  
  
• Pray too for the preparations for the Field Day being held on Monday, 24th May. 

There has been heavy rain around Tuum in Northern Kenya, making the roads more difficult to travel on. As a consequence, journeys by road are taking around 30% longer and much more time has to be spent on vehicle maintenance. This makes it difficult to plan anything

• Pray for safe travel on the roads around Tuum.
  
  
• Pray for all the young people learning skills in the garage and for opportunities to share the truth of the gospel with them. 
  
  
• Pray too for two students at YWAM.

Days 16 to 19 – MALAWI

Victoria Chihana and Helen Quinn are visiting all the congregations in Luwerezi Presbytery today and tomorrow, (12th and 13th) to collect and distribute loans to new groups of women in each congregation through the Women's Empowerment Programme Micro-Finance Loan Scheme.

• Pray for safe travel; for good interaction with the women; and that this practical help and encouragement will be a real blessing to these women and their families.

As the CCAP Synod of Livingstonia continues with the implementation of the strategic plan, the Planning Committee meets today Wednesday 12th May, to review the process.

• Give thanks for the process so far and pray for wisdom as the committee reviews what has been done and gives guidance to the taskforces for the next three months.

The taskforce on developing the training of ministers and lay leaders is continuing to do a needs survey of rural, semi-rural and urban congregations this Friday and Saturday (14th & 15th). 

• Pray that this survey will clarify what the needs are, and lead to a more relevant and practical policy and curriculum for the training of ministers and lay leaders. 

The students of the College of Theology at Ekwendeni are doing their end of semester exams from 12th to 20th May. The semester closes with a communion service on Friday 21st May, conducted by Robin Quinn.

• Give thanks for the evidence of God's work in the lives of these students as they aim at equipping themselves to serve God through his church in the years to come.
  
  
• Pray for safe travel as they return to their families from whom they have been separated for the last four months.

The Student Christian Organisation of Malawi (SCOM) is holding school-leavers retreats from 21st to 24th May at five centres throughout Northern Malawi. The young people are coming to the end of their secondary school education and sit their final exams early next term in July.

• Pray for the financial resources needed for the organisers and the students. 
  
  
• Pray for all the speakers and discussion group leaders.
  
  
• Pray that young people will come to saving faith; that many will also be built up in their faith; and that they will be prepared for the difficulties and uncertainties, especially in the next year.

Days 22 and 23 – INDIA & ASIANS in the UK

Hazel McClenaghan sadly passed away last Friday, 7th May.  Hazel served as a PCI missionary in India from 1953 to 1970, and from 1971 to 1976 she was involved in the new Seva Sadan Project amongst Gujaratis in Birmingham. Hazel also served as Overseas Secretary of PWA from 1976 to 1982. 

• Give thanks for Hazel’s life and faithful service to God.
  
  
• Remember her family and friends at this time of sorrow and loss. 

Day 24 – NEPAL

After six days, the Maoists called off their ‘indefinite’ nationwide strike in Nepal, saying that it was taking a heavy toll on ordinary people. Party leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal said the Maoists would continue with other forms of protest.

Prayer Points –

• Give thanks that the strike has ended relatively peacefully.
  
  
• Pray for the country of Nepal at this critical point in its history, that it will be kept from imploding and that reason and calm will prevail.
  
  
• Pray that politicians from all the parties will continue meeting and talking with each other and soon find a solution to the present stalemate, one that all can accept. Pray for bold and decisive leadership that will lead to peaceful working together in place of the current entrenched standoff.
  
  
• Remember Joe and Janet Campbell, and Grenville and Georgie Hopkinson and their children, and other staff at UMN. 
  
  
• Pray for the Church in Nepal, that it will find appropriate ways of letting the Light of Christ shine at this time, that is will be able to serve the needy and vulnerable in Jesus’ Name demonstrating His love and compassion for mankind; and speaking with a prophetic voice at this critical time in the life of the nation.

Day 25 – THAILAND

There has been no agreement yet between the anti-government (red-shirt) protesters and the government in Thailand. The government has called on the protesters to go home, and threatened to cut their supply lines. With continuing tension and disquiet throughout the nation, please continue to pray for Thailand and its people.

• Pray for calm and the restoration of peace with justice and equity for all.
  
  
• Pray particularly for the Church in Thailand, that it may have a clear understanding of its God-given place in society, having the courage to speak prophetically into the current situation and seeking to find ways to help bring about a lasting peace to a deeply divided and fearful nation.

Day 26 – MISSION INVOLVEMENT

Under the auspices of the Mission Agencies Partnership (MAP), the Board of Mission Overseas is running a Debriefing for SendersWorkshopthis Saturday, 15th Mayin Banbridge Road, Dromore Presbyterian Church. This workshop, which is primarily for team leaders and those sending teams overseas, will provide training on the how to provide effective debriefing to those returning from short-term mission assignments overseas. Debriefing is an important tool that aims to help such people work through the impact of their feelings and emotions, helping them to benefit from their overseas experiences as they settle back into the routines of ‘normal life’ at home.

• Pray for those involved in organising and preparing for this event; and for safe and trouble-free travel for Debbie Hawker, the workshop facilitator, who, with her husband and young son, will be travelling over from England on Friday 14th, returning again on Sunday 16th. 

More details and Information Flyer (174Kb pdf).
To book, Contact Us.

Closing date for booking is Thursday 13th May 2010.

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