JANUARY 2015

Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let them say among the nations, “The LORD reigns!” -1 Chronicles 16:31 1. OPEN DOOR. Two Buddhist the Lord to raise more workers for the strained parent-child relationships and monasteries in have allowed harvest among Chinese in Africa. materialism in the children. Pray for churches to minister to this overlooked Christian literature and videos to be 6. GROWING CHURCH. Despite demographic, that migrant families available. Praise God for this open door. persecution, the church in would find Christ and be transformed. Ask the Lord to continue strengthening grows. Christian workers are seeing relationships between Christian national believers questioned by police, 11. WATER PROJECT. A water project workers and Buddhist monks, that threatened by neighbors and arrested plan and budget was put together on these men would become vessels for for their faith. Ask God to strengthen behalf of a village in . Necessary God’s truth. the persecuted believers and to grow government parties signed off on the 2. BURIAL SITE. Praise God for the his church. plans, but the villagers rejected the proposal, most likely because of an presence of a Christian burial site 7. OUTREACH IN MACAU. Recent internal dispute. Pray that God would in Kratié province, Cambodia. Few years have seen an influx of bring the villagers to a resolution. Christian burial grounds exist in the from and other areas to whole country. Pray that the site Macau. Most missionaries in Macau 12. ENDURING FAITH. Pastor Itoh, would encourage believers and create are involved in , discipleship, friend of Christian workers Ralph and opportunity for nonbelievers to hear church planting, drug addiction Miho Clatworthy, served the Lord about the eternal life with Christ that rehabilitation and Bible teaching. Pray faithfully for many years in . is available to all. for their effectiveness in reaching what He recently passed away, but leaves 3. RECEIVING THE WORD. is often a dark spiritual area. behind a legendary story of enduring faith. Pray that his life story would Christian workers shared the gospel 8. PRAYER WALKING. Over 31 inspire many young Japanese Christians with an elderly woman in a small teams, both foreign and local, have gone to dedicate their lives to God’s service. mountain village of China. When she on prayer-walking journeys through a saw their Bible, the woman took it certain Southeast Asian country in the 13. NEW FAITH. The Japanese are the with delight saying, “This is for me, past two years, inviting God’s Spirit into second-largest unreached people group isn’t it?” Pray for the salvation of this 120 unreached villages. Praise God for in the world (Joshua Project). Still, God is grandmother and her family as they these successful mobilization efforts. drawing the Japanese to himself. Praise read the Bible to her. Pray that long-term spiritual fruit, both God for the new faith of a Japanese 4. RETURNEE RETREAT. The U.K. in the villages and in the short-term woman named Takako. Her husband Diaspora Returnee Ministries (DRM) workers, would result. is not a Christian. Pray that Takako will grow in faith and that her husband will team held a Chinese returnee retreat 9. NK WORKERS. According to a be affected by the change in her. in November and hopes to follow Seoul-based think tank, many North up with one-on-one mentoring for Koreans working outside the country 14. CHEFOO RECONSIDERED. participants. Pray for the DRM team only receive 10-15 percent of their In October 2014, 66 adult OMF as they replicate this model in North salary. This amounts to $2.3 billion per International third-culture kids (TCKs) America, that these retreats would year for Kim Jong-un’s administration, came together at the old Chefoo help equip and encourage returnees according to an Asan Institute for boarding school in for “Chefoo on their spiritual journeys. Policy Studies report. Pray that God Reconsidered.” Praise God that the 5. SPIRITUAL NEED IN AFRICA. provides for impoverished workers week-long event brought healing Increasing numbers of Chinese are and that they would hear the gospel and restoration to many TCKs who going to East Africa where there in their workplaces. had difficult experiences at Chefoo. Pray for ongoing efforts to help OMF are many major engineering and 10. MIGRANT WORKERS. Forced International TCKs process their unique infrastructure projects. One Christian to move to the city to find work, childhood experiences. worker reports that, “When we visit migrant workers in China often leave the Chinese working there, we often their children behind for long periods 15. MOURNING LOSS. Two OMF sense their great spiritual needs.” Ask of time. The separation leads to International couples have recently lost their babies while serving on the by the gospel. The Sundanese, who are missional small groups that aim to field. Praise God for the lives of these concentrated on the western side of mobilize more believers to be involved two precious children who are now the island of Java, are known for their with missions. fully healed in heaven. Pray for God’s devotion to Islam. Pray for the message 28. COMMUNICATIONS VP. Praise comfort and peace to accompany these of God’s grace and truth to take root God for quickly providing a new Vice families as they grieve, and that God powerfully among them. President for Communications, Sue would use these families’ stories for his 22. PERSONNEL COORDINATOR. Brage, for the OMF International glory in . As OMF International undergoes some (U.S.) team. Sue brings more than 16. ALCOHOLISM. On a recent visit major restructuring in 2015, pray for God 13 years of experience in non-profit to Mongolia’s Uvs province, Christian to lead and provide in the search for an communications, marketing and workers discovered that a church there International Coordinator for Personnel publishing to the job. Pray for wisdom had stopped meeting. Conflicts among based at International Headquarters and God’s leading as she leads the the minority people are compounded in . This is a critical role that Communications team. by alcoholism, a major problem among serves the fellowship worldwide. 29. LIFE-CHANGING ENCOUNTER. Christians and nonbelievers alike. Pray 23. MEDICAL MISSIONARIES. OMF Lift up the thousands of Muslims who go for efforts to start a Celebrate Recovery International workers talked with more to Brunei’s Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque to program there, and ask God to build his than 90 inquirers at the Global Health pray each day. Pray for them to have life- church among the Mongolian minority. Missions Conference in Louisville, changing encounters with Jesus. Pray for 17. HOUSE VISITS. A Mongolian Kentucky in November 2014. Pray for the people there (mostly of the Malay man, “Z,” came to Christ 11 years ago. many of those interested to take the ethnic group) to hunger after God. Recently, Z and a Christian worker step of faith and go to East Asia with 30. FINISH WELL. More than one visited Z’s daughter, a nomadic herder, the gospel and their medical skills. million people in Switzerland born in to give her a Bible and pray with 24. THE SPRING. OMF International the late 1950s and early 1960s will her. Pray that other first-generation ’s homeless ministry, “The retire in the next decade. Lift up the Mongolian believers would make home Spring,” helps feed the homeless in OMF International Switzerland office visits like this, too, that many would Wanhua twice a week. Pray that God’s as they ponder how best to reach and receive the word and believe. love and joy will be expressed through engage those who are retiring and 18. FOLLOW-UP TRAINING. An Christian workers—local and foreign— inspire them to spend a few years in OMF International worker is currently during these times. support ministries around the world. in Baguio City in the 25. GROWING FRIENDSHIP. 31. 2015 OPPORTUNITIES. As doing follow-up work with a group of Becoming a trusted friend in President of OMF International (U.S.), Christian leaders and pastors that he can take a long time for foreigners. Praise Michael Littlefield will have many previously trained. Pray that he offers God that a Thai Christian woman recently opportunities to share at churches and effective counsel and encouragement. asked an OMF International worker to conferences in 2015, OMF International’s Also ask that these local leaders will disciple her and seems to consider them 150th anniversary. Pray that the Holy be open, honest and receptive to any to be close friends. Pray for this friendship Spirit will empower Michael to preach feedback he may give. to grow and be fruitful for the advance of the word boldly. Also ask that God 19. TAX STATUS. Pray for the successful the gospel in Thailand. would call some to go to East Asia and tax exemption application for the reach those who have never heard the 26. KIDS’ CLUBS. An OMF International Mangyan Tribal Church Association truth of the gospel of God. worker in Thailand has decided to (MTCA), a partner indigenous serve in a small Central Thailand village association in the Philippines. Some where it is hoped that she can help progress has been made, but there are form English Kids’ Clubs as a means of still some legal issues to be worked blessing and outreach in the area. Pray out. This is an important step in this for this idea to come to fruition and association’s ministry in the area. that many Thai children would hear the 20. RETURNEES IN . gospel through these clubs. www.omf.org/us Plans are in the works to start a 27. GLOBAL MINISTRY GROUPS. “returnees ministry” specifically for Global Ministry Group facilitators have Delivered to your inbox! women in Indonesia coming back to OMF International (U.S.) distributes been trained by the OMF International the country after living several years Prayer Powerlines primarily (U.S.) team and are in the process of overseas. Pray for God’s guidance and through e-mail and web. Visit launching new groups in Des Moines, www.omf.org/us/signup to sign up for blessing as this new ministry takes shape. Phoenix, Sacramento, , the e-mail version. 21. SUNDANESE OF INDONESIA. Houston and Southern California. 800.422.5330 • [email protected] More than 32 million Sundanese people Pray as people are challenged to 10 West Dry Creek Circle Littleton, CO 80120-4413 in Indonesia remain mostly untouched help facilitate or participate in these