Ons for Global Engagement
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Sound Forth in Prayer Devotions for Global Engagement WRITTEN ON OUR HEARTS 2018 MISSIONARY PRAYER BOOK This year's World Missions Conference theme is "Behold the Glory," from 2 Corinthians 3:18. Paul tells the Corinthians that "...beholding the glory of the Lord..." they will be "transformed into His likeness..." What a promise! We will become what we behold. However, so many things clamor for our attention and distract us from this kind of beholding. MATT This prayer guide is a wonderful tool we can use to help us TERHUNE fix our eyes on Him. In this guide you will find friends old and WM Committee new that we are partnering with to spread God's glory around Chairman the world. What a privilege it is to pray for them and share in their ministries. As we pray for them, we will see how God is using them to love people in every corner of the world. We will remember how glorious the Good News really is, and we will be reminded of how God is using people just like us to do this work. As we pray for them, let us pray that God will continue to transform them and us so that His glory may be beheld in "every nation, tribe people and language" (Rev. 7:9)! TABLE OF CONTENTS Middle East 3 Europe 37 East Asia 56 Central & South Asia 16 World Map 42 Latin & South America 66 Southeast Asia 24 Missionary Index 44 Africa 73 2 WRITTEN ON OUR HEARTS WRITTEN ON OUR HEARTS When Paul wrote to the church in Corinth, in order to assure them of the importance and value he placed on their relationship, he said, “You yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on our hearts, to be known and read by all” (2 Cor 3:2). What Paul was saying was that the believers in Corinth were not merely a project, nor an organization, but family members (brothers and sisters) who had become dear to him. Their faith and their lives were not a distant professional concern, but had become part of Paul’s life, even part DAN BURNS of his soul. Their life and progress in the faith was written on Paul’s heart as a Pastor of World Missions testimony and seal of God’s presence in their relationship. As you think of your missionaries, allow God to “write them on your hearts.” You have met some of them at our conference this year, or perhaps in past years. About a quarter of them are our own members. Others you have heard about in newsletters and the prayer calendar. Ask the Lord to give you Paul’s heart, that you might view them not as ministry professionals (which they are) or members of a mission organization (which they are) but as brothers and sisters with a deep God-given connection to your soul. Ask God to shape your heart with His concern over the people our partners serve, so that their very lives, and their progress in the faith, will become part of your own life. While I would ask you to pray for each of these missionaries throughout the year, I would also suggest that you ask God to spiritually connect you with two or three in a special way. Ask Him to “write their names on your heart” as you pray for them, that they might be strengthened, emboldened, and empowered to preach, evangelize, serve, translate, care, and do all the things God has called them there to do. Then watch what happens to your heart as God writes His work into your soul through the faithful labor of our partners. 2018 MISSIONARY PRAYER BOOK 1 PRAY FOR OUR MISSIONARIES Listen to how Paul prayed for the Ephesians in Ephesians 3:14–19: For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Let us follow Paul’s example by praying that our missionaries, and those whom they serve, might be strengthened by Christ in their inner being, and that they might experience God to the fullest. IDEAS ABOUT PRAYER FOR OUR MISSIONARIES PRAY that they will have a consistent, meaningful devotional life in the Word. MIDDLE PRAY for strong marriages, good parenting skills, and for the missionaries’ families in their home countries. EAST PRAY for their emotional needs—an assurance of God’s love and presence. PRAY for their adaptability to the culture, fluency in the language, and good relationships with national workers. PRAY for the people whom they serve — that they might meet Jesus, be transformed by the Gospel, and be equipped to proclaim the Gospel faithfully to their own people. PRAY for unity and maturity in the national churches that are being established. RECEIVE MISSIONARY UPDATES ELECTRONICALLY For electronic updates or text messages of missionary prayer requests, visit 2pc.org/subscribe For mobile users, download the 2PC app to your phone, which automatically updates the daily missionary prayer requests. The latest missionary newsletters and updates can be found on our website at 2pc.org/mission/world-missions Contact Lisa at (901) 531-1682 or [email protected] with questions. MIDDLE CHURCH PLANTING EAST & EVANGELISM MIDDLE EAST 2018 MISSIONARY PRAYER BOOK 3 RYAN & GLENDA (Amber, Daniel & Rachel) DENTAL MINISTRY / ANNOOR SANATORIUM - JORDAN Ryan and Glenda moved with their children to with education up to the 8th grade, so Ryan Jordan in 2011. Ryan provides dental care at and Glenda need to be creative in developing Annoor and in outlying villages via the mobile educational platforms for their high school dental unit, while Glenda uses her gifts children. This past year Glenda made several to minister to patients and Bedouin in the trips with the children into Amman to pursue villages. When they first moved to Jordan, social and educational connections with a co- their children were 4, 6, and 9 and had lots op and friends living there. Ryan and Glenda of playmates. However, next year, Amber will are scheduled for a one-year furlough enter the 12th grade, Daniel 9th grade, and beginning in the late summer of 2018 Rachel 7th grade. Annoor only provides help Pray that Ryan would continue to develop new contacts as he travels with his mobile dental unit, contacts that would lead to relationships that would produce eternal fruit. Pray for Glenda’s time with patients in the sanatorium, that God would enable her to serve them well and help them contemplate the person and work of Christ. Pray for Ryan and Glenda as they seek to make wise decisions for their children’s social and educational needs. 4 WRITTEN ON OUR HEARTS AILEEN COLEMAN FOUNDER & NURSE / ANNOOR SANATORIUM - JORDAN The staff at Annoor Sanatorium in Mafraq, years Aileen has modeled not only resilience, Jordan recently hosted a staff development but also the love and grace of Jesus as she day on the theme of “Resilience in Ministry.” ministers to TB patients who would otherwise Aileen, who with Dr. Eleanor Soltau founded have no course of treatment. This past year, the sanatorium in 1965, is a model of she again modeled resilience as she faced resilience. Called A’Raiis (the angel of the spinal surgery in the spring and cataract desert) by the Bedouin tribes, she has served surgery later in the year. Both went well and in Mafraq for over 50 years. Since that time she continues her active ministry. Aileen prays Aileen has seen the sanatorium grow into for men and women who first want to share a 40-bed in-patient hospital and busy out- the Gospel with others but also have medical, patient clinic with an active pediatric practice nursing, and educational skills that they would and a mobile dental unit. Throughout those be willing to share at Annoor. Pray for Aileen’s continued resilience and good health, that she would continue to be able to both inspire their current staff and faithfully proclaim the Gospel to Bedouin. Pray for additional men who could minister to the male patients in the hospital wards. Pray that TB patients in need hope and healing would find their way to the hospital. Pray that the yearly residence permits for foreign volunteers would be renewed promptly. 2018 MISSIONARY PRAYER BOOK 5 DAVE & ROBIN MERCY / REFUGEE MINISTRY - GREECE & IRAQ There are over 60 million refugees in the world the region, teachers continue to serve at the today and the number climbs each day. From three Classical Schools of the Medes. Dave Iraq and Turkey to Greece and Tennessee, Dave and Robin's agency also helps support several and Robin mobilize teams that give support to camps and projects aiding refugees, both those in dire situations. In Greece they work those displaced by war as well as those fleeing with a large refugee community and have recent military actions between opposing begun a preschool program, adult English governments. In Tennessee, they serve classes, and even a science and engineering refugees by providing men’s and women’s workshop for refugee teenagers. They take English tutoring, after-school tutoring, and short term teams several times a year to creating friendships to help refugees get work with those serving the large refugee settled in the U.S.