February 1-8

"Be gracious to me, O Lord. See what I suffer from those who persecute me; you are the one who lifts me up from the gates of death..." (Psalm 9:13).

In the last four years, five million people have died in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Thousands are fleeing for their lives by heading to the north. The tragedy within the Congo is one

Excerpt from Prayers for the People, a free yearlong guide to prayer for CBF missions and ministries. Order the Prayers of the People prayer calendar as a way of remembering CBF missions and ministries throughout the year.

of the greatest on the continent. The majority of the refugees and migrants whom CBF field personnel assist in North Africa are from the Congo. Rape is a weapon of war in this conflict. The trauma suffered by the refugees is unimaginable. The victims are in desperate need of comfort, prayer, consolation, empathy, and tears. Their tangible needs include food, shelter, and emergency medical care. Pray for the people of the Congo and for opportunities to contribute and continue the ministry that CBF field personnel provide. To support this and other CBF ministries, visit  www.thefellowship.info/Give. 

 

 

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Prayer Requests from the CBF family

Haiti update from Nancy & Steve James

Posted 2.4.10

• It is rare to find someone in Haiti today who has not lost someone in their family in the earthquake. Mme. Lucienne, a retired Haitiian nurse, worked faithfully, humbly and lovingly for almost 50 years at the Good Samaritan Hospital in Limbe. We used to lovingly call her our Mother Theresa as she cared for the very sick children in the Pediatric ward saving many lives from dehydration and infection. We heard she lost her daughter and three of her grand children in the earthquake. She is one of so many we hear about every day now in our life in Haiti.
• We who have been in Haiti many years have lived with hearing and witnessing terrible tragedies to so many. Yet this present disaster has shaken all of us in the scope and breadth of pain for so many. One almost does not want to ask the next person how they are doing, as the stories of grief and pain flow from everyone, when asked. There is little rest for any of us all, as we work to relieve each other’s pain in the micro-acts of Christic love, underneath our clouds of sorrow and mourning. What is God teaching us in this crucifixion?
• We know without even having to ask, that you are keeping Haiti in your prayers for which we are deeply grateful. 
• Pray for wisdom and discernment as we consider how best to apply our time and talents to the continuing relief efforts. Pray for physical and emotional strength for us and others who provide ongoing medical care.
• Pray for the emotional wounds of the Haitian people that could last longer than the physical injuries. Pray for the thousands of children left orphaned and homeless.
• Pray for provision of shelter, clothing, food, safe water, and sanitation. 
• Pray for Scott Hunter, one of CBF’s former field personnel, who will join us for the next three months to provide in-country logistical assistance for teams seeking to serve through CBF.
• Haiti Prayer Archive
   

From the CBF family

• Pray for former field personnel, Jesse Loper, who was diagnosed with multiple brain tumors. After two rounds of chemotherapy, three out of the four tumors have been resolved! Pray for strength during one more round of chemo. Pray that the remaining tumor will respond well to treatment.
• First Baptist Church, Temple, Texas, has learned that the fire that destroyed their historic church was a result of arson. Pray with them as they seek God's wisdom in how to go forward. Read more at http://www.tdtnews.com/story/2010/01/29/63834/

Unevangelized people group, Southeast Asia

• Pray for generous giving and support of CBF’s Offering for Global Missions.
• We give thanks for the homes built following an earthquake on a neighboring island. We also are thankful that the Clean Water Team found a new base for their work. This location has the potential for a permanent land medical clinic. The team has a full schedule of installing water filtration systems in isolated villages along the river.
• Pray for our son’s friend whose mother recently passed away.
• Pray for D. and her children as they must continue to withstand strong pressure from her family to return to Islam.
• Pray for a continued smooth transition to our home for our children and stamina for us adults as we have much to do. Pray for wisdom in the decisions we must make.
   

Butch & Nell Green, work with internationals, South Carolina

• F. has just arrived in the United States from West Africa. Ask God to guide as F. searches for a school where he can continue his studies.
• H. and J. are from Asia. H. is completing her divinity studies within the next year. Her financial situation is very tight, and she is finding it hard to provide for her son J. Ask for God’s provision as she completes her studies and searches for ways to minister among her people.
• P. is from the Middle East. He has begun the process of purchasing a house. He wants his home to be a place where Christ is honored and served. Ask God to help him through all of the logistics of purchasing a home. As most of his financial reserve will be going towards the purchase, he will be renovating as he can. Ask God for provision of time and resources to complete the necessary renovations so that the home will pass inspection.
• S. is from the Middle East. She recently completed her examinations for ordination. Now she is beginning to work with a Christian media organization and preparing talk shows dealing with human justice issues in her home country. Ask God to use her gifts and experience to honor Him and to help alleviate injustice, especially in the area of human trafficking. 

LaCount Anderson, transformational development coordinator, Scotland Neck, NC

• Pray for our work with Union Mission in Roanoke Rapids. We are attempting to begin new work in the area of children's programming and classes that relate to parenting. Pray for wisdom that we would know how to begin strengthening our homeless men’s recovery program. Pray for those homeless men whom God has placed in our care that they will be sensitive to God's speaking in their lives.
• Pray for Anna and me as we continue to adjust to the death of her mother last fall.
• We are working with Campbell University students on a mission project to Atlanta in March. Pray with us as we make plans to minister to those in poverty.
• We need to reschedule our Bible study for the women at Faith House. Pray that God will open just the right time for us to reach as many of the women in the shelter as we can.
• It takes funds to carry out our ministry here in eastern North Carolina. Pray that the Lord will direct individuals and churches to partner in this work.
  

Unevangelized people groups, North Africa

• Instability and violence have created a wave of migrants from the West African country of Guinea-Conakry. As they arrive in North Africa, CBF field personnel are working with local churches to assure them housing, food, and warm clothing. North Africa is already “full” of migrants so these new arrivals literally find “no room at the inn.” Pray that care providers will use the limited resources in a wise manner in order to help as many as possible. Pray that this love will help show the migrants the God of love and that they can experience His eternal care.
• My mother always said, “No one should have to bury their own children.” Every year in North Africa small children of migrant families die. The journey north from East and West Africa is too hard. Life upon arrival is stressful for the family and many of the small and weak simply do not make it. The loss is compounded by the fact that the families are in a strange land without family or village support. CBF field personal working with local churches step in to be family, to be village. We help provide funds for the burial and make comfort visits to the families. Pray that even in the most tragic times that we can show a God of concern, a God of hope to each family.
• “God himself chases away the flies from an animal with no tail.” This is a Watchi proverb I had not heard for many years, but as soon as a Togolese migrant said it to me I knew it was a compliment. God always looks after the ones in the most need and provides someone in His name for that purpose. CBF is that someone when it comes to thousands of migrants fleeing to and through North Africa. CBF field
  personnel are training migrant believers how to be the presence of Christ. We are mentoring fellow believers who themselves have been the homeless, hungry, begging migrant masses. Praise God for these willing migrants who have little themselves but take time to care for others who are less fortunate than themselves.
  

Joel & Tiffne Whitley, work with refugees, Spain

• Please pray for John, our Student.Go worker, who will be arriving early February to join us in reaching out to the African immigrants in our area. John will be involved with the sheep ministry and many other activities at “mi casa es tu casa.” Please pray for him as he hangs out with the guys from West Africa, that he might be the presence of Christ in their lives.
• Please pray for Greg, our coworker, who will be arriving in Spain soon to begin language learning and then will be working with a Christian school in Denia, Spain, as well as working with the churches to reach out to African immigrants.
• We will celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary this month. Please pray that we will continue to grow closer to one another and to the Lord.

Gennady & Mina Podgaisky, urban work, Ukraine 

• Praise God that the Loboda foster family was able to take the two younger sisters permanently. They now have three foster sisters in the family. Please pray for these girls as they adapt to their new parents and life in a family.
• Praise God that Mina is able to start studying again. She just completed her first two classes towards a Doctor of Missiology degree.
• Pray that short-term mission teams may come next construction season to the Village of Hope.
• We praise God for all of you who pray for us regularly. May you continue to help us hold our hands up in service to Him.
  
   

Translation work, unevangelized people group, Southeast Asia

• Praise for Pongsak, the first male in this ethnic group and the sixth overall who has made a profession of faith through the witness of his daughter (herself the second believer in the group). Please pray for Pongsak as he works out the implications of his new life – in particular that he will develop a strong friendship with a national pastor in a neighboring village who can serve as a mentor.
• Please pray for Suphap, the fourth believer in the group, who is going through a season of dryness. Pray that she would get into fellowship with other believers who can disciple her.
• Pray for Ai Cai, who will be traveling in and out of a dangerous region to test drafts of the translation among villagers of a slightly different dialect. Pray for the believers in those villages as they form a committee to facilitate translation in their dialect.
• Pray for another worker to be found who will be willing to travel and share translated portions with believers and non-believers alike – and that excitement for the translation would be generated.
• Pray for Somchai and Pattanan, two of the translation assistants, that the Word they work daily at translating would grip their hearts and change their lives.

Latha & Sam Bandela, unevangelized people groups, North India

• Pray for the state of Andhra Pradesh. It has been going through a lot of politically motivated territorial disputes. One party is demanding to divide the state into two parts. Schools, colleges, and offices are closed. Buses, cars, and trains have been set on fire. Everything is in disarray. In September of 2009, this same state went through a very severe cyclone and many homes and lives were destroyed. The people have not yet come back to normal life and now this political turmoil is taking place. We come from this very state and ask for your prayers for our birth country and its people.
• Pray for the Christians who are in total dilemma over the unbelievable disruption from all sides. Christians will be most affected with this unwanted and unnecessary internal problem. Pray that they will unite and exercise a Christ-like spirit during these crises in the state of Andhra Pradesh.
• Pray for David Harding as he joins Sam to monitor projects related to training for clean drinking water in India.

 Kim & Marc Wyatt, refugees, Canada

• Pray for continued help for Haiti and for the comfort and well-being of those who have migrated to the U.S. and Canada, who have lost family and friends and are unable to return to help. 
• Pray for the development of two refugee shelters that are forming in Ottawa and Montreal respectively; for the leadership and ministry teams, supporting churches, and the refugees they serve.
• Pray for L. from Congo who has an important immigration hearing soon. She has great difficulty sharing her story, often becoming too distraught to finish. Pray that she will be strengthened and able to give clarity to her case.
• Pray for B. and N., missioners who will be joining us in Canada soon. They bring great experience, language, and ministry skills.
• Pray for Marc who is recovering from a recent groin injury and kidney stones.
• Pray for Kim as she continues to provide pastoral care and counseling to international students in an Ottawa area high school.
• Remember Jon Marc who has joined his high school ski club. Pray for his mother as she worries about him on the slopes.
• Praise the Lord! We received word from Meredith University in Raleigh, North Carolina, that our daughter, Rebecca, has been accepted to enroll next fall. She is very excited. We are very happy. Rebecca will benefit from the recent partnership for MKs forged between the school and CBF.

Persian World Outreach

•  Pray for Afghan, Iranian, and Tajik Christians under persecution to stand strong. Praise for those who are reaching their own people for Christ in their countries and around the world.
• Praise for one of the leaders of a house church in northern Iran who received training last month in a nearby country. Pray as he makes choices about his future.
• Pray for the Afghan and Iranian Christian Fellowship-Virginia (AICF –VA) and its leaders. Praise and continued prayer for a 12-year-old Iranian girl who had back surgery. Praise for outreach which brought several new people to the church.
• Pray for safe travels to minister among Iranians.
• Pray for the Afghan and Iranian Christian Fellowship-Maryland (AICF–MD) and its leaders. Pray for those struggling with health and financial hardships.
• Pray for Persian Christian programming broadcast by satellite and Internet to Afghans and Iranians around the world.
• Pray for Persian Christian books and CDs being developed, published, and distributed by PWO.