Prayer Calendar November 13-19,2016

It is quite common for young people to have doubts about their abilities to do the variety of jobs required on a missions project. Most have never mixed concrete, laid bricks or blocks, hung drywall, installed lighting fixtures, taught school, led Vacation Bible School, etc. However, they all want to do their best. And when the trip is over, they want to leave knowing that the job was done to the best of their abilities and that it was done right.

Ask God to help you trust Him in using your abilities for Him.

Food, Friendship, Faith

Tracy Dubois, Support Staff, with Cathlene Strong, Missionary, Peru
The Call, October-December 2016

Throughout the world, community is built around food. When it comes to hanging out and connecting with teenagers, food is an essential ministry tool. But underneath the frappés, pizzas, and cookies, lies a foundation of friendship and faith, rooted firmly in God’s love for the kids.

David “Daudi” and Cathlene Strong have been feeding and fellowshipping with Peruvian youth since 2010. They hold meetings in their home two Saturdays each month. Roughly six to eight youth, ranging in age from 12 to 22, attend. The group is currently studying Old Testament heroes of the faith. (I wonder if King David would have liked pizza?)

In addition to food, youth group always includes a devotional and often a game, object lesson, and/or craft. The youth also usually participate in an outreach project each Christmas with the adults of the church. Upcoming community outreach ideas include volunteering at an animal orphanage and cleaning up trash in local neighborhoods.

“About half of our youth are unchurched, and more than half come from broken homes,” shared Cathlene. “They are exposed to a lot of negativity in their lives. We want to expose them to the truths of the gospel and show them Jesus’ love in tangible ways so they will recognize their need for a Savior. Lord willing, they are taking what they learn in youth meetings and sharing it with others in their homes while applying it to their own lives.”

The youth group also expands its community and witness through relationships with family and friends.

“Every now and then, we hear from parents of how the kids are sharing with them what they learned in a youth meeting,” stated Cathlene. “This encourages us that what we are teaching and sharing is being heard and passed along. I also see our unchurched and church youth interacting with each other on social media. Slowly but surely, the gap is being bridged between these two groups of youth, and community is being built.”

PRAY: During a recent trip to Starbucks, Daudi and Cathlene had the youth write down a prayer request before they could order (we’ve listed them below). Please join this community through your prayers as you lift up a different request each day of the week. 

• Sunday: “Pray for harmony in my family and that there will always be love and peace in my house.”
• Monday: “Pray that I will overcome my fears.”
• Tuesday: “Pray for my brother as he is going down bad paths.”
• Wednesday: “Pray that I will forget the ‘old’ youth that I was before.”
• Thursday: “Pray for my spiritual life that I won’t alienate myself from the Lord.”
• Friday: “Pray for better relationships with God and my parents.”
• Saturday: “Pray for my character.
  
  ”

Prayer Calendar Nov. 6-12,2016

Coming tomorrow on The Call blog:

Throughout the world, community is built around food. When it comes to hanging out and connecting with teenagers, food is an essential ministry tool. But underneath the , pizzas, and cookies, lies a foundation of friendship and faith, rooted firmly in God’s love for the kids.

Pray for David and Cathlene Strong as they reach out to youth in Cusco, Peru.

An Unexpected Gift

Susana (Bev) Donahue, Missionary, Paraguay
The Call, October-December 2016

“God’s work done in God’s way will never lack God’s supply.” ~ Hudson Taylor

It would not be found on the list of Top 10 appropriate gifts to give a man. In fact, it would most likely show up on a list of gift suggestions for a new mother and her baby.

We were in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, visiting some friends from our years in ministry there. I always try to stop by and greet my former hairdresser. This year, knowing that she and her husband would want to see our son, Andrés, too, the whole family paid a visit to her beauty salon. After we spent some time with her and her husband, she presented us each with small gifts. My gift was lotion, but Mark and Andrés both received a bottle of Johnson’s baby powder. We graciously said “thank you” (what else could we say?!) and went on our way. 

Back home in Paraguay, it was a hot, hot summer. Some people do fairly well with the heat while others suffer with uncomfortable heat rashes. Such was the case one evening when Mark encountered our next door neighbor, standing behind his wall with no shirt on, looking miserable with a heat rash. Mark soon learned that our neighbor had been exposed to too much sun and was suffering its effects. The neighbor said that he needed some Johnson’s baby powder for his rash but that he did not have “ningún peso”—not one cent—to purchase it. 

Seeing the need and hearing "Johnson’s baby powder," Mark was alerted by the Holy Spirit that he could be a part of the solution. Mark promptly retrieved an unopened bottle of Johnson’s baby powder. After Mark placed it in the neighbor’s hands, the neighbor asked, “Is this a gift for me?” With a rejoicing heart, Mark affirmed that it was and watched a big smile spread across the man’s face. 

A gift from one friend in Bolivia is impacting our new community in Paraguay! God provided just what was needed.

We pray that God will show us how to help our neighbor see a greater need in his life. We so desire that he sees his need to know our Jesus. Sometimes we have to see ways to help meet the physical needs before we have the privilege to speak to the greater need. How does God want to use you today? It may be to pass along an unexpected gift to someone in your community that needs it now. Don’t miss the blessing!

PRAY: Ask God to open your eyes to a need in your community and to help you do your part to help others with an unexpected gift.

From Jerusalem to the Ends of the Earth

Victoria Herring, Support Staff
The Call, October-December 2016

"Why should I donate so that someone gets to take a glorified vacation?”

Coordinating missions trips as a job has allowed me to hear a lot of feedback from people who are not only preparing to go on missions trips but also donating to make these trips possible. Recently, it seems there is a lot of criticism toward short-term missions trips. I hear this a lot: “I think you should help people right here before worrying about people in other countries.”

The reality of the situation is that we are called to do both. “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8 NIV). It’s not an either/or situation. It’s also not a choice. It’s a command to do both. How can we work together to ensure that we are carrying out the Great Commission not only in our local community but also globally? 

I believe one way we can accomplish both of these goals is through teamwork. Not everyone is called to serve outside their community, whether long or short term. However, there are ways we can support those who are called to share Jesus with cultures outside of their own.

1. Pray: All missionaries will tell you that their prayer partners are a vital part of their ministry.

2. Give: It doesn’t always have to be financially. We can give our time, talents, and spiritual gifts too. And while we are doing this to support our partners around the world, we can at the same time help those in our local community. Consider volunteering at a local food bank, homeless shelter, or after-school program. 

Even though we all have our differences, our goal of the Great Commission is the same. God in all His wisdom made us unique with talents that He will use to work toward that goal. Whether you are called to serve people right here or to travel across the globe, working together is teamwork at its finest. 

GO: Gather your team and pack your bags. Short-term trips are available. Start the application process and pick a location at www.wgm.org/teams. 

ACT: Choose a local nonprofit to volunteer at this month. Food banks, homeless shelters, and after-school programs are always looking for volunteers.