December prayer requests

THE NICODEMUS PROJECT, GUATEMALA CITY
December 2009

Christmas lights, Christmas tree, presents to give and receive, family and friend gatherings, Christmas cookies and cakes, candy canes, all reminders of the Christmas season. All are good things which people use to celebrate during this season. However there are people who are searching for a hope during this season.

I would encourage you to remember that there is a thirst which people have that can only be quenched by the love of God. John 4:14 says that He who drinks of this water again will never thirst again. Just as the Nicodemus people need to find their hope in God so they will never thirst again, we as Christians need to remember to find our hope in God as well. As we enter the Christmas season and we see people searching for hope, I pray that we will take the time to share with them about the greatest hope that they can have, Jesus Christ.
Thank you for your prayers for the Nicodemus Project ministry.

Tuesday, Dec 1: Today Helen Hardeman is sharing about the Nicodemus work in Guatemala with a ladies group in Georgia. Pray that she would have clarity of mind and thought as she shares. Praise God for the many ladies groups who are interested in hearing about and promoting missionary work. Pray that it would be a time of encouragement for Helen as well.

Wednesday, Dec 2: Today Sharon Cook will be sharing her testimony in Spanish with her small group. Tomorrow she will have the opportunity to share it in English with another small group. Pray that her words would be clearly articulated and that the people would be receptive listeners.

Thursday, Dec 3: Pray for David and Mayari as they spend this last week with their family in Guatemala and as they pack anticipating their departure for their new journey to the US. Pray that it would be a blessed time of fellowship for them and the packing would go smoothly.

Friday, Dec 4: A part of the culture of Guatemala includes having alcohol at most celebrations. Going against the culture can be difficult and costly at times. Pray that the Nicodemus people would have the strength to say no based on what they have learned in the studies of God’s word.

Saturday, Dec 5: Pray today for Pastor Manuel, Siomara and Samuel. As Manuel stays busy with work and church commitments it can be hard for his family. Pray that they would have a time of fun and fellowship today as a family. Pray also for Pastor Manuel and problems he has been having with his knee.

Sunday, Dec 6: Pray for the Leagans and Hardemans today as they share about the Lottie Moon Christmas offering in various churches. Pray that the Southern Baptists would step up to the challenge of giving more so that those who desire to go as missionaries will be able to go. Thank God for the ones who are able to be on the field because of the giving and support of this offering.

Monday, Dec 7: Mayari and one of their sons leave today for their trip to the US. You can imagine the excitement that they feel but also the sadness as they leave their friends and family and their country of Guatemala. Pray that they would have smooth travels and pray for David and the other son as they fly out on Wednesday.

Tuesday, Dec 8: Richard and Sharon Cook leave today for “vacation” in the US. It will also be a time of a lot of followup doctor’s appointments for Sharon. Join her in praising God for the healing He has done in her from the breast cancer. Pray that in the midst of all the doctor’s appointments they can have a blessed time of fellowship with their family and friends.

Wednesday, Dec 9: Pray for David and Mayari and their sons in the immigration process. They were informed that it shouldn’t be a problem to have residency permission in the US. Pray that they would find people of peace to help them in the immigration process and that it would go smoothly.

Thursday, Dec 10: Sharon Cook’s knee surgery was successful. Thank you for your prayers for that. Praise God for the advancements and new technology that have been made in the medical field. Continue to pray for continued healing for her.

Friday, Dec 11: Budget cuts are something no one likes to think about. But it is a reality that George is facing in his work in the mission office. Pray for him as he spends a lot of time on the phone and with emails trying to get things worked out. Pray that he and others involved in the budget process would have wisdom and clarity about what to do.

Saturday, Dec 12: The Bible study groups will take a break until after the New Year. Pray that the ones in the studies would desire to study God’s word during the break time and that they would return to the groups refreshed and ready to study again. David and Mayari were great leaders of two of the groups. Pray for leaders to rise up out of the Bible study groups or from Impacto Biblico Church to take over the leadership of these groups.

Sunday, Dec 13: A mom arrives at Impacto Church with her children. There is a nursery area for the children but there aren’t any workers in the nursery area. Thus the mom has to stay in the nursery with the children. Pray for church members to step forward and say that they would be willing to work in the nursery each Sunday or just once a month. Take a minute to thank God for the nursery workers at your individual churches.

Monday, Dec 14: A month ago today the funeral for Helen’s mother, Faye Dalton, was held. Continue to pray for Helen and her family as they rejoice that Faye is in heaven but they miss her. Pray especially for Lynna as she was one of the primary caregivers during the last few months of her grandmother’s life and she misses her. Praise God that the funeral was a celebration of a life that honored Him and that George and the Hardeman children were able to have a part in the service.

Tuesday, Dec 15: With the departure of David and Mayari more responsibility will fall to Manuel and Siomara. Pray for leaders to rise up from Impacto Biblico Church to help with these responsibilities. Pray for Manuel as he feels more responsibility on his shoulders with his job, family and church pastorate. Praise God for the call that He has on Manuel and his family to serve in Christian ministry.

Wednesday, Dec 16: Richard Cook is busy preparing for the next year of seminary teaching. Pray for him as he tries to expand the seminary ministries to other areas of Central America to people who are interested in studying God’s word. Pray that he would have wisdom as he makes decisions about classes to offer and teachers who would be available for these classes.

Thursday, Dec 17: Adam and Jennifer Hammond will be having family visiting during the Christmas holidays. Pray for safety in their travels and pray for the grandparents as they get to spend time with their grandchildren. Praise God that they will have a time of reunion together.

Friday, Dec 18: For Carol Wilkinson and others who desire to work with university students and young upper class professional, postmodernism is a worldview that they have to study and research. Pray that they would have a good understanding of this view to be able to better understand how to reach out to their focus group.

Saturday, Dec 19: During the Christmas season, traffic can get more hectic than usual in Guatemala City. Pray today for the safety of those currently living in Guatemala City: Carol, Adam, Jennifer, Richard, Sharon, Manuel, Siomara and the members of Impacto Church. Thank God for the many times He protects them in travels.

Sunday, Dec 20: As you go to your place of worship today take a minute to thank God for all that He has done for you. As Hebrews 12:2 says pray that we would set our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith. Take a minute to thank Him for the gift of His son.

Monday, Dec 21: Pray for all the Hardeman children but especially for Daniel and Nikki as they continue to face the reality of the Trisomy 18 illness that their unborn child has. They have been meeting with a funeral home to make arrangements. Pray for Lynna, Rebecca, Nathan and their families (and of course George and Helen) as they are a support to Daniel and Nikki.

Tuesday, Dec 22: Even though the David Minchez family is excited to be in the US, its not easy to be away from your family during the holiday season. Pray for David, Mayari and the boys as they make new friends and as they get adjusted to a new culture. Pray for their families here in Guatemala who will miss having them in Guatemala for Christmas.
Pray for them as miss the Guatemalan Christmas traditions such as fireworks and traditional Christmas food.

Wednesday, Dec 23: Pray for George Hardeman and other family members as they make decisions about the healthcare and caregiving of his parents. Pray that they would have wisdom about what to do based on physical, mental and motor skills evaluations that will be made soon. Pray that the doctors who are working with them would be able to give them sound wisdom and advice.

Thursday, Dec 24: Carol Wilkinson’s family will be arriving today to visit her in Guatemala. Pray for safety in their travels and that they would have an enjoyable time together. At midnight tonight the Christmas celebrations will be in full swing in Guatemala as fireworks are set off throughout the country.

Friday, Dec 25: Merry Christmas everyone! I pray that you will have a blessed day with family and friends as you remember the meaning of this Christmas season. Take a minute to think about the meaning of the Christmas season and pray that the Nicodemus people would realize the true meaning of Christmas as being the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ.

Saturday, Dec 26: John 4:23-24 talks about worshipping God in spirit and in truth. Pray that the hearts of the Nicodemus people will be open to worshipping God in this way. Pray that they would understand that they can have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Sunday, Dec 27: An obstacle which keeps some of the Nicodemus people from attending church is that Sunday is Family Day in Guatemala. Some families have a lunchtime meal together each Sunday which might hinder a family from going to church. Pray for the Nicodemus people as they deal with this aspect of their culture. Pray that they would have a desire to go to church and to also have the family time.

Monday, Dec 28: Pastor’s wives and familes face many challenges. Pray for Siomara and Samuel as they are a support to Manuel. Pray that Siomara would be able to have the outlets for ministry and fellowship which she desires. Continue to pray for the health of Samuel and that he would have a desire to eat food that is good for him.

Tuesday, Dec 29: The Bible study groups will be starting back again soon. Pray for the leaders of these groups and for the participants. Pray for the schedules of the participants that they would once again be able to join in the group studies. Praise God for the interest that the participants have in studying God’s word together.

Wednesday, Dec 30: Pray today for the others who are reading this prayer letter. Praise God for the prayer partners of the Nicodemus project and praise God that He has formed us so that we can lift one another up in prayer. Whether you are in Guatemala, North Carolina, Georgia, Oklahoma or wherever it might be you can be joined together in prayer with others.

Thursday, Dec 31: As you know at midnight tonight marks the beginning of a new year. Pray that it will be a year for Gospel to shine forth and become a living relational part of the Nicodemus people. Praise God that even though other things change, He never changes. He is the one you and I can depend on in all areas of our lives.

Our heart’s desire is to see the Nicodemus people come to know Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord and to see them gathered together to worship and grow in faith, fellowship, and service. If you would like to contact us, our email is helen.hardeman@macregion.org. Visit our weblog at http://spaces.msn.com/nicodemusproject to “meet” out team.

(Please feel free to make copies of this prayer letter to distribute to your church, prayer group, missions organization, Sunday school class, etc. We depend on your prayers.)