THE NICODEMUS PROJECT, GUATEMALA CITY
January 2010
Recharge cellphones, recharge Ipods, recharge computer batteries, recharge camera batteries, recharge portable phones, think about how many items a week you recharge. I think if we all thought about that we would be amazed. But just think for a minute how many times a day do we stop to recharge our spiritual battery? As we enter this New Year people will be making all kinds of resolutions, I challenge you to make the best resolution of all and make the commitment to recharge your battery everyday with God. Praise God that as we enter this New Year we can depend on Him to be the one constant of it all!
Friday Jan 1: A year of new beginnings, a time when people make resolutions to lose weight, exercise more, read their Bible more, call their friends more and many other things. Praise God that you have the opportunity to begin another year of life.
Saturday Jan 2: Thank you for praying for the Operation Andres fellowship meal at Impacto Biblico Church in November. The meal was a great success with lots of good food and fellowship. Pray that the ones who were in attendance would see Jesus as the Bread of Life as Matthew writes about and that they would have the desire to attend various Bible studies.
Sunday Jan 3: Several of the members of the Bible studies groups have been traveling during the holidays. Pray for their safe return and that they would have the desire to start studying God’s word again.
Monday Jan 4: Mark Fricke and his family will be returning to Guatemala today after their stateside time. Mark is the leader for the Spanish work in Guatemala. Pray for their safety in travels and their readjustment back to Guatemala, a country they enjoy calling home.
Tuesday Jan 5: Richard and Sharon Cook will be returning to Guatemala today. Pray that they would have safety in travels and would return rested.
Wednesday Jan 6: Janet Hervey left Guatemala yesterday going to Chile. As many of you know this will leave George in the mission office by himself. Pray for Janet and her transition to a new culture and life and praise God for the time she had here in Guatemala. Pray for George and the extra responsibilities which he will have.
Thursday Jan 7: Pray for Manuel and Siomara Garcia. She had a miscarriage on December 26. She had four miscarriages before Samuel was born, and this has really taken an emotional toll on them. Pray that the Lord will give them an extra sense of His presence and comfort them in this loss. Pray that they would have a clear sense of direction from the Lord in their desire to have another child.
Friday Jan 8: Pray for David and Mayari Minchez and their future missionary plans. They didn’t leave in December as they were expecting to. They are waiting to hear visa information news from the US Embassy. At the time of this writing they weren’t sure when they would leave hopefully in January. Pray for them and their children during this time of waiting.
Saturday Jan 9: Join Sharon and Richard Cook in praising God for the good reports which she received from her cancer follow up appointments. She will find an oncologist in Guatemala and go for 6 month follow up appointments with the oncologist there.
Sunday Jan 10: Thanks for all your prayers for Daniel and Nikki Hardeman in the past few months. Aiden John was stillborn at 12:23 a.m. Christmas morning. He weighed 2 lb. 11 oz. and was 15 ¾ inches long. Daniel’s parents and two sisters as well as Nikki’s mom, brother and wife, and Aiden’s sister Natalie were at the hospital, and we able to go in to meet Aiden and say good-bye soon after he was born. It was a sweet, sad time. There was a private funeral on December 28. Please continue to pray for Daniel and Nikki and the whole family that they would experience the extraordinary peace, strength, and comfort that can only come through the Lord’s indwelling.
Monday Jan 11: Pray for Pastor Manuel, Siomara, David and others as they followup with visitors who attended the Operation Andres supper in November. Pray that the ones who attended would have an interest in knowing God personally.
Tuesday Jan 12: Thanks for praying for Carol Wilkinson’s family. They had a really good time together in Guatemala during the Christmas holidays. Pray that the details of her apartment rental would be completed on a timely basis. It has been a blessing for her to live in the Hardeman house while they have been on their stateside time.
Wednesday Jan 13: Classic car clubs, horseback riding, swim clubs, book clubs, gym workouts, and squash tournaments are just a few activities in which the Nicodemus people group participates in. Pray that the missionaries would be able to use the activities which they enjoy to reach out to these people groups.
Thursday Jan 14: George Hardeman is trying to sell several IMB properties in Guatemala that are no longer needed. Pray that the Lord would send buyers that can pay the fair price soon. The construction of a high rise apartment building has begun next door to the house where the Hardemans live, and again there have been some inquires about selling this IMB property. Pray for the Lord’s will to be done here and for wisdom for the Hardemans if they have to look for a place to move and deal with all of that soon after they return to Guatemala.
Friday Jan 15: Aging parents are something that many missionaries deal with the longer they stay on the mission field. Pray specifically for the parents of Ellis and Judy Leagans. His mother is 90 years old and her mother is 97. Praise God for the time that the Leagans have had to visit with them.
Saturday Jan 16: Pray for Manuel and Siomara and personal issues which they have to deal with such as Samuel having heart tests done, financial dealings, the health of Manuel’s mother and other items such as this. Praise God that even though the details of it all may not be written in this prayer letter, He knows every detail of the needs.
Sunday Jan 17: Have you taken time today to recharge your batteries in God’s word and prayer? I encourage you to take the time today to do that. Pray that the workers in the Nicodemus project will do the same, that we will all take the time to recharge our spiritual lives.
Monday Jan 18: Pray for Helen to be sensitive to the Lord’s guidance as she anticipates returning to Guatemala. With George’s added responsibility (George has accepted the position as Lead Logistics Coordinator for Central America, which basically means that he will be working with all the other Logistics Coordinators from Guatemala through Panama, in addition to doing his own job in Guatemala). , she may need to give him more help in the office. Pray that she will be sensitive to see where the Lord is working and join Him there.
Tuesday Jan 19: Carol Wilkinson met a lady named “Maria” the other week. Her son goes to Marroquin University. Pray for Carol as she reaches out to these students. Pray for her to know the best avenue to use whether it is English classes or other ideas. Pray that she would have wisdom and opportunities to meet students.
Wednesday Jan 20: Richard Cook (Central America North Team) asks for prayer as the seminary in Guatemala City begins more theological extension courses with students from Honduras. Pray for the expansion of this program to El Salvador or other countries in our area that have a need for seminary education
Thursday Jan 21: Thank you for what you gave to the Lottie Moon Christmas offering. This offering is a great blessing to the IMB missionaries. Thank God for all the missionaries throughout the world that are supported by this offering.
Friday Jan 22: Mabel, Junior, Ester, Angel, Annie, Rebecca, Victor, Manuel, and Jose are members of a Bible study group. They have different needs such as family issues. Why not choose one of the names listed and pray today specifically for that person? Pray that they would have God’s wisdom in what to do in the situations. Pray that they would make the time on Sunday to attend Impacto Biblico.
Saturday Jan 23: Ellis and Judy Leagans are having an enjoyable time of stateside assignment time in Arkansas. They would ask that you pray for their personal spiritual growth and daily commitment to the task to which God has called them.
Sunday Jan 24: There are quite a few needs in Impacto Biblico Church. Pray for people to come forward who would be willing to teach/lead in the nursery, youth, music, visitation and many other ways. Pray that the people in the church would reach out to their family, neighbors and coworkers.
Monday Jan 25: Since Janet has transferred to Chile and George is still out of the country until February on Stateside assignment, there is no one in the mission office except the messenger and secretary. Both George and Janet have been trying to coordinate as much as possible long-distance, but some things like the purchase of a car for a missionary which is in the process, requires an in-country signature of one of them as power-of-attorney for the IMB. Pray that things like these can be dealt with or held off without a problem until he returns to the country.
Tuesday Jan 26: The New Year brings new plans. Pray for the plans of Impacto Biblico Church. Pray that they would have workers who are willing to help facilitate these plans. Pray for the Nicodemus Team members as they work to carry out the plans which they have made for the upcoming year. As I write this I am reminded of Proverbs 16:9 which says “The mind of man plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps.”
Wednesday Jan 27: Adam and Jennifer Hammond were blessed to have their family visit over Christmas. Now that the holidays have passed, Adam will be traveling more and Jennifer will be starting up her Wednesday mother’s Bible study group. Praise God for the improved health of all of their family members. Pray that the Hammond family would feel a strong sense of God’s presence today as many people throughout the world are praying specifically for them today.
Thursday Jan 28: Guatemalan nationals are a great help to the Nicodemus team members. Praise God for these nationals. Pray for the workers as some of them face uncertainty in their jobs because of potential transfers of missionaries or other items like that. Pray for the office workers who have been “holding the rope” in Guatemala in the interim time of Janet leaving and George returning.
Friday Jan 29: Richard and Sharon Cook are expecting their third grandbaby. Their daughter, Rebecca and her husband Manny are expecting their first child in June. Please keep them in prayer, as Manny will be deploying soon to another location which has been in the news recently. Pray for Rebecca as Manny is deployed and pray for the Cooks as they anticipate the new arrival.
Saturday Jan 30: This prayer letter couldn’t be sent out each month without the willing help of people behind the scenes. Pray today for the behind the scenes people who have the desire to send out this letter each month. Thank God that they are willing to share their time in order to participate in this ministry.
Sunday Jan 31: George and Helen Hardeman will soon be returning to Guatemala. They’ll leave the US with mixed emotions as you can imagine. Pray for the family who they’ll leave behind in the US and pray for the family (Nathan and family) and mission family who will be anticipating their return to Guatemala. Pray for them as they make final preparations of packing and begin to say their goodbyes.
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.)
.JPG)
