NICODEMUS PRAYER TEAM
NOVEMBER 2010
Francis Chan in his book “Remembering the forgotten God” says, “We
have to prayerfully seek where the Holy Spirit may be leading. I am
convinced that the Spirit communicates with us. Sometimes He lays a
person or place on our hearts and calls us to action or prayer. Other
times He convicts us of our sin and calls us to repent. He works in
many different ways, but the point is, many times we don’t hear
because we’re not listening…” As you have prayer requests for each
day I pray that each one of us would also allow time to listen to God
and what He has to say to each and every one of us.
Monday, November 1: Today is All Saints Day also known as Day of the
Dead. It is a day when the people gather in cemeteries to remember
those who have died. A part of the celebration includes flying kites
over the graves. It is a time of family gatherings. Pray that the
hearts of the people would be open to the One who can offer eternal
life.
Tuesday, November 2: Election Day in the US. Have you gone to vote
today? I encourage you to take the time to go vote today. As you go
pray for the leaders in the government in the US and Guatemala.
Praise God for the Christian leaders in the government and pray that
they would remain steadfast in God.
Wednesday, November 3: Helen and Carol are having a Crown orientation
meeting tonight for those who might be interested in doing the study
in English. Several nationals have expressed an interest in having
the study in English. Pray that they would be able to get the
materials from the states and that there would be a good interest
among the Nicodemus people.
Thursday, November 4: Praise God with us that the very day that you
prayed for George and the sale of properties, he completed the sale of
one house in Guatemala. There is another sale pending. Pray that it
will also go through in a timely manner.
Friday, November 5: Thanks for praying for the conference lead by Joe
and Yvonne Bruce last month. It was a blessed day. The Guatemalans
were so thrilled to be able to visit with the Bruces again and to hear
of the work in Cuba. The idea was mentioned about sending a group of
Guatemalans on a mission trip to Cuba. Pray for this idea. Pray that
the participants of the conference would take what they heard and
apply it to their Judea, Jerusalem and to the ends of the earth.
Saturday, November 6: Today Sharon will be leading a card making
class at Impacto Biblico Church. Pray that the ladies would have a
good time and that they would be interested in returning to church on
Sunday. Pray that the church members would invite their friends and
neighbors.
Sunday, November 7: Attendance at Impacto Biblico Church continues to
be low, and on our budget, we cannot afford to continue renting where
we are. Lack of growth is very concerning. Manuel has written a
vision statement with goals and actions for the rest of this year and
next. It is very ambitious, but we’re going to have to deal with
problems such as the meeting place, lack of musicians, and the widely
scattered membership, which make starting cell groups with co-leaders
very difficult. Please pray for Manuel and the church leadership as
we seek God’s leadership.
Monday, November 8: Please continue praying for George. He has a very
heavy schedule and is under a lot of tension. Two missionary units
will be leaving this month for their stateside assignment, and one of
them will be packing up their household goods before leaving. Pray
for him as he works with them about the details.
Tuesday, November 9: Today the missionaries and other nationals will
be traveling to attend the Guatemala Baptist Convention meetings.
Pray that they would have safety in their travels. Pray that there
would be a unity and cooperation among the participants as decisions
are made.
Wednesday, November 10: Sharon’s Wednesday night Crown study recently
finished that study. There was a man in the group who said that he
wants his 4 children who are in their 20’s to participate in the study
as well. He said that every young person needs to have this
teaching. What a great testimony to hear from the studies! Pray that
it will all get coordinated so that the young adults will be able to
participate in the study after the first of the year.
Thursday, November 11: The Rosario study is going well. Some weeks
the attendance has been down in both groups due to sickness, a death
in a family, travels; but it continues to generate much interest in
those participating. We continue to emphasize that we can rely
totally on Jesus without needing to go through anyone to get his
attention. Pray that the Holy Spirit will continue working in the
lives of those attending.
Friday, November 12: George and Helen will be going to Duncan, OK
today to speak at First Baptist Church which is interested in
partnering with us. We are talking with Manuel, Judith, Carol, and
others to try to get more ideas as to how we could best use volunteers
wisely and strategically.
Saturday, November 13: The students at the Baptist Seminary are
finishing their last term of masters courses for this year. Some of
the students in the group include some of our first ones, who will be
finished with their course work and just lack doing their thesis.
Pray for new students to start next year. Continue to pray for
Richard and the teaching and leadership, which he provides at the
seminary.
Sunday, November 14: Pray for Englebert. He is a young guy who owns a
restaurant where Carol has eaten several times. The last time she
went she wondered if he would be open to having a Bible study at the
restaurant or allowing a church to meet there. Pray for her to have
more opportunities to share with him and pray that she will have
wisdom in following God’s direction for this potential opportunity.
Monday, November 15: Many of the cell group members assure us that
they have a saving relationship with Jesus Christ; however, they still
depend on the Virgin Mary to intercede for them, the sacraments,
etc. Pray that as we study the Bible together, they will come to see
Mary as a wonderful example of faith, humility and obedience, but
recognize that her true role was to be a servant that God used to
bring His Son into the world, as she herself said. Pray that they
will recognize that Jesus is our true high priest who made the perfect
sacrifice and now reigns victoriously to intercede for us.
Tuesday, November 16: Carol and Helen have been communicating with
several teams who want to come and minister in the universities in
Guatemala. Pray that they would have wisdom about how best to use
these teams. Pray that they would find appropriate housing for the
teams and the logistics of preparing for the teams.
Wednesday, November 17: Saying goodbye seems to be a part of the
Christian life as you meet friends throughout the world. Pray for the
Hammonds family as they are in the midst of saying goodbye and packing
their things in preparation for their stateside assignment. Pray that
they would have wisdom about what to sell, what to keep and what to
give away. Pray that they would have opportunities to share Christ
with their neighbors.
Thursday, November 18: Carol received an encouraging email from a girl
who she met in Mozambique who now lives in Austria. Her friend said,
“I prayed, I cried, and I accepted Christ as my Savior”. Continue
praying that the hearts of the Nicodemus people, which includes
university students, lawyers, construction business owners,
secretaries, doctors and other professionals, would be open to the
salvation of God.
Friday, November 19: Pray for wisdom for each of us that we would us
our time wisely. It is easy to get stuck in front of the computer
writing reports, Bible studies, communicating. Pray that we will be
intentional in looking for ways to meet and interact with people who
need Christ.
Saturday, November 20: Today is the last meeting of the Crown group,
which Carol has been meeting with. It is a group of ladies who have
been friends since they were in elementary school. Pray that they
would understand that they can have a personal relationship with Jesus
Christ without going through anyone else.
Sunday, November 21: Richard and Sharon had a very enjoyable time with
their daughter and grandson in for a few weeks in September and
October. They had a great time with them however there is always a
sadness and “quiet house syndrome” when family leaves. Praise God
for the good visit which they had and that they will be able to see
all their kids and grandkids at Christmas.
Monday, November 22: The Adam Hammonds family and Carol Wilkinson will
be leaving today for stateside time. Both families will be going to
North Carolina however to different parts of the state. Pray that
they would have safety in travels. Pray for them as they visit with
families and friends and as they share in churches about the Baptist
work in Guatemala.
Tuesday, November 23: Helen is exploring other studies that might be
used to draw new “Nicodemus” people into Bible study. There is a
course on grief share that has been highly recommended, but it is only
in English. Many of these people are sufficiently fluent in English
to be able to handle this. Pray for us as we seek the Lord’s guidance
concerning these decisions.
Wednesday, November 24: After the first of the year Sharon’s
Wednesday night group will begin studying the book, The Gospel of the
Rosary. Praise God that this group wants to continue studying
together. Pray that their hearts would be open to the study.
Thursday, November 25: Thanksgiving Day.
(KJV) Psalm 95:1-6
"O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the
rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with
thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms. For the
LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In his hand are
the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills is his also.
The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land.
O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our
maker."
Friday, November 26: Some of the missionaries are gathered at Lake
Panajachel to celebrate Thanksgiving together. Pray that they would
have a blessed time of fellowship and rest. Travel to Panajachel has
been affected because of the rains and mudslides. Pray for safety in
their travels.
Saturday, November 27: Pray for the university students. They are on
break until January. Pray for them as they gather together with
family and friends. Pray that their hearts would be open to the love
of God. Pray for the teams that are preparing to come and work with
them in 2011. Pray that Carol would have wisdom in the activities
that she offers when she returns from stateside time.
Sunday, November 28: Pray that Manuel (and other leaders in Impacto)
would have wisdom about decisions he is thinking about and will be
making. Pray that he would have a clear understanding of what God
would like for him to do.
Monday, November 29: George will probably be making another trip to
Honduras, Costa Rica and Panama toward the end of this month or the
first of December to meet with the other Logistic Coordinators. Pray
for him as he tries to work out his schedule and the details.
Tuesday, November 30: On this last day of the month why not take time
to say thank you Lord for this month and for the blessings of this
day. Many times we forget to stop and simply say thank you Lord for
all that we have.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Thoughts
October 2010
As I pray for three families who have recently lost family members, I am faced with the question am I prepared to die? Am I prepared to meet God? These were 3 men who were in the prime of their lives; they were “good” guys. However being a “good” guy doesn’t guarantee that you will go to heaven. Hebrews 9:27 "and inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment."
Do I know for sure that I am going to heaven? I know these guys were Christians and they are in heaven. I have a certainty and assurance that when I die I’ll be in heaven. How can they and I have a certainty of where we will spend eternity? Living here on Earth makes us feel like we will live forever. But we won’t. There comes a time appointed for every man to die.
When I was ten years old I made a decision to accept Christ as my personal savior and Lord. My parents are Christians, my dad is a pastor but there came a time of accountability when I had to personally say God I confess my sins to you, I believe in you, I want to live for you. I realized that I could not get to heaven based on the beliefs of others. I remember that day in August 1978 when I made that decision.
Another thought that comes up is do my friends and family have the same assurance of knowing Christ as their personal savior? Will we enjoy heaven together? For some I know the answer is yes because they have told me, we talk about it. For others I don’t know that for sure. Not because of anything they are doing or not doing but simply because I haven’t taken the time to ask.
That leads me to the question for you. Are you ready? Are you looking for a peace? Are you looking for hope in this World? Do you want to live an abundant life? I have a friend in Jesus. He has enough love for you and me and for every person on this earth. Our human minds cannot grasp the depth of the love that the Father has for us. Romans 8:39 states, “neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
As I think about the 3 men who died I think of the families who are rejoicing because their loved ones are in Heaven yet they are grieving because of the loss of their presence on this earth. But they all have an assurance that they will see their loved one again. Luke 10:20 says, “however, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."
If you want to know more then I urge you to keep reading, call me, email me, facebook me. Just know that there is one God in Heaven who rejoices when sinners come to know Him. He is a God full of love. Luke 15: 7 states “I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.”
Now in the words of Numbers 6:24-27 may the Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn His face to you and give you peace both now and forevermore.
As I pray for three families who have recently lost family members, I am faced with the question am I prepared to die? Am I prepared to meet God? These were 3 men who were in the prime of their lives; they were “good” guys. However being a “good” guy doesn’t guarantee that you will go to heaven. Hebrews 9:27 "and inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment."
Do I know for sure that I am going to heaven? I know these guys were Christians and they are in heaven. I have a certainty and assurance that when I die I’ll be in heaven. How can they and I have a certainty of where we will spend eternity? Living here on Earth makes us feel like we will live forever. But we won’t. There comes a time appointed for every man to die.
When I was ten years old I made a decision to accept Christ as my personal savior and Lord. My parents are Christians, my dad is a pastor but there came a time of accountability when I had to personally say God I confess my sins to you, I believe in you, I want to live for you. I realized that I could not get to heaven based on the beliefs of others. I remember that day in August 1978 when I made that decision.
Another thought that comes up is do my friends and family have the same assurance of knowing Christ as their personal savior? Will we enjoy heaven together? For some I know the answer is yes because they have told me, we talk about it. For others I don’t know that for sure. Not because of anything they are doing or not doing but simply because I haven’t taken the time to ask.
That leads me to the question for you. Are you ready? Are you looking for a peace? Are you looking for hope in this World? Do you want to live an abundant life? I have a friend in Jesus. He has enough love for you and me and for every person on this earth. Our human minds cannot grasp the depth of the love that the Father has for us. Romans 8:39 states, “neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
As I think about the 3 men who died I think of the families who are rejoicing because their loved ones are in Heaven yet they are grieving because of the loss of their presence on this earth. But they all have an assurance that they will see their loved one again. Luke 10:20 says, “however, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."
If you want to know more then I urge you to keep reading, call me, email me, facebook me. Just know that there is one God in Heaven who rejoices when sinners come to know Him. He is a God full of love. Luke 15: 7 states “I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.”
Now in the words of Numbers 6:24-27 may the Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn His face to you and give you peace both now and forevermore.
Friday, October 1, 2010
October prayer letter
NICODEMUS PRAYER TEAM
OCTOBER 2010
Rains, tropical storms, washed out bridges, landslides, potholes and flooding are some of the problems that are being faced in Guatemala. As it has rained a lot lately I have been thinking about how fortunate I am to have a home where I may have a little water leakage depending on which way the rain is coming from. However there are many Guatemalans who have lost homes or lives due to flooding and landslides. Continue to pray for the people of Guatemala. Praise God for the protection He has given many people in Guatemala.
Friday, October 1: Judy and Ellis Leagans appreciate the prayer support for their daughter Andrea McCrary as she underwent a battery of tests related to severe head aches. Diagnosis is migraines for which they are grateful, as there was concern about something more serious. Please continue to pray that Andrea will be able to cope with the headaches and that she will respond well to the medications.
Saturday, Oct 2: 15th birthday celebrations are an important time for girls in the Guatemalan culture. Today the missionary ladies will gather together to celebrate the 15th birthday of an MK, Jessie Cadenhead. Pray for Jessie and her relationships at the Christian Academy where she goes to school and pray for her to continue to grow in her relationship with God.
Sunday, Oct 3: Richard Cook discovered firsthand some of the road problems as he traveled to Honduras last month. Join him in praising God for his safe travels. Also they had a good group of students for the seminary studies. Pray that they, as well as our students here in Guatemala (including those who travel from such places as the Houston area) be able to keep up with their course work. That has been particularly difficult for them because of full schedules that include jobs and church, as well as their seminary work; also the need for self-discipline in their studies outside the classroom is a challenge.
Monday, Oct 4: Pray for Rosa Aida who attends the Thursday Bible study group at the Hardemans’ and who is the leader of the new Crown group meeting on Saturdays. Her house was flooded during the last week of September as a result of the heavy rains that continue to fall in Guatemala. Pray that she won’t be discouraged by this. Pray for her and so many others like her who have suffered loss.
Tuesday, Oct 5: Pray for the salvation of Jose, Julio and Sergio. These are friends of Carol Wilkinson who she interacts with on a regular basis. They are all “good” people however they don’t understand his need to make a personal decision for Jesus Christ. For example, Sergio has said that he is a Christian because his parents were Christians. Pray that their eyes and heart would be open to God’s word.
Wednesday, Oct 6: George’s trip to Nicaragua last month went well as they tried to get several projects begun and decide what to do about others. He was also able to make the trip to Belize at the end of the month. Thank you for praying for both of those trips. In addition, the Hardemans were able to make the trip to Quetzaltenango to celebrate the 50th wedding anniversary of Luis and Bernada Poz in spite of the rain and bad roads. It was a wonderful celebration and an opportunity to reconnect with so many brothers and sisters in Christ that they hadn’t seen for years.
Thursday, Oct 7: Pray today for Pastor Jeronimo. He is a pastor who has been falsely accused of murder. Today a decision is to be made in the case. He has been in jail for several months awaiting the trial. He has been a tremendous witness while in jail. Pray for him and his family as they await the court’s decision. Praise God that in the midst of a bad situation he has proclaimed the word of God.
Friday, Oct 8: Joe and Yvonne Bruce will be in Guatemala this month for a conference and a church anniversary. They were missionaries for many years in Guatemala before the Lord called them to other places of ministry. Thank the Lord for the years of service they have invested in his work, and thank Him for the opportunity we have to have them back in Guatemala. Pray that the conference on church planting movements will encourage and challenge many people here.
Saturday, Oct 9: George’s mother was able to get into a nice assisted living center the end of September. Pray for her as she adjusts to the new living situation, and remember his father who has chosen to remain at the house for the time being. The five siblings also need your prayers as they adjust to her being there. She is hoping to regain her health and return home, but the Lord may have other plans.
Sunday, Oct 10: Continue to pray for Ellis Leagan’s mom and her transition to the assisted living. Pray for the workers in the assisted living homes, pray that they would have the strength, encouragement and stamina, which they need. Praise God for the workers who work the assisted living centers and who feel it is their ministry to do this.
Monday, Oct 11: As of this writing the IMB still hasn’t named a president. Continue to pray for the presidential search committee as they interview potential candidates. Pray that the person whom God has for this position will be open to accepting the position.
Tuesday, Oct 12: Today, Joe and Yvonne Bruce will be speaking at the Seminary on their experiences in Cuba. They will share what is happening with the churches and the accelerated reproduction taking place. They will also share principles that they see from the CPM there that could be effective in Guatemala.
Wednesday, Oct 13: Ellis Leagans has just had the role of Team Strategy Leader for Central America South (Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama) and Panama Urban Teams added to his responsibilities, so he appreciates your prayer support as he relates to these fellow missionaries and offers them leadership and encouragement.
Thursday, Oct 14: The IMB medical personnel who came to Guatemala last month were able to visit three hospital facilities, talk with the administrators of two of them and tour the facilities. They also had lunch with several doctors representing various specialties. They were very favorably impressed with the level of medical care avail to us in Guatemala. From here they went to Costa Rica to do the same there. Pray for these people and others like them in other parts of the world as they often have to help our missionaries deal with difficult decisions concerning health issues that could affect their ministries.
Friday, Oct 15: The Hammond family were able to enjoy a visit from family earlier this month. Join them in praising God for a good visit with family. Pray for them as they make preparations to leave on stateside assignment beginning in late November.
Saturday, Oct 16: Carol Wilkinson has been attending a Crown Financial study on Saturday mornings. Pray for the group as they meet this morning. The ladies have been friends for many years, since they met in elementary school. Most of the ladies have strong Catholic beliefs. Pray that they would be open to understanding having a personal relationship with God. Pray that Carol would be able to share the love of God with them.
Sunday, Oct 17: Praise God that Manuel had safe travels to and from Israel. He was able to experience and learn a lot while he was there. Pray for him as he gets caught up on office work and as he preaches today at Impacto Biblico Church.
Monday, Oct 18: Pray for Carol Wilkinson today as she goes to Valley University to interact with students. Pray that God would give her divine opportunities. Praise God for the contacts that He has worked out with Raphael and Ennio at Valley University.
Tuesday, Oct 19: George’s biggest challenge at the moment is the sale of properties in Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Belize. Pray that a lot of progress will be made in that area this month. Pray that he will be able to find a good appraiser in Guatemala to reappraise the properties. Pray that he will not have any major holdups transferring some final properties to the Baptist Convention.
Wednesday, Oct 20: Today Guatemala celebrates the overthrow of Dictator Jorge Ubico in 1944 and the beginning of 10 years of revolution government known as the "10 years of Spring". Pray for the president and leadership of Guatemala.
Thursday, Oct 21: There are usually nine or ten people attending the Bible study at the Hardemans’ on Monday night and between twelve and fifteen on Thursdays. The Gospel in the Rosary study has raised a lot of interest. Although we knew that Mary held a very key role for many Catholics, some of their statements have even surprised us. Some asked why the book didn’t include the last two mysteries concerning Mary’s ascension into heaven and her coronation as queen of heaven. We just explained that since we are basing our study on the gospels and neither of those are mentioned in them, they were left out. More than one has mentioned that Mary is our channel to Jesus. Pray that their eyes will be opened to see the truth from God’s word that Mary was God’s instrument to bring us Jesus and a wonderful example of obedience, faith, and submission; but that we have direct access to God through Jesus without needing His mother to influence Him.
Friday, Oct 22: Earning money for university students is an important thing even for students in the upper class universities. One way they do this is by playing poker on the internet. Of course sometimes they win and sometime they lose money. Pray for the students who are involved in this.
Saturday, Oct 23: Pray for Sharon Cook as her Wednesday night group continues to study Crown Financial study. Pray that the ladies will continue to come to the meetings and continue to be interested in the study as they have been.
Sunday, Oct 24: The Bible Impact Church is struggling. We have touched many lives and seen them changed by the Lord through our home Bible studies, but the Sunday morning church service isn’t growing. Pray with us that the Lord will show us His will. If He wants us to move to a smaller and less expensive place, pray that one will open up. If He wants us to do something else on Sunday mornings, pray that He will reveal His will to us.
Monday, Oct 25: Before Carol Wilkinson leave for stateside assignment in late November she needs to make preparations for teams that will be coming in March and May to work with her in the university ministry. Pray for her as she makes hotel, transportation and other ministry plans. Pray for the ones who will be on the teams. Thank God for the ones who want to come and work in the ministry.
Tuesday, Oct 26: As we reach the last quarter of the year, we missionaries will be evaluating our work goals and results as well as planning for next year. Pray for Mark Fricke and Ellis Leagans as they guide us in this. Pray that we will be led by the Holy Spirit as look over what we did this year and we make our plans for 2011. May God’s name be glorified and His Word go out as we share the Gospel, disciple believers and challenge them to be responsible for doing the same to those around them.
Wednesday, Oct 27: Besides preparing the study guides for the Gospel in the Rosary study, Helen has been working on the assignments for one of the Masters’ seminary courses. Then she realized that there is another course offered on Hebrews; so she is now working on those assignments. Pray for her that she will use her time wisely and be able to keep up with all she needs to do. The Hebrews course is of special interest because a friend that she saw recently in the grocery store told her that she’d done a study on Hebrews with a group of Catholics and at the end of the study, everyone had made a profession of faith as they realized that Jesus Christ is their high priest (pope) and he is the means of access to the Father, not the priests, Mary, sacraments, etc.
Thursday, Oct 28: “This is the day that the Lord has made I will rejoice and be glad in it”. Psalm 118:24. Pray for one another. Pray that today we would remember this verse as we go throughout our day. Why not sing the song on your way to work or school today?
Friday, Oct 29: Pray today for Manuel and Siomara and their leadership in Impacto Biblico Church. Pray that God would grant them wisdom in decisions of the church. Pray that they would experience a strong sense of God’s presence today as many people are praying for them.
Saturday, Oct 30: David and Mayari and the boys are adjusting well to life in Louisiana. The boys are enjoying their school and they are all improving their English. They have been enjoying the American life. Continue to pray for them as they make the transition from Guatemala to the USA and eventually to Spain. Pray for their families in Guatemala. Praise God for the way He has worked out their transition and for the many prayers He has answered.
Sunday, Oct 31: “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you declares the Lord.” Jeremiah 29:13-14. Pray today that the missionaries would seek God with all their heart. Pray that the Nicodemus people would seek God first as they are seeking many things in their life.
OCTOBER 2010
Rains, tropical storms, washed out bridges, landslides, potholes and flooding are some of the problems that are being faced in Guatemala. As it has rained a lot lately I have been thinking about how fortunate I am to have a home where I may have a little water leakage depending on which way the rain is coming from. However there are many Guatemalans who have lost homes or lives due to flooding and landslides. Continue to pray for the people of Guatemala. Praise God for the protection He has given many people in Guatemala.
Friday, October 1: Judy and Ellis Leagans appreciate the prayer support for their daughter Andrea McCrary as she underwent a battery of tests related to severe head aches. Diagnosis is migraines for which they are grateful, as there was concern about something more serious. Please continue to pray that Andrea will be able to cope with the headaches and that she will respond well to the medications.
Saturday, Oct 2: 15th birthday celebrations are an important time for girls in the Guatemalan culture. Today the missionary ladies will gather together to celebrate the 15th birthday of an MK, Jessie Cadenhead. Pray for Jessie and her relationships at the Christian Academy where she goes to school and pray for her to continue to grow in her relationship with God.
Sunday, Oct 3: Richard Cook discovered firsthand some of the road problems as he traveled to Honduras last month. Join him in praising God for his safe travels. Also they had a good group of students for the seminary studies. Pray that they, as well as our students here in Guatemala (including those who travel from such places as the Houston area) be able to keep up with their course work. That has been particularly difficult for them because of full schedules that include jobs and church, as well as their seminary work; also the need for self-discipline in their studies outside the classroom is a challenge.
Monday, Oct 4: Pray for Rosa Aida who attends the Thursday Bible study group at the Hardemans’ and who is the leader of the new Crown group meeting on Saturdays. Her house was flooded during the last week of September as a result of the heavy rains that continue to fall in Guatemala. Pray that she won’t be discouraged by this. Pray for her and so many others like her who have suffered loss.
Tuesday, Oct 5: Pray for the salvation of Jose, Julio and Sergio. These are friends of Carol Wilkinson who she interacts with on a regular basis. They are all “good” people however they don’t understand his need to make a personal decision for Jesus Christ. For example, Sergio has said that he is a Christian because his parents were Christians. Pray that their eyes and heart would be open to God’s word.
Wednesday, Oct 6: George’s trip to Nicaragua last month went well as they tried to get several projects begun and decide what to do about others. He was also able to make the trip to Belize at the end of the month. Thank you for praying for both of those trips. In addition, the Hardemans were able to make the trip to Quetzaltenango to celebrate the 50th wedding anniversary of Luis and Bernada Poz in spite of the rain and bad roads. It was a wonderful celebration and an opportunity to reconnect with so many brothers and sisters in Christ that they hadn’t seen for years.
Thursday, Oct 7: Pray today for Pastor Jeronimo. He is a pastor who has been falsely accused of murder. Today a decision is to be made in the case. He has been in jail for several months awaiting the trial. He has been a tremendous witness while in jail. Pray for him and his family as they await the court’s decision. Praise God that in the midst of a bad situation he has proclaimed the word of God.
Friday, Oct 8: Joe and Yvonne Bruce will be in Guatemala this month for a conference and a church anniversary. They were missionaries for many years in Guatemala before the Lord called them to other places of ministry. Thank the Lord for the years of service they have invested in his work, and thank Him for the opportunity we have to have them back in Guatemala. Pray that the conference on church planting movements will encourage and challenge many people here.
Saturday, Oct 9: George’s mother was able to get into a nice assisted living center the end of September. Pray for her as she adjusts to the new living situation, and remember his father who has chosen to remain at the house for the time being. The five siblings also need your prayers as they adjust to her being there. She is hoping to regain her health and return home, but the Lord may have other plans.
Sunday, Oct 10: Continue to pray for Ellis Leagan’s mom and her transition to the assisted living. Pray for the workers in the assisted living homes, pray that they would have the strength, encouragement and stamina, which they need. Praise God for the workers who work the assisted living centers and who feel it is their ministry to do this.
Monday, Oct 11: As of this writing the IMB still hasn’t named a president. Continue to pray for the presidential search committee as they interview potential candidates. Pray that the person whom God has for this position will be open to accepting the position.
Tuesday, Oct 12: Today, Joe and Yvonne Bruce will be speaking at the Seminary on their experiences in Cuba. They will share what is happening with the churches and the accelerated reproduction taking place. They will also share principles that they see from the CPM there that could be effective in Guatemala.
Wednesday, Oct 13: Ellis Leagans has just had the role of Team Strategy Leader for Central America South (Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama) and Panama Urban Teams added to his responsibilities, so he appreciates your prayer support as he relates to these fellow missionaries and offers them leadership and encouragement.
Thursday, Oct 14: The IMB medical personnel who came to Guatemala last month were able to visit three hospital facilities, talk with the administrators of two of them and tour the facilities. They also had lunch with several doctors representing various specialties. They were very favorably impressed with the level of medical care avail to us in Guatemala. From here they went to Costa Rica to do the same there. Pray for these people and others like them in other parts of the world as they often have to help our missionaries deal with difficult decisions concerning health issues that could affect their ministries.
Friday, Oct 15: The Hammond family were able to enjoy a visit from family earlier this month. Join them in praising God for a good visit with family. Pray for them as they make preparations to leave on stateside assignment beginning in late November.
Saturday, Oct 16: Carol Wilkinson has been attending a Crown Financial study on Saturday mornings. Pray for the group as they meet this morning. The ladies have been friends for many years, since they met in elementary school. Most of the ladies have strong Catholic beliefs. Pray that they would be open to understanding having a personal relationship with God. Pray that Carol would be able to share the love of God with them.
Sunday, Oct 17: Praise God that Manuel had safe travels to and from Israel. He was able to experience and learn a lot while he was there. Pray for him as he gets caught up on office work and as he preaches today at Impacto Biblico Church.
Monday, Oct 18: Pray for Carol Wilkinson today as she goes to Valley University to interact with students. Pray that God would give her divine opportunities. Praise God for the contacts that He has worked out with Raphael and Ennio at Valley University.
Tuesday, Oct 19: George’s biggest challenge at the moment is the sale of properties in Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Belize. Pray that a lot of progress will be made in that area this month. Pray that he will be able to find a good appraiser in Guatemala to reappraise the properties. Pray that he will not have any major holdups transferring some final properties to the Baptist Convention.
Wednesday, Oct 20: Today Guatemala celebrates the overthrow of Dictator Jorge Ubico in 1944 and the beginning of 10 years of revolution government known as the "10 years of Spring". Pray for the president and leadership of Guatemala.
Thursday, Oct 21: There are usually nine or ten people attending the Bible study at the Hardemans’ on Monday night and between twelve and fifteen on Thursdays. The Gospel in the Rosary study has raised a lot of interest. Although we knew that Mary held a very key role for many Catholics, some of their statements have even surprised us. Some asked why the book didn’t include the last two mysteries concerning Mary’s ascension into heaven and her coronation as queen of heaven. We just explained that since we are basing our study on the gospels and neither of those are mentioned in them, they were left out. More than one has mentioned that Mary is our channel to Jesus. Pray that their eyes will be opened to see the truth from God’s word that Mary was God’s instrument to bring us Jesus and a wonderful example of obedience, faith, and submission; but that we have direct access to God through Jesus without needing His mother to influence Him.
Friday, Oct 22: Earning money for university students is an important thing even for students in the upper class universities. One way they do this is by playing poker on the internet. Of course sometimes they win and sometime they lose money. Pray for the students who are involved in this.
Saturday, Oct 23: Pray for Sharon Cook as her Wednesday night group continues to study Crown Financial study. Pray that the ladies will continue to come to the meetings and continue to be interested in the study as they have been.
Sunday, Oct 24: The Bible Impact Church is struggling. We have touched many lives and seen them changed by the Lord through our home Bible studies, but the Sunday morning church service isn’t growing. Pray with us that the Lord will show us His will. If He wants us to move to a smaller and less expensive place, pray that one will open up. If He wants us to do something else on Sunday mornings, pray that He will reveal His will to us.
Monday, Oct 25: Before Carol Wilkinson leave for stateside assignment in late November she needs to make preparations for teams that will be coming in March and May to work with her in the university ministry. Pray for her as she makes hotel, transportation and other ministry plans. Pray for the ones who will be on the teams. Thank God for the ones who want to come and work in the ministry.
Tuesday, Oct 26: As we reach the last quarter of the year, we missionaries will be evaluating our work goals and results as well as planning for next year. Pray for Mark Fricke and Ellis Leagans as they guide us in this. Pray that we will be led by the Holy Spirit as look over what we did this year and we make our plans for 2011. May God’s name be glorified and His Word go out as we share the Gospel, disciple believers and challenge them to be responsible for doing the same to those around them.
Wednesday, Oct 27: Besides preparing the study guides for the Gospel in the Rosary study, Helen has been working on the assignments for one of the Masters’ seminary courses. Then she realized that there is another course offered on Hebrews; so she is now working on those assignments. Pray for her that she will use her time wisely and be able to keep up with all she needs to do. The Hebrews course is of special interest because a friend that she saw recently in the grocery store told her that she’d done a study on Hebrews with a group of Catholics and at the end of the study, everyone had made a profession of faith as they realized that Jesus Christ is their high priest (pope) and he is the means of access to the Father, not the priests, Mary, sacraments, etc.
Thursday, Oct 28: “This is the day that the Lord has made I will rejoice and be glad in it”. Psalm 118:24. Pray for one another. Pray that today we would remember this verse as we go throughout our day. Why not sing the song on your way to work or school today?
Friday, Oct 29: Pray today for Manuel and Siomara and their leadership in Impacto Biblico Church. Pray that God would grant them wisdom in decisions of the church. Pray that they would experience a strong sense of God’s presence today as many people are praying for them.
Saturday, Oct 30: David and Mayari and the boys are adjusting well to life in Louisiana. The boys are enjoying their school and they are all improving their English. They have been enjoying the American life. Continue to pray for them as they make the transition from Guatemala to the USA and eventually to Spain. Pray for their families in Guatemala. Praise God for the way He has worked out their transition and for the many prayers He has answered.
Sunday, Oct 31: “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you declares the Lord.” Jeremiah 29:13-14. Pray today that the missionaries would seek God with all their heart. Pray that the Nicodemus people would seek God first as they are seeking many things in their life.
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