West Texas Missioner: August 2014

Sunday, August 31, 2014

Build It Again," one colorful plastic brick at a time ... Pt. 1: The Problem

Just a few weeks ago, our youngest departed for college in some strange land 'up north' called Oklahoma. My wife and I are now 'empty nesters' ... seeking answers to profound questions that delve deep into the mind, the heart and the soul ... asked by parents who have found themselves in similar circumstances over countless generations ... such as ...

"What do we do with all these LEGOs?"

The potential for our being overwhelmed by an ava-LEGO-lanche is there. We have a LOT of them around the house, accrued over the years by children - and their parents! - who loved to build, to create ... whether it was carefully following the instructions on the package, or tackling something they had seen during a trip to LEGOland, or following their own flights of fancy.

But those flights of fancy are now pursuing new courses, set for new destinations, building upon foundations made of something other than bright-colored plastic. So ...

"What do we do with all these LEGOs?"

As in turns out, speaker, artist and author Ben Glenn - who visited us at First Presbyterian Church of Midland earlier this year - may have the answer ...

"I’ve been a passionate lover of brick play since childhood," Ben writes. I’ll be honest and admit that I lost touch with my passion once I graduated high school. Once I had kids though, it all came back with a vengeance! Build it Again Brick is a personal project that I’ve created to share my love of LEGO with kids who don’t have a LEGO kit of their own. If you have LEGOs that are looking for a good home, I’m going to help them get there!"

So, with the blessings of our kiddos, I'm going to give Ben and "Build It Again Brick" a try ... I'll keep you posted on how it turns out.

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

MINUTE FOR MISSION: CHRISTIAN VOCATION - When we are baptized, hands are laid on our heads, ordaining us for a life of service empowered by the Holy Spirit. One of our baptismal vows includes a pledge to offer our talents back to God in praise for all that God has given us. This offering is our Christian vocation, such that our work, our relationships, indeed all of life becomes a form of prayer.

For two weeks each summer, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary’s Summer Youth Institute helps young Christians think through vocation at a critical stage in their development ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

Saturday, August 30, 2014

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer. How often have you wondered, where are the young adults in the PC(USA)? Wonder no longer. The 2014 Presbyterian Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is devoted to the theme of young adults in the church. Its stories, many told by young adults, lift up how Presbyterians of all ages are engaging and joining with Presbyterian young adults in reforming the church for Christ’s mission.

Today in the Mission Yearbook: August 30, 2014

PRESBYTERY OF SOUTHERN KANSAS - A partnership with the Presbiterio de Chihuahua in Northern Mexico is one of the many exciting ministries of the Presbytery of Southern Kansas. Five years ago the two presbyteries agreed to work for peace and justice and to seek ways to learn from each other.

Each spring a group from Kansas travels to northern Mexico to work with ministry partners. The groups have built church structures, painted and cleaned and plumbed, led vacation Bible school, and, most importantly, built relationships in Jesus Christ. The mission trips are intentionally open to everyone, and last year’s participants ranged in age from 8 to 90 ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

Friday, August 29, 2014

From @FWMission ... Friday Story: "Lifting Multiple Generations"

Founded in 2001, Free Wheelchair Mission is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to providing wheelchairs for the impoverished disabled in developing nations. Headquartered in Irvine, California, FWM works around the world in partnership with a vast network of humanitarian, faith-based and government organizations, sending wheelchairs to hundreds of thousands of disabled people, providing not only the gift of mobility, but of dignity, independence, and hope.

Friday Story: "Lifting Multiple Generations"

Greetings and happy Friday!

Recently a mission’s trip team went to Nicaragua to help deliver wheelchairs with our distribution partner Metanoia Missions International. One of the team members was a FWM Board Member, Stuart, who shared this story of how they were able to provide mobility to multiple generations:

One of the wheelchairs we distributed was for Antonia, who is 92 years old and lives with her daughter, Emma and Emma’s daughter, Martha. It was amazing to see three generations living together with the youngest, Martha, being 47 years old ...

• read the rest of this story ...

Want to take one of these wheelchairs for a test drive? During normal business hours, visit the lobby at the Texas Street entrance of First Presbyterian Church-Midland, at the northwest corner of Texas and A streets, on the west side of downtown Midland. You can give the gift of mobility. The cost of $72.00 is a bargain to us ... but it is a life-changing gift to impoverished and disabled recipients ... and there are times when your contribution will be matched, reaching not one - but TWO, and sometimes FOUR recipients. Please note on your check "Wheelchair Gift."

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer. How often have you wondered, where are the young adults in the PC(USA)? Wonder no longer. The 2014 Presbyterian Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is devoted to the theme of young adults in the church. Its stories, many told by young adults, lift up how Presbyterians of all ages are engaging and joining with Presbyterian young adults in reforming the church for Christ’s mission.

Today in the Mission Yearbook: August 29, 2014

PRESBYTERY OF NORTHERN KANSAS - The Presbytery of Northern Kansas comprises 63 congregations scattered across 33 counties. Although the presbytery has its share of urban and suburban congregations, the majority of the 7,057 church members in its bounds worship in small congregations in the rural areas where they live and work. Small-church ministry is exciting and challenging, particularly in relation to youth and young adults. Recognizing this, the presbytery has committed to providing connections and resources for its congregations.

Connecting youth with one another across a state is often a daunting task, but the presbytery’s Youth Ministries Committee is dedicated to doing just that ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Faces of Children: Prayer Concerns for This Week

Faces of Children is an ecumenical prayer ministry under the auspices of First Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas. Our mission is to initiate ministries of prayer for children in churches, communities, and neighborhoods. In doing so, we seek to provide an opportunity for people of God to join together, learn about children and their needs throughout the world, and celebrate Christ's love (especially as it relates to children).

Prayer Concerns for the Week of 07/31/14

Burma

Several years ago, Nancy* formed a children’s home in Burma called Hallelujah Orphanage. She and her family care for 11 abused, neglected, or orphaned children in their home. They provide a loving environment that is safe and stable for these vulnerable children. The children who live at Hallelujah Orphanage are able to pursue an education and experience daily the abundant love of Jesus Christ. This time of year in Burma, there is a lot of illness and the hospital in Nancy’s community is overwhelmed with sick children and adults. Nancy’s father, mother and three of the children are ill with fevers. One of the little boys has been diagnosed with tuberculosis and is on medication for six months. Nancy’s friend Beth* took her 6-year-old daughter to the hospital and it was so overcrowded there were no more beds available—people had to stay on the porch. Beth’s daughter died late last month.
• Please pray God’s healing touch will be upon Nancy’s family and the children at Hallelujah Orphanage. Pray for their complete recovery. Pray the other children and family members will remain healthy.
• Pray for Beth and her family as they grieve the loss of this precious daughter. Pray God will comfort them in this season of sadness. Pray God will also bring comfort to the children at Hallelujah Orphanage who were good friends with this little girl.
• Please pray God will provide the resources Nancy and her family need to continue helping these children.

Burma, China

The Salween River is Southeast Asia’s second longest river and flows through China, Thailand, and Burma to the Andaman Sea. The river is a lifeline for the six million mostly ethnic and religious minority people groups living in its watershed as it provides food and jobs. This precious resource is threatened by the proposed development of 13 hydropower dams along the Salween River in China and another six in Burma. Most of the electricity produced would be exported to China and Thailand. The proposed dams in Burma are located in former or current conflict zones which has led to increased fighting between the Burma Army and ethnic rebels over control of this natural resource. Reports of land grabs, forced labor, and forced relocation of communities by the Burma Army have also surfaced. Because this region isn’t well known, it is much easier to exploit. The Burma Army also silences any opposition with threats or violence.
• more on this issue
• Please pray for the children and families of Burma’s ethnic and religious minorities who are affected by the development of hydropower dams along the Salween River.
• Pray for families who’ve been forcibly removed from their homes and communities. Pray God will provide for their immediate needs. Please pray they will have safe shelter, clean water, sufficient food, and medical care while displaced from their communities.
• Pray for those who face the loss of livelihood and culture because of the dam developments.
• Please pray for leaders in these ethnic and religious people groups as they risk their lives to raise awareness about the destructiveness of overdeveloping the Salween River.
• Pray the leaders in countries bordering this lifeline can forge an agreement on how to develop and sustain the Salween River basin.

Faces of Children

Faces of Children prayer partner Meg experiences excruciating pain because of multiple issues with her spine and a possible cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak that’s forced her brain’s cerebellar tonsils into her spinal column. This herniation increases pressure on the brainstem and causes problems with the normal functions of the brain and/or spinal cord. Meg’s pain has recently gotten worse. She is now having daily headaches and intense neck and back pain that is only relieved by lying down. Meg has started working with a new doctor that specializes in pain management and who is a prayerful, Jesus-loving doctor.
• more on this issue
• Please pray God will bless Meg with complete healing from this debilitating pain. Pray she will be free from it so she might be able to serve God in more ways than which she is currently capable.
• Give God thanks for the new doctor with whom Meg is now working. Pray he will be able to find a pain management plan that works well for Meg.
• Thanks be to God for the loving and supportive husband, daughter, church community, and friends that surround Meg and support her in this challenging season.
• Please continue to pray that more churches and individuals will join with the ministry of Faces of Children in spreading awareness about children in crisis and inviting more people to pray for children at risk.

If you have prayer requests about children, those who care for them, those who have authority over them, or those who harm them (the really hard prayers to say sometimes), please send them to Chris Laufer, FOC Coordinator, at claufer@facesofchildren.net

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer. How often have you wondered, where are the young adults in the PC(USA)? Wonder no longer. The 2014 Presbyterian Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is devoted to the theme of young adults in the church. Its stories, many told by young adults, lift up how Presbyterians of all ages are engaging and joining with Presbyterian young adults in reforming the church for Christ’s mission.

Today in the Mission Yearbook: August 28, 2014

MISSOURI UNION PRESBYTERY - The college students who participate in the Vine, a campus ministry of First Presbyterian Church in Columbia, have risen to the challenge to take mission to a new level. They have joined other volunteers at the congregation’s Saturday Café, which provides breakfast and a clothes closet at the church so that people who are homeless or in need can be fed, clothed, and sheltered. These students have moved beyond just giving handouts to engaging with the participants: sitting at table with them, learning about their lives, sharing their own lives, and loving them as Christ loves them.

The Vine students have served others with enthusiasm and dedication in situations that have stretched their comfort zones ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

JOHN CALVIN PRESBYTERY, OF MISSOURI AND KANSAS - joplin, Missouri, is a center for lead mining, a crossroads town, and a regional business, retail, and health-care hub. Since May 22, 2012, it is mostly recognized as the location of the costliest single tornado in US history. While the storm did not damage the facilities of First Presbyterian Church, it did destroy 30 homes of church members and significantly damaged another 20. The congregation also lost three beloved people to the violent winds.

Almost immediately, hopeful stories surfaced about the large number of volunteers who traveled from all across the country and the world. Some arrived to clear debris, more came to help rebuild homes, and many provided a sympathetic ear for survivors’ stories ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Invitation to Prayer: TOMORROW

Faces of Children is an ecumenical prayer ministry under the auspices of First Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas. Our mission is to initiate ministries of prayer for children in churches, communities, and neighborhoods. In doing so, we seek to provide an opportunity for people of God to join together, learn about children and their needs throughout the world, and celebrate Christ's love (especially as it relates to children).

A Jealous Love

“To return to God means to return to God with all that I am and all that I have. I cannot return to God with just half of my being. As I reflected this morning again on the story of the prodigal son and tried to experience myself in the embrace of the father, I suddenly felt a certain resistance to being embraced so fully and totally. I experienced not only a desire to be embraced, but also a fear of losing my independence. I realized that God’s love is a jealous love. God wants not just a part of me, but all of me. Only when I surrender myself completely to God’s parental love, can I expect to be free from endless distractions, ready to hear the voice of love, and able to recognize my own unique call.

It is going to be a very long road. Every time I pray, I feel the struggle. It is the struggle of letting God be the God of my whole being. It is the struggle to trust that true freedom lies hidden in total surrender to God’s love.

Following Jesus is the way to enter into the struggle and find true freedom. The way is the way of the cross, and true freedom is the freedom found in the victory over death. Jesus’ total obedience to God led him to the cross, and through the cross to a life no longer subject to the competitive games of this world. Jesus held on to nothing, not even to satisfying religious experiences. His words, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ give us a glimpse of the complete surrender of Jesus to God. Nothing was left for him to cling to. In this complete surrender, he found total unity and total freedom.

To me Jesus says, ‘Come and follow me…I have come so that you may have life and have it abundantly’ (John 10:10).”

The Road to Daybreak by Henri J. M. Nouwen

A message from Chris Laufer, Coordinator, Faces of Children

Greetings, Faces of Children Intercessor,

The Midland Faces of Children prayer group will meet in the conference room in the Family Life Center at First Presbyterian Church-Midland, on Wednesday, August 27, 2014 at 11:30 a.m. We will have lunch ($5) and fellowship after our prayer time.

Thank you for your faithfulness in prayer for the littlest citizens of God’s Kingdom! If you have prayer concerns or celebrations about children, those who care for them, those who have authority over them, or those who harm them (the really hard prayers to say sometimes), please send them to me at at claufer@facesofchildren.net, or give me a call.

Grace and peace,

Chris

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer. How often have you wondered, where are the young adults in the PC(USA)? Wonder no longer. The 2014 Presbyterian Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is devoted to the theme of young adults in the church. Its stories, many told by young adults, lift up how Presbyterians of all ages are engaging and joining with Presbyterian young adults in reforming the church for Christ’s mission.

Today in the Mission Yearbook: August 26, 2014

HEARTLAND PRESBYTERY, OF MISSOURI AND KANSAS - Heartland Presbytery is made up of 102 congregations, fellowships, and worshiping communities across northwest Missouri, northeast Kansas, and the Kansas City metropolitan area. They are seeking to reach new generations through new ministries and new approaches to long-standing ministries. Among their ministries with the greatest direct connection with young adults is the care and nurture of inquirers and candidates for professional ministry. While the nearly two dozen candidates and inquirers represent a variety of age groups, many are young adults moving from college to seminary. The presbytery’s work with these gifted men and women who have experienced God’s call on their lives to serve in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) provides Heartland great confidence in the future of our denomination ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

Monday, August 25, 2014

ChinaAid: "Worship service in Beijing interrupted by officials"

BEIJING, CHINAA – Government officials in Beijing broke up a gathering of more than 40 Christians on Sunday and hauled the believers to the police station where they documented their information. Church property was destroyed and confiscated.

“In the morning, some government employees suddenly came in,” said a member of the Orchard Garden House Church, located in the Gaoliying Town suburb of Beijing. “They were from the Religious Affairs Bureau, the Public Security Bureau and the local police station. There were also urban management agents ...

• more on this story from China Aid

Invitation to Prayer: WEDNESDAY

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer. How often have you wondered, where are the young adults in the PC(USA)? Wonder no longer. The 2014 Presbyterian Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is devoted to the theme of young adults in the church. Its stories, many told by young adults, lift up how Presbyterians of all ages are engaging and joining with Presbyterian young adults in reforming the church for Christ’s mission.

Today in the Mission Yearbook: August 25, 2014

PRESBYTERY OF GIDDINGS-LOVEJOY, OF MISSOURI AND ILLINOIS - Mound Ridge is a mission facility of the Presbytery of Giddings-Lovejoy in the Missouri Ozarks. a few young adults express how it has ministered to them.

"I truly found myself there and return often to strengthen my bond with God in nature, fortify my spirituality, and develop leadership and community-building skills. Congregations bring youth to Mound Ridge to strengthen their leadership skills, build community, and involve them in service projects. Mound Ridge helps strengthen my Christian character and also helps me serve the greater community.” ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

Sunday, August 24, 2014

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer. How often have you wondered, where are the young adults in the PC(USA)? Wonder no longer. The 2014 Presbyterian Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is devoted to the theme of young adults in the church. Its stories, many told by young adults, lift up how Presbyterians of all ages are engaging and joining with Presbyterian young adults in reforming the church for Christ’s mission.

Today in the Mission Yearbook: August 24, 2014

MINUTE FOR MISSION: PUBLIC EDUCATION - In 2010 the 219th General Assembly approved the report Loving Our Neighbors: Equity and Quality in Public Education (K–12) , which “recommit[ted] the PC(USA) to the principle of equal education opportunity for all children in the United States, different as each child may be, and affirm[ed] them all as our children, neighbors in our care.” The report goes on to assert education as a basic human right.

Sadly, our vision for quality education has not been realized in many classrooms across the nation ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

Saturday, August 23, 2014

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

Friday, August 22, 2014

From @FWMission ... Friday Story: from Don Schoendorfer : "Eleven Years of Magic"

Friday Story: from Don Schoendorfer : "Eleven Years of Magic"

Greetings and happy Friday!

As Founder and President of Free Wheelchair Mission, I have had the pleasure of watching our annual Magic of Mobility event grow over the last 11 years. This year, thanks to you, I am humbled and honored to share that as a result of this year’s event, 13,935 people will now receive a wheelchair. What an incredible accomplishment!

There were many memorable moments from our evening ...

• read the rest of this story ...

In the News ... "Elementary Schools Get Makeovers With The Help Of Local Church Volunteers"

Lauren Tropea
KMID-TV

MIDLAND, TEXAS - Kids aren't the only ones getting ready to go back to school. Elementary schools around Midland received makeovers this weekend thanks to the help of some local volunteers ...

• read/watch the rest of this KMID story

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

TAIWAN (continued) - n this day of globalization, one of our great opportunities is to reach out to new neighbors. One Taiwanese couple, Howard and JoAnn, have lived in the United States for many years, but they grew up in the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan.

They live in Cary, North Carolina, in a suburban home that, from the outside, looks like other homes in the neighborhood. But as you enter—and take off your shoes, the custom in Asian homes—you immediately smell the wonderful fragrances of a Taiwanese kitchen ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

Thursday, August 21, 2014

Faces of Children: Prayer Concerns for This Week

Faces of Children is an ecumenical prayer ministry under the auspices of First Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas. Our mission is to initiate ministries of prayer for children in churches, communities, and neighborhoods. In doing so, we seek to provide an opportunity for people of God to join together, learn about children and their needs throughout the world, and celebrate Christ's love (especially as it relates to children).

Prayer Concerns for the Week of 07/31/14

Iraq, Syria

Rebels from the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria/ISIS, now known as Islamic State (IS), have taken control of large portions of Iraq and eastern Syria in a campaign to restore an Islamic state in this area that is based on strict, medieval Sunni Muslim precepts. This offshoot of al-Qaeda is considered far more brutal than al-Qaeda. They consider Shi’ite Muslims (the majority of Iraq’s population) to be heretics deserving of death, but also target minorities and civilians with brutal punishments and death threats. Minority religious groups that have lived in Iraq for centuries—Christians, Turkmen, Yazidis, Shabak, Sabian Mandaeans, Bahais, Kakais, and Faili Kurds—are forced by IS to convert to their form of Islam or die. In the most recent attacks by IS militants, tens of thousands of Iraq’s religious minorities, including a quarter of the country’s Christians, have fled north to escape violent assaults. Thousands of Yazidis (a secretive religious minority group viewed by the militants as devil worshippers), remain trapped in the mountains near Sinjar, surrounded by IS forces. They have little or no water, food, shelter, medicine, or fuel and children are dying from dehydration. An estimated 30,000 Yazidis were able to escape after a week of being trapped in the mountains, possibly because of U.S. airstrikes on IS militant positions. Many Yazidis have crossed into Iraq’s northern Kurdistan region.
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• Continue in prayer for children and families affected by IS militant attacks and persecution of religious minorities. Pray for those displaced from their homes and communities by the fighting. Pray for the injured and grieving.
• Give God thanks for the escape of so many Yazidis who had been trapped in the mountains. Pray for children and their caregivers who are weak from exhaustion, dehydration, and exposure to the sun.
• Pray for the safety and freedom of the remaining children and families trapped in the mountains near Sinjar. Pray God will provide for their most immediate needs. Pray for those who were too weak to escape after the airstrikes.
• Please pray for peace in this region.
• Pray for Iraq and Syria’s leaders during this challenging season. Pray they will seek God’s guidance in all of their decisions concerning the people in their respective countries.
• Pray for those who kill and destroy in the name of their religion. Pray for a change of heart and mind.

Israel, Palestine, Egypt

In the ongoing, violent conflict between Israel and Hamas, almost 2,000 people have been killed (as of August 10). The majority of those killed were civilians in Gaza, including 452 children. More than 2,800 Palestinian children have been injured in the violence. Over a half million people have been displaced.
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• Pray for those on both sides of this conflict who are grieving the loss of loved ones. Pray for God’s comforting peace to surround and sustain them.
• Please pray for the thousands of children and families made homeless in Gaza. Pray for those in Israel who have had to abandon their homes and communities.
• Pray God will bring healing to the hundreds of thousands of children who’ve seen horrors no child should ever have to witness. Pray for children who have already lived through multiple wars in their short lifetimes.
• Please pray for a comprehensive and lasting ceasefire agreement between Israeli troops and Hamas militants. Give God thanks for the previous ceasefires that have allowed more humanitarian aid into Gaza.
• Pray the diplomatic talks in Cairo, Egypt will bear fruit—that mediators will reach a peace agreement that stops this devastating conflict. Pray for a sustainable peace in this region.

Faces of Children

• Please continue to keep Hannah, the daughter of Faces of Children prayer partner Steve Schorr, close in prayer as she begins teaching Muslim and Christian middle school students in a Christian school in Jerusalem soon. Give thanks to God for her safe journey to Israel. And thanks be to God for Hannah’s deep desire to share Christ’s message of love and peace in a troubled region. Continue to pray for Hannah’s parents as they struggle with anxiety for their daughter. Pray God will bless them with the peace that surpasses all understanding.
• Give thanks to God for the opportunity to share the ministry of Faces of Children with the women of the Northeast Georgia Presbytery at their annual workshop in Commerce, GA on August 16, 2014. Pray those who heard the message of prayer for children will take it into their churches and communities.
• Please continue to pray that more churches and individuals will join with the ministry of Faces of Children in spreading awareness about children in crisis and inviting more people to pray for children at risk.

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer. How often have you wondered, where are the young adults in the PC(USA)? Wonder no longer. The 2014 Presbyterian Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is devoted to the theme of young adults in the church. Its stories, many told by young adults, lift up how Presbyterians of all ages are engaging and joining with Presbyterian young adults in reforming the church for Christ’s mission.

Today in the Mission Yearbook: August 21, 2014

TAIWAN - A young Taiwan Theological Seminary student happily shared the story of his call to ministry and his father’s change of heart. His father is a businessman, and from an early age the son was prepared to join his father’s business. He began English lessons in preschool and now speaks English well, along with his first languages, Mandarin and Taiwanese. During high school he began to feel a call to ministry, but his father pushed him toward a more practical path ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

PHILIPPINES (continued) - The youth of the Philippines cannot remember a time when their nation was free from internal war. In a society that has never fully shaken its colonial past, the desperation of those whose hope has been lost to poverty and landlessness remains the reason so many young people join movements for change.

Change is a sacred word in the Philippines. No one, young or old, would disregard the need for change in this country: change from the way society favors some and not all, change from the way the nation is governed, change from the way the country’s brightest youth are choosing to leave to find work elsewhere ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Invitation to Prayer: TOMORROW

Faces of Children is an ecumenical prayer ministry under the auspices of First Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas. Our mission is to initiate ministries of prayer for children in churches, communities, and neighborhoods. In doing so, we seek to provide an opportunity for people of God to join together, learn about children and their needs throughout the world, and celebrate Christ's love (especially as it relates to children).

Returning to the First Love

“For three days I have been meditating on the story of the prodigal son. It is a story about returning. I realize the importance of returning over and over again. My life drifts away from God. I have to return. My heart moves away from my first love. I have to return. My mind wanders to strange images. I have to return. Returning is a lifelong struggle.

It strikes me that the wayward son had rather selfish motivations. He said to himself, ‘How many of my father’s paid servants have more food than they want, and here I am dying of hunger! I will leave this place and go to my father.’ He didn’t return because of a renewed love for his father. No, he returned simply to survive. He had discovered that the way he had chosen was leading him to death. Returning to his father was a necessity for staying alive. He realized that he had sinned, but this realization came about because sin had brought him close to death.

I am moved by the fact that the father didn’t require any higher motivation. His love was so total and unconditional that he simply welcomed his son home.

This is a very encouraging thought. God does not require a pure heart before embracing us. Even if we return only because following our desires has failed to bring happiness, God will take us back. Even if we return because being a Christian brings us more peace than being a pagan, God will receive us. Even if we return because our sins did not offer as much satisfaction as we had hoped, God will take us back. Even if we return because we could not make it on our own, God will receive us. God’s love does not require any explanations about why we are returning. God is glad to see us home and wants to give us all we desire, just for being home.”

Anchored in God Through Prayer by Henri J. M. Nouwen

A message from Chris Laufer, Coordinator, Faces of Children

Greetings, Faces of Children Prayer Partner,

This week, we have a special treat for our Faces of Children prayer group! Michelle Conn, the Director of Strategic Partnerships with International Justice Mission (IJM), will be with us for our prayer time and lunch on Wednesday, August 20, 2014. After lunch, Michelle will give us a presentation about the work of IJM around the world

The Midland Faces of Children prayer group will meet in the Koinonia Room (right off the gym) at First Presbyterian Church-Midland, on Wednesday, August 13, 2014 at 11:30 a.m. to pray for children and the work of IJM. We will have lunch ($5) and fellowship after our prayer time. Please RSVP to Rachal Eriksen (reriksen@fpcmid.org or 432.684.7821) if you are planning to attend the luncheon.

Thank you for your faithfulness in prayer for the littlest citizens of God’s Kingdom! If you have prayer concerns or celebrations about children, those who care for them, those who have authority over them, or those who harm them (the really hard prayers to say sometimes), please send them to me at at claufer@facesofchildren.net, or give me a call.

Grace and peace,

Chris

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

PHILIPPINES - John Lumapay passed the Board of Nursing licensure exam two years ago and was expected by family to begin practicing, preferably in the United States or Europe, where many Filipino nurses go. But something beckoned her to stay and respond to a deeper call.

In 2005, at age 16, John was one of 30 young people to participate in an educational-theater workshop in Dumaguete City, Philippines, that addressed the sexual trafficking of children. After giving a public performance on the issue, the group met and enthusiastically decided that they wanted to use theater to do more for children and youth. This pivotal meeting led to the formation of the Youth Advocates Through Theater Arts (YATTA) ...

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Monday, August 18, 2014

ChinaAid: "14 receive significant injuries in Salvation Church altercation"

The China Aid Association is a non-profit Christian organization - based in Midland, Texas - with a mission to uncover and reveal the truth about religious persecution in China, focusing especially on the unofficial church. They do this, they explain in their website, by exposing the abuses, encouraging the abused and equipping the saints to advance the kingdom of God throughout China.

14 receive significant injuries in Salvation Church altercation
Distributed by ChinaAid, July, 2014 ...

WENZHOU, ZHEJIANG, CHINA – Fourteen members of the Wenzhou-based Salvation Church in China’s coastal Zhejiang province were injuring early Monday morning when government official burst through the gates of the church to attempt to demolish the church’s cross.

Believers formed a human wall at the gates in order to protect the church’s cross, and many were injured in the resulting altercation ...

• more on this story from China Aid

Invitation to Prayer: WEDNESDAY

Faces of Children is an ecumenical prayer ministry under the auspices of First Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas. Our mission is to initiate ministries of prayer for children in churches, communities, and neighborhoods. In doing so, we seek to provide an opportunity for people of God to join together, learn about children and their needs throughout the world, and celebrate Christ's love (especially as it relates to children).

Returning to the First Love

“For three days I have been meditating on the story of the prodigal son. It is a story about returning. I realize the importance of returning over and over again. My life drifts away from God. I have to return. My heart moves away from my first love. I have to return. My mind wanders to strange images. I have to return. Returning is a lifelong struggle.

It strikes me that the wayward son had rather selfish motivations. He said to himself, ‘How many of my father’s paid servants have more food than they want, and here I am dying of hunger! I will leave this place and go to my father.’ He didn’t return because of a renewed love for his father. No, he returned simply to survive. He had discovered that the way he had chosen was leading him to death. Returning to his father was a necessity for staying alive. He realized that he had sinned, but this realization came about because sin had brought him close to death.

I am moved by the fact that the father didn’t require any higher motivation. His love was so total and unconditional that he simply welcomed his son home.

This is a very encouraging thought. God does not require a pure heart before embracing us. Even if we return only because following our desires has failed to bring happiness, God will take us back. Even if we return because being a Christian brings us more peace than being a pagan, God will receive us. Even if we return because our sins did not offer as much satisfaction as we had hoped, God will take us back. Even if we return because we could not make it on our own, God will receive us. God’s love does not require any explanations about why we are returning. God is glad to see us home and wants to give us all we desire, just for being home.”

Anchored in God Through Prayer by Henri J. M. Nouwen

A message from Chris Laufer, Coordinator, Faces of Children

Greetings, Faces of Children Prayer Partner,

This week, we have a special treat for our Faces of Children prayer group! Michelle Conn, the Director of Strategic Partnerships with International Justice Mission (IJM), will be with us for our prayer time and lunch on Wednesday, August 20, 2014. After lunch, Michelle will give us a presentation about the work of IJM around the world

The Midland Faces of Children prayer group will meet in the Koinonia Room (right off the gym) at First Presbyterian Church-Midland, on Wednesday, August 13, 2014 at 11:30 a.m. to pray for children and the work of IJM. We will have lunch ($5) and fellowship after our prayer time. Please RSVP to Rachal Eriksen (reriksen@fpcmid.org or 432.684.7821) if you are planning to attend the luncheon.

Thank you for your faithfulness in prayer for the littlest citizens of God’s Kingdom! If you have prayer concerns or celebrations about children, those who care for them, those who have authority over them, or those who harm them (the really hard prayers to say sometimes), please send them to me at at claufer@facesofchildren.net, or give me a call.

Grace and peace,

Chris

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

JAPAN (continued) - As a test of advanced Presbyterian knowledge, the following question might be submitted: What Presbyterian-established university took for its campus a former prisoner-of-war camp and used its barracks as classrooms? If you answered Shikoku Gakuin University in Zentsuji, Japan, you would be correct. In 1949, soon after the end of the Second World War, the Japan Mission of the former Presbyterian Church in the U.S., together with Japanese Christians, founded this liberal-arts institution on the island of Shikoku. Where Allied POWs had languished under severe conditions, this center of Christian witness and learning—and symbol of hope and peace for war-ravaged Japan—was established ...

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