Thursday, June 30, 2016

Partners Blog ... "We're Thankful for Your Faithfulness"

Steve and Oddny Gumaer started Partners Relief and Development in response to the needs of refugees and displaced people from Burma. Their mission is to demonstrate, through holistic action, God’s love to children and communities made vulnerable by war in Burma.

We're Thankful for Your Faithfulness

I’m right on the verge of closing out the books for 2015! I love that feeling of boxing up all the old receipts and reams of paper that pushed us through another year.

My dear blog friends, it’s the USA accountant/administrator/managing director/lover of spreadsheets and databases back to warm your hearts, not with stories of refugees but with a note of thanksgiving and gratefulness ...

read the rest of this post



Partners Relief and Development is a registered charity in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States, working with communities impacted by war in Burma. For more information aboput Partners, visit their website at partnersworld.org/

In the News ... "New church’s baptisms multiply"

OA Photo by Mark Sterkel
• Minister: Societal changes undermine nation’s morality, threaten its future

By Bob Campbell, Reporter
Odessa American


ODESSA, TEXAS - Ministers are fighting a war against society that they cannot win, but their battles for individual souls are often more encouraging, says the Rev. Wally Schiwart, pastor of New Dawn Fellowship at 4803 Plaza Boulevard ...

read the rest of this OA report ...

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.

Today in the Mission Yearbook: June 30, 2016

PRESBYTERY OF NEVADA - First Thai-Laotian Presbyterian Church is the sole recipient of the 2016 Sam and Helen R. Walton Award of $50,000. First Thai-Laotian began in 2002 with 15 people who wanted to reach the estimated 15,000 Thai and Laotian persons living in Las Vegas. The majority of the first generation of the immigrants attended Buddhist temples, but due to the language barrier the younger generations had begun to drift from the faith of their parents ...

CLICK HERE to read more.

Wednesday, June 29, 2016

WAW Wednesday ... Were you praying for me this morning?

"The Word at Work is a ministry that mobilizes churches and individuals to answer God's call to minister to those in need," writes Rev. Tim Tam, Director of the Amarillo, Texas-based ministry. "Through our relationships, God reveals needs and opportunities for service. As we come along side the poor, new friendships develop and doors for ministry open. As we serve, God provides the resources to supply for the needs he reveals."


Were you praying for me this morning?

Hello Friends,

Still collecting photos and Data for this weeks update ... Look for it tomorrow.

I woke up this morning around 5 AM ... had a very interesting spiritual experience!

If you were praying for me this morning at 5 AM Texas time please write me back.

Thanks for being the Word at Work!

tt (Tim Tam)
The Word at Work

ps: Our Ministry Associate team gathers school supplies, toys, and stuffed animals through out the year ... we've discovered blankets are an ongoing need as well, so please be saving them, too. Click here to learn more about becoming a TW@W Ministry Associate, or get in touch with Tim Hagen for more information!



EDITOR'S NOTE: Speaking from my own first-hand experience - working side-by-side with Tim, Kenny and our brothers and sisters in Belize - won't you give thoughtful, prayerful consideration to supporting the efforts of Tim, the Word At Work staff and their partners? Please please fill out this Commitment Card and return it to their office!

Also, remember that you can follow The Word At Work on their Facebook page!


Equal Exchange Blog ... "How to Choose the Best Coffee Maker for Your Office"

Equal Exchange's mission is to build long-term trade partnerships that are economically just and environmentally sound, to foster mutually beneficial relationships between farmers and consumers and to demonstrate, through our success, the contribution of worker co-operatives and Fair Trade to a more equitable, democratic and sustainable world.


How to Choose the Best Coffee Maker for Your Office

Coffee is the secret ingredient of many productive workplaces, and having it available at the office is a perk for everyone. But if you're just getting started with a coffee setup, it can be hard to know what type of brewer is right for your office. Don't feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of options out there! Here, we'll break down the most common types of brewers so you can figure out what's right for the size and general habits of your office ...

CLICK HERE to read the rest of this post


In the News ... "Food2Kids program will feed more kids in Midland County"

KWES Photo
• Midland facility will open in September

By Jolina Okazaki, Multimedia Journalist
KWES-TV

MIDLAND, TEXAS - The Food2Kids program is feeding hungry kids in Midland county.

The program feeds about 220 students a month and the number of children who are missing meals is increasing ...

 • read/watch the rest of this KWES report ...

Invitation to Prayer from Faces of Children ... TODAY

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).

Invitation to Prayer, WEDNESDAY

Hi Friends,

Thank you for joining me in prayer for the children of the world. If you can, we'd love to have you pray together with us this Wednesday - TODAY - at 11:30 a.m., in the gym conference room at First Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas, followed by lunch together.

Also, Faces of Children is now on Facebook ! I invite you to like our page so that you can see regular stories, prayer needs, and updates from partner ministries.

All the best,

Carrie



Dear Intercessors,

We just finished VBS, and for our VBS Missions Project this year, we raised money to send to one of our partner ministries, Partners Relief and Development. The purpose of Partner's is to work for free and full lives for Myanmar's children, and the money sent will be used by Partner's to help them buy relief supplies for members of the Rohingya ethnic group who are forced to live in concentration camps in Myanmar. For the next few weeks, I thought I would share what we did in VBS. For those of you with children, each one of these has a corresponding learning activity that can be done to help further explain the situation.

Partners Photo
One of the hardest parts to understand about the Rohingya's situation is: why does everyone hate them? Truthfully, this isn't even something that grown-ups can easily understand. But, the truth is sometimes people are afraid of those who look different or who have a different religion, culture, or belief system. This happens even on the playground, where sometimes the "cool" kids gang up and are unkind to one particular child.

But we talked about how as followers of Jesus, we are called to love everyone! And when we love people like He does, it can make us a powerful force of good in a broken and sad world, and when we extend kindness, hospitality, and love, it gives us opportunities to tell people that Jesus loves them too.

We also discussed that those things that make us different can be the most beautiful of all! For example, in Myanmar people often use a white paste, called Thanakha, to apply decorative patterns on their faces. Not only do they think it is beautiful, but it also serves as sunscreen! Today we got to try out Thanakha and talk about how when God made the world, He filled it with many different and beautiful people and traditions, and how that's something to celebrate - not fear!

A prayer for you and your kids to say together: Dear Jesus, Please fill us with your powerful love. Help us to love others the way you love them, and to treat others the way we want to be treated. Please change the hearts of the grown-ups who are in power in Myanmar who have decided that it is OK to treat the Rohingya this way. Please help them see that they are just people who deserve to have free and happy lives like everyone else. Please help groups like Partner's as they work to not only meet the Rohingya's practical needs, but also to reassure them that the world hasn't forgotten all about them. Amen.

Sincerely,

Carrie

Carrie J. McKean
Faces of Children Director
First Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas
(432) 684-7821 x153



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 info@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.

Today in the Mission Yearbook: June 29, 2016

PRESBYTERY OF THE TWIN CITIES AREA, MINNESOTA - In Minneapolis, Kwanzaa Community Church’s Northside Women’s Space is reaching some of the most marginalized people in the community—women and children who are facing homelessness and precarious housing, poverty and unemployment, and those struggling to break the chains of sexual exploitation, prostitution and sex trafficking.

“On the north side of Minneapolis, we see poverty, violence, sexual exploitation, food scarcity and hunger on a daily basis,” said the Rev. Alika Galloway, co-pastor at Kwanzaa, a church started in 2002 as a new church development of the Presbytery of Twin Cities Area ...

CLICK HERE to read more.

Tuesday, June 28, 2016

From Uganda, Dr. Greg Bartha: "Geoffrey's Story"

In describing himself and his present circumstances, longtime Midland physician Dr, Greg Bartha will say ... "Elderly physician embarks on a new journey in life serving God and the people of Uganda. My goal is to move from living a good life to living a great life." In addition to his long-term mission, working at a medical clinic in Uganda, he is also a contributor to the Formula Vita blog.



Geoffrey's Story

eoffrey was raised and schooled in a Ugandan village. He helped pay for his secondary school fees by working as a porter on road construction projects. His foreman was impressed with his work ethic and enrolled him in a course on theory and management of road construction. The foreman encouraged him to follow his dream of becoming a doctor. Geoffrey enrolled in a clinical affairs training school. He worked on road construction during school vacations and breaks and was able to pay his tuition. Shortly after his graduation, he was talking with several of his fellow students about where to find clinical positions for work. They attended a prayer service at the school, then went into a school office ...

CLICK HERE to read the rest of Greg's post ...

Scarlet Threads Blog ... "Your stories mean the world to us, and to families around the world "


Scarlet Threads is a compassionate boutique, specializing in fairly-traded handmade aprons and wire art. We're working to transform the lives of rural men & women across the globe through dignified and safe employment opportunities. You can be a part of our vision by purchasing one of our beautiful products! www.scarletthreads.org



Your stories mean the world to us, and to families around the world

Each item we promote through Scarlet Threads begins and ends with a story--stories of families working for economic empowerment, working to stay together so that no child becomes orphaned due to poverty; stories of men, women, and children working to become families through adoption, adoption awareness, and adoption fundraising; and finally, stories from all of you, our wonderful community who purchase Deng's beautiful aprons from China, or Denge Doti's Borana Michira bracelets from Ethiopia, or any of the handcrafted items from the amazing artisans we support.

Today, we're honored to share the story from one of our customers ...

Read the rest of this post ...

Invitation to Prayer from Faces of Children ... 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).

Invitation to Prayer, WEDNESDAY

Hi Friends,

Thank you for joining me in prayer for the children of the world. If you can, we'd love to have you pray together with us this Wednesday at 11:30 a.m., in the gym conference room at First Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas, followed by lunch together.

Also, Faces of Children is now on Facebook ! I invite you to like our page so that you can see regular stories, prayer needs, and updates from partner ministries.

All the best,

Carrie



Dear Intercessors,

We just finished VBS, and for our VBS Missions Project this year, we raised money to send to one of our partner ministries, Partners Relief and Development. The purpose of Partner's is to work for free and full lives for Myanmar's children, and the money sent will be used by Partner's to help them buy relief supplies for members of the Rohingya ethnic group who are forced to live in concentration camps in Myanmar. For the next few weeks, I thought I would share what we did in VBS. For those of you with children, each one of these has a corresponding learning activity that can be done to help further explain the situation.

Partners Photo
One of the hardest parts to understand about the Rohingya's situation is: why does everyone hate them? Truthfully, this isn't even something that grown-ups can easily understand. But, the truth is sometimes people are afraid of those who look different or who have a different religion, culture, or belief system. This happens even on the playground, where sometimes the "cool" kids gang up and are unkind to one particular child.

But we talked about how as followers of Jesus, we are called to love everyone! And when we love people like He does, it can make us a powerful force of good in a broken and sad world, and when we extend kindness, hospitality, and love, it gives us opportunities to tell people that Jesus loves them too.

We also discussed that those things that make us different can be the most beautiful of all! For example, in Myanmar people often use a white paste, called Thanakha, to apply decorative patterns on their faces. Not only do they think it is beautiful, but it also serves as sunscreen! Today we got to try out Thanakha and talk about how when God made the world, He filled it with many different and beautiful people and traditions, and how that's something to celebrate - not fear!

A prayer for you and your kids to say together: Dear Jesus, Please fill us with your powerful love. Help us to love others the way you love them, and to treat others the way we want to be treated. Please change the hearts of the grown-ups who are in power in Myanmar who have decided that it is OK to treat the Rohingya this way. Please help them see that they are just people who deserve to have free and happy lives like everyone else. Please help groups like Partner's as they work to not only meet the Rohingya's practical needs, but also to reassure them that the world hasn't forgotten all about them. Amen.

Sincerely,

Carrie

Carrie J. McKean
Faces of Children Director
First Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas
(432) 684-7821 x153



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 info@facesofchildren.net

In the News ... "Road for Kam family goes from Cambodia to graduation stage"

MRT Photo by Tim Fischer
• Much has changed for this family since 1979

Erin Stone, Reporter
Midland Reporter-Telegram

MIDLAND, TEXAS - In 1979, when she was just 13-years-old, Marlena Kam along with her five younger sisters and three brothers arrived in Midland with their mother. They were fleeing the Killing Fields of Cambodia, where more than a million Cambodians were murdered in an act of genocide by the Khmer Rouge regime during the late 1970s.

More than 50 Cambodians arrived in Midland that year, fleeing horrific violence. Most had just the clothes on their back and the memory of loved ones lost to the violence in their home country. Marlena lost her father, one sister and two brothers before she got out.

More than 35 years later, in early June, Eric Brandon Kam, Marlena’s son, stood in front of his fellow Midland High School graduates and delivered a valedictorian speech. He will attend Stanford University in the fall ...

 • read the rest of this MRT report

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.

Today in the Mission Yearbook: June 28, 2016

PRESBYTERY OF RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA - Serving those living outside is nothing new for Calvary Presbyterian Church in Riverside, California. The church has a history of feeding homeless guests since 1985. For more than 30 years the congregation of Calvary, with support from the community, has provided a healthy and balanced meal every Sunday night to people living outside and others in need. And volunteers from Victoria Presbyterian Church in Riverside bake fresh desserts for Calvary’s guests. In 2015, the church served over 7,000 meals and has served more than 35,000 since 2011.

“Calvary is a 300-member church in downtown Riverside that truly opened its doors to the ‘least of these,’” said Sonja Almgren, one of eight Hot Meals coordinators. In fact, it was the church’s outreach ministry and particularly the Hot Meals program that led Almgren and her husband to join Calvary. ...

CLICK HERE to read more.

Monday, June 27, 2016

From @chinaaid : "China Aid releases 2015 Annual Report on Chinese Government Persecution"

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.



China Aid releases 2015 Annual Report on Chinese Government Persecution
Distributed by ChinaAid, May, 2016 ...

MIDLAND, TEXAS – China Aid released its 2015 Annual Report of Religious and Human Rights Persecution in China, which indicates that religious persecution and human rights abuse by the Chinese government against its citizens has risen 4.74 percent since 2014 based on six specific categories of persecution ...

more on this story from China Aid



Invitation to Prayer from Faces of Children ... 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).

Invitation to Prayer, WEDNESDAY

Hi Friends,

Thank you for joining me in prayer for the children of the world. If you can, we'd love to have you pray together with us this Wednesday at 11:30 a.m., in the gym conference room at First Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas, followed by lunch together.

Also, Faces of Children is now on Facebook ! I invite you to like our page so that you can see regular stories, prayer needs, and updates from partner ministries.

All the best,

Carrie



Dear Intercessors,

We just finished VBS, and for our VBS Missions Project this year, we raised money to send to one of our partner ministries, Partners Relief and Development. The purpose of Partner's is to work for free and full lives for Myanmar's children, and the money sent will be used by Partner's to help them buy relief supplies for members of the Rohingya ethnic group who are forced to live in concentration camps in Myanmar. For the next few weeks, I thought I would share what we did in VBS. For those of you with children, each one of these has a corresponding learning activity that can be done to help further explain the situation.

Partners Photo
One of the hardest parts to understand about the Rohingya's situation is: why does everyone hate them? Truthfully, this isn't even something that grown-ups can easily understand. But, the truth is sometimes people are afraid of those who look different or who have a different religion, culture, or belief system. This happens even on the playground, where sometimes the "cool" kids gang up and are unkind to one particular child.

But we talked about how as followers of Jesus, we are called to love everyone! And when we love people like He does, it can make us a powerful force of good in a broken and sad world, and when we extend kindness, hospitality, and love, it gives us opportunities to tell people that Jesus loves them too.

We also discussed that those things that make us different can be the most beautiful of all! For example, in Myanmar people often use a white paste, called Thanakha, to apply decorative patterns on their faces. Not only do they think it is beautiful, but it also serves as sunscreen! Today we got to try out Thanakha and talk about how when God made the world, He filled it with many different and beautiful people and traditions, and how that's something to celebrate - not fear!

A prayer for you and your kids to say together: Dear Jesus, Please fill us with your powerful love. Help us to love others the way you love them, and to treat others the way we want to be treated. Please change the hearts of the grown-ups who are in power in Myanmar who have decided that it is OK to treat the Rohingya this way. Please help them see that they are just people who deserve to have free and happy lives like everyone else. Please help groups like Partner's as they work to not only meet the Rohingya's practical needs, but also to reassure them that the world hasn't forgotten all about them. Amen.

Sincerely,

Carrie

Carrie J. McKean
Faces of Children Director
First Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas
(432) 684-7821 x153



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 info@facesofchildren.net

In the News ... "Salvation Army lifts up young man"

OA Photo by Mark Sterkel
• Hard times haven't dampened spirit

By Bob Campbell, Reporter
Odessa American


ODESSA, TEXAS - Albert Moya has had a tough life so far. In his 19 years, he has dealt with abuse, a near-fatal illness and being homeless in Odessa.

Through it all, Moya has focused on what he needed to do to survive. Among those Moya said who have helped him were Odessa High School Student Assistance Counselor David Munger, former Salvation Army Capts. Joe and Monica Contreras and others at the Salvation Army ...

read the rest of this OA report ...

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.

Today in the Mission Yearbook: June 27, 2016

PRESBYTERY OF MILWAUKEE, MINNESOTA - “Once you open the door of possibility, things happen,” says Karen Hagen, pastor of Tippecanoe Presbyterian Church in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Things really began to happen for this 51-member congregation when they decided to open their church doors in response to the needs of homeless people in their city.

After noticing an increase in the number of homeless individuals around their churches, and realizing members of their congregation were on the verge of becoming homeless, several churches came together to explore intervention options ...

CLICK HERE to read more.

Sunday, June 26, 2016

From "I Am Second" ... Brian Sumner


Brian Sumner came from Liverpool, England to enjoy the lifestyle of a professional skateboarder. Riding for Tony Hawk’s company, Brian’s life centered only on himself and the trappings of success. Skateboarding was his first love, by far.

At age nineteen he fell in love again, and shortly thereafter went to Las Vegas and was married. Soon a child was on its way, and with it came lifestyle and relational changes that the young couple did not expect. Fighting all the time, the anger welled inside Sumner. Life was chaotic, and reached a pinnacle when a brush with the police put him in community service.

His experience at a Christian thrift store was the starting point of a change in his life. Today he is no longer angry, but second.



Inspiring the Revolution of Second

I Am Second is a movement meant to inspire people of all kinds to live for God and for others. Actors. Athletes. Musicians. Business leaders. Drug addicts. Your next-door neighbor. People like you. The authentic stories on iamsecond.com provide insight into dealing with typical struggles of everyday living. These are stories that give hope to the lonely and the hurting, help from destructive lifestyles, and inspiration to the unfulfilled. You’ll discover people who’ve tried to go it alone and have failed. Find the hope, peace, and fulfillment they found. Be Second.

You are here for a reason. We all have needs and could use some help. Talk to us. Call, chat, or email. 24 hours a day.

Go a step further ... talk with the people in your life. Spread the revolution of Second. Share the videos with friends. Gather a group of friends to discuss the films. Start an I am Second group.

Volunteer at concerts. Serve through I am Second community service events. Organize your own I am Second events. Sign up for an I am Second Expedition to help people in other countries. Check out Live Second for other opportunities. Connect with us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter.

I am Second is designed to help people discover their purpose in life. Have you discovered yours?

To find out more about the people and leadership team behind I Am Second you can check out Who We Are.

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.

Today in the Mission Yearbook: June 26, 2016

MINUTE FOR MISSION: ACTIVE LIFE - In 2006, Wayne Presbyterian Church, a midsized church in Wooster, Ohio, started looking at how we could make ourselves more inviting for other members of the community. To start, we did a needs survey of the congregation. One of the top five priorities, according to the survey, was to increase accessibility for those with disabilities. The last major renovation, in 1957, had not provided such accessibility to the sanctuary; there were steps at every entrance.

The congregation overwhelmingly voted to go with a major new addition, as it would also accomplish several other goals ...

CLICK HERE to read more.

Saturday, June 25, 2016

In the News ... "52 Faces" Q&A with Don Craig

MRT Photo by Tim Fischer
"52 Faces of the Community" is a new, regular feature of the Midland Reporter-Telegram that is recognizing the unsung heroes and volunteers of Midland, Texas. The latest installment in this series offers a question-and-answer session with Don Craig, community volunteer.

read the rest of this MRT report

visit the "52 Faces" index page

In the News ... "Vacation Bible School 2016"

• Get your VBS listed here, too

Rich Lopez, Reporter
Midland Reporter-Telegram

Courtesy Photo
 • read the rest of this MRT report

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.

Today in the Mission Yearbook: June 25, 2016

MID-KENTUCKY PRESBYTERY - Yvonne and José moved with their parents to Shelbyville, Kentucky, from Central America when they were second graders. Their parents were looking for work in the agricultural and horse industry but wanted to ensure that their children received a quality education, recognizing that the language barrier could present challenges ...

CLICK HERE to read more.

Friday, June 24, 2016

From @FWMission ...Friday Story: "Ecuador"

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: "Ecuador"

Greetings, and Happy Friday!

Last fall, one of our staff members led a training in Ecuador, and an attendee commented, “We are becoming familiar with far more than just the wheelchair’s mechanical assembly. It’s important to become acquainted with both the technical and the human aspect of how to treat the patient adequately and even how to adjust the wheelchair according to his needs so as to provide him with a better quality of life” ...

read the rest of this story ...

FWM Photo

In the News ... "Lead chaplaincy a delicate task"

OA Photo by Jacob Ford
• Demanding hospital role involves ‘tragedy, crisis, joys’

By Bob Campbell, Reporter
Odessa American


ODESSA, TEXAS - Spiritual concerns are always prominent at Medical Center Hospital, where Pastoral Care Director Farrell Ard and his assistants attend not only patients and their families, but also the hospital’s legion of employees ...

read the rest of this OA report ...

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.

Today in the Mission Yearbook: June 24, 2016

PRESBYTERY OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - For Ivyland Presbyterian Church, the Middle East was something many members had simply read about or seen on the news. There were no personal connections to the refugee crisis or to displacement of Christians overseas. Members weren’t connected to the trials and tribulations facing people in war-torn regions ...

CLICK HERE to read more.

Thursday, June 23, 2016

Partners Blog ... "Watching Seeds Grow"

Steve and Oddny Gumaer started Partners Relief and Development in response to the needs of refugees and displaced people from Burma. Their mission is to demonstrate, through holistic action, God’s love to children and communities made vulnerable by war in Burma.

Watching Seeds Grow

Since beginning to work with Partners, in 2009, I have had the privilege of meeting and engaging with many children, teachers, dormitory caregivers and community leaders. There are so many stories that I could share with you about the work that we do, but I am choosing to share just a few ...

read the rest of this post



Partners Relief and Development is a registered charity in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States, working with communities impacted by war in Burma. For more information aboput Partners, visit their website at partnersworld.org/

In the News ... "West Texas Food Bank Struggling to Deliver Food"

KOSA Photo
• Keeping fuel in trucks will help keep food on tables

By Carla Ruiz, Reporter
KOSA-TV


ODESSA, TEXAS - The West Texas Food Bank is struggling to get food to those who need it and not for the reasons people might think.

The food bank explained that finding the funding to buy fuel for the trucks to deliver food has been difficult ...

read the rest of this KOSA report ...

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.

Today in the Mission Yearbook: June 23, 2016

NIGER - At a time when Christian-Muslim relations are discussed daily in nearly every corner of the world, Niger in West Africa remains one of the best examples of mutual respect and peaceful coexistence between the two faiths ...

CLICK HERE to read more.

Wednesday, June 22, 2016

Equal Exchange Blog ... "The Coffee Farmer Resilience Initiative"

Equal Exchange's mission is to build long-term trade partnerships that are economically just and environmentally sound, to foster mutually beneficial relationships between farmers and consumers and to demonstrate, through our success, the contribution of worker co-operatives and Fair Trade to a more equitable, democratic and sustainable world.


The Coffee Farmer Resilience Initiative

As organic farmers, many of our partners are especially susceptible to the multitude of environmental threats brought on by climate change. These new challenges, including the recent prevalence of the destructive fungus known as coffee leaf rust, are a real danger to the productivity of organic farms and the livelihoods of the people who rely on coffee.

In the face of all that, the innovation, resourcefulness and creativity of the farmers we work with is a continual source of inspiration for us ...

CLICK HERE to read the rest of this post

In the News ... "Church suffers water damage following storms"

Courtesy Photo
• When the church hurts, everyone jumps in to help

By Ronnie Marley, Online Content Manager
KWES-TV

LAMESA, TEXAS - A church in Lamesa suffered some water damage. However, the rain didn't stop Friendship Baptist Church from church services ...

 • read the rest of this KWES report ...

Invitation to Prayer from Faces of Children ... TODAY

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).

Invitation to Prayer, WEDNESDAY

Hi Friends,

Thank you for joining me in prayer for the children of the world. If you can, we'd love to have you pray together with us this Wednesday at 11:30 a.m., in the gym conference room at First Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas, followed by lunch together.

Also, Faces of Children is now on Facebook ! I invite you to like our page so that you can see regular stories, prayer needs, and updates from partner ministries.

All the best,

Carrie



Dear Intercessors,

We just finished VBS, and for our VBS Missions Project this year, we raised money to send to one of our partner ministries, Partners Relief and Development. The purpose of Partner's is to work for free and full lives for Myanmar's children, and the money sent will be used by Partner's to help them buy relief supplies for members of the Rohingya ethnic group who are forced to live in concentration camps in Myanmar. For the next few weeks, I thought I would share what we did in VBS. For those of you with children, each one of these has a corresponding learning activity that can be done to help further explain the situation.


The Rohingya children used to be able to go to schools. Now that they live in the camps, there are not many schools. When the camps were first formed, a few organizations came in and built schools and supplied them with basic school supplies, but that was many years ago and a lot of the supplies have run out. Even for the schools that have supplies, there often aren't any teachers! We asked the children what school would be like without teachers. You'll have to ask your kids what they think that would be like. We also asked the kids to color pictures of a rainbow, but we had a shortage of different colored crayons! They had to figure out how to color the rainbow the way they wanted it to be colored when there weren't enough supplies to easily do it.


A prayer for you and your kids to say together: Dear Jesus, We know that right now there are Rohingya children just like my friends and me who don't get to go to school. Even though it is fun to have a summer break or time off from school, it also would be really boring if we never got to go. Please be with the Rohingya children who want to learn but don't have the opportunity. Please help groups like Partner's bring in supplies and train community leaders to help provide some education for these kids. And more than anything, Jesus, please help the Rohingya children know that they are loved and that their lives were created for a purpose! Please give them direction and hope for the future. Amen.

Sincerely,

Carrie

Carrie J. McKean
Faces of Children Director
First Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas
(432) 684-7821 x153



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 info@facesofchildren.net