WAW Wednesday ... "Like a mustard seed ..."

"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."

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WAW Wednesday: "Like a mustard seed ..."

Friends,

Here is just one of the many reasons why you love to support TWAW:

We connect you to causes that matter to God, causes that are near to the heart of God. And you will be hard pressed to find a cause more important than this.

Sell tacos, not children!

Cute slogan, but it’s also the Battle cry of one of our partner ministries in Belize.

It points to the serious, rather, to the horrifying reality of human trafficking and the commercial sexual exploitation of children.

CDF (Child Development Foundation) is a Christian Organization on the front lines and they’re busy fighting the battle at every level.

   • Drafting legislation to protect children
   • Educating judges, Police, School officials and parents
   • Holding sensitization sessions with children in schools across the country
   • Rescuing and caring for victims
   • Helping with recovery and reintegration

But there is one essential piece of their multi-pronged strategy that is lacking. They need a shelter for housing victims that are in danger and a peaceful Christ centered setting for the difficult path of recovery.

Gomer House is the name of this project and it is well underway. Our friend and former TWAW Board Member Cindy Wall and her husband, Lonnie (a gifted contractor), of Clovis, NM, have responded to God's prompting and they're preparing to relocate to Belize to oversee the next phase of construction!

You are invited to join God in his work here.

   • Learn more about Gomer house here (.pdf file).

   • Your Financial Commitment to The Word At Work (.pdf file) helps projects like this become a reality.
Gratefully,

Tim Tam
#wearethewordatwork

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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!

In the News ... "Local Catholic school hosts annual International Day for students"

KOSA Photo

• "They have the world in the palm of their hands."

Staff Report
• KOSA-TV

ODESSA, TEXAS - Saint Mary’s Central Catholic School students and their families took part in the annual International Day Saturday.

Different classes study a specific country all school year.Then they have an end of the year bash where students perform the country's dances music and enjoy ethnic food ...

• read/watch the rest of this KOSA 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. Their mission is to initiate ministries of prayer for children in churches, communities, and neighborhoods. In doing so, they 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 ... TODAY

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. The church is not currently offering lunch service. If you'd like to have lunch together, please bring a sack lunch and we can eat 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,

As I'm sure you've seen, the dominant story this week is the Manchester suicide bombing. At least 22 were killed, and 8 are still missing. Furthermore, over 50 people were seriously injured in the attack. I didn't realize at first that Ariana Grande, the global megastar whose concert was bombed, is particularly popular among pre-teen girls and young women. To think that those behind the bombing went out of their way to choose a place to attack that would be filled with young girls and women seems particularly evil and brutal. But in the midst of such chaos and darkness, there's always light. And God worked through bystanders to comfort injured children and help reunite kids with their families.

As the city of Manchester reels from this attack and remains on edge about the possibility of another bombing, please pray God's peace settles over the city like a cloud. As parents wrestle with their own fears while also seeking to help their children process the events of the last few days, please pray for God's comfort to strengthen their bones. For families grieving the loss of mothers, aunts, fathers, friends, daughters and sons, please pray for God's tenderness to be a balm to their souls.

In this attack claimed by ISIS, the 22-year-old bomber was a native-born Britain who recently returned from Libya. When I think about what might have happened in his life to make him feel like such an outsider in Britain, resulting ultimately in his willingness to be a force of destruction in his birthplace, I'm left with a burden to pray for all young Muslims in the West. Will you join me in praying for Muslim youth as they navigate coming of age in a culture that often fears their faith and treats them as outsiders? Will you join me in praying for the Christian church to rise up and reach out to our Muslim brothers and sisters in love, living into the ways of Jesus who loved the outcasts and the outsiders and those on the margins?

In addition to praying for Manchester, I'd like to invite you to join me in praying for:

USA // Students wrapping up academic year
Today is Memorial Day and we remember those who sacrificed everything serving our nation. Please pray for the family members of service men and women who lost their lives, and also for those who came home deeply wounded -- whether in body, mind, or spirit. For some families, the impacts of war last far longer than the battles themselves, and for children growing up with parents suffering from PTSD or other effects of war, they experience the residual effects of war in ways that few of us might comprehend
Please pray for these children and families.

Reuters Photo by Jorge Silva

MYANMAR // Myanmar children in conflict-hit areas risk getting left behind - UN
"About 2.2 million children living in remote, conflict-hit parts of Myanmar could be left behind as the country rapidly develops following decades of military rule, the United Nations warned on Tuesday.

The U.N. children's agency UNICEF called for greater humanitarian access to ensure that youngsters in the country have a bright future." "Citing the country's 2014 census statistics, [UNICEF] said up to 150 children under the age of five die every day in Myanmar, mainly due to newborn complications and infectious diseases. Nearly 30 percent suffer moderate or severe malnutrition, and over half live below the poverty line. The agency said a second major peace conference with ethnic armed groups taking place in Myanmar this week was an opportunity for the government to commit to stronger protections for children, who account for about a third of the country's 53 million people." Learn more here ...

Please join me in praying for the peace conference to result in new gains for the future of children in Myanmar. We can also continue to pray for organizations like Partners and Free Burma Rangers who continue to work on behalf of the Myanmar people groups.

Thomson Reuters Foundation Photo by Kieran Guilbert

MALI // Spreading south, jihadist violence threatens future of children in central Mali
"The growing Islamist threat in central Mali has hit farming and shut down hundreds of schools, while a nationwide state of emergency restricts movement - hindering aid delivery and making it harder for people to access services like healthcare. With aid agencies already stretched thin across the lawless north, many say they are struggling to respond in the centre of the country - a region increasingly outside state control. At least 3.8 million people across Mali will need food aid this year, up from 2.5 million in 2016, according to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). More than half of those in need are children. In central Mali, a lack of food, the closure of schools by militants and inadequate social services mean the youngest are hit hardest by the violence, and may even be drawn into it, humanitarians say. "Children are at risk of being recruited if they are not at school," said Ute Kollies, head of OCHA in Mali. "Youth groups say there are only a few options if you want to make money - become a criminal, a trafficker, a rebel or a jihadist fighter. Otherwise, you may become a victim, they say." Learn more here ...

As schools close and lawlessness grows, families are in desperate search of peace for their children. It isn't lost on me that the sort of chaos we saw in Manchester this week has become a normal way of life for people in many countries, including Mali. Please pray for the children who are raised up in this... May God rescue, redeem, restore, and rebuild lives out of the rubble of violence.

Praying with you,
Carrie

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

* Name changed to protect her privacy.

---

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: May 31, 2017

FAIR TRADE DELEGATION IN NICARAGUA - A group of Presbyterians got some hands-on experience in coffee farming during a recent trip to Nicaragua. The 11-member delegation, which included staff from the Presbyterian Hunger Program (PHP), World Mission and Equal Exchange, spent a week learning about fair trade and how the coffee is grown, processed and shipped to other countries ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

Partners Blog: "Saw Eh Khu Moo"

Steve and Oddny Gumaer started Partners Relief and Development in response to the needs of refugees and displaced people from Burma, and now in the Middle East, as well. Their mission is to demonstrate, through holistic action, God’s love to children and communities made vulnerable by war in Southeast Asia, the Middle East and other conflict zones.

Partners Photo

Saw Eh Khu Moo

You support an initiative under our education department called the Kingdom Building Project. One of the individuals you help support is Saw Eh Khu Moo. Here is his story:

My name is Saw Eh Khu Moo. I live in Noh Poe refugee camp and I am studying at the Karen Bible School program. I only have my father left since my mother passed away eight years ago. All of my three siblings live with my father inside Myanmar.

I got to know Jesus Christ through my parents and what they taught me. Before my mother passed away, she asked me to attend Bible School ...

• read the rest of this post ...

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Partners Relief and Development is a registered charity in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States. "We’re a small, grassroots nonprofit passionate about making a big impact in communities affected by conflict and oppression, demonstrating God’s love to children and giving them the opportunity to live free, full lives." For more information aboput Partners, visit their website at partners.ngo/

Burgers & Blessings kicks-off next week at Grace Presbyterian

Laura Up In the Clouds

Burgers & Blessings will begin on June 7th this year, starting at 6:00 p.m. Wednesday evenings at Grace Presbyterian Church, 2801 N. Garfield Street in Midland, Texas.

The members of Church on the Journey will be joining us this year.

Burgers & Blessings is a time to get together for for fellowship, mid-week. The church provides burgers, hot dogs, fixin's and drinks. We set up 'teams' to take turns preparing. If you would like to be on a team, please contact Suzi Thompson, Judy Brown or Cheryl Truzkowski at the church - phone number (432)-684-6542.

The men's study group will be taking turns cooking the meat, so we will all be bringing side dishes and dessert ... if you have a new recipe you would like to try, we are willing guinea pigs!

Join us?

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. Their mission is to initiate ministries of prayer for children in churches, communities, and neighborhoods. In doing so, they 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 ... Tomorrow

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. The church is not currently offering lunch service. If you'd like to have lunch together, please bring a sack lunch and we can eat 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,

As I'm sure you've seen, the dominant story this week is the Manchester suicide bombing. At least 22 were killed, and 8 are still missing. Furthermore, over 50 people were seriously injured in the attack. I didn't realize at first that Ariana Grande, the global megastar whose concert was bombed, is particularly popular among pre-teen girls and young women. To think that those behind the bombing went out of their way to choose a place to attack that would be filled with young girls and women seems particularly evil and brutal. But in the midst of such chaos and darkness, there's always light. And God worked through bystanders to comfort injured children and help reunite kids with their families.

As the city of Manchester reels from this attack and remains on edge about the possibility of another bombing, please pray God's peace settles over the city like a cloud. As parents wrestle with their own fears while also seeking to help their children process the events of the last few days, please pray for God's comfort to strengthen their bones. For families grieving the loss of mothers, aunts, fathers, friends, daughters and sons, please pray for God's tenderness to be a balm to their souls.

In this attack claimed by ISIS, the 22-year-old bomber was a native-born Britain who recently returned from Libya. When I think about what might have happened in his life to make him feel like such an outsider in Britain, resulting ultimately in his willingness to be a force of destruction in his birthplace, I'm left with a burden to pray for all young Muslims in the West. Will you join me in praying for Muslim youth as they navigate coming of age in a culture that often fears their faith and treats them as outsiders? Will you join me in praying for the Christian church to rise up and reach out to our Muslim brothers and sisters in love, living into the ways of Jesus who loved the outcasts and the outsiders and those on the margins?

In addition to praying for Manchester, I'd like to invite you to join me in praying for:

USA // Students wrapping up academic year
Today is Memorial Day and we remember those who sacrificed everything serving our nation. Please pray for the family members of service men and women who lost their lives, and also for those who came home deeply wounded -- whether in body, mind, or spirit. For some families, the impacts of war last far longer than the battles themselves, and for children growing up with parents suffering from PTSD or other effects of war, they experience the residual effects of war in ways that few of us might comprehend
Please pray for these children and families.

Reuters Photo by Jorge Silva

MYANMAR // Myanmar children in conflict-hit areas risk getting left behind - UN
"About 2.2 million children living in remote, conflict-hit parts of Myanmar could be left behind as the country rapidly develops following decades of military rule, the United Nations warned on Tuesday.

The U.N. children's agency UNICEF called for greater humanitarian access to ensure that youngsters in the country have a bright future." "Citing the country's 2014 census statistics, [UNICEF] said up to 150 children under the age of five die every day in Myanmar, mainly due to newborn complications and infectious diseases. Nearly 30 percent suffer moderate or severe malnutrition, and over half live below the poverty line. The agency said a second major peace conference with ethnic armed groups taking place in Myanmar this week was an opportunity for the government to commit to stronger protections for children, who account for about a third of the country's 53 million people." Learn more here ...

Please join me in praying for the peace conference to result in new gains for the future of children in Myanmar. We can also continue to pray for organizations like Partners and Free Burma Rangers who continue to work on behalf of the Myanmar people groups.

Thomson Reuters Foundation Photo by Kieran Guilbert

MALI // Spreading south, jihadist violence threatens future of children in central Mali
"The growing Islamist threat in central Mali has hit farming and shut down hundreds of schools, while a nationwide state of emergency restricts movement - hindering aid delivery and making it harder for people to access services like healthcare. With aid agencies already stretched thin across the lawless north, many say they are struggling to respond in the centre of the country - a region increasingly outside state control. At least 3.8 million people across Mali will need food aid this year, up from 2.5 million in 2016, according to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). More than half of those in need are children. In central Mali, a lack of food, the closure of schools by militants and inadequate social services mean the youngest are hit hardest by the violence, and may even be drawn into it, humanitarians say. "Children are at risk of being recruited if they are not at school," said Ute Kollies, head of OCHA in Mali. "Youth groups say there are only a few options if you want to make money - become a criminal, a trafficker, a rebel or a jihadist fighter. Otherwise, you may become a victim, they say." Learn more here ...

As schools close and lawlessness grows, families are in desperate search of peace for their children. It isn't lost on me that the sort of chaos we saw in Manchester this week has become a normal way of life for people in many countries, including Mali. Please pray for the children who are raised up in this... May God rescue, redeem, restore, and rebuild lives out of the rubble of violence.

Praying with you,
Carrie

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

* Name changed to protect her privacy.

---

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 ... "Commissioners take action on children’s summer lunch program"

San Antonio Express-News Photo

• Food bank to expand reach, correspond with library programming; volunteer opportunity

Simone Jasper, Reporter
• Midland Reporter-Telegram

MIDLAND, TEXAS - A new collaborative agreement will allow the West Texas Food Bank’s summer program to serve meals to children at the Midland County Public Library downtown branch ...

 • 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: May 30, 2017

SANCTIFIED ART: BRAIN OF AN ARTIST, HEART OF A PASTOR - Lisle Gwynn Garrity has the “great privilege” of being both an artist and a minister. In her work as founder and creative director of Sanctified Art, Gwynn Garrity leads art retreats and does live paintings during worship at congregations around the country ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

From @chinaaid : "USCIRF names China flagrant religious freedom abuser in annual report"

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.

CAA File Photo

USCIRF names China flagrant religious freedom abuser in annual report
Distributed by ChinaAid, April, 2017 ...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – A newly-released report by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) identifies China’s deteriorating religious freedom abuses as a contributor to rapidly worsening religious freedom conditions, listing it among notorious abusers such as North Korea, Myanmar, and Vietnam ...

• 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. Their mission is to initiate ministries of prayer for children in churches, communities, and neighborhoods. In doing so, they 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. The church is not currently offering lunch service. If you'd like to have lunch together, please bring a sack lunch and we can eat 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,

As I'm sure you've seen, the dominant story this week is the Manchester suicide bombing. At least 22 were killed, and 8 are still missing. Furthermore, over 50 people were seriously injured in the attack. I didn't realize at first that Ariana Grande, the global megastar whose concert was bombed, is particularly popular among pre-teen girls and young women. To think that those behind the bombing went out of their way to choose a place to attack that would be filled with young girls and women seems particularly evil and brutal. But in the midst of such chaos and darkness, there's always light. And God worked through bystanders to comfort injured children and help reunite kids with their families.

As the city of Manchester reels from this attack and remains on edge about the possibility of another bombing, please pray God's peace settles over the city like a cloud. As parents wrestle with their own fears while also seeking to help their children process the events of the last few days, please pray for God's comfort to strengthen their bones. For families grieving the loss of mothers, aunts, fathers, friends, daughters and sons, please pray for God's tenderness to be a balm to their souls.

In this attack claimed by ISIS, the 22-year-old bomber was a native-born Britain who recently returned from Libya. When I think about what might have happened in his life to make him feel like such an outsider in Britain, resulting ultimately in his willingness to be a force of destruction in his birthplace, I'm left with a burden to pray for all young Muslims in the West. Will you join me in praying for Muslim youth as they navigate coming of age in a culture that often fears their faith and treats them as outsiders? Will you join me in praying for the Christian church to rise up and reach out to our Muslim brothers and sisters in love, living into the ways of Jesus who loved the outcasts and the outsiders and those on the margins?

In addition to praying for Manchester, I'd like to invite you to join me in praying for:

USA // Students wrapping up academic year
Today is Memorial Day and we remember those who sacrificed everything serving our nation. Please pray for the family members of service men and women who lost their lives, and also for those who came home deeply wounded -- whether in body, mind, or spirit. For some families, the impacts of war last far longer than the battles themselves, and for children growing up with parents suffering from PTSD or other effects of war, they experience the residual effects of war in ways that few of us might comprehend
Please pray for these children and families.

Reuters Photo by Jorge Silva

MYANMAR // Myanmar children in conflict-hit areas risk getting left behind - UN
"About 2.2 million children living in remote, conflict-hit parts of Myanmar could be left behind as the country rapidly develops following decades of military rule, the United Nations warned on Tuesday.

The U.N. children's agency UNICEF called for greater humanitarian access to ensure that youngsters in the country have a bright future." "Citing the country's 2014 census statistics, [UNICEF] said up to 150 children under the age of five die every day in Myanmar, mainly due to newborn complications and infectious diseases. Nearly 30 percent suffer moderate or severe malnutrition, and over half live below the poverty line. The agency said a second major peace conference with ethnic armed groups taking place in Myanmar this week was an opportunity for the government to commit to stronger protections for children, who account for about a third of the country's 53 million people." Learn more here ...

Please join me in praying for the peace conference to result in new gains for the future of children in Myanmar. We can also continue to pray for organizations like Partners and Free Burma Rangers who continue to work on behalf of the Myanmar people groups.

Thomson Reuters Foundation Photo by Kieran Guilbert

MALI // Spreading south, jihadist violence threatens future of children in central Mali
"The growing Islamist threat in central Mali has hit farming and shut down hundreds of schools, while a nationwide state of emergency restricts movement - hindering aid delivery and making it harder for people to access services like healthcare. With aid agencies already stretched thin across the lawless north, many say they are struggling to respond in the centre of the country - a region increasingly outside state control. At least 3.8 million people across Mali will need food aid this year, up from 2.5 million in 2016, according to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). More than half of those in need are children. In central Mali, a lack of food, the closure of schools by militants and inadequate social services mean the youngest are hit hardest by the violence, and may even be drawn into it, humanitarians say. "Children are at risk of being recruited if they are not at school," said Ute Kollies, head of OCHA in Mali. "Youth groups say there are only a few options if you want to make money - become a criminal, a trafficker, a rebel or a jihadist fighter. Otherwise, you may become a victim, they say." Learn more here ...

As schools close and lawlessness grows, families are in desperate search of peace for their children. It isn't lost on me that the sort of chaos we saw in Manchester this week has become a normal way of life for people in many countries, including Mali. Please pray for the children who are raised up in this... May God rescue, redeem, restore, and rebuild lives out of the rubble of violence.

Praying with you,
Carrie

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

* Name changed to protect her privacy.

---

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 ... "Native Odessan’s fourth book addresses issues regarding eternity"

Courtesy Photo

• Bible's women intrigue

By Bob Campbell, Reporter
• Odessa American

ODESSA, TEXAS - Odessa native Aaron Sharp of Little Elm, southeast of Denton, was so interested in the women heroes of the Bible, both the universally recognized and the relatively obscure, that he teamed with his wife Elaina to write a book about them.

Sharp’s new work, the fourth he’s written on social and theological issues, is titled “The Most Important Women of the Bible,” and it will be out in October from Bethany House Publishers of Minneapolis, Minnesota ...

• 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: May 29, 2017

"RACISM AND RACISTS ANONYMOUS" SERIES - One Oklahoma church has adopted a unique format in its effort to confront personal and societal racism. Trinity Presbyterian Church in Oklahoma City began a 10-week “Racism and Racists Anonymous” discussion group in February ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

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: May 28, 2017

DISABILITY INCLUSION - All of us face the possibility of dealing with natural disasters. Depending on where you live, these can include hurricanes, tornadoes, blizzards, earthquakes, floods and wildfires. Preparing for and dealing with disasters can be stressful for everyone, but disasters can be especially challenging for people with disabilities — including the elderly ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

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: May 27, 2017

COFFEE SHOP IN PUERTO RICO - trilogy of ordinary people is creating some extraordinary results in a San Juan neighborhood.

This was beautifully illustrated by three special guests of the World Mission Competencies in Domestic Ministry ministerial team during March’s Presbyterian Mission Agency Board meeting in San Juan. The Rev. Nancy Ramsay chairs the committee.

The team was hosted at Iglesia Presbiteriana en Camarones by San Juan pastor Raul Santiago-Rivera, who invited the speakers to illustrate the way members of the San Juan community are coming together to live out their faith, embrace diversity and advocate for social justice ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

From @FWMission ...Friday Story: "Working Together for Good"

• https://www.freewheelchairmission.org/

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.

FWM Photo

Friday Story: "Working Together for Good"

With an estimated 100 million people in need of mobility aids globally, the distribution of free wheelchairs is a monumental undertaking that requires like-minded partners around the world, working together towards a shared goal.

The Red Cross is one such partner. ...

• read the rest of this story ...

In the News ... "Educator's Mission Trip To Africa"

KMID Photo

• Bringing new technology to kids who would never experience it otherwise

Haylee Brooks, Reporter
• KMID-TV

ODESSA, TEXAS - One ECISD educator is packing some interesting items for his mission trip to Africa.

Lyndon Domsten, instructional technology specialist is heading to Africa for 3 weeks on June 10th ...

• read/watch the rest of this KMID 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: May 26, 2017

THEOLOGICAL CONVERSATIONS: WORDS MATTER PAPER - “Theological Conversations”—a series of papers designed to invite congregational leaders in the PC(USA) into theological conversation wherever they gather as sessions, presbyteries or for adult education in congregations—began as a way to create space for conversations accessible to all church members. Each paper is a study resource with accompanying questions for conversation or reflection, suitable for use by both individuals and groups ...

... The latest paper, “Words Matter,” was written by the Rev. Mary Beth Anton, a PC(USA) pastor in the Presbytery of Tres Rios. Anton, a graduate of Concordia University Irvine and Princeton Theological Seminary, has served in small, medium and large congregations, and as a day school chaplain. Her most recent position was as administrative pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Midland, Texas ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

FBR Report: "JSMK Graduation: Welcoming 22 New Medics"

The Free Burma Rangers (FBR) is a multi-ethnic humanitarian service movement. They bring help, hope and love to people in the war zones of Burma (Myanmar) and the Middle East. Groups send teams to be trained, supplied and sent into the areas under attack to provide emergency assistance and human rights documentation. Together with other groups, the teams work to serve people in need.

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FBR Photo

JSMK Graduation: Welcoming 22 New Medics

On Friday, March 3rd, 2017, another graduating class from FBR’s Jungle School of Medicine-Kawthoolei (JSMK) crossed the stage of the main classroom and received their certificates from their instructors. This is the sixth graduating class of JSMK ...

• CLICK HERE to read the rest of this FBR Report ...

• CLICK HERE to learn how YOU can get involved in FBR and its mission ...

In the News ... "Monsignor ends 55-year career"

OA Photo by Mark Sterkel

• Bridges credited with founding Helping Hands, West Texas Food Bank

By Bob Campbell, Reporter
• Odessa American

MIDLAND, TEXAS - As the first priest ordained in the new San Angelo Diocese on May 26, 1962, Monsignor James P. Bridges has followed that distinction by serving as pastor of the diocese’s biggest parish for 21 years and starting the West Texas Food Bank in Odessa and the Helping Hands financial assistance and emergency housing organization here.

Retiring July 1 as pastor of St. Stephen’s Catholic Church, the 87-year-old native Lamesan also served in Odessa at St. Mary’s Catholic Church and was the founding priest of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church there ...

• 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: May 25, 2017

RWANDA - Rwandan names are significantly different from American names. There are no family names. Instead, when a child is born, the parents give him or her two names: a Rwandan name that reflects something of the child’s birth situation, the family’s situation at the time of the birth or a wish the parents have for the character of their child, and a European name—for Christians, the baptismal name ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

WAW Wednesday ... "Sell Tacos ..."

"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."

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WAW Wednesday: "Sell Tacos ..."

Friends,

Here is just one of the many reasons why you love to support TWAW:

We connect you to causes that matter to God, causes that are near to the heart of God. And you will be hard pressed to find a cause more important than this.

Sell tacos, not children!

Cute slogan, but it’s also the Battle cry of one of our partner ministries in Belize.

It points to the serious, rather, to the horrifying reality of human trafficking and the commercial sexual exploitation of children.

CDF (Child Development Foundation) is a Christian Organization on the front lines and they’re busy fighting the battle at every level.

   • Drafting legislation to protect children
   • Educating judges, Police, School officials and parents
   • Holding sensitization sessions with children in schools across the country
   • Rescuing and caring for victims
   • Helping with recovery and reintegration

But there is one essential piece of their multi-pronged strategy that is lacking. They need a shelter for housing victims that are in danger and a peaceful Christ centered setting for the difficult path of recovery.

Gomer House is the name of this project and it is well underway. Our friend and former TWAW Board Member Cindy Wall and her husband, Lonnie (a gifted contractor), of Clovis, NM, have responded to God's prompting and they're preparing to relocate to Belize to oversee the next phase of construction!

You are invited to join God in his work here.

   • Learn more about Gomer house here (.pdf file).

   • Your Financial Commitment to The Word At Work (.pdf file) helps projects like this become a reality.
Gratefully,

Tim Tam
#wearethewordatwork

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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!

In the News ... “Family Promise gets hefty donation"

Courtesy Photo

• Good Neighbors: Professional women’s organization donates $3,000

Rich Lopez, Reporter
• Midland Reporter-Telegram

MIDLAND, TEXAS - The Uptown Midland Business and Professional Women organization on Tuesday made a $3,000 donation to Family Promise. The funds will help the nonprofit organization’s clients purchase clothing to for transitioning to school and the work force.

Through fundraisers, bunco nights and other events, UMBPW raised money both for the nonprofit and for their scholarship fund all to help women of nontraditional age ...

 • read the rest of this MRT 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. Their mission is to initiate ministries of prayer for children in churches, communities, and neighborhoods. In doing so, they 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 ... TODAY

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. The church is not currently offering lunch service. If you'd like to have lunch together, please bring a sack lunch and we can eat 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

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For everything there is a season,
a time for every activity under heaven.
A time to be born and a time to die.
A time to plant and a time to harvest.
A time to kill and a time to heal.
A time to tear down and a time to build up.
A time to cry and a time to laugh.
A time to grieve and a time to dance.
A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.
A time to embrace and a time to turn away.
A time to search and a time to quit searching.
A time to keep and a time to throw away.
A time to tear and a time to mend.
A time to be quiet and a time to speak.
A time to love and a time to hate.
A time for war and a time for peace.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

Dear Intercessors,

I'm not sure I'll ever forget her radiant face. About 16 years old, she has dark hair cut in a bowl cut. She wore her purple and black sequined costume proudly, and every few minutes during her enthusiastic dance at the recital, she'd stop and wave at her family in the audience. I pictured a day about 16 years ago, when her mama and daddy held her for the first time. Did they cry when they found out she had Down's Syndrome? Did they grieve all the ways she may not experience their dreams and goals and hopes? Did they worry that she'd miss out on the richness of life? I picture the long, hard days that they must have pushed through when she was 3, 7, or 10, teaching her the things of childhood like how to take her first wobbly steps, tie her shoes or which bathroom to go into at the store... I'm certain each lesson felt more monumental and challenging than it does for most kids.

I'm sure they cried and grieved... there's a time for that, after all, and I think any parent would go through that process when first faced with a drastically different reality concerning a child's future than what was imagined.

But as I watched her dance - face joyfully shining, laughter on her lips, uninhibited, confidant, and beautiful - all I could think is: "Oh, but there is a time to dance."

And dance, she did. She danced as I've always dreamed of dancing - without shame or concern or worry about how she looked or what others thought. And it wasn't just her. Each dancer in the Midland Children's Rehabilitation Center's dance program has some sort of developmental, cognitive, or physical special need. Some girls danced in wheelchairs, coaxing their stiff limbs to move. Some girls did their best to twirl on legs that didn't move with a dancer's traditional fluidity. Each child faced different challenges, and I'm sure child has a history thick of worried parents, arduous therapies, and constant reminders that they are just a little bit different than "the other kids." But on this night, we watched them shine. And it was holy and sacred. For in those moments, they saw themselves as the Father sees them - beautiful, graceful, talented daughters and sons created in the imago dei. They are complete and perfect and enough, just as they are.

This week, I'm remembering that the very things I cry over today might lead me to places of great joy tomorrow... may we each walk in hope.

This week, I'd like to invite you to join me in praying for the following matters:

USA // Students wrapping up academic year
Please pray for students who are finishing up the academic year. Many students are in the middle of final exams, state achievement tests, and graduation. Pray that as students walk through these last few weeks of school, they are able to focus and do their best while also relaxing under the pressure many feel. For many students, summer is a time of little structure and many opportunities to get into mischief. Please pray for God's protection to rest on them and his wisdom to guide them. Also, many students eat most of their daily meals at schools. For them, summertime can mean hunger. Please pray for community groups and churches to fill in the gaps so that no child goes to bed hungry.

Reuters Photo by Marko Djurica

Global // Record number of solo migrant children, U.N. sees slavery risk
"Be it to escape war in Syria or gang violence in Central America, natural disaster or famine, increasing numbers of children are on the move and are travelling alone, UNICEF said in a report.

About 200,000 unaccompanied children applied for asylum across 80 countries from 2015 to 2016 and another 100,000 children were stopped at the U.S.-Mexico border, UNICEF said.

Taken together, 300,000 children travelled alone worldwide from 2015 to 2016 - a five-fold increase since 2010, when 66,000 children were reported to be on the move, UNICEF said.

Ruthless smugglers and traffickers are exploiting their vulnerability for personal gain, helping children to cross borders, only to sell them into slavery and forced prostitution," Justin Forsyth, UNICEF deputy executive director, said in a statement. 'It is unconscionable that we are not adequately defending children from these predators." Learn more here ...

his is not an easy problem to solve, but God sees these children. Please join me in praying for them to be protected and sheltered from those who would cause them harm.

Reuters Photo by James Akena

Sudan // Alarming rise in S.Sudanese children fleeing to Uganda - aid group
"More than 100 lone children cross into Uganda each day as they flee conflict in South Sudan, walking for days on end with no food or family to sustain them, an aid agency said on Thursday. World Vision said at least 9,000 children had made the journey since last July and it expects another thousand to join them by mid year. 'The majority of these children saw their parents being killed, while others lost touch with their families once fighting broke out. Some of them walk for more than a week to get to Uganda, with nothing to eat,' said Gilbert Kamanga, country director of World Vision in Uganda. 'This is one of the worst forms of violence against children. It must stop. Peace needs to prevail in South Sudan,' he said in a statement." Learn more here ...

ust like the previous story, this is not a simple problem to solve. But we can raise our voices together and ask God to protect these children who are walking for days on end with no family or shelter or protection.

Praying with you,
Carrie

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

* Name changed to protect her privacy.

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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