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.
Photo by Raiza Ortega
Today in the Mission Yearbook: September 30, 2018
PRESBYTERIAN MISSION IN HOLGUÍN, CUBA - It’s Friday night in Holguín and the streets of this city in northeastern Cuba are filled with noisy revelers — just like bustling metropolises everywhere. Music is in the air, motorcyclists roar up and down the street, people laugh and talk ...
ODESSA, TEXAS - Juan Gomez knew what to expect when he arrived near the epicenter of Hurricane Florence.
The lieutenant from the Salvation Army of Odessa was notified Monday he would deploy for two weeks in Wilmington, North Carolina.
Gomez — who has helped in a handful of hurricane relief efforts, which included Harvey, Ike, Irene, Katrina, Rita and Dolly — said the destruction was evident when he got off the plane on Wednesday ...
LUBBOCK, TEXAS - The onslaught of Red Raider fans flocking to home football games six or so times each fall is, for some churches near the Texas Tech campus, an opportunity to do good.
Several churches and religious centers within walking distance of Jones AT&T Stadium turn the need for game-day parking into a fundraiser for a variety of charities and missions, utilizing their parking lots and teams of volunteers to make it happen ...
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: September 29, 2018
CELEBRATING WOMEN IN THE MIDDLE EAST - In each of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s partner relationships in Lebanon, Iraq and Syria, women in leadership roleslead with grace, strength, vision, collaboration and energy, despite immense challenges and pressures. The guests of honor of the General Assembly of the National Evangelical (Presbyterian) Synod of Syria and Lebanon (NESSL) included three such women ...
• Helping eliminate the orphan crisis in Midland, Odessa and the surrounding area
MIDLAND, TEXAS -Grace Presbyterian Church, 2801 N. Garfield Street in Midland, Texas, will be collecting "Beginning of the School Year" clothes for the Attic Foster Network during the month of September.
Please try to purchase xolorful clothes with characters, socks (no long white tube socks), underwear, and pajamas. All sizes for elementary-age children will be needed.
Place your donations in the basket, on the table next to the church office.
MIDLAND, TEXAS - Hope Henry has a heart for Midland and its residents.
“Midland has a different feel that a lot of places don’t offer,” she said. “I’ve lived here all my life; however, I’ve also traveled quite a bit. So, I can honestly say that Midland is a good place to live.”
Henry has strong ties to Midland and the Permian Basin ...
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: September 28, 2018
FAMILIES AND CHILDREN -Quickly, kids! We need to get going or we’ll miss the service! This was my plea one Easter morning as I ushered my children out the door to make it to church. My husband and I served in different churches and worshiping together was impossible. However, on this morning he was the guest preacher at a church that had a different worship schedule from ours. We were thrilled. Our family could celebrate together. ...
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.
FBR Photo
July 16-31 Clash Summary: Kachin State and Northern Shan State
Burma Army Continues Attacks in Hpakant Township; Miners at risk in western Kachin State; Civilians wounded ...
• CLICK HERE to read the rest of this FBR Report ...
• CLICK HERE to learn how YOU can get involved in FBR and its mission ...
Free Burma Ranger, the film ...
This film, currently in production, chronicles the journey of an American family bringing aid to hundreds of thousands of internally displaced people caught in Burma's war zones, a bloody conflict that is one of the longest-running civil war's in the world.
SAN ANGELO, TEXAS - Over the weekend, Sonora residents were inundated with 5-7 inches of rain, with water sweeping through homes, businesses and lives.
Texans are uniting to help with the flood relief efforts. Here are several ways to donate, online and in person ...
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: September 27, 2018
INTERNATIONAL PEACEMAKER FROM VENEZUELA - Presbyterian congregations in the U.S. are learning about the struggles and successes of church work in Venezuela this fall from the moderator of the Synod of the Presbyterian Church of Venezuela visits. The Rev. Zulema Garcia is a pastor of the Western Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church of Venezuela ...
"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."
WAW Wednesday: "9/26/18 -- Mutuality in Mission"
Friends,
The heat was intense this Sunday morning. The members of Exodus and First Stone Churches greeted their U.S. friends from Discovery Church lovingly with hugs and laughter. The air was thick with the Holy Spirit as they worshiped God together. New believers were baptized. An incredible way to begin a week of ministry together.
This connection is changing the lives of Belize young people through education and encouragement. In a beautiful exchange, the faith of Belize believers is strengthening Discovery's ministry at home. Together they are doing more than building a "church", they are being the Church.
There are more connections like this one to be made through The Word at Work. Will you help make them possible by becoming a donor today?
Please hit the GIVE button or send your gift to our office... by giving you are making more connections that honor God. Thank you!
Gratefully,
Tim Tam #wearethewordatwork
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!
MIDLAND/ODESSA, TEXAS - The city of Sonora is asking Governor Greg Abbott to declare the small town a disaster area after suffering catastrophic flooding over the weekend.Texas chapters of the American Red Cross are already there to help.
“This is quite devastating for a small community,” Tracy Austin, director of the Permian Basin Red Cross, said. “And we’re doing our best to bring them comfort and to give them some relief from the flooding." ...
MIDLAND, TEXAS - As an 18-year-old college student, Lisa Bownds thought she was in a relationship with a man whom she thought was her boyfriend.
It was later determined the man whom Bownds believed was her boyfriend was actually serving as her pimp. Bownds didn’t share that information for 40 years.
However, in September 2016, Bownds founded the nonprofit organization Reflection Ministries with the sole purpose of combating sex trafficking ...
On Thursday and Friday, September 27 and 28, Reflection Ministries and Traffick911 is hosting a first responders training for domestic sex trafficking. Thursday’s training will take place at First Presbyterian Church at 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in Midland. Friday’s training is at First Baptist Church from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in Odessa. Bownds said the training is open to the public.
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,
Please join us in lifting up the needs of vulnerable children around the world. Faces Of Children will be meeting at 11:00 (not 11:30) this Wednesday, September 26 - TODAY - for prayer. We are now meeting in the prayer closet at First Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas, instead of in the gym conference room. The prayer closet is near the library and reception desk of the church. I hope you can join them to pray together for children in our community and around the world!
Warmly,
Carrie
Dear Intercessors,
Disabled or differently-abled?
In our own country, we often wrestle with how to properly integrate children with special needs into our classrooms and how to make appropriate accommodations for their unique needs. But in much of the world, the challenges are even greater.
This week, I'd like to invite you to pray for the following places, situations and children in them ...
Al Jazeera Photo by Nathalie Bertrams
ETHIOPIA // 'They believe I was cursed with blindness because God was angry'
Thousands of boys and girls with disabilities in Ethiopia are invisible in government statistics, unable to access health services, discriminated against by society and trapped in a cycle of poverty and violence. A report from UNFPA and the Population Council highlights that one in every three girls living with disabilities has been sexually assaulted. They also face systematic and violent abuse at home and in their communities; they're blamed for being different and feared because they're seen to be under the spell of witchcraft. Eniyat Belete, 17, has been blind since birth. In her village, as in many other towns all over Ethiopia, disability comes with a heavy stigma. "They believe I was cursed with blindness because God was angry," explains the teenager. Fisseha Arage Haile, himself blind, works as a special needs and inclusive education expert for the South Gondar Zone Education Office. He confirms that teenagers with disabilities are largely excluded from education, health and social welfare services. The Charities and Societies Proclamation (CSP) law makes it impossible for NGOs and other civil societies to operate in the country, which compounds the severe gap in service provision Keep reading, and see the photo gallery ...
KENYA // Deaf Education
This Human Rights Campaign video celebrates the progress being made in Kenya to provide education to deaf students while also highlighting the challenges and deficits that remain.
MIDLAND // I'm going to call him Seth.
That's not his real name, but God knows who he is. I met Seth because he comes over to the church in the mornings to get coffee before school. We've exchanged lots of small talk these last few weeks, watching videos on YouTube and discussing just how much sugar in the morning is too much sugar, but things grew more serious this week when he shared that as a Freshman in high school, he can't read. From what I can understand, it sounds like a mix of possibly undiagnosed special needs and ESL contributed to this situation... along with other factors: not having glasses in elementary school when initial reading lessons were being taught; a family that isn't able to navigate the school system very fluently, and even his own outbursts and behavior as school grew more and more difficult and stressful. Whatever the case may be, Seth seems to want to be able to read and God brought him to our church... please pray for Seth as we explore how we can help him.
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: September 26, 2018
FORMER MISSION CO-WORKER ELIZABETH "LIBBY" McALILY - The Rev. Elizabeth (Libby) Dunlap McAliley of Austell, Georgia, passed away July 25. Born May 15, 1928, in York, South Carolina, to Robert Floyd and Edna Henry Dunlap, she married the Rev. William Samuel McAliley Sr. on Aug. 11, 1979.
A graduate of Agnes Scott College in 1950, she served for 23 years as a Presbyterian Church in the U.S. (PCUS) missionary in the Belgian Congo. Her mission assignments included training young men and a few young women to become teachers in the first and second grades and teaching at the Theological School in the Congo.
She completed a master of Christian education degree in 1959 and received a master of divinity degree from Columbia Theological Seminary in 1973. That same year, McAliley became the first woman in South Carolina to be ordained as a minister of the PCUS ...
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.
Photo by Kelsey Bryant EMA
Waiting Rooms
Waiting rooms! A couple of weeks ago I had to take my grand-daughter to the Emergency Department of our local hospital. She had fallen from some playground equipment and fractured her arm. As I sat for hours in the ED waiting room it gave me time to reflect on the amazing care we were receiving and how lucky we were to be in a country where high quality health care and service is available. Although we had to wait several hours for x-rays and then for a cast to be made, every resource was available to make our wait as comfortable as possible. The waiting room I was sitting in was a lovely ambient temperature; it had plenty of comfortable seats, a TV to watch, a playground for children and a vending machine for drinks and snacks. While sitting there I thought back to this photo that was taken earlier this year in Myanmar ...
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/
EL PASO, TEXAS - A woman convicted of kidnapping a 20-year-old woman who she believed brought shame to the Muslim community was sentenced to more than a decade in prison.
Norma Juarez Taha, 36, was sentenced to 12 years and five months in prison Friday after she was convicted by a jury in March on one count of kidnapping ...
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,
Please join us in lifting up the needs of vulnerable children around the world. Faces Of Children will be meeting at 11:00 (not 11:30) this Wednesday, September 26, for prayer. We are now meeting in the prayer closet at First Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas, instead of in the gym conference room. The prayer closet is near the library and reception desk of the church. I hope you can join them to pray together for children in our community and around the world!
Warmly,
Carrie
Dear Intercessors,
Disabled or differently-abled?
In our own country, we often wrestle with how to properly integrate children with special needs into our classrooms and how to make appropriate accommodations for their unique needs. But in much of the world, the challenges are even greater.
This week, I'd like to invite you to pray for the following places, situations and children in them ...
Al Jazeera Photo by Nathalie Bertrams
ETHIOPIA // 'They believe I was cursed with blindness because God was angry'
Thousands of boys and girls with disabilities in Ethiopia are invisible in government statistics, unable to access health services, discriminated against by society and trapped in a cycle of poverty and violence. A report from UNFPA and the Population Council highlights that one in every three girls living with disabilities has been sexually assaulted. They also face systematic and violent abuse at home and in their communities; they're blamed for being different and feared because they're seen to be under the spell of witchcraft. Eniyat Belete, 17, has been blind since birth. In her village, as in many other towns all over Ethiopia, disability comes with a heavy stigma. "They believe I was cursed with blindness because God was angry," explains the teenager. Fisseha Arage Haile, himself blind, works as a special needs and inclusive education expert for the South Gondar Zone Education Office. He confirms that teenagers with disabilities are largely excluded from education, health and social welfare services. The Charities and Societies Proclamation (CSP) law makes it impossible for NGOs and other civil societies to operate in the country, which compounds the severe gap in service provision Keep reading, and see the photo gallery ...
KENYA // Deaf Education
This Human Rights Campaign video celebrates the progress being made in Kenya to provide education to deaf students while also highlighting the challenges and deficits that remain.
MIDLAND // I'm going to call him Seth.
That's not his real name, but God knows who he is. I met Seth because he comes over to the church in the mornings to get coffee before school. We've exchanged lots of small talk these last few weeks, watching videos on YouTube and discussing just how much sugar in the morning is too much sugar, but things grew more serious this week when he shared that as a Freshman in high school, he can't read. From what I can understand, it sounds like a mix of possibly undiagnosed special needs and ESL contributed to this situation... along with other factors: not having glasses in elementary school when initial reading lessons were being taught; a family that isn't able to navigate the school system very fluently, and even his own outbursts and behavior as school grew more and more difficult and stressful. Whatever the case may be, Seth seems to want to be able to read and God brought him to our church... please pray for Seth as we explore how we can help him.
ODESSA, TEXAS - Couples get divorced for multitudinous reasons, some seemingly trivial, but does the Bible say any of those reasons justify breaking the bond?
Ministers Greg Morris, Mario Martinez, Lynn Money and Johnny Touchstone say the Bible specifically gives two causes that God accepts as valid and there are a couple more that make sense from a general scriptural perspective ...
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.
"Ecce Homo" by Ludovico Cigoli
Today in the Mission Yearbook: September 25, 2018
JESUS - Which version of Jesus do we settle for? A wise philosopher? A meek and mild but constant caregiver? A macho conqueror? A divine butler?
It’s challenging to resist the impulse to settle for a Jesus who does not fully represent the Lord and Savior presented in the New Testament. Challenging, of course, but not new. Looking at John 6:35, 41–51, we see Jesus’ followers missing the boat as they long to settle for a miraculous baker rather than the Bread of Life ...
The China Aid Associationis 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.
ChinaAid Photo
Yunnan court rejects appeals of Christians falsely charged with cult activity Distributed by ChinaAid, July, 2018 ...
LINGCANG, YUNAN – A court in China's southwestern Yunnan province rejected the appeals of Christians wrongly sentenced to lengthy prison terms, according to recent court documents ...
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,
Please join us in lifting up the needs of vulnerable children around the world. Faces Of Children will be meeting at 11:00 (not 11:30) this Wednesday, September 26, for prayer. We are now meeting in the prayer closet at First Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas, instead of in the gym conference room. The prayer closet is near the library and reception desk of the church. I hope you can join them to pray together for children in our community and around the world!
Warmly,
Carrie
Dear Intercessors,
Disabled or differently-abled?
In our own country, we often wrestle with how to properly integrate children with special needs into our classrooms and how to make appropriate accommodations for their unique needs. But in much of the world, the challenges are even greater.
This week, I'd like to invite you to pray for the following places, situations and children in them ...
Al Jazeera Photo by Nathalie Bertrams
ETHIOPIA // 'They believe I was cursed with blindness because God was angry'
Thousands of boys and girls with disabilities in Ethiopia are invisible in government statistics, unable to access health services, discriminated against by society and trapped in a cycle of poverty and violence. A report from UNFPA and the Population Council highlights that one in every three girls living with disabilities has been sexually assaulted. They also face systematic and violent abuse at home and in their communities; they're blamed for being different and feared because they're seen to be under the spell of witchcraft. Eniyat Belete, 17, has been blind since birth. In her village, as in many other towns all over Ethiopia, disability comes with a heavy stigma. "They believe I was cursed with blindness because God was angry," explains the teenager. Fisseha Arage Haile, himself blind, works as a special needs and inclusive education expert for the South Gondar Zone Education Office. He confirms that teenagers with disabilities are largely excluded from education, health and social welfare services. The Charities and Societies Proclamation (CSP) law makes it impossible for NGOs and other civil societies to operate in the country, which compounds the severe gap in service provision Keep reading, and see the photo gallery ...
KENYA // Deaf Education
This Human Rights Campaign video celebrates the progress being made in Kenya to provide education to deaf students while also highlighting the challenges and deficits that remain.
MIDLAND // I'm going to call him Seth.
That's not his real name, but God knows who he is. I met Seth because he comes over to the church in the mornings to get coffee before school. We've exchanged lots of small talk these last few weeks, watching videos on YouTube and discussing just how much sugar in the morning is too much sugar, but things grew more serious this week when he shared that as a Freshman in high school, he can't read. From what I can understand, it sounds like a mix of possibly undiagnosed special needs and ESL contributed to this situation... along with other factors: not having glasses in elementary school when initial reading lessons were being taught; a family that isn't able to navigate the school system very fluently, and even his own outbursts and behavior as school grew more and more difficult and stressful. Whatever the case may be, Seth seems to want to be able to read and God brought him to our church... please pray for Seth as we explore how we can help him.
ABILENE, TEXAS - With his mother sitting on a makeshift seat behind him, Marco Gomez pedaled to the Community Bike Shop in hopes of finding another bicycle for himself and tires for a bike that used by his stepfather.
Marco, 15, and his mother, Nikki Jimenez, weren’t looking for expensive, flashy bikes for leisure riding. The family’s two vehicles were disabled and the family didn’t have the money for repairs. Marco’s stepfather frames houses for a living and sustained an injury that has him laid up for a while.
The family will rely on the bicycles until they have the money for car repairs ...
... The family is typical of the patrons of the Community Bike Shop ...
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.
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.
