In the News ... "Running Preacher keeps boy's memory alive"

By Nathaniel Miller
Reporter
Odessa American

ODESSA, TEXAS - The “Running Preacher” David Johnson has a reason for doing all that running.

While it might seem crazy to some, Johnson, who will be running his 11th marathon in 11 weeks Sunday, is doing it all to help keep the memory of Jeremy Bader alive.
CLICK HERE to read the rest of the OA story

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer & 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. The stories for the 2011 Mission Yearbook were collected around General Assembly Mission theme “Grow Christ’s Church Deep and Wide” based on Matthew 28:18-20 and Mark 9:35. Each yearbook page bears witness to the abundant possibilities of the church because of the leadership of Christ.

Today in the Mission Yearbook: November 16, 2011

YELLOWSTONE PRESBYTERY - As a presbytery and as individual congregations, Yellowstone Presbytery seeks to join God in mission in mission in Montana and beyond.

Pastor Debbie Funke of Manhattan Presbyterian leads a weekly God-quest group of about twenty young adults in her home — people who are looking for a substance-free environment to talk about life and faith, but who would not think of attending Sunday church.
CLICK HERE to read more.

Word from Uganda: "Inflation"

Missionary teacher Natalie Rolfe writes, "'When He calls me, I will answer ... I'll be somewhere working for my Lord.' My call was Mbale, Uganda and that is where I have returned to serve for another year. Specifically, I am teaching phonics at Lulwanda Children's Home, an orphanage and school for 90 kids." Natalie also keeps an online journal of her service at the weblog, When He calls me, I will answer ...

Inflation

There are things that are so basic that we often take for granted. Let’s take sugar. Shockingly, the cost of sugar has increased from 2300 shillings/kg about four months ago to 6000 shillings/kg. In the past month, it has not been uncommon to see sugar increase by 1000 shillings in a day.
CLICK HERE to read the rest of Natalie's post

If you are interested in supporting LCH by sponsoring one of the 90 children, go to ugandaorphans.org/ If you are interested in financially supporting Natalie in her mission, you can send checks (with "Natalie Rolfe" in memo) to: Midland Bible Church, 2800 North A Street, Midland, TX 79705

In the News ... "Pastor Uses Past Life Experiences in Church Ministry"

By Jason Britsch
Reporter
KOSA-TV

ODESSA, TEXAS - "I love these people and they love me and we want to love others and bring them in," said Strauss McCreary, Pastor at Chosen Life Ministry.

Strauss McCreary’s journey to where he is now is no ordinary one.
CLICK HERE to read/watch the rest of the KOSA story.

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer & 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. The stories for the 2011 Mission Yearbook were collected around General Assembly Mission theme “Grow Christ’s Church Deep and Wide” based on Matthew 28:18-20 and Mark 9:35. Each yearbook page bears witness to the abundant possibilities of the church because of the leadership of Christ.

Today in the Mission Yearbook: November 15, 2011

PRESBYTERY OF WYOMING - Five years ago, Wyoming land values were sky high, but attendance at the two Presbytery of Wyoming camps was not. Many felt that the presbytery should sell Camp Story and Skyline Camp and use the proceeds in other ways for the glory of God. Almost everyone was wondering if running two camps was wise. Both camps are up in the Wyoming Mountains and can only be used during the summer.
CLICK HERE to read more.

ChinaAid donates Bible, hand-copied by Chinese house church Christians in labor camp, to George W. Bush Institute

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.

ChinaAid donates Bible, hand-copied by Chinese house church Christians in labor camp, to George W. Bush Institute

Released by ChinaAid, November, 2011 ...

"DALLAS, TEXAS – ChinaAid on Tuesday presented to The George W. Bush Institute a portion of the Bible hand-copied in Chinese by house church Christians imprisoned in a labor camp in northwest China as a token of appreciation for President Bush’s 'dedication to the advancement of religious freedom in China' and his 'tireless efforts as an advocate for those Chinese in bondage’.”
Read the Rest of the Report from ChinaAid

Invitation to Prayer

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).

Matthew 5:43-45, Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount

"You're familiar with the old written law, 'Love your friend,' and its unwritten companion, 'Hate your enemy.' I'm challenging that. I'm telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. God gives God's best - the sun to warm and the rain to nourish-to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty."
The Power of a Prayer: Words to Speak and Pray from "The Message", by Eugene H. Peterson

A message from Chris Laufer, Coordinator, Faces of Children

Greetings, Faces of Children Intercessor,

The Faces of Children Midland/Odessa prayer group will meet on Wednesday, November 16, 2011, at 11:30 a.m. in the Bride's room at First Presbyterian Church-Midland. Please join us for this time of prayer, and afterward for lunch ($5) and a time of fellowship.

If you have 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 me at at claufer@facesofchildren.net, or give me a call. Thank you for your faithfulness in prayer for the children of our world.

Grace and peace,

Chris

In the News ... "Local company works to provide water in Africa"

By Kathleen Thurber
Reporter
Midland Reporter-Telegram

MIDLAND, TEXAS - Every 15 seconds, a child dies from a water-borne illness. In Ethiopia and other sub-Saharan countries in Africa, four out of five children either rely on unclean surface water or walk up to 15 miles to find a protected source of water, according to Unicef.

For at least some children, one Midland company is trying to change those statistics.

“This will change a kid’s life in Ethiopia,” said Dustin Bryson, marketing director at Envirocon Technologies, Inc. “This is just real.”
CLICK HERE to read the rest of the MRT story

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer & 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. The stories for the 2011 Mission Yearbook were collected around General Assembly Mission theme “Grow Christ’s Church Deep and Wide” based on Matthew 28:18-20 and Mark 9:35. Each yearbook page bears witness to the abundant possibilities of the church because of the leadership of Christ.

Today in the Mission Yearbook: November 14, 2011

PRESBYTERY OF WESTERN COLORADO - As it celebrates 125 years in the Grand Valley of Western Colorado, First Presbyterian Church of Grand Junction has made a strong commitment to take the church outside the walls and to be Christ's hands and feet in the community. The church has reorganized its staff and ministry teams to put a greater emphasis on community outreach. It also has taken an active role in networking with other churches to help serve the community. First Presbyterian took the lead in organizing ShareFest, a weekend-long event that brings together several thousand volunteers from many churches to help individuals, schools, nonprofits, and several neighborhoods do cleanup and repairs.
CLICK HERE to read more.

REMEMBER ...

... today is the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (IDOP), a global day of intercession for persecuted Christians worldwide. Its primary focus is the work of intercessory prayer and citizen action on behalf of persecuted communities of the Christian faith. We also encourage prayer for the souls of the oppressors, the nations that promote persecution, and those who ignore it.

CLICK HERE for more about this day, and its goals, as well as a directory to a variety of participating organizations and resources.

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer & 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. The stories for the 2011 Mission Yearbook were collected around General Assembly Mission theme “Grow Christ’s Church Deep and Wide” based on Matthew 28:18-20 and Mark 9:35. Each yearbook page bears witness to the abundant possibilities of the church because of the leadership of Christ.

Today in the Mission Yearbook: November 13, 2011

CAREGIVER SUNDAY - Does your church have a health ministry, a parish nurse, Stephen ministers, or just loving people who check on those in need? Sometimes forgotten people of our congregations are caregivers. There are days when they could use a break to dash to a store or to have a free morning. Could you or other church members offer those breaks? Some churches offer respite care for a day, while some institutions offer respite care for several days while a person takes a trip or has time for renewal.
CLICK HERE to read more.

'No Room at the Inn," next weekend at Grace Prez-Midland

Grace Presbyterian Church, 2801 N. Garfield St, will host "No Room at the Inn," a fundraiser for Family Promise of Midland, 10:00 am - 4:00 pm on Saturday, November 19.

More than 100 nativity scenes will be on display, and there will be a children's corner, refreshments, a silent auction and raffle for a Christmas quilt. Suggested $5 donation at the door for adults; $1 for children.

Members of the community wishing to have their nativities on display for the event should contact Donna Edney at 528-5521 or donna.edney@gmail.com by Tuesday, November 15.

Nativity set helps provide education to children in a war zone

Buy a nativity set handcrafted by villagers in Shan State, Burma, and help support village schools.

For the last 30 years the children in the village did not have a school beyond 4th grade in their area. Now they have a chance to complete 7th grade. These little (6.5cm tall) nativity sets make it possible.

Partners buys the sets. The money the villagers receive covers the expenses to run the school. The children get to study and the adults get a job.

By buying one of these sets you will help children go to school. And you will have a unique, handcrafted nativity set that you can give as a gift or put in your living room. We can’t think of a more meaningful gift this Christmas!

CLICK HERE for more information, and to order.

 • Shipping available ONLY to addresses within the USA.
 • Orders close November 19 and will ship first week of December.

Steve and Oddny Gumaer started Partners Relief & Development in response to the needs of refugees and displaced people from Burma. Partners Relief & Development is a registered charity in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States. Their mission is to, through holistic action, demonstrate God’s love to children and communities made vulnerable by war in Burma.

In the News ... "Midland churches to pray for persecuted Christians"

By Sara Higgins
Reporter
Midland Reporter-Telegram

MIDLAND, TEXAS - When the Rev. Getaneh Getaneh was asked by clergy from all across the nation what they could do to help the persecuted church, he had only one answer for them: "Prayer."

Getaneh will lead Midlanders in prayer throughout the weekend in an international effort to pray for the persecuted church. He will lead prayer at True Lite Fellowship 3-5 p.m. Saturday. Getaneh also will be interviewed by the Rev. Randal Everett at the 8:30 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. Sunday services at First Baptist Church-Midland, and lead the prayer event at 6 p.m. Sunday in the church's fellowship hall. Getaneh will speak and outline a report from 54 countries where persecution is happening to help raise awareness.
CLICK HERE to read the rest of the MRT story

Faces of Children: Prayer Requests

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

Prayer Concerns for the week of 11/11/11

KENYA/ETHIOPIA - Pray for the thousands of Somali refugees crossing into Kenya and Ethiopia seeking help. Pray for children and parents who have walked for weeks to reach northern Kenya and Dadaab, the world’s largest refugee camp.
• Pray for children who have witnessed incredible devastation on their journey to Dadaab: empty villages, piles of dead animals, dying people, and an unbroken trail of bodies from their home villages to the Kenyan refugee camp.
• Pray for Kenyans who are overwhelmed by the massive influx of Somali refugees. Many are afraid these refugees may never go home because of the chaos and violence in their home country
A report from the New York Times

NORTH KOREA - Please hold close in prayer the severely malnourished children of North Korea. Pray for God’s healing touch upon each of these vulnerable ones. Pray they receive the medical and nutritional care they desperately need. Pray that all children in North Korea suffering from food scarcity and malnutrition will receive assistance quickly.
• Please pray that the truth about North Korea’s food situation will come to light. North Korean leaders have requested humanitarian assistance claiming a harsh winter, heavy rains, and summer floods and typhoons destroyed crops. Outside investigators disagree and claim the reclusive country came through that experience better than expected.
A report from Reuters/AlertNet
• Pray that whatever distribution of food aid coming into North Korea will be done with transparency and fairness. Pray donated food aid won’t be siphoned off for the military or ruling elite

THAILAND - Please keep the children of Thailand held close in prayer as the worst flooding in 50 years continues throughout large parts of the country. About one third of the country has been affected by flooding caused by heavy monsoon rains that started in late July.
A report from the BBC
• Pray for the one million Thais whose homes flooded weeks ago—many still remain flooded. Pray for children who are unable to continue their education because schools and streets are flooded. Pray for parents who are unable to work because fields or factories are flooded. Pray for those who are running out of food and clean water because store shelves are bare or food/water sources are contaminated by flood water.
• Please keep the NightLight staff and volunteers held close in prayer as they move furniture, electronic equipment, jewelry, and perishable goods to the top floors of their buildings in preparation for the floodwaters to enter Bangkok. Pray for the women and children this ministry serves as they are even more vulnerable in times of widespread crisis and unemployment. Many of the women who make jewelry at NightLight live in areas that have already been flooded. NightLight web site
• Pray for those in Christian ministries in Thailand ... that God will give them vision, guidance, and divine strategies to bring healing and restoration to this country after the floodwaters recede.

TURKEY - Please pray for people affected by the October 23, 7.2 magnitude earthquake that hit the northern part of Turkey in the Kurdish heartland. A report from Reuters/AlertNet
• Pray for children, teenagers, and adults still trapped in the rubble of thousands of flattened buildings. Give God thanks for the rescue of a 2-week-old baby girl, her mother, and grandmother from one of the damaged buildings.
• Pray for rescue personnel working hard in cold weather and pouring rain to locate and remove victims. Pray that medical care will be available to all of those injured in the quake and its aftershocks.
• Pray for children who witnessed the death or injury of a parent, grandparent, sibling, or friend. Pray for God’s comforting peace to be with them all during this frightening time.
• Pray for the thousands who have been left homeless by the earthquake and for those who are afraid to stay in their houses because of aftershocks. Pray that tents and temporary housing will arrive soon in this region to provide homeless children and families with shelter during this cold and rainy season—winter snows are less than a month away. Pray that warm clothing, sleeping bags, blankets, water, and food will be delivered to each family in need.

FACES OF CHILDREN - Keep Abram, the 5-year-old nephew of a Faces of Children prayer partner, held close in prayer as he recovers from surgery to implant a pacemaker in his heart. Pray for Abram’s healing and for a complete recovery
• Please continue to pray that more churches and individuals will join with the ministry of Faces of Children in spreading awareness about children in crisis and inviting more people to pray for children at risk.
• If you have prayer requests about children, those who care for them, those who have authority over them, or those who harm them (the really hard prayers to say sometimes), please send them to Chris Laufer, FOC Coordinator, at claufer@facesofchildren.net

In the News ... "Local governments give Rock the Desert financial assistance"

By Gabriella Lopez
Reporter
Odessa American

ODESSA-MIDLAND, TEXAS - Rock the Desert 2012 continues to announce performers for its Christian music concert, but come spring when the event kicks off they’ll have a little help from local governments.

“We like to support events that bring people into the city,” City of Odessa Assistant City Manager James Zentner

After receiving an application from Rock the Desert, both the Odessa and Midland city governments chose to contribute $50,000 each from the hotel/motel tax, according to City of Midland documents and Zentner.
CLICK HERE to read the rest of the OA story

Partners 2012 Calendar now available

Partners' 2012 calendar is now available for pre-order to be shipped in December. The pictures in this year's calendar were taken by Partners Relief & Development staff and friends who have engaged with the people of Burma. These photos are part of Partners' story. As they endeavor to bring free, full lives to the children of Burma, they catch these sublime moments to remember and share.

CLICK HERE for more information, and to order.


Steve and Oddny Gumaer started Partners Relief & Development in response to the needs of refugees and displaced people from Burma. Partners Relief & Development is a registered charity in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States. Their mission is to, through holistic action, demonstrate God’s love to children and communities made vulnerable by war in Burma.

In the News ... "Midlander’s story included in George W. Bush Institute"

By Kathleen Thurber
Reporter
Midland Reporter-Telegram

DALLAS, TEXAS - In presenting President George W. Bush with a handwritten copy of the book of Revelation, Midlander Bob Fu said he hopes to have brought encouragement and awareness to the Chinese who are persecuted daily for their faith.

Fu and his wife, Heidi, were among a group honored last week by former President George W. Bush and former First Lady Laura Bush during an event for the George W. Bush Institute in Dallas. Fu presented the Bushes with a copy of the book of Revelation that was handwritten by prisoners in a Chinese labor camp and later delivered as a “thank you” to the Fus’ organization, China Aid Association.
CLICK HERE to read the rest of the MRT story

Partners Blog: "Lessons from the least of these"

Steve and Oddny Gumaer started Partners Relief & Development in response to the needs of refugees and displaced people from Burma. This blog is meant to be a more personal stream of conversation than newsletters allow for. The opinions expressed here may not be those of Partners Relief & Development.

Lessons from the least of these

"I went to Alaska recently to attend the annual Friend’s Church Banquet, a fabulous evening of entertainment, delectable desserts, and stories from the heart that remind me that I am to carry my brother’s burdens as if they were my own."
CLICK HERE to read the rest of this post

In the News ... "Female pastor finds compassion for Indian widows"

By Shanna Sissom
Reporter
Midland Reporter-Telegram

MIDLAND, TEXAS -The whole idea of our mother globetrotting off to a land where cobras and tigers roam made my sister and me a little nervous when she announced several months ago her plans to visit India.

My mother is an ordained minister who sometimes enjoys traveling. She'd never before ventured outside the relative safety of North America, Europe and Israel, though she has received repeated invitations to preach in primitive villages in Third World countries of Africa (much to my disdain. There's probably man-eating lions wandering around, I told her.)
CLICK HERE to read the rest of the MRT story