West Texas Missioner

Thursday, June 20, 2013

FPC-Midland Uganda Mission: Opportunity Provided

After much preparation, packing and prayer, a team of our brothers and sisters in Christ - men, women and children from West Texas - are at work in the east Africa nation of Uganda for Christian mission. The 2013 Uganda Mission Team from First Presbyterian Church-Midland will be posting reports from Uganda - along with photos, videos and more - on the Uganda Mission Team 2013 blog.

Opportunity Provided

Garrett Lang and Ramon Billhimer ended up joining each other’s company about half way through the trail. When going through the countryside one of their translators suggested going to a school in the area close by and asking the head master if we could address the students. They agreed and when they made this request the woman who was in charge graciously accepted their proposition.

• CLICK HERE to read the rest of this post

• CLICK HERE to visit the blog

Mercy Trips Uganda Mission: "Blog Delay"

FBC-Midland Belize Mission: For the Kids

EDITOR'S NOTE: Due to a error on my part, I am TWO WEEKS LATE getting to these reports! "Better late than never," I hope ... there's some good stuff in FBC's posts, and I still want to share them.

A team from First Baptist Church of Midland is in Belize, working with the Toledo Christian Academy’s faculty and students, as well as the community around the school which desperately needs to be reached for Jesus. You can read about the team's daily work at their blog.

For the Kids

I missed talking about our prayer walking the children’s playground in yesterday’s blog, so I want to be sure to include it today. A structure that began as a giant sandbox bordered by concrete, grew into a full fledged playground – complete with roof to protect from rain and sun, a fence to protect from animals and a set of equipment on which to swing and climb ...

... The ongoing efforts of our mission teams from year to year have created this facility to serve the children by providing a safe, clean and protective area in which to play. As we prayed over the playground, we were reminded of how Jesus welcomed the little children and made an example of how important these little ones are to Him. We not only prayed for their safety and their joy in just being children; but also, that each child who entered the playground would make the decision to “make Jesus the boss of his or her life.”

• read the rest of this post
• visit the FBC-Midland Belize Mission weblog

World Refugee Day report features our friends-in-mission at Partners

I'm asking everyone here, in the Tall City and across West Texas, who has visted the refugee camps around the world, or has worked to welcome international refugees to our community and helped them settle into their new homes ... please help spread the word about today, and add the world's refugees and refugee issues to your prayer lists ... thanks!

From the Mission News Network ... Burma is home to the world's longest-running civil war.

Ethnic groups have been clashing with Burma's government since the country gained independence in 1948. Many people only know life as a refugee; they've never had a safe place to live.

Steve Gumaer and his wife, Oddny, started Partners Relief and Development in 1994 after seeing the plight of Burma's refugees firsthand.

• CLICK HERE to read the rest of this story

Steve and Oddny Gumaer started Partners Relief and Development in response to the needs of refugees and displaced people from Burma.

Today is World Refugee Day

I'm asking everyone here, in the Tall City and across West Texas, who has visted the refugee camps around the world, or has worked to welcome international refugees to our community and helped them settle into their new home ... please help spread the word about today, and add the world's refugees and refugee issues to your prayer lists ... thanks!

From the United Nations Refugee Agency ... "Each year on June 20th the United Nations and countless civic groups around the world celebrate World Refugee Day."

"World Refugee Day was established by the United Nations to honor the courage, strength and determination of women, men and children who are forced to flee their homes under threat of persecution, conflict and violence. Millions need your help."

"You can help refugees rebuild their lives. Sign up to receive email alerts containing news, events and ways to get involved."

"Most people in America don’t realize – there are over 43.7 million refugees and internally displaced people around the world and of those, UNHCR provides lifesaving assistance and protection to 34 million of them."

"Imagine being the mother of a sick and hungry child and having to decide between risking your life staying in a conflict or leaving behind everything in search of safety. UNHCR provides tents, shelter, supplies and life-saving services to refugees – 80% are women and children. Millions of refugees need help all around the world – 1 family torn apart by war is too many."

"Our goal is to share refugee stories with you – to get the word out, so compassionate people across America will extend their generosity and concern to support – 1 family at a time. You can help us. Please take action now."

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. The stories in the 2013 Mission Yearbook were gathered around the question of Jesus to his disciples, “How many loaves have you?” from Mark 6:38. The book is filled with stories of God’s abundance in the face of overwhelming needs and a scarcity of resources.

Today in the Mission Yearbook: June 20, 2013

PRESBYTERY OF MID-KENTUCKY - Okolona Presbyterian Church in Louisville sometimes has barely half a loaf to share, yet it is ready and willing to give it all away. It is a small body of 48 souls in a congregation that has changed drastically over the years, a familiar story across the nation. They may be few in number, but they are big in ministry and are ecumenically minded. From working in the local Roman Catholic soup kitchen, to sending out greeting cards to members on their birthdays, to collecting more shoeboxes at Christmas than there are families in the congregation, the people of Okolona Church are deeply committed to ministry and mission.

The congregation has adopted two Ethiopian youngsters. Using regular correspondence, they keep abreast of how the children grow and learn. This mission has been a very positive one for the congregation. A jar has taken up permanent residence in the narthex, to collect dollars each time someone passes by. The money helps the children, their families, and their entire village.

CLICK HERE to read more.

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

FPC-Midland Uganda Mission: Discipleship Training

Discipleship Training

Jim Alsup and Karen Williams led a discipleship class on the topic of “witnessing” in the afternoon after we had come back from visiting people on the trails. The class was well attended with approximately 40 people.

• CLICK HERE to read the rest of this post

• CLICK HERE to visit the blog

FBC-Midland Belize Mission: June 5 — Reruns

June 5 — Reruns

Not really – just another round of children’s videos for the Tuesday morning classes. These were the older children, and we really enjoyed them as they fully engaged in the Focus on the Family series videos we brought to them. In fact, we all liked them so much, our own team members were asking if I had picked out new videos or if these were reruns! You never know where or with whom your ministry is going be! ...

... We spent the afternoon close to home, working on our chapel times to be presented Wednesday morning in teams of two. Miles and Landan, Lucretia and Brianna, and Alex and I paired off to review and prepare. We would each have a section of combined grades for a 30 minute Bible study chapel, so we were looking forward to Wednesday morning. This is our time to share God’s word in a special way and grow the trust and relationships we seek with this group of children.

• read the rest of this post
• visit the FBC-Midland Belize Mission weblog

Faces of Children: Prayer Concerns for This Week

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

Prayer Concerns for the Week of 6/19/13

South Africa, Rwanda

• Please keep 4-year-old Selah, the daughter of missionaries in Rwanda, close in prayer as she recovers from an accident in her home in which she was critically injured. A heavy object fell on Selah's head puncturing both of her eardrums, breaking her collarbone, fracturing the orbital bone in her eye, fracturing her skull, and damaging nerves in the left side of her face.
• more on this from Lance and Tiffany Ferguson

• Thanks be to God for answering so many prayers on behalf of this little girl! Selah received very good medical care in Rwanda and was then transported to South Africa where there were pediatric trauma specialists to help with her case. Give God thanks for the healing Selah has experienced in such a short amount of time. She was injured May 29 and has recovered well enough to be released from the hospital less than two weeks later.

• Please keep Selah's parents in prayer as they negotiate medical care in a different country. Pray God will comfort Selah's big sister, Seri during this emotionally trying experience. Pray God will sustain and strengthen all of them during this difficult time.

• Praise God for the support this family has received from the community of faith in Rwanda and South Africa.

Uganda. United States

• Please keep the mission team from First Presbyterian Church, Midland, Texas held close in prayer as they travel and serve in Uganda on a mission trip. Pray for the local leaders in Uganda who have helped coordinate this trip and who will continue the follow-up work after the team leaves. Pray for the children and people of Uganda with whom the team will come into contact during their time there.

United States

• Please keep close in prayer 3-month-old Hadyn* who has been in the hospital almost since birth. Pray for healing for this little one who had heart surgery several weeks ago and another surgery last week to implant a feeding tube. Pray Hadyn will gain weight (he weighs 8 pounds now) and strength. Pray for Hadyn's mother who is exhausted and struggling with her faith. Pray God will sustain her throughout this challenging time and that she will find comfort in a community of love and support. Pray also that God will bring her peace as she continues to grieve the death of her 1 ½-year-old daughter in the midst of this difficult situation.

• Pray for a family in crisis...that God will guide the parents and give them wisdom in the decisions they face. The mother found pictures in her camera of their 8-year-old son being sexually inappropriate with their 3-year-old daughter. Pray for both children...that God will bring healing to the little girl and that the 8-year-old will receive the help he needs. Pray for the 4-year-old son in this family who has Down syndrome...that God will comfort him throughout this difficult time. Give thanks to God local child protective services and police are working with the family to find out from whom the 8-year-old learned this behavior. Please pray the parents will supervise their children more closely. Pray they will choose babysitters who have had thorough background checks.

• Please keep 16-year-old Taylor* in prayer as she struggles with serious mental illness and continues to cut herself as a way to cope with depression, pain, and anger. Pray for her mother and father as they make arrangements for Taylor to attend a wilderness therapy program in a different state. Pray this program will help bring healing and peace to this very troubled young woman. Pray God will bring comfort and complete healing to Taylor. Pray for healing in her relationships with her parents and siblings.

• Keep in prayer the students, former students, and their families, as well as the faculty, and staff of Shattuck-St. Mary's (SSM) boarding school in southern Minnesota following the criminal investigation of a former teacher on felony charges of alleged sexual abuse of SSM students and possession of child pornography. Pray for the truth to be revealed in this case and that justice will be served. Pray for the victims of this abuse...that they might find healing and peace. Please pray for those in positions of authority, that they will have the courage and integrity to report abuse, no matter the feared consequences
• more on this from grandforksherald.com

Faces of Children

• Thanks be to God for the new intercessors from Midland, Michigan who recently joined the Faces of Children ministry after a Presbyterian Women's event at their church! Give God thanks for their willingness to spend time in prayer for the children of this world.

• Please continue to pray that more churches and individuals will join with the ministry of Faces of Children in spreading awareness about children in crisis and inviting more people to pray for children at risk.

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

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer. The stories in the 2013 Mission Yearbook were gathered around the question of Jesus to his disciples, “How many loaves have you?” from Mark 6:38. The book is filled with stories of God’s abundance in the face of overwhelming needs and a scarcity of resources.

Today in the Mission Yearbook: June 19, 2013

HOLSTON PRESBYTERY, TENNESSEE - First Presbyterian Church in Kingsport has operated a clothes closet for more than 50 years. This ministry started with one mother “recycling” the clothes her children had outgrown, but the idea of passing good clothing on to others was received warmly by the congregation. Today, over 4,500 families have been assisted by this ministry.

As the only active clothes closet in the area, it assists needy families with anything from socks and underwear to men’s suits, women’s purses, children’s clothes, shoes, and belts. The Salvation Army, Red Cross, local police and fire departments, and other churches make referrals to the clothes closet. The entire community donates good used clothing—and a fair amount of new items—to this endeavor. A large number of volunteers gather early every Monday morning to sort, fold, hang, and display a little bit of everything. The clothes closet opens each Tuesday at 9 a.m. to an eager clientele awaiting the chance to gather needed items.

CLICK HERE to read more.

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

FPC-Midland Uganda Mission: School Team

School Team

Jeff, Robin and Elizabeth went to three secondary schools--Kaamu Memorial, Kabweri and High Light. At Kaamu three students--Stella, Yafesi and Zaidih--accepted Christ. One of the boys was Muslim.

When the team arrived at High Light Secondary School in Kadama, the motto was painted on the building: "Decisions Determine Destiny." Jeff used the school motto in his testimony, which was already about the importance of making good decisions.

• CLICK HERE to read the rest of this post

• CLICK HERE to visit the blog

FBC-Midland Belize Mission: June 4 — Photos

June 4 — Photos

Yes – photos are really forthcoming!!!! They take so long to download that my daughter Rori must do them from home ...

... As we spend time at the orphanage, with these wonderful children and teachers at TCA and with each other as team members, we realize the endless challenges that arise in our lives on a daily – even momentary – basis ... Please pray that our minds will be steadfast and that God would grant us grace to trust him more and more.

• read the rest of this post
• visit the FBC-Midland Belize Mission weblog

First Presbyterian-Midland Youth Ministry: Back From the Wilderness

At the time of this writing, we’re about 2 hours away from Midland. Everything that you read below has already been written. Our journey into the Ozark wilderness held more than any of us bargained for. At the end, we had hiked about 20 miles and canoed another 15 miles. Whether it was ferrying people and backpacks across the a quick river in a canoe…in a torrential downpour, camping out on an old road surrounded by mud and poison ivy, our own “night ops,” or defying the odds and proving a destination on a moonless night, this group of 9 “mountain slayers” grew in their understanding of themselves, God and others along the way.

Over our trek, we memorized Philippians 2.1-13 and started to really grasp what it means to “look not only to your own interest, but also to the interest of others” and to “continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.”

I think we’re all still trying to wrap our heads around what God was teaching each of us individually over the course of the week. Ask us all again in a week or two. But, we all went into the wilderness searching for something…not unlike countless others before us…and God was steady at his business showing his face to us in every circumstance. God is good. Get ready, classes of 2015 and 2016…your turn is next!!!

• CLICK HERE to read the rest of this post, and enjoy some more photos

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. The stories in the 2013 Mission Yearbook were gathered around the question of Jesus to his disciples, “How many loaves have you?” from Mark 6:38. The book is filled with stories of God’s abundance in the face of overwhelming needs and a scarcity of resources.

Today in the Mission Yearbook: June 18, 2013

PRESBYTERY OF EAST TENNESSEE - Loaves and Fishes is a biannual event sponsored by the Presbytery of East Tennessee to develop and enrich its member congregations and the community, with worship, workshops, and opportunities for fellowship.

The theme for the March 2012 event, “Food for the Soul,” was chosen as a counterpoint to the divisions so prevalent in our church today. We should all be able to agree on two things: food is necessary for survival, and the suffering caused by lack of food is intolerable. Food and faith are interwoven on nearly every page of the Bible. Table fellowship was central to Jesus’ ministry with his disciples, and the modern church more than ever must embrace table fellowship as a unifying act.

CLICK HERE to read more.

Monday, June 17, 2013

ChinaAid: Local Government in Shandong Province Launches City-Wide Investigation of "Privately Established Religious Meeting Sites"

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.

"UPDATE: In Arrest Notification, Charge Against Veteran Dissident and Christian Zhao Changqing Changed Back to 'Illegal Assembly'”

Distributed by ChinaAid, May, 2013 ...

BEIJING, CHINA – Government prosecutors have approved the formal arrest of veteran dissident whose most recent act of dissension was to call for government officials to disclose their financial holdings, and he may be facing a maximum five-year prison sentence, ChinaAid has learned.

• more on this story from China Aid

FPC-Midland Uganda Mission: Crusade and Trail

Crusade and Trail

Rain can't keep the Lord's good praise away! Our first day on the trail in Kuji was a HUGE success! As soon as we arrived to Kuji, We met our translators and we were off to the huts!

As the team and their translators shared God's word, many were asked for prayers to heal the sick. Every hut visited was welcomed with warm smiles and strong handshakes.

• CLICK HERE to read the rest of this post

• CLICK HERE to visit the blog

Mercy Trips Uganda Mission: "Today Was a Wonderful Day"

Partnering with local healthcare workers and churches in medically underserved countries, Odessa, Texas-based Mercy Trips Healthcare Outreach provides free medical clinics and surgical care as an outreach of Christian love for our fellow man.

Today Was a Wonderful Day

After a magnificent church service at Rwebisingo, we drove down to the River Semiliki, which is the border with Congo, we were in the company of King Mungenyi Earnest, who fled Congo 9 years ago during a rebel uprising. He accompanied us across the river in boats and arranged an escort of Congolese solders. We then had an official royal audience with him and discussed the possibility of holding a medical clinic there at some point in the future.

• read the rest of this post
• visit Mercy Trips' weblog

FBC-Midland Belize Mission: June 3 — First Full Day in Belize

June 3 — First Full Day in Belize

We are finishing up our first full day here in Belize and are at the internet cafe making our post to share with you all ...

... As the sun rises over the beauty of this lush land, we see God in His very creation. We will watch it set this evening and know that He is still with us.

• read the rest of this post
• visit the FBC-Midland Belize Mission weblog

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).

Prayer for Relationships

Dearly God,
Show me the light at the center of my brothers and sisters.
Show me the light at the center of myself.
Show me the light at the center of the world.
Where I see guilt, show me innocence.
Where I focus on mistakes, show me how to focus on efforts at good.
Help me have faith in the goodness of others.
Help me have faith in your spirit within me.
Thus may darkness be cast out.
May I cleave to the light that is in my heart.
This is my prayer.
May I see the light in everyone.
Amen."

Illuminata, a Return to Prayer
by Marianne Williamson

A message from Chris Laufer, Coordinator, Faces of Children

Greetings, Faces of Children Prayer Partner,

Each and every week at our Faces of Children prayer meeting in Midland, Texas, you are lifted in prayer along with the hundreds and hundreds of other intercessors who so faithfully pray for children in this concert of prayer. Each and every Wednesday morning at First Presbyterian Church, we give thanks for your faithfulness and devotion to the children of our hearts, our communities, and our world. Each and every Faces of Children prayer meeting, we give God thanks for you!

"Every time you cross my mind, I break out in exclamations of thanks to God. Each exclamation is a trigger to prayer. I find myself paying for you with a glad heart."
Philippians 1:3-4, The Message

The Midland Faces of Children prayer group will meet to pray for children on Wednesday, June 19, 2013 at 11:30 a.m. in the Bride’s room at First Presbyterian Church-Midland, with lunch ($5) and fellowship to follow.

If you have prayer concerns or celebrations about children, those who care for them, those who have authority over them, or those who harm them (the really hard prayers to say sometimes), please send them to me at at claufer@facesofchildren.net, or give me a call.

Grace and peace,

Chris