Call It what you will … but MARK it …..

IN FLANDERS FIELDS

In Flanders Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved,
and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch, be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep,
though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Lt. Col. John Alexander McCrae, MD – Canadian Expeditionary Force

(Died January 28, 1918 in Boulogne, France)

Here in the U.S., one doesn’t see the poppies on people’s lapels so much, as we used to when were children ….. One of the most ridiculous victories in America’s ‘war of drugs’ was the declaration by ‘drug czars’ and their staffs that the poppy reminded people of addiction to drugs, rather than appreciation to those who gave the ‘last full measure of their devotion’ in service to their country. Such is not the case in Canada, England, and other countries that once formed the ‘Commonwealth.’ The paper poppies – and the fundraising for veterans’ relief that they represent – have been prominent in photos and video the past couple weeks.

Armistice Day, Remembrance Day, Veterans Day ….. call it what you will ….. but find some way to mark this day. Here, in America, the focus of the day has been expanded to honor all men and women who, throughout history, have answered their country’s call to serve. There have been many in our own family, but – mindful of the origins of this particular holiday – I will tell the boys of their great-grandfather Fred, a sergeant with the 102nd Balloon Company, U.S. Air Service, American Expeditionary Force, and his service in France during the First World War.

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: November 11, 2016

PRESBYTERIAN COUNCIL FOR CHAPLAINS & MILITARY PERSONNEL - As you are reading this, over 200 Presbyterian teaching elders are scattered throughout our nation and the world in service to church and country. These teaching elders serve in federal chaplaincy positions with the Department of Defense, the Department of Veterans Affairs or the Federal Bureau of Prisons ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

A prayer for Trump is a prayer for us all

Looking back over the weeks leading up to Election Day, as the idea circulated that response to election results might include protests, I noticed the focus was almost entirely upon candidate Donald Trump and his supporters. Little or no mention of candidate Hillary Clinton and her supporters ... but then, depending upon your news sources - and your personal views - there would be no cause for complaint from that camp, come Wednesday morning.

Which brought us to that Wednesday morning, and a 'Dewey defeats Truman' moment for the new century. So, what is the proper response to that moment, for Clinton supporters? Via texts, tweets, blog posts and online chat rooms, I've heard from a number of them - their outrage over the results, their fears over what life will be like 'with Trump in charge, their tears and their anger ... and from some, a call to hit the streets and share all of that with the general public.

I'd like to propose another response for supporters from BOTH camps ... prayer.

Me? I'll be praying as someone who entered the voting booth less-than-enthusiastic about both of the major party candidates for President, prepared to take a co-worker's advice to 'hold your nose, lean in and press one of the buttons.' I cast my vote ... and I wish that more people across the country could say. But now, it's time to deal with the results.

I shall pray that President Elect Donald Trump will be a better President than I expected him to be. I pray that he will be open to new experiences and new views, and that he will learn and grow from them. I pray that he will receive good advice and good counsel from those he chooses to be part of his inner circle, and that he will also keep his eyes and his ears, his mind and his heart, open to those outside that circle.

I pray for his success as President of the United States. As current President Barrack Obama said following a meeting with Trump at the White House, "If you succeed, the country succeeds." I was encouraged by the demeanor of both men following that meeting, and the tone of their comments about one another considering what has passed between them over the preceding years ... funny how your view of someone might change once you have ACTUALLY met that someone face-to-face, looked them in the eye and shaken their hand ... for all that has passed between them in those preceding years, this was their first ACTUAL meeting.

And so, I pray ... and I urge all of you who are open to faith, regardless of your religion or denomination, to do the same. And remember, there will be opportunities for ALL of us to speak and work towards helping our nation succeed.

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: November 10, 2016

GENESSEE VALLEY PRESBYTERY, NEW YORK - Members of Third Presbyterian Church of Rochester, New York believe more needs to be done to improve education in their city and they’ve launched an initiative to do just that ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

In the News ... "Midland community welcomed to have 'Coffee with a Cop' on Thursday"

• Advance practice of community policing through improving relationships

By Ronnie Marley, Online Content Manager
• KWES-TV

MIDLAND, TEXAS - Midland residents are welcome to have "Coffee with a Cop" on Thursday morning.

The event will be held at Brew St. Bakery, located at 4610 N. Garfield St. from 9:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m ...

 • read the rest of this KWES report ...

In the News ... "Mackey Chapel UMC marks 79th anniversary"

• South side church opened in 1937 with the Rev. J.D. Mackey

Staff Report
• Odessa American

ODESSA, TEXAS - Way, way back in 1937, Mackey Chapel United Methodist Church opened its doors for the first time, and since then it’s earned a reputation for friendliness and community involvement that brings a large crowd to its anniversary celebration each year ...

• read the rest of this OA report ...

Invitation to Prayer from Faces of Children ... TODAY

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

Invitation to Prayer, 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, followed by lunch together.

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

All the best,

Carrie

---

Dear Intercessors,

Courtesy Photo

This upcoming Sunday, November 13 is a day set aside in many churches as "Orphan Sunday." CAFO, or Christian Alliance for Orphans, asks churches to encourage their congregations to help every child experience God's unfailing love by using our resources, energies, prayers, and talents to respond to the needs of orphaned children. This week, I'd like to invite you to pray for four unique areas of orphan care. And perhaps this next Sunday, like us, you can set aside a time of prayer in your services to corporately pray for the following areas:

1: Praying for Children Growing Up in Orphanages //

Let's lift up caregivers and ask God to empower them to love and nurture children and not just meet basic needs. Let's pray for children to be protected from impacts of neglect and ask for them to be shielded from physical or sexual abuse. Pray for orphanages to have adequate supplies to meet basic physical and medical needs and for organizations and charities and churches working to support orphanages to be well-equipped, well-trained, and holistic in their help.

2: Praying for Children Growing Up in Foster Care //

Let's pray for loving foster parents who are able to help their foster children heal; for them to strengthened and encouraged and to have great endurance for their journey alongside these kids. Let's also pray that God raises up more foster families. Pray for adjudication in children's cases to be completed as soon as possible so that children aren't "stuck in the system," but can instead be in a permanent place as soon as possible. Pray for children who are in the foster system to be protected from abuse and for them to find healing from past traumas. Let's also lift up in particular those children who "graduate" from the foster system as a "ward of the state" - children who may never belong to a family and are on their own in the world. Finally, pray for foster agencies, the state systems, and support groups like CASA who support children in the foster system.

3: Praying for Adoptive Families //

Let's pray for families who are currently in the adoption process; pray they have the financial resources to complete the process and the emotional strength to endure the ups and downs. Let's ask God to raise up more adoptive families and put it on more families' hearts to consider the possibility of using adoption to grow their families. Pray for families to be well-equipped for the journey they are stepping into -- with understandings of the impact of trauma and loss on the children they adopt and a sensitivity to helping them find healing. Finally, let's pray for families in the early years after an adoption is finalized as they go through the sometimes difficult process of learning what it means to be a cohesive family.

4: Praying for Family Reunification/Family Preservation //

Let's pray for there to be no more orphans! We can pray for vulnerable families to receive the support they need in order to remain together. In some places, this might look like economic development opportunities that give parents an opportunity to earn a living wage so that they can afford to feed, clothe, and house their children. In other places, this might look like parenting classes, support services, and community wrap-around care to help young, single mothers successfully parent. And in other cases, this means that parents who struggle with addiction, mental illness, and their own childhood wounds due to abuse, neglect, or loss need help and healing so that they can break the cycle and not pass on the same patterns of brokenness to their children. Pray for community groups, churches, individuals and social service agencies to be able to recognize and properly support vulnerable families so that fewer children have to endure the loss of their parents.

Praying with you,

Carrie

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

---

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

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer.

Today in the Mission Yearbook: November 9, 2016

NEW COVENANT PRESBYTERY, TEXAS - For more than a century, the manse next to First Presbyterian Church in tiny Baird, Texas (population 1,600) served many functions: as the church’s first sanctuary, as a home for a string of pastors, and as space for vacation Bible School and adult Sunday school classes. In recent years, however, it had become an albatross, a dilapidated structure that was too expensive to repair and too expensive to demolish ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

Invitation to Prayer from Faces of Children ... TOMORROW

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

Invitation to Prayer, 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, followed by lunch together.

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

All the best,

Carrie

---

Dear Intercessors,

Courtesy Photo

This upcoming Sunday, November 13 is a day set aside in many churches as "Orphan Sunday." CAFO, or Christian Alliance for Orphans, asks churches to encourage their congregations to help every child experience God's unfailing love by using our resources, energies, prayers, and talents to respond to the needs of orphaned children. This week, I'd like to invite you to pray for four unique areas of orphan care. And perhaps this next Sunday, like us, you can set aside a time of prayer in your services to corporately pray for the following areas:

1: Praying for Children Growing Up in Orphanages //

Let's lift up caregivers and ask God to empower them to love and nurture children and not just meet basic needs. Let's pray for children to be protected from impacts of neglect and ask for them to be shielded from physical or sexual abuse. Pray for orphanages to have adequate supplies to meet basic physical and medical needs and for organizations and charities and churches working to support orphanages to be well-equipped, well-trained, and holistic in their help.

2: Praying for Children Growing Up in Foster Care //

Let's pray for loving foster parents who are able to help their foster children heal; for them to strengthened and encouraged and to have great endurance for their journey alongside these kids. Let's also pray that God raises up more foster families. Pray for adjudication in children's cases to be completed as soon as possible so that children aren't "stuck in the system," but can instead be in a permanent place as soon as possible. Pray for children who are in the foster system to be protected from abuse and for them to find healing from past traumas. Let's also lift up in particular those children who "graduate" from the foster system as a "ward of the state" - children who may never belong to a family and are on their own in the world. Finally, pray for foster agencies, the state systems, and support groups like CASA who support children in the foster system.

3: Praying for Adoptive Families //

Let's pray for families who are currently in the adoption process; pray they have the financial resources to complete the process and the emotional strength to endure the ups and downs. Let's ask God to raise up more adoptive families and put it on more families' hearts to consider the possibility of using adoption to grow their families. Pray for families to be well-equipped for the journey they are stepping into -- with understandings of the impact of trauma and loss on the children they adopt and a sensitivity to helping them find healing. Finally, let's pray for families in the early years after an adoption is finalized as they go through the sometimes difficult process of learning what it means to be a cohesive family.

4: Praying for Family Reunification/Family Preservation //

Let's pray for there to be no more orphans! We can pray for vulnerable families to receive the support they need in order to remain together. In some places, this might look like economic development opportunities that give parents an opportunity to earn a living wage so that they can afford to feed, clothe, and house their children. In other places, this might look like parenting classes, support services, and community wrap-around care to help young, single mothers successfully parent. And in other cases, this means that parents who struggle with addiction, mental illness, and their own childhood wounds due to abuse, neglect, or loss need help and healing so that they can break the cycle and not pass on the same patterns of brokenness to their children. Pray for community groups, churches, individuals and social service agencies to be able to recognize and properly support vulnerable families so that fewer children have to endure the loss of their parents.

Praying with you,

Carrie

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

---

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

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer.

Today in the Mission Yearbook: November 8, 2016

EASTMINSTER PRESBYTERY, OHIO - When members of Canfield (Ohio) Presbyterian Church began raising funds for a remodeling project and addition in 2008 they made sure 10 percent of the capital raised was reserved for mission activities. Several years later, and after another remodel of existing ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

From @chinaaid : "Authorities freeze house church bank account, fine 3 pastors"

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 Photo

Authorities freeze house church bank account, fine 3 pastors
Distributed by ChinaAid, October, 2016 ...

GUIYANG, GUIZHOU, CHINA – A house church in China’s southern Guizhou which has struggled against authorities’ demands for more than a year, recently had its bank accounts frozen as authorities demanded three of the church’s pastors pay fines totaling approximately $32,500 ...

• more on this story from China Aid

Invitation to Prayer from Faces of Children ... WEDNESDAY

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

Invitation to Prayer, WEDNESDAY

Hi Friends,

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

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

All the best,

Carrie

---

Dear Intercessors,

Courtesy Photo

This upcoming Sunday, November 13 is a day set aside in many churches as "Orphan Sunday." CAFO, or Christian Alliance for Orphans, asks churches to encourage their congregations to help every child experience God's unfailing love by using our resources, energies, prayers, and talents to respond to the needs of orphaned children. This week, I'd like to invite you to pray for four unique areas of orphan care. And perhaps this next Sunday, like us, you can set aside a time of prayer in your services to corporately pray for the following areas:

1: Praying for Children Growing Up in Orphanages //

Let's lift up caregivers and ask God to empower them to love and nurture children and not just meet basic needs. Let's pray for children to be protected from impacts of neglect and ask for them to be shielded from physical or sexual abuse. Pray for orphanages to have adequate supplies to meet basic physical and medical needs and for organizations and charities and churches working to support orphanages to be well-equipped, well-trained, and holistic in their help.

2: Praying for Children Growing Up in Foster Care //

Let's pray for loving foster parents who are able to help their foster children heal; for them to strengthened and encouraged and to have great endurance for their journey alongside these kids. Let's also pray that God raises up more foster families. Pray for adjudication in children's cases to be completed as soon as possible so that children aren't "stuck in the system," but can instead be in a permanent place as soon as possible. Pray for children who are in the foster system to be protected from abuse and for them to find healing from past traumas. Let's also lift up in particular those children who "graduate" from the foster system as a "ward of the state" - children who may never belong to a family and are on their own in the world. Finally, pray for foster agencies, the state systems, and support groups like CASA who support children in the foster system.

3: Praying for Adoptive Families //

Let's pray for families who are currently in the adoption process; pray they have the financial resources to complete the process and the emotional strength to endure the ups and downs. Let's ask God to raise up more adoptive families and put it on more families' hearts to consider the possibility of using adoption to grow their families. Pray for families to be well-equipped for the journey they are stepping into -- with understandings of the impact of trauma and loss on the children they adopt and a sensitivity to helping them find healing. Finally, let's pray for families in the early years after an adoption is finalized as they go through the sometimes difficult process of learning what it means to be a cohesive family.

4: Praying for Family Reunification/Family Preservation //

Let's pray for there to be no more orphans! We can pray for vulnerable families to receive the support they need in order to remain together. In some places, this might look like economic development opportunities that give parents an opportunity to earn a living wage so that they can afford to feed, clothe, and house their children. In other places, this might look like parenting classes, support services, and community wrap-around care to help young, single mothers successfully parent. And in other cases, this means that parents who struggle with addiction, mental illness, and their own childhood wounds due to abuse, neglect, or loss need help and healing so that they can break the cycle and not pass on the same patterns of brokenness to their children. Pray for community groups, churches, individuals and social service agencies to be able to recognize and properly support vulnerable families so that fewer children have to endure the loss of their parents.

Praying with you,

Carrie

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

---

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

In the News ... "Jones leaves Army for church"

OA Photo by Jacob Ford

• Service as a chaplain in Afghanistan, Germany culminate a long-held ambition

By Bob Campbell, Reporter
• Odessa American

ODESSA, TEXAS - Back from Army service in Afghanistan and Germany, the Rev. Aubrey William Jones has assumed the pastorate of Chapel Hill Baptist Church with views tempered by those sometimes challenging experiences ...

• 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: November 7, 2016

PRESBYTERY OF DES MOINES and LEHIGH PRESBYTERU - Leaders from about two dozen presbyteries across the country gathered in Des Moines, Iowa, August 26–27, for the trial run of a new kind of training event. Called “Practical Presbytery Leadership Training: Teamwork for Changing Times,” the conference was designed to equip teams of people to meet the diverse leadership needs of their presbyteries, especially those in the midst of change. ...

• 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: November 6, 2016

MINUTE FOR MISSION: CHRISTIAN AND CITIZEN - In August of 2013, President Obama announced the possibility of military action in Syria. Our Syrian Church partners urged the Presbyterian Church (USA) to speak out against military action, arguing that the situation would only become more violent as more weapons were funneled into the country. Mary Mikael, our church partner from the Evangelical Church of Syria and Lebanon, came to Washington, DC and the Office of Public Witness organized visits with key members of congress and the administration. She asked them to give “Syrians a chance to live.” ...

• 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.

Courtesy Photo

Today in the Mission Yearbook: November 5, 2016

MINUTE FOR MISSION: PRESBYTERIAN PEACEMAKING PROGRAM AND ENVIRONMENTAL MINISTRIES - Presbyterians interested in seeing firsthand what countries are doing about climate change have an opportunity to join the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program Environmental Ministries and World Mission on a two-country tour next year. The ministries are hosting a travel study seminar to Guatemala and Costa Rica January 9–20 ...

• 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.

Courtesy Photo

Today in the Mission Yearbook: November 4, 2016

MINUTE FOR MISSION: PRESBYTERIAN SEMINARIES - The Center for Faith and Service, based at McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago has announced the fourth annual list of Seminaries that Change the World (STCTW). Among the winners are four seminaries of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.): Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, Columbia Theological Seminary, McCormick Theological Seminary and Union Presbyterian Seminary ...

• 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.

Courtesy Photo

Today in the Mission Yearbook: November 3, 2016

SAN GABRIEL PRESBYTERY, CALIFORNIA - “Is Sylvia all right?” The anxious voice on the telephone was inquiring about her three-year old daughter. Sylvia had started preschool the day before and her mother was concerned that she might not adjust to the new setting. “Sylvia’s fine,” answered the preschool director, “I was in her classroom and saw her just a few minutes ago. She’s playing with a puzzle.” Painting teaches young children many skills, it’s creative—and it’s fun!

Every September, the first few weeks of preschool bring new children to La Casa Community Center ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

Grace on the Border ... Day 2

Over three days, members of Grace Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas will be in the cities of El Paso, Texas and Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico to meet with churches and programs on both sides of the international border, to learn from them and to gain insight into the unique issues that may arise in border ministry, the challenges arise and how those challenges might be overcome. Other issues that challenge communities across the nation - such as serving the homeless - will also be addressed in the course of the visit.

---

Day 2

Day #2 began with a brisk morning walk ... and while it didn't cover a tremendous amount of distance, it DID cover a tremendous amount of ground. We crossed the border from El Paso, Texas, the United States into Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico. Once there we were greeted by members of University Presbyterian Church of El Paso (Presbyterian Church USA), Iglesia Verdad y Esperanza of Juarez (Iglesisia Nacional Presbyteriana de Mexico), and their shared mission and ministry at Pasos de Fe.

It was another busy day at Pasos de Fe, with members of the surrounding community coming and going, Still the pastors and staff of the church/mission, and a representative of the Chihuahua Presbytery (PC Mexico) were able to engace us in a wide-ranging Q&A session and a discussion od issues and experiences for all of us, on both sides of the border.

This was followed by a tour of the facility, a chance to meet other members of the staff and volunteers, and gain an appreciation for the variety of services available to the community through Pasos de Fe ... medical services, a pharmacy, English language classes, job training, counseling, haircuts, therapeutic massages and all of the faith-based services and opportunities one would find at a church.

A long and full day across the border that opened our eyes, our minds and our hearts to the challenges of cross-border ministry and mission, an appreciation for programs/services rising to meet those challenges, and some thoughtful/prayerful consideration to how those programs/services might grow in the future ... and how we might be a part of that growth.

Invitation to Prayer from Faces of Children ... TODAY

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

Invitation to Prayer, 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, followed by lunch together.

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

All the best,

Carrie

---

Dear Intercessors,

We pray that you'll have the strength to stick it out over the long haul - not the grim strength of gritting your teeth but the glory-strength God gives. It is strength that endures the unendurable and spills over into joy, thanking the Father who makes us strong enough to take part in everything bright and beautiful that he has for us.

God rescued us from dead-end alleys and dark dungeons. He's set us up in the kingdom of the Son he loves so much, the Son who got us out of the pit we were in, got rid of the sins we were doomed to keep repeating.

We look at this Son and see the God who cannot be seen. We look at this Son and see God's original purpose in everything created. For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible, rank after rank after rank of angels - everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him. He was there before any of it came into existence and holds it all together right up to this moment. And when it comes to the church, he organizes and holds it together, like a head does a body.

So spacious is he, so roomy, that everything of God finds its proper place in him without crowding. Not only that, but all the broken and dislocated pieces of the universe - people and things, animals and atoms - get properly fixed and fit together in vibrant harmonies, all because of his death, his blood that poured down from the Cross.
- Colossians 1:11-20, MSG

Sometimes when the world feels heavy, broken and dislocated, I find myself coming back to this passage of scripture. They are words my heart finds deep comfort in. I can visualize crawling up into the Father's lap and curling up in all of his spaciousness and roominess. There is space to breathe; space to simply BE; space to rest.

The world may be broken and dislocated. But He fixes and fits everything together in vibrant harmonies. I'm praying this week finds you soaking in the full beauty and power of these promises and Truths and resting in the spacious and roomy lap of the Great Redeemer and Restorer. May you find peace in the arms of Jesus.

This week, please join me in praying for children in our communities and around the world, including:

IRAQ // Praise God for the safety and protection of 71 female students who were caught in a dormitory when ISIS fighters made a surprise attack in Kirkuk this past week. These girls - Christians, Yazidis, and Muslims already escaped ISIS once, and their harrowing ordeal was documented by Preemptive Love Coalition in a recent report. Thankfully, the fighters were stopped and the girls are safely with their families.

Getty Images Photo

SYRIA // Pray for the families of 20 students who were killed in an airstrike on a school. Bombs hit when 50 students were leaving the front door and there were at least 6 strikes. In addition to the 20 students who were killed, 6 adults were also killed and many other children and adults were injured. Relief workers expect the death toll to go up, making this strike (according to UNICEF) the deadliest attack on a school since the conflict in Syria erupted. You can learn more here.

FRANCE // Pray for unaccompanied migrant children who are vulnerable to traffickers as a large migrant camp is being dismantled this week in Calais, France. Humanitarian organizations have said they believe "the process of registering the children and sending them to the U.K. should have been completed before demolishing the camp." That was not done, however, and so they are concerned about some children who may slip through the cracks. "We do know it is an environment where people smugglers do operate, and outside the humanitarian center, children are exposed to potentially being trafficked by some fairly shady and unscrupulous characters," said Laura Padoan, a spokeswoman for the U.N.'s refugee agency, the UNHCR, which is assisting the U.K. in identifying unaccompanied children and registering them." You can learn more here.

Praying with you,

Carrie

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

---

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

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer.

Courtesy Photo

Today in the Mission Yearbook: November 2, 2016

MINUTE FOR MISSION: MORAL REVIVAL - The Moral Revival made its latest stop on a 20-city tour at St. Stephen Baptist Church in Louisville, Ky., on October 4. In collaboration with the Kentucky Council of Churches, headed by PC(USA) minister the Rev. Dr. Peggy Hinds, and local ministries, the Rev. Dr. William Barber II brought his message of moral governance based on Christian values to the city, urging clergy to preach on and act for just policies in the city and state ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

Grace on the Border ... Day 1

Over three days, members of Grace Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas will be in the cities of El Paso, Texas and Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico to meet with churches and programs on both sides of the international border, to learn from them and to gain insight into the unique issues that may arise in border ministry, the challenges arise and how those challenges might be overcome. Other issues that challenge communities across the nation - such as serving the homeless - will also be addressed in the course of the visit.

---

Day 1

An early morning departure from Midland and a drive across the Trans-Pecos country of far West Texas brought the mission team to the City of El Paso, which will be their home-away-from-home for the next three days.

The team got right down to business, meeting with staff and leadership of Opportunity Center for the Homeless.

The center's mission statement ... The Opportunity Center exists for all homeless without distinction of race, ethnic origin, language spoken, or, religious beliefs, and regardless of mental, drug and alcohol problems. Through direct contact with the homeless, the Center supports them to move beyond their condition if they are capable; or protects them if they cannot improve their condition in society because of emotional or psychological disorders.

To this end, the Opportunity Center operates a day resource center/emergency overflow night shelter where homeless people can gather and where some members of the El Paso Coalition for the Homeless provide on-site services. The Center also strives to create a system of care for the most needy among this population through the development of transitional and long-term supportive housing.

Following the meeting, there was a tour of the center's facilities, a chance to meet with members of the staff and assistants, which includes some who first came to the center for help ... one of the center's goals is to 'have the homeless help the homeless.

The tour also provided an opportunity for more questions and answers as the visitors learned more and more about the Center, about some of the challenges it must overcome in the course of its service, its partnerships with a variety of groups in El Paso, and how the city's faith community has been one of those partners.

The team had a chance to meet with one of those partners - University Presbyterian Church of El Paso - that evening over dinner. It was a chance to learn more about the church's works in a wide variety of areas, including immigration and refugee issues. We'll be visiting more with University Presbyterian in the days ahead.

Invitation to Prayer from Faces of Children ... Tomorrow

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

Invitation to Prayer, 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 - TOMORROW -  at 11:30 a.m., in the gym conference room at First Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas, followed by lunch together.

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

All the best,

Carrie

---

Dear Intercessors,

We pray that you'll have the strength to stick it out over the long haul - not the grim strength of gritting your teeth but the glory-strength God gives. It is strength that endures the unendurable and spills over into joy, thanking the Father who makes us strong enough to take part in everything bright and beautiful that he has for us.

God rescued us from dead-end alleys and dark dungeons. He's set us up in the kingdom of the Son he loves so much, the Son who got us out of the pit we were in, got rid of the sins we were doomed to keep repeating.

We look at this Son and see the God who cannot be seen. We look at this Son and see God's original purpose in everything created. For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible, rank after rank after rank of angels - everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him. He was there before any of it came into existence and holds it all together right up to this moment. And when it comes to the church, he organizes and holds it together, like a head does a body.

So spacious is he, so roomy, that everything of God finds its proper place in him without crowding. Not only that, but all the broken and dislocated pieces of the universe - people and things, animals and atoms - get properly fixed and fit together in vibrant harmonies, all because of his death, his blood that poured down from the Cross.
- Colossians 1:11-20, MSG

Sometimes when the world feels heavy, broken and dislocated, I find myself coming back to this passage of scripture. They are words my heart finds deep comfort in. I can visualize crawling up into the Father's lap and curling up in all of his spaciousness and roominess. There is space to breathe; space to simply BE; space to rest.

The world may be broken and dislocated. But He fixes and fits everything together in vibrant harmonies. I'm praying this week finds you soaking in the full beauty and power of these promises and Truths and resting in the spacious and roomy lap of the Great Redeemer and Restorer. May you find peace in the arms of Jesus.

This week, please join me in praying for children in our communities and around the world, including:

IRAQ // Praise God for the safety and protection of 71 female students who were caught in a dormitory when ISIS fighters made a surprise attack in Kirkuk this past week. These girls - Christians, Yazidis, and Muslims already escaped ISIS once, and their harrowing ordeal was documented by Preemptive Love Coalition in a recent report. Thankfully, the fighters were stopped and the girls are safely with their families.

Getty Images Photo

SYRIA // Pray for the families of 20 students who were killed in an airstrike on a school. Bombs hit when 50 students were leaving the front door and there were at least 6 strikes. In addition to the 20 students who were killed, 6 adults were also killed and many other children and adults were injured. Relief workers expect the death toll to go up, making this strike (according to UNICEF) the deadliest attack on a school since the conflict in Syria erupted. You can learn more here.

FRANCE // Pray for unaccompanied migrant children who are vulnerable to traffickers as a large migrant camp is being dismantled this week in Calais, France. Humanitarian organizations have said they believe "the process of registering the children and sending them to the U.K. should have been completed before demolishing the camp." That was not done, however, and so they are concerned about some children who may slip through the cracks. "We do know it is an environment where people smugglers do operate, and outside the humanitarian center, children are exposed to potentially being trafficked by some fairly shady and unscrupulous characters," said Laura Padoan, a spokeswoman for the U.N.'s refugee agency, the UNHCR, which is assisting the U.K. in identifying unaccompanied children and registering them." You can learn more here.

Praying with you,

Carrie

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

---

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

In the News ... "Mystery of Holy Spirit intrigues"

OA File Photo

• They say He now encourages and admonishes people through prayer and Bible-reading

By Bob Campbell, Reporter
• Odessa American

ODESSA, TEXAS - There is an element of mystery in everything concerning God because finite minds can’t grasp the infinite, ministers say, but the biggest enigma is the third member of the Trinity or Godhead, the Holy Spirit.

Marcos Zuniga, Mike Vestal, Tim O’Neal and Buddy Monahan say the Spirit no longer does the things He did just after Jesus Christ’s resurrection, as described in Acts and other New Testament books ...

• 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.

Courtesy Photo

Today in the Mission Yearbook: November 1, 2016

ALBANY PRESBYTERY, NEW YORK - in December our son Noah was visiting for Christmas. He and Brian held a belated surprise birthday party for me. Over 25 people gathered in our home. Half were our Presbyterian sisters and brothers and half were new friends from our Xela community. I was overwhelmed with the love they shared with me. This is what happens when one chooses to walk with people and take the time to listen to their stories. ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.