Persist in Prayer – August 2024

Rain and more Rain

Asia has seen a particularly heavy monsoon this year, leading to floods in many places. Our teams and their neighbours are all affected by this.

Pray for safety, resilience, and a spirit of helping others as we all endure another month or so of rains and the danger of floods.

Also praise God for the beauty and benefits of rain – abundant growth of plants in every crack and crevice, and crops that feed us all.

Teams in Asia

Philippines

• Pray for Danny and the Living Spring Christian Church as they attempt to form a team to rescue people from their homes when the community floods during Typhoons. The church becomes the evacuation centre with people cooking meals, rescuing lost children and co-ordinating rescues. Pray for finances to acquire needed equipment, and for training and safety of volunteers. Pray for those affected who lose their homes, and those who have to repair what is left, and for provision to rebuild. (read more about the floods and rescue work)
• Lilok Farm – is just facing another challenge with Julie, the difficult neighbour. We keep praying for her. For peace. For healing. God knows what she truly needs. She is making life difficult for many people in the vicinity, well beyond Lilok Farm.
• Tim and Abby have just, with gratitude, celebrated their 1st wedding anniversary!
• Pray for Mani and others who are working through the tedious process to get birth certificates for children so they can attend school – there is time pressure since the school year has already started.

Indonesia

Praise God for the amazing and faithful life of the Yanni’s* mother, who passed away quite suddenly in early August. Pray for comfort for all the family who are grieving. Also pray for recovery of good health for Yanni’s father, who has had further health problems recently.

Cambodia

• Please continue to pray for Carol as she has been at home (in Manila) since July to assist her brother’s dialysis procedures which happen in their home. Let’s lift Carol to the Lord for good health and strength as she takes care of her brother and elderly mother at home.
• Pray for Eunice and Myra as they are left in Cambodia continuing their children’s ministry. Give them continuous inspiration and good health. Pray for the well-being of the mothers and children they minister to.
• Pray for wisdom and availability as PSAP (the linking team in Philippines) will regroup to talk over the current personal situations of the 3 ladies, their upcoming events and programs, and things to come in Cambodia mission.

India

• A young Indian man who feels called by God to move into a slum area, visited the team recently for 2 days. Pray for him as he discerns his next steps towards moving to a poorer community in the city where he lives.
• Pray that our local staff retreat in September will be a time of learning and fun for everyone involved, and the travel and arrangements will all go smoothly.
• Pray for effective action to be taken in the corruption case Yusuf* has brought to the attention of the Director of a nearby government Hospital (a surgeon asked for a bribe from the patient’s attendant, and Yusuf caught the interaction on video)
• Also pray for smooth processing of pension applications and government ID cards, for the officials to be willing to do their jobs, and the online portals to function properly.
• Praise God that Eliza* our intern is doing very well despite some sickness. Pray for meaningful interactions and experiences in her final days here, and then good opportunities to debrief and process back in USA.
• Pray that justice will be done after the rape and murder of a young female doctor in a Kolkata hospital, which has triggered nation-wide strikes in government hospitals during August. Pray for justice and safety for health and medical workers, and also for restoration of full medical services for millions of patients affected by the strikes.

Answered Prayers

Thanks for your prayer and concern for us and our neighbours and friends. We rejoice in answered prayer:

• [India] the interfaith meeting organised by the India team in July went very well, with plenty of respectful, curious and lively discussion and listening.
• [India] Prem (mouth & throat cancer) has had better health lately, so that sometimes he is not at home when we visit!
• [Philippines] Mani is supremely grateful for all answered prayers, and feeling awed at how powerful prayers can be. After her very difficult stretch in the first half of this year, things have hugely improved over the last few weeks and she feels encouraged.
• [Philippines] Tim helped host a group of international students in the Holy Spirit community. They mostly study in the USA but are of Asian origin. The time has been deeply meaningful to these interns and their local host families. A true moment of building bridges and learning from one another.

[* names changed security reasons]