Complications with pregnancy

Pray for Drew, associate director with ReachGlobal ENGAGE, and his wife Sarah who is experiencing complications with her pregnancy.  An ultrasound revealed that their baby boy is healthy but there is also a non-living twin, called an acardiac twin, putting the living baby’s heart at higher risk. This is very rare so they are under the care of specialists at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital in Ohio. Please pray for peace and comfort in the midst of these difficult circumstances. Pray for health and healing and for wisdom in knowing what steps to take. Pray for their 21 month old daughter who may not be able to understand what is going on and who will be in some unfamiliar situations and surroundings. Pray for God’s name to be honored in everything that happens with this pregnancy.

Teaching and Training in Venezuela

Pray for Ernest and Effie, ReachGlobal personnel in Venezuela, conducting seminars at two different places in the same town January 28-February 1. Pray for them as they give church planting training to one church group and lead house church seminars with the other group. Ernest and Effie will be driving back and forth between the two locations so pray that their vehicle, which has not been running well, will be reliable. Ask God to give them strength and energy during this full weekend teaching and training.

Evangelism Training Conference

Pray for Shige, ReachGlobal personnel, who is speaking at an evangelism training conference sponsored by Campus Crusade for Christ in February. There are three tracks to this conference and Shige will be the main speaker for the Japanese track. However, only two Japanese students registered so far. Ask God for His grace to cause many Japanese students studying in the U.S. to come. Pray that God would provide for those students who are interested in coming but time and financial limitations are an obstacle. Pray for Shige as he finalizes his message preparation for three sessions -- that the Holy Spirit would powerfully speak God's Word to the students. Pray that the Christian Japanese students who attend will be challenged to live their lives in obedience to Christ. Pray that the gospel preached will bring the nonbelieving students to faith in Jesus.

Planting churches in West Africa

Pray for 17 church planters in Sierra Leone and 25 church planters in Liberia who have been trained in multiplication church planting strategies over the past two months. They are currently doing community surveys to prayerfully seek where God would have them plant churches among the least reached people in West Africa. Pray for wisdom, God's provision and clear open doors for them during these days of prayer and visiting communities.

Global travel and training

Pray for Mark, TouchGlobal Director for Creative Access, as he plans ministry trips to the Middle East, North Africa and Asia during 2011. Mark’s focus is on strategic planning, project management and TouchGlobal’s expansion worldwide. This requires a lot of travel as TouchGlobal interfaces with international workers on five continents. Pray that God will provide an additional $1,000 a month in support that is necessary to make this travel, ministry and training possible.

Call to Missions

Pray for Dave, ReachGlobal personnel, whose ministry of recruitment and mobilization focuses on ReachGlobal’s faith goal to see 1,000 new missionaries sent out from the U.S. through ReachGlobal by 2020. Pray that God would use Dave to mobilize many people as he shares the call to missions. Please pray that God would raise up full-time workers to take the gospel to the two billion people in the world who have never heard.

Youth camp in the Amazon

Pray for Blair and Joan, ReachGlobal personnel with strategic partnerships, preparing for a trip to Peru February 1. Their role will be to encourage and assist as needed in the Shipibo Christian Youth Camp, the first camp for the village of Ahuaypa. The camp is being organized and led by the indigenous pastors and church leaders who are moving ministry forward. Pray that the camp will glorify God, bless the participants, witness to the communities, and expand the family of God in the Amazon.

Discipling young believers

Pray for Bruce and Donna, ReachGlobal personnel, serving in a creative access country in Asia.  Ask God to bless their sessions with seven local believers for counseling, discipleship and spiritual direction. They are also meeting and counseling with some of the m-worker population from other organizations located in the city. Pray for these young believers to grow in their passion and faith in Christ.

Update on health concern

Praise God for answered prayer on behalf of Lois, ReachGlobal personnel in Russia, who was hospitalized after suffering a heart attack on December 26. Lois is back in the U.S. and under the care of her cardiologist. He expects she will make a full recovery and be able to return to Russia, in the not too distant future.  Pray for Lois as she begins rehabilitation and regains her strength and health. Please pray for those patients, doctors and staff who heard the gospel as a result of her hospitalization in Russia.

Lighthouse Center in Austria

Pray for the Lighthouse Center project in Innsbruck, as Dave, Cathrin, Tara, and Carrie, ReachGlobal staff in Austria, renovate the facility for student ministry. Ask God to give the Lighthouse team wisdom and creative thinking as they meet tonight to plan for the kick-off of the Homework & Hangout ministry for teens on February 22. Please pray for the need of $18,000 to help cover the costs of getting this center ready for the outreach ministries.

Training the next generation

Pray for Ernie, EFCA EQUIP, who serves ReachGlobal by enabling professional development in cross-cultural contexts. Ernie is in the Philippines for two months training the next generation of Filipino pastors. Pray for him as he teaches two classes at Cebu Graduate School of Theology. Ask God to guard his health and give him strength each day. Pray for God’s protection, health and peace for Donna while Ernie is away.

Team Training

Beginning September 2011 through September of 2013, ReachGlobal and AIM (African Inland Mission) will be teaming up to start a TIMO (training in ministry outreach) team to the people group that we are reaching. A solid team is forming and there is excitement about what God has in store for this new team. Pray for the team and also for Kathy, ReachGlobal personnel in Tanzania, who is in the U.S. through mid-February in an effort to prepare for this team. Pray for Kathy as she attends a growth seminar on how to be an effective team leader. Ask God to give her wisdom, discernment and growth in areas of understanding and helping others deal with cultural adjustments and ministries. Pray that Kathy would have a deep sense of God’s sovereign will and plans.

LATN begins new term

Pray for LATN (an online Master’s level theological education program for Spanish-speakers) as they started another term on January 10. Pray for the 43 enrolled students as well as the professors and mentors who are leading the six courses offered this term. Praise God for the diversity of the students who represent 14 nationalities and live in 11 different countries. There are five new students, and 12 students are enrolled in two courses this term. Also, praise Him that three of the six courses are filled to capacity!

Consortium of churches to partner together

Pray for Kevin, ReachGlobal Africa international leader, who is in southern California to meet with leaders from EFCA churches that have expressed interest in partnering in ministry in Liberia. Pray for divine appointments and open hearts as Kevin shares what God is doing in Liberia and how U.S. churches can get involved.

God's Protection

Praise God for His protection and grace over Lisa, ReachGlobal staff in Tanzania, and her family when a group of thieves entered the compound where they live in the middle of the night. The thieves encountered two Masaai guards causing the thieves to flee in panic. The police made one recommendation of security upgrades on their gate so that has been taken care of. Pray for God’s continued protection over ReachGlobal personnel all around the globe.

Missions Pastor Network

Pray that the CONNECT Team will engage effectively with many churches this year. Ask God for 25 churches in 2011 to use the missions strategy workshop (resource tool to become more intentional in developing an outreach/missions ministry) with our facilitators. Pray for Craig, ReachGlobal Mission Network Director, who is leading the EFCA Missions Pastors Network event January 10-12, in Charlotte, NC, and is also facilitating two missions strategy workshops this month.

Europe Area Leadership Team meetings

Pray for the Europe Area Leadership Team meetings January 8-14, in Florida. Pray for the leaders to rely on the Lord for wisdom, strength, and clarity in their thinking about many "next steps" for Europe. Pray for safe and timely travel for each leader as they are coming from international areas as well as from the U.S. Ask God to watch over their families during this week they are apart and grant everyone good health.

Teaching in Dar

Pray for Linda, ReachGlobal CONNECT team member, ministering in Dar es Salaam January 5-17. Pray for Linda’s health and energy level as she has an intense teaching schedule. Pray that she will be effective in teaching the missionaries skills that will enhance their long-term ministry goals. Ask God to use her to be an encouragement to the missionaries.

Departure to the field

Pray for new ReachGlobal Latin America staff, Jim and Melanie, as they start their assignment. Just after the new year, they moved to San José, Costa Rica, and now they are preparing to begin a year of Spanish language school. Pray for perseverance and reliance on the Lord as they make this cultural adjustment in their new home, and pray for strength and encouragement in their language acquisition.

Team Planning Meetings

Pray for the Fukuoka City Team in Japan as they come together for the 2011 ministry planning meeting January 5-6. Pray that there would be unity, strategic thinking, ministry effectiveness, and a clear understanding of the role God wants for each of them.

Teaching in Australia

Pray for Mark and Rene, ReachGlobal personnel in Asia, who are speaking at three summer school conferences of the Church Mission Society in Australia. Ask God to give them strength and clear communication during the two sessions they are leading for the next 11 days on topics ranging from A Changing China, Holistic Mission, The Character of the Christian Worker, and The Relationship Between Expatriate and National Coworkers. Pray that they will connect well with the young attendees and for opportunities to share the gospel.

New Year of Ministry

Pray for ReachGlobal personnel around the world as they begin a new year of ministry. Ask God to give them wisdom in their choices of outreach and in their relationships so that many opportunities to share the gospel will open. Pray for those people who participated in the Christmas outreaches ReachGlobal personnel host that they will have a desire to go deeper with God and place their lives more fully under His Lordship.