Am I concerned?

Things in America are changing rapidly. Many Christians are concerned...wondering what the future will hold for us and our children. Anxiety can quickly set in. Or what if you are one of my many friends in South Korea right now...tensions are rising between South and North Korea. What does the future hold? How do we pray? 


Yes, we need to pray for our respective governments, for wisdom and for Godly guidance. But things may not change. In fact, they may get worse. But this shouldn't worry us when we remind ourselves that God is in complete control. So what do we pray for? I believe one of our overriding prayers, as Christians, in all the change around us should be that the Church in America and South Korea and throughout the prosperous parts of the world will wake up to the spiritual warfare that is being waged around her. We have been lulled to a peacetime mentality for too long by the prosperity of our countries. But Jesus and Paul and others said time and again that we are at war! (2 Tim 4:7, 1 Tim 6:12, Eph 6:15, 1 Thes 3:5, 2 Cor 10:3-5, 1 Tim 1:18, 2 Tim 2:4, Eph 6:12-18)

We are in a global war much worse than WWII and it stretches to every town, village and home. Its casualties don't just lose an arm or leg but their very souls to eternal damnation! May we wake up, out of our peacetime living, and wage this warfare on behalf of our Lord and Savior (and I'm talking about missions...esp overseas to the least reached people groups). 

Christians used to be aware of and wholeheartedly join in the battle for man's souls. Look at the hymnals of old (Onward Christian Soldiers, etc). We sent missionaries by the boatful and lived a life of meeting basic needs rather than wanting more and more! I'm ashamed as I look at just the wealth that Jeff and I have accumulated at the expense of sending more of the money God has blessed us with overseas, where souls are being won or lost for Christ. How many people's lives could have been touched for just the cost of the pretty statues I have sitting on my shelves? 

America and South Korea and other prosperous nations have become like the third soil in Jesus' parable of the soils. Jesus sows His urgent seed (the Word of God). But instead of taking it up as our sword (or bearing fruit), we "are those who hear the Word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the Word, and it proves unfruitful" (Mark 4:18-19)

Yes, changes in our countries are starting to light some fires under Christians. But shouldn't fires have been lit already when we saw the atrocities Satan has undertaken in this world, time and again, over the past few decades (AIDS, Rwanda, Dem Republic of the Congo, Intifada in Israel, China's Tienamen Square, Mao, etc). 

So, my number one prayer, more than anything else, is that God would use the rapid changes in this world to get Christians on their knees. And I suspect, that as Christians pray fervently, their prayers will change from: Lord, preserve the prosperity and richness of this nation and my lifestyle to: Lord, may Your will be done. Break my heart for what breaks Yours. May the Gospel be preached to the ends of the earth to glorify your name and save people, just like me, from Hell. 

Yes...I am concerned. But it's for the soul of the Church. May we turn our hearts, minds and pocketbooks over to the Lord. May we be willing to tithe/fast the "American Dream" for the thousands of unreached people groups in the 10/40 Window, the Muslims who have less than 5 missionaries per million Muslims, the AIDS orphans, the women and young girls sold into sexual slavery... May concern for the glory of Christ and love for his people change America and South Korea (and any other home country of my readers) back to a country with God as our foundation, truly! 

You, my friends reading this blog, are the prayer warriors whose prayers will help bring this to pass! 

State of the Gospel

I just viewed this video (takes about 20 minutes). It is so good! It does an awesome job of helping us understand the state of Christianity in the world today and what still needs to be done. Jesus has promised us that once the Gospel is preached in the whole world, He will come! It is encouraging and exciting to watch! 

http://harvestmediaministry.com/State_Gospel_Full.htm

New blog for non-moms

I have created a new blog at http://nations4jesus.blogspot.com/  It will have pretty much the same information on it as this one but it will not be specific to moms. If you know someone who you think might be interested in reading this information who is not a mom, please let them know about nations4jesus. Thanks!

Pray for Ethiopia's elections today

Emergency Prayer Alert-ETHIOPIA Ethiopian Elections - Pray NOW! WIN PRAYER ALERT On May 23, 2010, Ethiopia will be holding parliamentary elections for the first time since 2005.  Conflict over the legitimacy of the last round of voting resulted in hundreds of deaths and injuries.  Many of those who opposed the ruling party were arrested and some are still in prison.

Ethiopia is the "oldest independent country in Africa (never ruled by colonial powers except from 1936-1941)) and one of the oldest in the world."  In 1974, a military junta seized power and created a socialist state.  "Torn by bloody coups, uprisings, wide-scale drought, and massive refugee problems," one source reports, "the regime was finally toppled in 1991 by a coalition of rebel forces. Today, the nation calls itself a democratic republic.  Multiparty elections have been held since 1995.  They were won by Meles Zenawi, who is still in office today. The most recent round of elections - 2005 - were won by Zenawi and his Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF).  "But the opposition cried foul and their supporters took to the streets."  Hundreds were killed and injured, and hundreds more were arrested.  Some are still imprisoned. Zenawi has been accused of being an "strongman" - a leader who rules through intimidation and threats of violence.  He has even been called a tyrant and a dictator, and is expected to hold on to his seat of power for as long as possible. As political maneuvering continues to take place, many Ethiopians are suffering the effects of poverty.  Ethiopia is one of the poorest nations in Africa and, therefore, in the world.  Fifty million of Ethiopia's 80 million residents lives in "abject poverty." "The fact is," reports allAfrica.com, "poor Ethiopians are tired of whatver kind of authoritarianism:  40 plus years of Haile Selassie, 17 years of Mengistu and now 18 years of Meles Zenawi.  The ongoing political chaos has weakened their spirit.  It is too much to endure...." PRAY FOR: the May 23 elections to be an opportunity to bring needed change to Ethiopia.  Pray for this to be a season of hope for the people of this beleaguered nation.  (The Bible, Proverbs 24:14) the Lord to call forth and raise up leaders who care about the citizens and will respond to their needs.  Pray for men and women of integrity, who fear God and will serve the people in humility.  (The Bible, Daniel 2:21) peace before, during and after the elections.  Pray for any rigging to be exposed and for the results to be just and fair.  Pray for the outcome to be accepted by the people.  (The Bible, Proverbs 29:26) unity in the Church in Ethiopia.  Ask the Lord to fill Believers with His Holy Spirit and make them bold witnesses in a nation that is seeing an increasing influence from Islam.  (The Bible, Romans 12:5; Ephesians 6:19) the Lord to provide relief from the poverty that is smothering Ethiopia.  Pray for new ideas, new resources and for opportunities that will bring forth prosperity.  (The Bible, Psalm 25:12,13) Ethiopians to hear and respond to the Gospel, putting their faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.  (The Bible, Romans 10:9) Sources:  BBC News, allAfrica.com, World Factbook, mapsofworld.com

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Welcome!!!

Finally...I am doing what God placed on my heart last August! Where to begin...I have known Jesus all my life, thanks to a wonderful, Godly family. When I was in high school, my big dream was to become an astronaut...which led me to joining the Air Force. I got married to a wonderful man, Jeff, and we travelled the world with the Air Force. We both loved the Lord and desired to hear His call on our lives. And He did call...loud and clear, Sept. 20, 2000...to adopt a little girl from China. I believe that is when my heart really began to break for the lost...those who don't know Christ.

Through our adoption of Grace, I began to learn about the persecuted church in China. I began to really think and pray about people outside America (yes, I had cared about them before and prayed about international incidents, but I didn't focus outside of America very regularly). I discovered the ministry of Voice of the Martyrs www.persecution.com and through them began to have my heart broken for what breaks the Lord's heart...His people, His Church and those who do not yet know Him and worship Him. I began to be an advocate for the persecuted church, to my family and friends.

In 2006, God moved our family to Seoul, South Korea. Living within three hours of the most repressive country on earth, North Korea, my heart was further broken for the billions who are held captive by the enemy. We attended an incredible Korean-English church called Jubilee www.jubileeseoul.com They are very mission-minded, something I had not been aware of or focused on at other churches I had attended. They were a new church, struggling to make ends meet in one of the most expensive cities in the world, yet they were fully committed to mission outreach (China, North Korea, Cambodia...). I highly recommend listening to Pastor David's sermons online...they are so very challenging! Our time in Seoul further grew our family's love for the people of Asia. Now, my heart and mind were focusing more and more on the unreached, missions, the persecuted church and the lost in Asia. We wanted to stay in Korea but God and the Air Force called us back to the U.S.

Meanwhile, after adopting Grace, God blessed us with four more children born to us...Rachel (actually born 6 weeks prior to our trip to China to get Grace), Rebecca, Nathan and Sarah. Jeff and I had always known we would homeschool our children and so I began this exciting adventure in 2005.

It was last summer, August 2009, that the idea for this website was first born. I was in the shower (a very nice place to do some thinking and praying in a house with five little children) when the Lord placed on my heart the desire to create a website where moms could go to learn about the current mission field and hopefully experience an increase in their love and concern for the lost, discover how to pray for different people groups, get equipped to educate their children about how to become mission-minded and find different ways to get involved in missions.

While I'm sure I will be talking about my family on occasion, this blog's main focus will be these five areas: learn, experience, pray, educate and get involved. To this end, I welcome any input from readers. I so want to pack up our family and move straight to Asia to live amongst the unreached but for now, that is not where God has called us. So I am doing my best to obey God's call on my life by sharing all the things He is teaching me.

 "Look at the nations and watch-- and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told.” Habakkuk 1:5

“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” Matthew 24:14

Global Day of Prayer - May 23

At the turn of the millennium, believers in South Africa sensed God calling them to seek Him in repentance and prayer and to call people across their country to assemble in united prayer for their cities and nations.

Soon gatherings like it—all meeting on the same day of the year—multiplied across Africa, and in the years that followed, all over the world. The result was the first Global Day of Prayer on Pentecost Sunday in 2005.

Across the face of the earth. Many millions from almost every stream of Christian faith have gathered to answer the same call for repentance and prayer in the years that followed. The movement continues to spread and to deepen, packing large stadiums, filling homes with small groups, spilling out to the open squares of small villages, surging around the clock and uniting many churches in prayer for Christ’s greater glory and the blessing of all nations.The Global Day of Prayer has seen millions of Christians unite in a day of repentance and united prayer. Believers gathered in every country of the world on 31 May 2009. The echoes of desperate prayers for transformation sounded from stadiums, open fields, community centers and private homes. These prayers have the power to transform our world and to fill the nations with the glory of God.
On 23 May 2010, God is again calling the nations from the North, South, East and West to embark on this prayer journey with Him. God is moving in His awesome power, and He is challenging us to be part of this journey. It is a journey that is not about us, but about a world in desperate need for His glory and compassionate love. It is a call to respond to His invitation in 2 Chronicles 7:14 to humble ourselves, pray, seek His face and turn from our wicked ways. May He hear our prayers, forgive our sin and heal our land.

You can visit the Global Day of Prayer website at http://www.globaldayofprayer.com/index.html
They have prayer guides for each day prior to, on the day of, and for 90 days afterwards. The Children's Prayer Guide is really great!

May we join with our brothers and sisters in Christ on this day and pray!

The Incredible Power of God

Imagine a group of people who honor treachery as an ideal, the way we honor friendship, sacrifice and loyalty. Imagine telling stories to your children about the heros of old but instead of men like Daniel or David or George Washington, the stories are about "men who formed friendships with the express purpose of later betraying the befriended one to be killed and eaten...'to fatten with friendship for the slaughter.'" Now imagine that it is your husband or your father or your son who has been not only killed by his enemies, but then roasted, eaten and that his skull is used as a pillow by his murderer. Can we even begin to imagine such horror?

Now imagine that you are a missionary, sent to tell these headhunting, cannibalistic tribes that Jesus loves them. That God sent His Son to die for them and that His desire is that they spend eternity with Him in Heaven. But there is no response to your stories from the Bible. They have no concept of God, only demons. The only person in any Bible story they relate to is Judas. In fact, they admire Judas because of his betrayal of Jesus...he fattened Jesus with friendship for the slaughter!

This isn't fiction and it's not even ancient history. This describes many of the tribes living in the former Netherlands New Guinea, now part of Indonesia, known as Irian Jaya. And this took place in the 1960s!

But God did not leave these people alone, no matter how barbaric and scary their lifestyle was. No one is lost to Him and there is no darkness too dark for the Gospel to penetrate. God sent Don and Carol Richardson to the Sawi people. And the message the Richardsons shared with them drastically changed every part of their lives.

"It had taken nearly two thousand years for the message of that new value system to range from Galilee to the miasmal swamps of southwest New Guinea. On its way, that message had already challenged, engaged and conquered barbarity in many forms in the minds of millions of people, for it was an extremely mettlesome message. It was not cowed by earthly obstacles, for its strength was supernatural. It could not be intimidated, for it was itself the ultimate antidote to fear.

The message would not back away from any form of darkness, for it was light itself! It was not embarrassed if its bearers were sometimes plain, homely or even untaught - in fact it was fond of executing its most subtle strategies through such! To the consternation of its enemies, it could triumph even when its adherents were being decimated by sword or spear.

That message was the gospel of Jesus Christ. Its purpose was nonnegotiable - to persuade men from 'every kindred, and tongue, and people and nation' to repent and be reconciled to God through Jesus Christ. That message was now about to invade the Sawi world, about to confront their idealization of treachery eye to eye in a relentless spiritual struggle for the souls of men, women and children. It would match prayer and preaching against spear and barbed arrow; faith and hope against systematized barbarity; love and compassion against entrenched fear and evil," (Don Richardson).

But how to reach these people with the Gospel? What would they understand? Had God left any witness of Himself in their culture which could give a clue to the Richardsons as to how to penetrate this darkness? Yes!!!!

To this people who would betray even their own families, there was one act that they would never betray...the giving of a peace child. The only way to ensure a lasting peace between tribes was if the two tribes exchanged children...a son from one tribe for a son from another tribe. As long as these peace children lived, there would be peace between the two tribes. Once Don Richardson witnessed this sad exchange (tragic for the parents who had to relinquish their children forever), the Lord showed him how this was an example of the ultimate peace child...Jesus Christ. So it was through this cultural window, and a few others, that the Richardsons were able to share of God's great love for the Sawi people. The light had penetrated the darkness and the darkness could not overcome it. Jesus had indeed brought peace to the Sawi!

Don Richardson's prayer so aptly expressed the wonder that I continue to feel as I read of such encounters: "I thank You, my Father, for laying the groundwork for our ministry to these people. The Sawi were strangers to our Judeo-Christian heritage, yet You so providentially ordained these redemptive analogies within their culture ages ago, so that one day we would find and use them for Your glory. You were concerned, not only to send messengers, but also to prepare a culture to receive their message.

As You prepared the Hebrews and the Greeks, so also the Sawi were not too insignificant or too pagan to receive this much of Your providence...I see now more than ever why You are called the God of wisdom and the God of love and the God of power. I praise You!"

To read more about this incredible story of how the Sawi came to know Jesus, read Peace Child by Don Richardson!

Why Pray?

     Many of us may have had this question come to our minds or may have been asked it of us: "Why pray? What is the point of prayer when God knows the future and is already in control of everything. If we cannot change God's mind, why should we pray?"

     I thought this was a very good, thought-provoking answer from the website http://www.gotquestions.org/:

     For the Christian, praying is like breathing. It is easier to do it than to not do it. We pray for a variety of reasons. For one thing, prayer is a form of serving God (Luke 2:36-38) and obeying Him. We pray because God commands us to pray (Philippians 4:6-7). Prayer is exemplified for us by Christ and the early church (Mark 1:35; Acts 1:14; 2:42; 3:1; 4:23-31; 6:4; 13:1-3). If Jesus thought it was worthwhile to pray, we should also. If He needed to pray to remain in the Father’s will, how much more do we need to pray?

     Another reason to pray is that God intends prayer to be the means of obtaining His solutions in a number of situations. We pray in preparation for major decisions (Luke 6:12-13); to overcome demonic barriers (Matthew 17:14-21); to gather workers for the spiritual harvest (Luke 10:2); to gain strength to overcome temptation (Matthew 26:41); and to obtain the means of strengthening others spiritually (Ephesians 6:18-19).

     We come to God with our specific requests, and we have God's promise that our prayers are not in vain, even if we do not receive specifically what we asked for (Matthew 6:6; Romans 8:26-27). He has promised that when we ask for things that are in accordance with His will, He will give us what we ask for (1 John 5:14-15). Sometimes He delays His answers according to His wisdom and for our benefit. In these situations, we are to be diligent and persistent in prayer (Matthew 7:7; Luke 18:1-8). Prayer should not be seen as our means of getting God to do our will on earth, but rather as a means of getting God's will done on earth. God’s wisdom far exceeds our own.

     For situations in which we do not know God's will specifically, prayer is a means of discerning His will. If the Syrian woman with the demon-influenced daughter had not prayed to Christ, her daughter would not have been made whole (Mark 7:26-30). If the blind man outside Jericho had not called out to Christ, he would have remained blind (Luke 18:35-43). God has said that we often go without because we do not ask (James 4:2). In one sense, prayer is like sharing the gospel with people. We do not know who will respond to the message of the gospel until we share it. In the same way, we will never see the results of answered prayer unless we pray.

     A lack of prayer demonstrates a lack of faith and a lack of trust in God’s Word. We pray to demonstrate our faith in God, that He will do as He has promised in His Word and bless our lives abundantly more than we could ask or hope for (Ephesians 3:20). Prayer is our primary means of seeing God work in others' lives. Because it is our means of “plugging into” God's power, it is our means of defeating Satan and his army that we are powerless to overcome by ourselves. Therefore, may God find us often before His throne, for we have a high priest in heaven who can identify with all that we go through (Hebrews 4:15-16). We have His promise that the fervent prayer of a righteous man accomplishes much (James 5:16-18). May God glorify His name in our lives as we believe in Him enough to come to Him often in prayer.

The Hope of a Coming World Revival

     Do you know that more people have come to know Christ in the last 100 years than in all the centuries before that combined? That is a staggering but exciting thought! Even though we may not be very aware of it in America, the Holy Spirit is moving and bringing salvation to untold millions throughout the world. That is just what the Bible said would happen as we anticipate the Lord's return. "And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions; and also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my Spirit," (Joel 2:28, 29). In this post, I hope to encourage you and excite you about what the Lord will do. Isn't it exciting to think that it may be done in our generation!
     So often the news tends to focus on the bad. And in reading the Bible we know that things will get worse as the end approaches (2 Tim 3:12; 2 Thes 2:1-3). "Famines, pestilence and earthquakes of staggering proportions will occur. Wars and intrigue will fill the earth. Hate will bind the hearts of men. No one will feel secure. As moral integrity breaks down, apostasy in the Church will increase. Those who do not conform to the spirit of the age will be hard pressed, and many will be martyred. (As you are reading this, many examples of these truths have probably come to mind.) Clearly, the cost of discipleship will be high. Yet, amid this terrible adversity, Scripture indicates that revival will sweep across the earth...the terrors will actually create an environment for earnest heart searching," (Robert E. Coleman).
     We are seeing this today in countries like China, Iran and Vietnam, where greater persecution of Christians is leading to greater growth in the Church! "Through the purging of revival, God's people will be brought to the true beauty of holiness. Our Lord expects to present His bride unto Himself 'a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless,' (Eph 5:27; 1 Jn 3:2-3; 2 Cor 7:1; 1 Pet 1:13-16; 3:4). The trials of the last days will serve as fires to refine the gold of Christian character. A purified Church will be able to receive unhindered the power of the outpoured Spirit, and thereby more boldly enter into the mission of Christ" (Coleman).
     God has never promised that He would save every Christian from suffering on this earth. That belief is easy to come by in the relatively safe Church of America but is not found in the Church in much of the rest of the world. Instead, Jesus promised His followers hardship at every turn. But in that hardship, He also promised to be with us, to refine us, and to use us for His glory and to draw others to Himself. We must not fear the affliction but understand it when it comes. This is a message for the Church in America! I believe our time of ease may be soon over. We, as a Church, need to prepare to suffer affliction as our brothers and sisters in Christ are doing throughout the world. And we must not fear this affliction but see it for what it is - a means for growing the Church of Christ, growing closer to the Lord on an individual level and ultimately glorifying Him as we show the world that our Lord and Savior, who suffered for us, is worth suffering and dying for!
     But in this suffering is the hope of a coming world revival! People who are full of the Holy Spirit as a result of their suffering, are committed to God's work. Do you know where there is a huge movement of people to bring the Gospel to the Muslims...China! A country of great persecution is burning with the desire to see those, lost in a religion of great persecution (Islam), come to Christ. An example of this is the ministry Back to Jerusalem. You can learn more about them at http://www.backtojerusalem.com/  When you go to the website you may notice that the pictures of many of the Christian leaders of this movement need to be obscured so as to protect them from a government who would like to destroy them. Where is this same passion for the Muslims in America? I believe that passion often comes with persecution, thus we see that the persecution that God allows His church to undergo is not in vain. It has a purpose!
     I believe that God's passion to get out the message of Jesus to the lost nations of this world will increase. You are reading this blog and I am writing this blog because He is growing in us a passion for the lost! Be encouraged that the greatest day of evangelism, what Joel 2:23, Hos 6:3, Zech 10:1 and James 5:7 refer to as the "latter rain," is before us. "The harvesting may be short in duration and may require enormous sacrifice, but it will be the most far-reaching acceptance of the Gospel this world has ever seen. The massive turning of Christ by people from the four corners of the earth will prepare the way for the coming of the King," (Coleman)
     "Anticipation of our Lord's return is a summons to action. We must cast off anything that blocks the flow of the Holy Spirit and commit ourselves to being about the Father's business. World evangelization now is the responsibility around which our lives should be centered. Whatever our gifts, we are all needed in the witness of the Gospel," (Coleman).
     Let's make this more personal for a moment. What trials are you facing in your life right now? For me, I struggle with an often-times rebellious little son, a reluctant homeschooler and a high-energy toddler. When the daily trials with these little ones occur, it is so easy to forget all about the Lord and act in the flesh...to get irritated, angry and then feel guilty. But what if I asked God for a new perspective? What if I asked Him to help me see the trials He allows in my daily life as ways to be purified in Him? As opportunities to pray more, trust more and grow more in the grace and knowledge of Jesus? He may be using the daily struggles of motherhood (or fatherhood, work, singleness, etc...for any non-moms who read this blog) as periods of refinement to grow compassion and patience in us, compassion that may one day extend beyond our own homes to the nations; patience that may one day be manifested in mission work for the Lord.
     Through the daily struggles and as we anticipate a coming world revival, prayer is our greatest resource. We need to be asking God daily, how do you want to use me? Who should I be praying for? What are You doing in the world and how can I get involved?
     "Something great is on the horizon. You can almost feel it in the air. Though forces of evil are becoming more sinister and aggressive, there is a corresponding cry for spiritual awakening. Across the world, never has there been more yearning by more people for spiritual reality, nor has the Church ever had the means it now has to take the glad tidings of salvation to the lost, unreached people of the earth. What a day to be alive!
     Certainly this is a not a time for despair. The King's coming is certain. And in preparation for His return we may be the very generation that will see the greatest movement of revival since the beginning of time!" (Coleman)
    


    
    

    

Prayer for America on this National Day of Prayer

Father, on this National Day of prayer we find ourselves broken because we have forgotten our Savior. We have strayed from your word and followed our own way. Fathers have been marginalized and neutralized as the heads of their families and our family structure is in shambles.  Our schools have failed and our children are being indoctrinated into homosexuality, Darwinism and earth worship.  Our country is on a deliberate path toward socialism with a media that is in collusion with forces of darkness that are orchestrating the demise of our way of life.   The freedoms that you granted us Father are being eroded and we have no one to blame but ourselves. 

Lord your word says that if we will humble ourselves and seek your face with a repentant spirit, you will heal our land and restore our souls. Father, it is with a humbleness and heart felt sadness that we approach your throne of grace for our country, our government, our schools, the media, our families and most importantly fore the Body of Christ. Father, we have fallen and we need your hand to help us up. We have allowed ourselves to believe the lies of the Enemy and he has had his way with the institutions that have made this country great.

I pray for all levels of government today Lord from the President down to the town councils and mayors of this country. I pray for a spirit of repentance and against corruption by money and power. Open their hearts Father to your Word and will.  Heal our land.  I pray for a Daniel spirit in our leadership that those who are called by your name Lord will stand for what they believe despite certain persecution. May their decisions be enlightened by your Truth and in alignment with your will for us. 

I pray for the safety and security of our military forces and their families. Renew their spirits and strengthen them. Breathe life into families who have lost loved ones to the senseless violence of war. Keep the children of lost fathers and mothers under the comfort of your loving touch.

I pray for an open news and media complex that the spirit of truth and not deception be upon it. I pray for role models to stand up in the media and the entertainment industry. I pray for sound policy within our government that allows free speech to continue despite its effect upon political agendas.

I lift up families especially the fathers and their role as leaders in the household. End child abuse today Lord and with it apathy within households. Change the hearts of parents who have lost their way and are not being positive influences on our children. Protect Lord the lives of the unborn in this country.

Help us Lord on this day to remember all that grieves your heart. Restore us Lord to greatness. Let the truth reign and expose all liars. Return prayer to our schools and show us where our children are being deceived. Give us wisdom and courage to promote Christian education and find the resources to keep good schools open. Give parents a heart for giving their children a better life than they had and draw families to you Lord.

Finally Father, unify your Church. We have allowed denominationalism and false doctrine creep in and have lost our way. Send revival to us individually and to the Church collectively. Help us through your Holy Spirit to help our churches to remember our First Love, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

I pray in earnest in the Name above all names, Jesus Christ, Amen!

A sweet letter

I was so encouraged to receive the following letter from a friend of mine who is a missionary to Mongolia. It showed me the importance of having our children interact with missionaries....and email makes it so easy.

My daughter Grace had written Christine with some questions (an assignment in her Awana class). Here is Christine's heartfelt response:


Hi Grace,


This is Christine, one of your mother's friends.  I would love to take some time here to answer your questions regarding missions. :)

1. Where do you work?  I am working here in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia (outer Mongolia).  Mongolia is sandwiched between Russia and China.

2. What is your job?  My job, just like you, is to let Jesus shine through me.  It's to let these people know how much Jesus loves them.  One of the ways I do that is to share what I know and have.  The Bible says, "do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it".  Proverbs 3:27.  God is allowing me to practice this verse everyday, here...by helping the existing church grow even more.  We are spending a lot of time with developing leaders here in Mongolia, as we are walking with them to discover more who they were meant to be to make a difference.

3.  Is it hard to be a missionary?  This is a tough question. :)  There are times it is hard, but it's been so rewarding.  My family and I have only been here for 2 1/2 years now, so since we are still learning and adjusting culturally, there have been difficult moments because we don't understand a lot of things about the culture.  Also, we are learning getting to know the people here, their ways of life, the way they think...and many times it's so different than what we are used to.  So in that way, it's been hard.  But the beauty of being here has been that I have been able to experience and find more treasures...that's God's love...and how high, deep, and wide His love is for me AND for Mongolia.

4. What kind of food do the people eat?  Mongolians really enjoy lamb meat.  So, most of the food they eat is with lamb...fried dumplings w/lamb (called ho-shurr), noodles w/ lamb and some vegetables (called cho-woung). Mongolians love meat, and don't like vegetables.   But now, you can find many restaurants where the Mongolians are getting a taste for foreign foods.  And because their are more and more foreigners here, they are learning to eat healthy, which includes eating vegetables.  Before, they thought that only animals eat vegetables, and humans eat meat.  But this thought is changing.

Grace, I hope this helps you with your AWANA homework.  I hope that you continue to really grow to be a beautiful woman who really is not ashamed of the gospel, but continue to "march for truth...building lives for Jesus".  Ultimately, whether I am here in Mongolia or there in the USA, God calls us (you and me) to behold His beauty...because Jesus truly is the only TRUE beauty.  We are responsible to share God's love, this good news with those around us, so they can also be beautified.  Who doesn't want to be beautified?  We want people to experience the true beauty..of Christ.

God, thank you for Grace.  Thank you that she is learning and growing in you.  Thank you that you are teaching her about the nations and different peoples...that there are so many people still needing to hear about you, but also grow in you.  Thank you for teaching her that about Mongolia and your love for these people.  God, continue to make Grace more beautiful as she grows so that she may shine even more for you.  Teach her your ways, guarding her heart, keeping her pure and holy, and so near to your heart.  Keep her strong and yet tender, Jesus.  Thank  you for loving Grace so much!!!  May she experience your love even more and more.  In Jesus name.  Amen.

OK, Grace.  Let me know if you would like for me to answer any more questions.  Bye for now!!!

Mrs. Park