Bridge of Prayer Mission Without Borders Australia January-February 2014 “For to us a child is born, to us a Son is given, and the Government will be on his shoulders. He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6 DAY 1. MWB Australia. We thank you Lord for another year and commit ourselves to serve You and Your people in Australia and Eastern Europe. We give thanks for all that You have planned for MWB throughout this New Year and pray only that the name of Jesus Christ be glorified through us. DAY 2. Soup Kitchen and Community Centres. Pray for the elderly, women, children and families without regular nourishing meals to sustain them through the winter months. Many depend on receiving their only meal for the day through our community centres. Pray for the volunteers who bring nourishment and the Word of God to these people in need. DAY 3. Operation Winter Rescue. Continue to pray for those whose homes give little protection against the harsh and unforgiving cold. With winter temperatures below -200 Celsius, our assistance with warm blankets, winter clothes, boots and firewood is crucial to reach the people most in need. Pray for an outpouring of support for this ministry to bring warmth to the elderly, families and children in need this winter. DAY 4. Child Rescue International (CRI). Pray for the children as they return to school from their Christmas Break. Pray they start the New Year with an eagerness to know and learn more about the love of our Saviour Jesus Christ especially after attending the Christmas Services and Festivities last year. May 2014 bring joy, love and peace to their lives for the year ahead. DAY 5. Family to Family (F2F). As families are currently experiencing the harsh, cold, winter season, pray that our Operation Winter Rescue aid will continue to reach those in need to enable them to survive the coldest time of the year. Pray that their supplies of heating fuel and food will be sufficient to last the whole season. DAY 6. Bosnia. Continue to pray for the people of Bosnia as unemployment stands at over 45%. Without the ability to find sufficient, ongoing paid work our beneficiaries struggle daily to meet the most basic of needs. Pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ affected by this national crisis, who live and share their faith in Bosnia that they may at least feel God’s love and presence daily through your generosity and support. DAY 7. Bosnia. Pray for reconciliation among those still traumatized by the bitterness of a devastating ethnic-religious war. Pray for Christ’s love to penetrate the hardened hearts of many who are spiritually unresponsive. DAY 8. Bosnia F2F. Zahirovic Family. Salko and Zejra have 3 children and survive on around $50 per month. They live in a small two room house heated by wood, with a concrete floor and poor roofing. Salko broke his leg 2 years ago and also suffers from angina. He has trouble walking and cannot work. The children also have several medical issues including rotten teeth and dizzy spells. Pray for 2 more sponsors to support them and show them the love of Jesus. DAY 9. Answer to Prayer. We give heartfelt thanks and praise for new sponsors of families and children in need. The Marsida Muka, Albania has written personally to thank all the sponsors for leading her family to the Lord. They are now fully sponsored and, in her letter she writes “I will never stop worshipping God and this has happened because of you and MWB that I have come to know God. We are so thankful for everything.” DAY 10. Albania. Let us pray for the country of Albania. Being one of the poorest countries in Europe, with slow economic growth, unemployment is a major factor contributing to economic hardship. Pray for wisdom for those in authority, and for jobs to be created. Pray also that our Mission would be able to engage with and help those in severe poverty. Pray for hope in Christ to replace the overwhelming sense of hopelessness throughout the country. DAY 11. Albania. Continue to pray for corruption to be reduced through the country on all levels of society as the new Government settles into their roles. We praise God that their new Prime Minister, Edi Rama acknowledges these issues and is seeking ways to change this “expected way of life”. DAY 12. Albania F2F. Troplini Family. This beautiful family literally lives day to day. Alma, a widow who lost her husband in a car accident 3 years ago, has two young sons, Alvaro (5) and Klejdi (3). They live in a small single room house. The odd jobs she does barely cover the daily family needs. Please pray for 4 sponsors to join together to help meet their basic needs. DAY 13. Bulgaria. In the past decade Bulgaria has pressed ahead with market reforms and has achieved some economic growth. Nevertheless, incomes and living standards remain very low – it has the lowest wages in the EU. Pray for wisdom for the government in creating jobs, and pray for those in severe poverty, including the Roma, who face poverty rates four times higher than the rest of the population. DAY 14. Bulgaria. Pray for unity in the body of believers in each local church and in the larger church body across denominational lines. Pray that God would raise up Christians who would stand for integrity within the Bulgarian society, especially in the business sector. Thank the Lord for the volunteers from these churches who have great compassion for the hurting and lost in Bulgaria through our Street Mercy and Soup Kitchen projects. Day 15. Bulgaria. Ask God to open the hearts of those who have been indoctrinated with atheist propaganda. Over 10000 people received copies of the Bible through the MWB Bible Jubilee Project. Ask God to speak to people as they read His Word.
DAY 16. Bulgaria F2F. Markuchev-Slavova family. Emil and Neli live together with their three children Nikolay (12), Antonio (10) and Yoana (3). They live in one room owned by Emil’s brother. It has no kitchen or bathroom and the toilet is outside. Our Mission’s aim is to strengthen the family’s faith as both the parents have heard the Gospel, and to encourage and promote the importance of the children’s schooling. Neli regularly attends the Baptist church close by. Four sponsors are needed to help this family and also to encourage and pray for them. Day 17. Moldova. Pray that burdening religious traditions are replaced by an overwhelming love for Jesus. Pray for children abandoned or trapped in poverty to find their future and hope in Christ. Pray for bearers of the Gospel to be sent to the hundreds of villages that have no witness. DAY 18. Moldova. Moldova is considered the main source for Human Trafficking in Europe, representing thousands of children being sold, women being enslaved for the sex trade and men exploited for physical labour in Europe, Middle East, Asia and Russia. Pray that our education programs will speak to the children, young people and families making them aware of the means, risks and dangers of those involved in this criminal activity. Day 19. Street Mercy. Our outreach to the homeless is now in its third year. Praise God that this ministry, is now in Moldova, Romania and Bulgaria and provides food, care and clothing for those living on the streets in desperate situations. Pray for safety for our staff and volunteers, as well as more volunteers to expand to other areas. DAY 20. Moldova. Dmitrii (12) comes from a poor, single parent family. He and his mother live with the grandparents as his father abandoned the family and went abroad to work. Dmitrii is in grade 5 at school and is doing well in his studies. He likes maths, language studies and physical education. He lives in the Children’s Home during the week and stays with his family on the weekends. Pray for a sponsor to encourage Dmitrii in his studies. DAY 21. Moldova F2F. Cigorean Family. The parents, Igor and Liubovi, have 3 children. Corina (10) is in the 3rd grade while Alina (4) and Artiom (2) stay at home. Igor has no job but repairs cars for some money. They live in a 3 room house with poor roofing. These cold winter months will prove difficult to keep the family warm. Praise God that some of their immediate needs have been met including new windows and a door. Pray for 1 more sponsor to support them and meet their basic needs. DAY 22. Romania. Pray for the hundreds of children who have been abandoned or left with relatives, as their parents have gone to other countries to find work. Pray for our CRI Coordinators who minister to these children through the CRI in Community program, run in conjunction with the local churches, that they can lead the children to fill the emotional loss they feel, by putting their trust in Jesus. DAY 23. Romania. Pray for families in Romania, that children would grow up in safety and security. Pray for a much greater sense of unity in churches, between churches, and between denominations, resulting in cooperation in prayer, evangelism, and social work. DAY 24. Romania. CRI. Denisa (3) lives with her unmarried parents, brother and sister in poor conditions with their grandparents. The parents are only able to do seasonal work so their income is very low. Denisa suffers from heart problems, which causes her to faint, affecting her balance and coordination. She also has severe learning difficulties and dyspraxia, which affects her motor and cognitive skills. Denisa is a happy and friendly child. Pray for her health conditions to improve and for a sponsor to come forward to care for her. DAY 25. Romania F2F. Sandi Family. Constantin and Licica have 3 children. They live in a rural area in a house made of mud, wood and straw. Their living conditions are very poor – two small rooms, small kitchen and no bathroom. They don’t have any heating except for a small wood stove. Both parents are unemployed, and there is not enough money to meet the needs of the family. Pray for 2 sponsors to help meet their basic needs. DAY 26. Ukraine. Please continue praying for the country of Ukraine as thousands remain on the streets demanding the resignation of the country's Government as well as its President. The protests followed the Government's decision on November 21 2013 to stop EU integration and failure to sign the Association Agreement in Vilnius. Please keep them all in your prayers, that God gives wisdom and self-control to all areas of conflict in Ukraine. DAY 27. Ukraine. Pray for the Church to embrace the spiritual potential of the post-communist era. Pray for the provision of resources necessary to train Godly leaders in seminaries and Bible schools. “If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.” - John 14:14 Day 28. Ukraine. CRI in Community - Pavlo (6) is an abandoned child and has no known siblings. He suffers from severe learning difficulties and is not able to talk. Pavlo is in preschool and receives special education in the Children’s Home. He is a sad, lonely and introverted child. Pavlo needs a sponsor to support him and meet his emotional and spiritual needs. DAY 29. Ukraine F2F. Tarasyuk Family. Volodymyr and Ruslana are married and have 5 children. They live in a very old two roomed house heated by wood. Although they have a bathroom inside they have no kitchen. They have land where they grow vegetables and also a pig, a goat and a few fowls. Pray for 3 more sponsors to pray and encourage them onto self-sufficiency. Special needs – Furniture ($835) and building materials to renovate their house. DAY 30. MWB Field Countries. Pray for the staff and volunteers in our 6 field countries. Pray for good health and safety for them and their families and that their needs are met through the winter season. They are committed to serve their own people with the love of Jesus and are the hands and feet of our ministry. DAY 31. MWB International. Ask God to give much wisdom and direction to our National and International Managers for a vision of what is possible, with the Lords help, through 2014. Mission Without Borders Australia - PO Box 7533 Silverwater NSW 1811 PH: (02) 9647-2022 Email: australia@mwbi.org Web: www.mwb.org.au