Bridge of Prayer Mission Without Borders Australia March - April 2013 “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ…” Colossians 4:2,3 NIV DAY 1. MWB Australia. Pray that the message of the ministry of MWB be proclaimed throughout all of Australia. Pray that our current supporters may have opportunities to share our ministry with their friends and colleagues, so they too may partner with us in proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ in Eastern Europe. DAY 2. Answered prayer. Thank our Lord for His answers to prayer from our January-February 2013 Bridge of Prayer. The Zovko and Bukri families received Special Project gifts from our supporters for their urgent needs but no new sponsors were found to support their ongoing needs-keep praying for them. Praise God that the Cernei family now have 4 sponsors; CRI Children Patricia Ilev and Oleksandra Grebenyuk now have sponsors. DAY 3. Seeds of Hope. Pray for the families who will receive Seeds of Hope this season. Pray for successful preparation and planting of the seeds. Pray for favourable weather conditions to produce bumper crops. Pray that family members will be united in their efforts to work hard to provide essential food and to become self-sufficient. DAY 4. Child Rescue International (CRI). Pray for our CRI in Community program in Romania and Moldova. As Children’s Homes close down in these countries, many children have been forced to go back to their impoverished families or with other relatives who are not really able to care for them. We minister to these children through our Community Centres in conjunction with the local churches. Pray that the needs of the children will be met there. DAY 5. Family to Family (F2F). Pray for our F2F Coordinators who regularly visit their families bringing essential material aid but also emotional and spiritual support. Pray for much wisdom and patience as they take the time to listen to the needs of the families, pray with them and be their support and friend. Pray our Coordinators are kept safe in their travels and the Lord provides for their needs as well. DAY 6. Bosnia. As unemployment is extremely high, inter-ethnic tensions often arise between Bosniaks (Bosnia Muslims), Croats and Serbs. Remember the political leaders as they seek to bring unity and harmony to the country. Pray for our workers as they minister to the poor amidst this tension and strife. DAY 7. Bosnia. Pray for doors to be opened for our ministry to expand into new areas. Because of the different ethnic groups, it is difficult to break into new ground. Pray the Lord will prepare the ground for His harvest in Bosnia and that more people will accept the Gospel of Jesus through our support and care. DAY 8. Bosnia. Thank the Lord for opening the way for our volunteers to minister in prisons with our Prison Care packs. As the prisoners essential hygiene needs are met through the packs, pray for their spiritual awakening as many are searching for hope, peace and forgiveness in their lives. Thank Him that the prison doors are open for the Gospel to be proclaimed inside the prison walls to the prisoners and guards as they listen to the messages. DAY 9. Bosnia F2F. Bubalo family. Sanja is alone with her two young children. Her husband passed away from bowel cancer 3 years ago and life is now very difficult and lonely for Sanja. She is trained as a nurse and can speak German and Italian, but can’t work and has no income, as she needs to care for her children who are not at school yet. It is hard for Sanja to accept that her husband is no longer with her. Sanja and her children need 4 sponsors to provide the emotional, spiritual and material support they need to overcome this difficult time. DAY 10. Albania. Pray for good relations between Albanians and their neighbours Montenegro in the northwest, Kosovo in the northeast, Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the southeast. Parliamentary elections take place on 23 June. Albanians will vote for a new President and Prime Minister. Pray for peaceful elections. DAY 11. Albania. Pray for good relations with the local authorities so that MWB are able to respond to emergency situations by providing essential aid and also bring the Good News of Jesus Christ to the people. Thank God for the opportunities MWB has to bring emotional support and guidance in the aftermath of these crises. DAY 12. Albania. Pray for the elderly in Albania who suffer the most. Their pensions are not adequate to provide even the basics. Many are left alone to care for themselves and their health suffers as they are unable to afford healthcare and medicines. Thank the Lord for MWB’s ministry to the elderly through our Community Centres. DAY 13. Albania F2F. Kapinova family. Lena is a single mother with one son, Albion (13). After finding out she was pregnant, her partner abandoned her, leaving her to struggle raising her son on her own. Lena works as a cleaner and lives on a meagre $90/month after paying rent. Due to stress, she suffers from depression, migraines, thyroid and stomach problems. Lena and her son need three more sponsors to encourage and support them. DAY 14. Bulgaria. Bulgaria is the poorest country in the European Union. Organised crime, corruption and continued political instability have not improved despite joining the EU. Pray for the families and elderly who suffer the most in this unstable country. Pray for God’s light to overcome the darkness in Bulgaria. DAY 15. Bulgaria. Praise God for the “Clubs for the Handicapped” held in the Sofia area and which are well attended by the elderly and handicapped. Pray that the weekly Bible lessons held at these clubs will bear a spiritual harvest of lives changed and brought into relationship with Jesus Christ.
DAY 16. Bulgaria. Give thanks for the great impact our Street Mercy project is having reaching out to the homeless living on the streets in Sofia. Pray for Sarkis, the MWB Manager in Bulgaria and his wife Marina as they serve alongside the volunteers in this vital ministry. DAY 17. Street Mercy. Our outreach to the homeless is now in its second year. Praise God that this ministry, is now in Bulgaria, Romania and Moldova and provides food, care and clothing for those living on the streets in desperate situations. Pray for safety for our staff and volunteers. Pray for the number of volunteers to increase so that the work can expand to other areas. DAY 18. Moldova. Pray for the volunteers and MWB Christian Outreach staff who bring the Easter performances and puppet shows to the children in the Children’s Homes. Pray that the hearts of the children will be open to hear the Gospel message of our risen Saviour, and accept Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Saviour. DAY 19. 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 20. Moldova CRI COM. Iulian Cretu (9) Iulian comes from a poor family. His mother is an alcoholic and both parents are unemployed. He has one sister. The children are at risk of not having their basic needs met, due to their poverty. Iulian is a charming, agreeable and active boy. The child prays for his mother to stop drinking and to take more care of him and his sister. Iulian needs a sponsor to care for him and pray with him. DAY 21. Romania F2F. Surdu family. Pray for Lidia Surdu and her family (featured in our July 2012 Focus News). Lidia was unable to pass her final exams due to the death of her father in that same year. She couldn’t go onto further education and has now had to take up a low paid job to help her mother support the family of 7 children. The family need a chainsaw ($645) to cut firewood, as it is too expensive to pay someone to do it. DAY 22. Romania. Praise God for the impact our Bible Correspondence Course is having on the children enrolled. Not only do they learn the important truths of the Bible, but the course is also helping to improve their language skills. The school results of many children have improved as well since doing the course. DAY 23. Romania. Praise God for the Soup Kitchen ministry. Thank Him for the support and encouragement the volunteers bring through the Soup Kitchens. The beneficiaries thank God for their daily meals. Many lives are changed as they turn to Jesus, through the love of God expressed in practical ways and through sharing the Gospel. DAY 24. Romania CRI in Community. Daniela Iepurar (13) Daniela’s parents are married but both are unemployed. Her father tries to sell whatever he can find to provide for his family. Her mother stays home to care for Daniela and her sister. Daniela is in grade 4 at school. Pray for a sponsor to encourage and support her. DAY 25. Romania F2F. Pater family. Marin, father, has gone to Europe to work but can’t always find a job. Ana, mother, stays at home to care for their 2 young children. The family live in an apartment, which is owned by a friend. Marin is not committed to work hard to support his family, and Ana faces financial difficulties to meet the family’s monthly expenses. They are in need of a bunk bed for the children ($335). Pray for Ana to have wisdom and strength to carry on caring for her family. DAY 26. Ukraine. Praise God for his provision for our Vocational Training program which offers courses to young people. Thank Him for the success of the courses which have given hundreds of young people the opportunity to learn skills essential for finding work or for supporting themselves and their families. DAY 27. Ukraine. Pray for the Mother Care project, providing essential birthing kits for expectant mothers to enable them to deliver their babies in hospital. The mothers are grateful for the maternity parcels which are so vital for their health and that of their new born baby. Praise God that since 1999, more than 6000 needy mothers have received help with a Mothercare parcel in the Sarny region. DAY 28. Ukraine CRI. Maria Gulyk (7) Maria’s parents are married, her father is employed but earns a small wage and her mother is an invalid. Maria has 2 brothers. She is in grade 1 at school and attends the Children’s Home during the day. At night, she goes home to stay with her family. Maria is a cheerful, diligent and obedient child. Pray for a sponsor to support Maria with their love and care. DAY 29. Ukraine F2F. Honchuk family. Parents, Anatoliy and Nataliya are married and have 4 children. Anatoliy is a carpenter and receives $75/month. Nataliya stays at home to care for the children. They live in poor conditions and have some land where they grow potatoes and grain. Their youngest child, Petro, suffers from allergies and asthma. Pray for 2 more sponsors to come forward to support and encourage this family. DAY 30. MWB Field Countries. Pray for God’s wisdom and guidance for our Field Country Managers, their staff and volunteers as they bring the love of Jesus to the poor, oppressed, outcast and needy in Eastern Europe. They are at the frontline of our ministry and need our prayers for physical, emotional and spiritual strength. DAY 31. MWB International. Give thanks for our new International Affiliate Director, Liz Waldy. Pray for Liz as she leads and directs our National Managers around the world in our 11 MWB affiliate offices (Australia, Belgium, Canada, Germany, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa, Switzerland, UK and USA). Mission Without Borders Australia - PO Box 7533 Silverwater NSW 1811 PH: (02) 9647-2022 Email: australia@mwbi.org Web: www.mwb.org.au