Streams of Prayer for 30 January 2023
The Streams of Prayer for 30 January 2023, is a circular from Wycliffe Global Alliance. Wycliffe Caribbean makes this available.
Community and Friendship
Our current theme for Streams of Prayer is Community and Friendship.
Community is the basis for the existence of the Alliance. We are not a community only because of our common goals, though Alliance Organizations do share many common goals. Our participation in God’s mission flows out of our communion with the Triune God and our fellowship within the Body of Christ. We are a community because we joyfully share a common life in Christ. …Our interdependence and interconnectedness creates an environment where all Alliance Organizations generously give and graciously receive. We recognize we are not owners, but only stewards of the gifts God has given us. We affirm each other for who we are and not for what we contribute or for the quantity of the contribution. Our primary goal is to glorify God together. (From the Wycliffe Global Alliance in Community).
We celebrate being on this mission with God as a community. We recognize that although each Alliance organization has its own leadership, board, and staff, all seek to work interdependently and value the Alliance community for friendship, partnership, spiritual encouragement, and other practical forms of mutual support. We pray for all partnerships, and for the ways friendship is demonstrated, both in and through the Alliance.
Friendship experienced through generosity: Poland
Biblijne Stowarzyszenie Misyjne (Wycliffe Poland) is thankful to God for the friendship of all the people who keep supporting the aid they give to Ukraine. Even though people are getting used to the ongoing war, there are still numerous people and organizations that have faithfully continued sending donations through which ongoing aid for war victims in Ukraine is possible. The funds are being passed on to a group of Baptist pastors in Western Ukraine, who buy food products which are then taken to people living in the war zone. Support is also sent to Roma churches in Slovakia, which provide shelter for Ukrainian Roma refugees. Praise the Lord for these opportunities to help those in need and for the generosity of so many people!
Collaborating with the local church in Paucartambo: Peru
ATEK (Asociación Tawantinsuyuman Evandelioq K´Ancharinanpaq) and ACIEP (Asociación Cristiana Interétnica del Perú) together are seeking to strengthen the local church in the province of Paucartambo, a region with great spiritual need and acute challenges of poverty. The majority of the inhabitants are monolingual Quechua speakers. They have a Bible in Quechua, have had some training in their own language, and have access to study materials in Quechua. However, accessibility to their communities is difficult and the church has a limited presence with small groups of believers in some communities. The church leaders, who are mostly lay people, have requested that ATEK train them to expand the kingdom of God among the Quechua of this province. Thank God for ATEK´s work among the Quechua communities and for their willingness to collaborate with the strengthening of the local church. Pray for transformation in these communities through greater exposure to God’s love and the truths of his Word via the local church.
Strengthening relationships through Language Gospel Festival: Papua New Guinea
On 29 October crowds of people from Port Moresby joined the Papua New Guinea Bible Translation Association (BTA) community for the Language Gospel Festival. It was a great time of fellowship in song and dance featuring several of the 800+ languages of the nation. Praise God for the opportunity to renew friendships and form new ones with supporting churches, commercial companies, and Christian individuals. Funds were raised on this occasion as well for Bible translation to begin in languages still without the Scriptures. Praise the Lord for those who gave financial and other types of donations. Pray for those who made pledges that God will provide the means for them to honour their pledges to BTA. Pray for wisdom for the BTA administration team involved in identifying the next five languages to begin Bible translation in 2023.
Providing community connection through online resources: Africa
In November, Zac Manyim, Alliance Prayer Advocacy Coordinator for Africa, helped organize activities for World Day of Prayer (WDOP) events at Cameroon Association for Bible Translation and Literacy (CABTAL). He also shared information about WDOP in CABTAL’s email bulletin, including a link to the WDOP video. A SIL staff person emailed to say: “Thank you so much for including the link to the Wycliffe Global Alliance World Day of Prayer video!! I thought I had missed all opportunities this year to take part in Wycliffe World Day of Prayer… I opened your CABTAL Before the Throne and saw the link at the bottom. I accessed the wonderful hour of prayer and singing and stories. So, thank you so much for ministering to me in this way in my situation today!” Praise God for the ability to share online prayer resources with staff who do not work near a centre, so that they too have the opportunity to share in corporate prayer and worship. Pray for wisdom and creativity for teams creating such resources, so that those who do not have easy access to in-person group gatherings feel more connected to the larger Bible translation movement community.
Giving thanks for new friendships: Peru
Abby Méndez serves in mission and Bible translation with El Salvador Miramonte Baptist Church among the Nomatsigenga people in Peru. She personally thanks God for some new friendships that came into her life in 2022. Abby lives in a very remote place and when visitors come to the mission base in the community of Chuquibambilla, they usually only stay for a short time. The bonds of friendship forged with three sisters from Peru, Mexico and El Salvador have been very special, because without knowing each other much, God created a bond to continue getting to know each other and support each other in different life projects. Abby mentions that God gave her “the opportunity and privilege to make new friends at the right time” and states that “when we stop and see that it is God who allows these details to happen in our lives, without a doubt we cannot stop thanking him”. Please pray for Abby and the new friends she has made, that God will continue to bless their lives and projects. Pray for all in the Bible translation movement who serve in isolated contexts, that God will provide the relationships of mutual encouragement that they need.
Meeting together after two years of postponements: Papua New Guinea, New Zealand
After two years of not being able to meet in person, Alliance organizations in the Pacific met for the first time again in 2022. Praise the Lord for the Papua New Guinea Bible Translation Association (BTA) conference that brought together language teams, administrative personnel and partners for a time of spiritual retreat and business meetings. They met from 27-30 October in Port Moresby. Praise God as well for the Wycliffe New Zealand ‘2022 Gathering’ held 11-13 November. Approximately 60 personnel, including some overseas guests, came together from 11-13 November. Their theme for the year is ‘Winds of Change’ and they were excited to be able to finally hold this event having postponed the last two years due to the pandemic. Praise the Lord that both organizations could gather in person for these significant and special times of fellowship, business meetings, and giving thanks to the Lord.
Partnering with government and encouraging staff: Indonesia
Yayasan Jasa Aviasi Indonesia (YAJASI) is an Alliance organization based in Papua, Indonesia that provides aviation services for partners in the Bible translation movement. They allow workers to reach areas in Indonesia where land and sea transportation are difficult. YAJASI also partners with the Indonesian government to provide safe, timely, and affordable flights to government projects. Praise God that a recent meeting in Jakarta with government officials increased their understanding of YAJASI’s operations in Papua. Pray for the aviation regulators as they develop a new system to provide services to both private and commercial operations in Indonesia. This new system will help YAJASI and other mission aviation operators to provide effective aviation services in Indonesia. Praise God also for the planning and preparation for the YAJASI staff retreat that will be held from 11-15 April 2023. The retreat will be a culmination of YAJASI’s 30th anniversary on 3 April 2023. Pray that the retreat will refresh the YAJASI team and serve as an encouragement to continue pursuing the vision of mission aviation.
Streams of Prayer is the prayer bulletin of the Wycliffe Global Alliance.
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Valrie McCarthy
Proclaimer Officer
Wycliffe Caribbean
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