Prayer and Prayer Requests

Michele Black - December 2021 prayer requests

Submitted by Daphne Bate for Michele Black on 2 December, 2021

Michele included these prayer requests in her December 2021 Newsletter

We would love you to pray for:-

• Our Visitor Visa to be approved as well as a travel exemption.

• That Rwanda will not become a banned country for Australia’s borders.

• One day with a Visa Flora will step onto Australian soil and be reunited with her Grandparents.

• For Flora’s sweet little heart - as she processes the ups and downs of this roller coaster ride.

• For wisdom for me to know what to tell her and what to shield her from, to know when to sell up our life and when to wait.

• For me to keep my head in the game - especially at work when there is so much going on outside of work through papers and documents.

• More paperwork from Rwanda to be complete.

We give thanks for:-

• Flora’s beautiful school teacher who supports her through her toughest of days in living out all this uncertainty.

• Flora’s little group of friends we have been making some precious memories with together.

• My Boss and Director of the School are sooooo understanding and accommodating through all my ‘ we are leaving - oh no we are staying’ moments and are here to support both Flora and I.

• A network of friends and faithful supporters both here, in Australia, as well as other places around the globe.

• Good relations with my Rwandan lawyer, my immigration lawyer in Sydney, as well as the Department of Community and Justice in Sydney.

• Patience and Perspective.

3 requests linked to returning to Australia on Home Assignment

Submitted by Daphne Bate for the Hay Family on 1 December, 2021

Hay family requests

The following message was sent to the church when we checked in with the family earlier this week in response to the outbreak of the Omicron strain:

_______________________________________________

....these last few months have been especially difficult. As we reported in our last newsletter, we were looking forward to being joined by more people coming to volunteer.

Unfortunately, Sara from Ecuador had her visa denied and is now going through the appeal process. That can take a year or more, so we are not sure if or when she will be able to come.

Then we had the good news that the family from the UK had their visas approved a few weeks earlier than expected and had booked flights to be here on Friday this week. Then on Saturday their flights were cancelled because of Omicron. So now we not know when they will be able to get here.

And one of the two German volunteers coming at the beginning of February is no longer coming.

Today (30 November 2021) is the day our visas expire and we still do not have word on our renewal other than that they are “being processed”.

We are still hoping that we can start our Home Assignment by the end of February.

So three very specific things for prayer:

1. The temporary travel restrictions are lifted soon and the family from the UK can arrive soon.
2. Our visas are granted soon, and definitely by mid-January.
3. The availability and cost of flights allows us to leave by mid to late February.

Prayer through the Ages - Prayer Of St Francis of Assisi

Submitted by Ian Reid on 8 November, 2021

Francis of Assisi born Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone, his father loved French culture and so nicknamed him Francis—literally, Frenchy.

While praying toward a painted crucifix, the young man heard the voice of God:

“Francis, go and repair My house, which, as you see, is completely destroyed.”

In addition to becoming the inventor of the Nativity scene, Francis founded three religious orders and is the patron saint of ecology.

Francis was a reluctant leader, if there ever was one. In fact, he wasn’t much of a leader at all.

When one of his first companions, Masseo, heard that Francis was becoming world famous, he asked Francis, “Why you? Why is all the world following after you?”

His famous prayer:

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love,

Where there is injury, pardon

Where there is doubt, faith,

Where there is despair, hope,

Where there is darkness, light,

Where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console, not so much to be understood as to understand, not so much to be loved, as to love; for it is in giving that we receive, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, it is in dying that we awake to eternal life.

Praise the Giver a prayer composed by John Baillie

Submitted by Ian on 13 October, 2021

“O God my Creator and Redeemer,

I may not go forth today except You accompany me with Your blessing.

Let not the vigour and freshness of the morning, or the glow of good health, or the present prosperity of my undertakings, deceive me into a false reliance upon my own strength.

All these good gifts have come to me from You.

They were Yours to give and they are Yours also to curtail.

They are not mine to keep;

I do but hold them in trust; and only in continued dependence upon You, the Giver, can they be worthily enjoyed.

[ A prayer composed by John Baillie]

Prayer For Comfort

Submitted by Ian Reid on 11 October, 2021

John 16:22. "So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you."

Calling on all to prayerfully a support a family suffering loss after the unexpected death of a young woman 23 years old on this past weekend.

This family have been part of our extended support the Community of Givers program in recent months and I would value your prayerful support as I minister and walk through this very sad and painful time.

Thank you

Blessings, Ian

Requests from Hay family September 2021 Newsletter

Submitted by Daphne Bate for the Hay Family on 30 September, 2021

Praise God:

• all at iKhethelo have remained safe from COVID-19

• that the spread of COVID in the village was contained

• that we stayed safe during the civil unrest and for the provision of food afterwards

• for the donations to cover the medical bills for Jabulani* (not his real name which has been changed for privacy)

• that Andrew's health has remained stable (Andrew is David's and Janenne's son and Rachel's brother)

Please pray:

• for continued protection over the village from coronavirus

• for the approval of our visas

• for healing for Andrew

We praise God

Submitted by Ian Reid on 22 September, 2021

The following is an extract from an email received by our Pastor on Monday.

It is passed it on , with permission , to us all as a point of deep praise and encouragement to us all.

Pastor Ian,

We wanted to thank you and your church for providing the great online worship services via YouTube.

We find the content really helpful to us

We live in country NSW and we were browsing for a church service to attend and came across yours.

It has been so exciting to engage with the Alpha Course as part of the service and wanted you to know that we have taken a really big step of placing our faith in Jesus Christ.

We were both raised in "the church" but neither really understood how to become a Christian.

Both of us had drifted away from all things church in recent years and this opportunity to hear again the clear call of Jesus was just at the right time.

What an impact it had on us.

Hopefully, after restrictions lift , we can find a great church to connect with.

Please keep up the great work and our deepest gratitude to you and to your church.

Regards, S & D

Prayer For Hope In Grief

Submitted by Ian Reid on 13 September, 2021

Prayer for hope in grief

Sadly, a young couple I have pastoral care of are enduring the sadness of the loss of a child through late term miscarriage today.

We have assisted them through our COG ministries over the past year.

Please pray for the couple and for their 3year old son, as they are struggling with some very raw and deep pain.

They wanted to post the prayer below and I have assured them of our prayers as a church community.

God, I feel so weak and tired because of my pregnancy loss grief.

Please give me the strength to keep engaging with the emotions, with life and with the pain towards the healing of my heart.

Please give me the strength to say yes to the things I need to do, and no to the things I don’t.

Help me to rest enough and to look to you for supernatural strength. God, please be my strength because I don’t have any left. Amen

A prayer To persevere

Submitted by Ian Reid on 13 September, 2021

Persevering Through God’s Strength Prayer

Almighty Father,

In You our God we find the support we need to carry on in life.

We gather the strength we need to endure the hardships life brings.

Our own physical capabilities and our motivational drives may fail us many times, but You faithfully rescue us.

You are the Source of the strength we most need.

Rid my heart of fear, knowing You are always with me.

Clear my mind of troubling thoughts, knowing You are my Almighty God, the Foundational Rock, and Strength of my heart.

Amen.