Short-Term Missions Prayer Calendar 2020

How Can You Pray for Our Missionaries?

As some of our fields anticipate not being able to welcome teams and friends this summer as they normally do, would you commit to pray for each of our missionaries? Feel free to use the schedule below, if you find it helpful:Week of April 22: for the Boardwalk Chapel as they prepare for summer teams. Pray that they are able to open this summer and operate on time as well as for more volunteers.Week of April 30: for the Czech Republic. Family English Camp has been canceled, as well as a biblical counseling conference that is usually scheduled for the week following the English Camp, as well as the youth/children’s ministry led by a team of young people from our presbytery (“Team Praha”) have all be rescheduled for next summer. The members of the teams have all been informed at this point, and we hope many will be able to serve a year from now. Our missionaries, the Farniks, are beginning to think about some alternate ministries this summer that would not involve the importing of teams from outside the country. This all still depends on how soon and how extensively the Czech Republic relaxes its restrictions on travel and gatherings within the country. Pray that they would be given wisdom and stamina in this endeavor and that the Lord would open the doors within the country to be able to gather in these ways.Week of May 6: For the Hopps in Haiti, as they also anticipate having no teams or visitors this summer, pray:

• that the security situation in Haiti would improve to allow them to receive visitors for teaching and construction projects.
• that the Lord would provide for the saints who are essentially locked at home and unable to work.
• that they would be able to continue to minister to people’s spiritual and physical needs even while at a distance.

Week of May 13: For our missionaries in Uganda. Chloe Verdick writes, "Please pray for us as we try to address the needs of people here while abiding by social distancing restrictions. It is much more difficult in a culture that doesn’t use the internet or have regular access to phones. Thus far most of the restrictions have impacted the cities more than us here, but we’re trying to submit to authority and always wish we could be doing more! Pray that the clinic can remain open and well supplied to address not only COVID concerns but the regular bouts of malaria, brucellosis, amoebiasis, and other common ailments. Pray that the local church would rise up in maturity, peace, and love in these crazy times.Week of May 20: For the Richlines in Uruguay. Mark Richline says, "We praise the Lord for His mercy to Uruguay in that the impact of COVID-19 has not been as severe here as in other countries, and the majority of people are abiding by the government's lockdown guidelines."

• Rejoice with us that our church group of 35 people are all healthy and remaining spiritually strong throughout these weeks of quarantine. It is refreshing to see how God's people are encouraging one another, sharing scripture verses, songs, and reformed sermons.
• Please ask the Lord to raise up another full-time missionary to work alongside the Richlines.
• Please pray for a young Venezuelan couple in our church who planned to be married this month but have been unable to schedule the required civil ceremony due to the impact of COVID-19 on government offices. They may need to wait several more months.
• Please ask the Lord to protect the health of a young nurse in our church whose work takes her into people's homes to administer the flu vaccine as winter approaches.
• Please petition the Lord to bless and use all the church's regular ministries: worship, prayer meeting, and monthly men's and women's studies that have all moved online.
• Please pray for Juan and Daniel, the church's two elder candidates as they continue their training. Also please ask our Savior to raise up the deacons this church needs.
• Please ask the Lord to save the many people in the church community who have consistently been coming for help with food, clothing, bus tickets, etc.
• Please pray for our Reformed Seminary, the four classes currently being taught online, and for Pastor Mark as he teaches his course on Christian Leadership.

Week of May 27: For Pastor Ben Westerveld in Quebec as they prepare for their English Camps in July.June 3: For Asia, as restrictions slowly lift there, the mission continues to plan for a summer school semester from June 29-July 29. English conversation teachers are still needed. The mission invites missionary associates to apply to serve if travel is permitted. Please pray for all of them and their families in the US. Please also pray that our Lord will provide others to help with the work there.