Live From South Africa: prayer

Showing posts with label prayer. Show all posts

At Last . . .

We are here . . .

Praying for peace in our hearts - lives transformed and even for the mundane like favor through customs and luggage that arrives on time and intact!

Thanks to everyone who made this a reality - May God use us to be His hands and His feet. May our Zulu friends find hope and healing.

Prayer Calendar

Would you pray?

Prayer is our most powerful tool in ministering to others and making Jesus known in our own backyards and across oceans. Your prayers have carried us throughout the years as we have traveled back and forth bringing medicine and healthcare providers to the Zulu community. Would you please pray alongside us again?

Follow this link to print our prayer calendar.

Thank you

One Month Isn't So Far Away - So PRAY

John 15:7 / Philippians 4:6,7
Pray about everything. Pray without ceasing. Just pray!

Matthew 6:33 / Luke 9:23
* Pray that Christ will be the CENTER of everything we do.

Acts 1:8 / Matthew 28:19,20 / Galatians 6:9,10 / Matthew 5:16
* Pray for the Mafus, as they prepare for our visit and go about their daily work of providing hope and love to the people of eSikhawini

Mark 10:45 / 2 Corinthians 4:5 / Romans 12:1 / John 14:21
* Pray for the people we will see - the nameless, faceless people that will soon have a HUGE place in your heart
* Pray for the names we saw on the cards at our pack and sort.

Romans 8:32 / Philippians 4:19
* Pray for friends and family

John 13:34,35 / 1 John 3:18
* Pray for our team - for each member that you know, are getting to know, and will soon know very well :)

Romans 8:32 / Philippians 4:19
* Pray that meds come in

1 John 2:15,16 / Romans 12:2 / Lamentations 3:22,23 / Numbers 23:19
* Pray for safe travel without hiccups, for smooth transitions at customs, for the arrival in SA of ALL our bags unharmed

Isaiah 26:3 / 1 Peter 5:7
* Pray for protection and health

Romans 5:8 / 1 Peter 3:18 / Ephesians 2:8,9 / Titus 3:5 / 1 John 5:13 / John 5:24
* Pray that everyone has a deeper and richer relationship with Christ as we journey together and that as we celebrate Easter together that we would know that Christ Paid It ALL. May we truly know that no good work will earn our salvation - Christ Alone has already given us that gift and we can freely accept this gift. (Thank you Lord)

Pack & Sort - Success!

We had a great 1st Pack & Sort. Meds have started arriving and it is exciting to see how God is providing. We started by praying for the patients that we saw last year in the clinic. It was a really special prayer time and it really motivated us to have people's names in our hearts and minds as we work tediously at sorting, counting and packing.

Pack & Sort Days

Hello Team,
The Pack & Sort Days are:

Saturday February 28th (1-4 pm) - Kensington CC)
Saturday March 7th (2-5 pm) - Kensington CC)
Saturday March 21st (1-4pm) - Kensington CC)

More to be announced as we assess the number of meds we collect. Please encourage your supporters to be praying for you and the team as well as our meds collection.

Prayers of Hope

Over the past couple of weeks, a few verses from Romans have crossed my path. Not once, not twice, but three times. The prevalence made me take notice and I now realize that these verses are prayers for this team. Would you pray alongside us?

Father God, Precious Jesus, Holy Spirit - Thank you for you Word. It is divinely written and is still a teacher to us as we prepare for Your next mission. For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. God, would You help us to persevere as we press on towards this mission? Would You remind us every day that You are in control of every detail? Finances, Medicine, Travel, Health & Safety, Spiritual Growth, and most of all Service in Your Name for our Zulu Friends. All of it, Lord, You will help us strive toward the goal. You are our encouragement. May our hearts leap with joy because Your Word is true and faithful and it gives us great hope.
Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus, so that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 15:4-6) Yes God, we pray that You weave our team together - using each one of our gifts at the right time. Lord help us to be a flexible and strong tapestry that has one clear picture that proudly and boldly displays the Glory of Your Name. Amen

3 Months Will Sneak Up On You

I almost fell off my chair today when I saw that we have exactly 90 days until we are on a plane and headed off to South Africa to care for our Zulu brothers and sisters. Time sure does sneak up on a person. Although 90 days seems a bit overwhelming - God is with us. He has our backs. Therefore - let us draw near to him in prayer.

Pray for our Zulu brothers and sisters for health, safety, and the chance to know Jesus better.
Pray for our team that we are protected spiritually, emotionally, and physically. Pray for unity and compassion to grow within our team as we get to know each other.
Pray for the preparations before the trip that we have medicine to collect, that finances are provided, and that arrangements are smooth.

'Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus

This past week I submitted my letter to my principal, Mr. M., for approval to have time off during the school year. As I delivered the letter to his office I said one last prayer -

"Dear Lord - if it be Your will that I have the privilege to serve in South Africa again Lord - I would be honored to do so. And Lord, please let there be no typos in my letter."

As I dropped off the letter, Mr. M. was on his way to give a tour to some visitors at the school. He proceeded to tell me that he had included that we "even have a teacher who travels to Africa" on the poster for Monday's 7th and 8th grade parent night. Could it be a sign that God had already answered my prayer?

Beside my deep desire to return to South Africa and the impeccable timing of the trip with my spring break, I felt like I was starting to hear God say, "Yes - It is My will." Then, tonight, I heard Him speak again. My dear friend, D, celebrated my birthday with me and she gave me a beautiful book titled "The Sings My Soul." The book has 150 of the world's greatest hymn stories. I was so excited because not only do I love hymns - I love the stories behind them. It is so great to have this resource and be able to tell these stories as a worship leader. Anyhow, I flipped the book to pages 210 &211 and the story of "Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus" (one of my fav's) was staring me straight in the face. The story behind this hymn originates with Louisa M. R. Stead; a woman who ended up living a life she hadn't quite expected. It was marked by unexpected turns, great sorrow, and the call to be a missionary in *surprise* South Africa.

God, I am trusting that You want me to serve again in the heart of Zululand.

Just to rest upon his promise; Just to know "Thus saith the Lord."

Last Year . . . This Year

I don't do it very often, but I find it a good practice to look back with a "forest" perspective and realize how God has shaped certain events and people for very specific times and places.

Last year my heart began to ache when I really realized that I wouldn't be able to physically make the trip to eSikhawini. It was not a possibility for me to take two weeks off of the normal school year. Looking back now I see that God had me right where He needed me.

Staying home meant . . .
1. Other talented folks could step up to new positions of leadership
2. God helped me practice being satisfied even in sorrow
3. God moved me to pray more often for others
4. God gave me time to help my friend Jenny prepare for her mission on the Africa Mercy Ship
5. I realized more and more the needs of my South African friends extend FAR beyond the time that I am there.

This year I am praying that God will return me to Africa this Easter - and that the 5 things staying home meant will be engraved on my heart. I hope to go with a new perpective.

Would you please join me in prayer - that my principal and superintendant give me the blessing to take 5 days off of school? Would you be so bold to pray that they allow me to take those 5 days off with pay - that is as "sick days" instead of "unpaid leave"?

Thank you - I'll keep you posted.
Tracy

This is the Day!

Hello!

Or, as they say in Zulu - sawubona! This is the day that the Lord has made. And I am rejoicing and very glad to be in it. Because today I fly to South Africa. Hard to believe it's finally here. So many packing days. So many meds. So many hours planning and preparing. But, we are about to take off. And so I ask for your prayers. Prayers for safe travel during the next two days. Prayers for the arrival of all of our bags - intact!! Prayers for team unity among the 21 of us only just now starting to get to know each other. Prayers for those we leave behind who are anxious about our leaving. Prayers for joy as we serve our brothers and sisters in South Africa.

I hope to be able to e-mail by Saturday evening to let you know we are there safe and sound. But if I can't, don't worry. Sometimes there's just no power over there :) We'll be in touch as often as we can.

Thank you, again, for your support of this trip. We are excited to see what God has in store for us all!

In Him,
Sarah

the Mafu's are Coming, the Mafu's are Coming

With great anticipation - the Mafu's are coming to town. Hooray. We look forward to letting everyone know the reunion date! In the meantime, please continue to pray . . .

** Pray for safe travels for the Mafus as they arrive this weekend.
** Pray for Zomusa and our dear friends in SA as they keep the ministry going while the Mafus are here
** Pray for Sally as she has back surgery next weekend
** Pray for Sharon's mom who continues to struggle with poor health
** Pray for my brother and sister-in-law and nephew who are still in Togo serving the Togolese
** Praise for Adam and his new job at KCC in its mission ministry
** Praise for Sabelo who passed his driving test, and Spha who received all high marks at school

Thanks. Tracy

Pray for Cebo's Mom - Update from S.A.

We just heard from the Quarterlife team that is working with Mafu's right now that Cebo's mom (Cebo is a friend, translator, and ACM staff person) has taken a turn for the worse. She is very ill and could really use our prayers. Please join us in prayer for improved health.

[pictured below Spa and Cebo]

On another note, Sabelo passed his dreaded driving test. It is much more complicated than the U.S. test. It is a real blessing for him to be able to help with transportation now.

[pictured below Sabelo - look at that smile!]

Prayer Calendar June 29 & 30

Friday June 29

We will depart South Africa

Safety and rest on the flight home
The team remains unified and energized
The luggage makes it safely and on time
That we will be loving ambassadors for Christ as we return to our families, friends and co-workers
The entire team (Psalm 34:3)

Prayer Calendar June 28

Thursday June 28

We will participate in morning devotions at schools and after-school Bible classes. We will also prepare for return.

Prayer that we will never forget the things that God has done in each of our lives
Robyn (John 6:29)
Shelly (Mark 11:22-26)