January - FRIENDSMISSION.COM https://friendsmission.com/en Tue, 30 Dec 2025 19:07:54 +0000 en hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.3 https://friendsmission.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/cropped-EFM-black-icon-32x32.png January - FRIENDSMISSION.COM https://friendsmission.com/en 32 32 January 2026 Prayer Letter https://friendsmission.com/en/prayer/january-2026-prayer-letter/ https://friendsmission.com/en/prayer/january-2026-prayer-letter/#respond Tue, 30 Dec 2025 19:07:54 +0000 https://friendsmission.com/?p=29292 Preparing to Join God’s Work in Croatia Please Pray for the Liddell Family Fred and Jonelle Liddell, along with their children Alex and Jael, are preparing to move to Croatia in early 2026, stepping into a calling shaped by prayer, patience, and deep trust in God’s timing. They are joining God in what he is […]

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Preparing to Join God’s Work in Croatia
Please Pray for the Liddell Family

Fred and Jonelle Liddell, along with their children Alex and Jael, are preparing to move to Croatia in early 2026, stepping into a calling shaped by prayer, patience, and deep trust in God’s timing. They are joining God in what he is already doing among the people of Croatia, long before they arrive.

During recent prayer walks through Croatian cities and towns, Jonelle was struck by the image of an old house, weathered, cracked, yet still standing after generations. It became a powerful picture of the spiritual landscape they are entering. In a place where religion often exists as cultural identity rather than living faith, the Liddells are praying that God would do something new and that the knowledge of him would no longer be distant or abstract, but personal, present, and transforming.

Their preparation season has been full and at times heavy. Training, travel, meetings, and international planning have been layered with unexpected health concerns and logistical hurdles. Yet through each interruption, the Liddells have continued to sense God’s steady invitation: Will you notice what I am already doing? Will you join me? With open hands, they are answering yes!

In the midst of transition, family life remains central. Alex eagerly talks about Croatia, while Jael fills their days with songs, coloring, and imaginative play. Together, the family anchors their hearts in simple truths: Jesus is strong and kind, he calms the storm, and is near in seasons of change.

As they look toward their move in early 2026, the Liddells are asking others to join them as supporters and as prayer partners. The work ahead will require language learning, cultural humility, spiritual discernment, and endurance. Above all, it will require listening closely to the Spirit as they seek to walk faithfully among the people God loves.

God is already at work in Croatia. The Liddells are preparing to join him!

Please pray:

  • For health, strength, and clarity as ongoing medical needs are addressed.
  • For peace and focus as preparations and logistics continue.
  • For language learning and cultural understanding once they arrive.
  • For open hearts in Croatia, that many would encounter Jesus personally.

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]]> https://friendsmission.com/en/prayer/january-2026-prayer-letter/feed/ 0 End of Trip Prayer Update from David Thomas https://friendsmission.com/en/news/end-of-trip-prayer-update-from-david-thomas/ https://friendsmission.com/en/news/end-of-trip-prayer-update-from-david-thomas/#respond Fri, 28 Jan 2022 18:24:22 +0000 https://friendsmission.com/?p=21576 Dear Prayer Partners, Thank you to all of you who were praying for me! This was a wonderful and blessed trip! Here are some things I am thankful for and some things to pray for going forward. I thankful for: Stefanie, Cintia, and Anahi studying the ten-month online Discipling for Development course offered by our […]

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]]> Dear Prayer Partners,

Thank you to all of you who were praying for me! This was a wonderful and blessed trip! Here are some things I am thankful for and some things to pray for going forward.

I thankful for:

  • Stefanie, Cintia, and Anahi studying the ten-month online Discipling for Development course offered by our Atlanta, Georgia D4D team! The call of God into missions on these three (in difficult access countries in Asia and Africa). I want them to have the tools and understanding of planting whole-life discipleship movements as they go out.
  • Stefanie Chambi’s excellent Spanish to English translation skills and her willingness to help us translate the D4D material into Spanish
  • God’s clear movement towards INELA becoming a missions sending denomination.
  • Participating with a great team from the United States, with Roy Lujan, Maria and Edwin Giron, Dan Cammack and Ken Comfort. I am also thankful for Elisabeth and Timoteo Choque hosting us in La Paz.
  • High interest coming out of the six- hour foundations vision casting workshop in Santa Cruz. Lots of questions about how to apply this. Stefanie understanding some of D4D and helping me as scribe to capture all the participants ideas was really helpful.
  • High participation in this workshop. Appreciation for a very different style of adult learning than they are used to.
  • A clear understanding that the gospel really does touch all of life, not just our spiritual lives. And an understanding that we need to disciple and minister accordingly.
  • I’ve got the freedom to communicate and facilitate well in Spanish! I’ve also got all these friendships and connections that might lead to the Navigators being able to start their own interdenominational D4D ministry in Latin America, starting in Bolivia!
  • A clear connection with David Tintaya, his family, and his CCA church which might become our first D4D team.
  • CCA already has a clear mission “Communion, Community, Commission” and all happens in the context of creation (the environment around us). CCA already has participated in some great community outreach activities and is even recognized by the Santa Cruz mayor for this work.
  • They are beginning to understand the value of empowerment, not just doing things for the poor, or giving them things, but instead walking with them and working through the barriers they face together.
  • I am thankful for family friends like Umberto Gutierrez, with whom I have an instant connection and freedom to talk about anything!
  • I am thankful for Illimani showing it’s face from Timoteo Choque’s house and also for getting a left-hand side window flying from La Paz to Santa Cruz with another perfect view of Illimani!

  • I am thankful for an amptapi Aymara community meal on the floor of Villa Alicia, for avas, chuños, tuntas, various potatoes, sweet cooking bananas, aji and strips of fried, salty, country cheese!
  • As far as food I’m also thankful for having my all time favorite meal three times in a row, lunch, supper, and next day lunch. Never can get too much of good Sajta de Pollo! I also enjoyed eating: Papas a la Huancaina, Anticuchos (beef heart skewers), salteñas, chicken foot soup, ‘french-fry soup’ chicken broth with sémola, umintas, and various delicious empanadas, and hot api (sweet purple corn drink).
  • I’m thankful for people praying for me when my stomachache, head ache and altitude all left me miserable and unable to focus the day before my talk at the INELA friends church yearly meeting. I’m thankful people’s prayers helped me break through that barrier allowing me to give my talk, which was facilitating the testimonies of Latin Americans involved in mobilizing their churches into missions.

  • Opportunity to stand in the place my Dad stood in when he looked over the City of La Paz during the first few weeks he was there in 1972. It was here when he recognized the place of his dream with Jesus, as an eight year old child, walking hand in hand on a road where a great city opened up below him on the right side of the road! Umberto and I prayed from that place connecting the blessings of the past with the blessings of now and on into the future. Agreement in prayer between the generations is powerful!
  • Opportunity to celebrate 50-year anniversary of the Hal and Nancy, David and Kristin Thomas family coming to Bolivia on the 20th of January 1972!

 

 

 

 

Pray for:

  • Anahi, Cintia and Stefanie taking the 10-month online D4D course, to learn all they can! To communicate well and improve in English (Anahi and Cintia).
  • Clear ways to apply what they are learning in their contexts.
  • The seeds of gospel truth to germinate and flourish in their lives: God is concerned with all of life, we don’t do things for people, instead we empower them to solve their own problems (giving someone a fish vs teaching them to fish).
  • Wisdom for David, EFM and his navigator partners as they consider the opportunities ahead.
  • Favor in the eyes of leaders, for wisdom, for grace and blessing for Rodiz and Stefanie Chambi as they serve the next two years in the missions sending agency and as they serve ENELA Friends churches seeking to help mobilize them into missions sending.

Bless you!

David Thomas

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]]> https://friendsmission.com/en/news/end-of-trip-prayer-update-from-david-thomas/feed/ 0 Kathi Perry is Back in Ireland! https://friendsmission.com/en/news/kathi-perry-is-back-in-ireland/ https://friendsmission.com/en/news/kathi-perry-is-back-in-ireland/#respond Wed, 19 Jan 2022 19:39:10 +0000 https://friendsmission.com/?p=21516 Celebrate with Kathi as she has returned safely to Ireland by watching this video! If you would like to join in the support for Kathi, there are two ways you can do so- through prayer and through financial giving. You can click here to sign up and join as a prayer partner if you aren’t one […]

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]]> Celebrate with Kathi as she has returned safely to Ireland by watching this video!

If you would like to join in the support for Kathi, there are two ways you can do so- through prayer and through financial giving.

You can click here to sign up and join as a prayer partner if you aren’t one already! If you would like to partner financially you can donate online on her personal EFM webpage here.

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]]> https://friendsmission.com/en/news/kathi-perry-is-back-in-ireland/feed/ 0 2021 Christmas Catalog Stories https://friendsmission.com/en/news/2021-christmas-catalog-stories/ https://friendsmission.com/en/news/2021-christmas-catalog-stories/#respond Thu, 13 Jan 2022 22:36:38 +0000 https://friendsmission.com/?p=21504 Our 2021 Christmas Catalog goal was to reach the world by partnering with Friends and missionaries sharing the true meaning of Christmas all over the world. As you looked through our catalog this year, we were encouraged to hear stories about how your connection with Christ was a blessing to someone else during this Christmas […]

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]]> Our 2021 Christmas Catalog goal was to reach the world by partnering with Friends and missionaries sharing the true meaning of Christmas all over the world. As you looked through our catalog this year, we were encouraged to hear stories about how your connection with Christ was a blessing to someone else during this Christmas season. To kick off our Transformation Thursday stories for 2022, we are sharing a special message we received from a NWYM pastor about our 2021 Christmas Catalog!

” We had a very enjoyable experience with the Christmas Catalog this year. We sent one to each of our four children and asked them to work with their children to decide how to spend our gift money. My mother helped out as well. This gift is for our generation project. Our hope is to cultivate generosity in succeeding generations as we help others in their needs.”

What an amazing gift and legacy to share! Do you have a special story to share from this year’s Christmas catalog? Share your story here, we would love to hear it!

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]]> https://friendsmission.com/en/news/2021-christmas-catalog-stories/feed/ 0 David Thomas January Prayer Update https://friendsmission.com/en/news/david-thomas-january-prayer-update/ https://friendsmission.com/en/news/david-thomas-january-prayer-update/#respond Tue, 11 Jan 2022 22:17:28 +0000 https://friendsmission.com/?p=21494 Dear Prayer Partners, I am currently in Bolivia, participating in a Luke 10 Vision Trip! I would love for your prayer as I travel this month. Please also join me in praying for Jan Cammack who is participating in a Future Missionary Training Trip in Rwanda. Bolivia Trip Purpose of Trip: Invite INELA to join […]

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]]> Dear Prayer Partners,

I am currently in Bolivia, participating in a Luke 10 Vision Trip! I would love for your prayer as I travel this month. Please also join me in praying for Jan Cammack who is participating in a Future Missionary Training Trip in Rwanda.

Bolivia Trip

Purpose of Trip:

Invite INELA to join us in exploring possible new mission fields through our EFM Luke 10 initiative. Encourage INELA leaders to join God on his mission and to mobilize their congregations for missions. For me personally, plant seeds of empowering, whole life discipleship among pastors and YM leaders in La Paz through a couple 1.5-hour workshops, and with leaders in the CCA church in Santa Cruz through a seven-hour workshop and Sunday morning service. Build relationships.

 Praises:

  • Three young ladies (Stefanie Chambi, Cintia Huayhua and Anahi Tintaya) are taking the Navigators 10-month, online Discipling for Development training starting this January. Pray for them to engage deeply with God’s Word, and with principles and practices of whole-life discipleship that they can apply to their missionary work wherever God sends them for their whole lives.
  • I especially appreciate a growing friendship with David Tintaya and with Rodiz and Stefanie Chambi. We have been meeting since the summer looking at how to influence INELA towards missions and whole-life discipleship.

Prayer requests:

  • Pray for great connections with friends and leaders and for sensitivity to God-appointments, and what he is doing in each person.
  • Pray for health and strength in the high altitude and that we would not get any stomach bugs. Pray also for protection from COVID-19.
  • Pray for God’s blessing over whole-life discipleship seeds planted, that they would grow and bear fruit in the right people, and especially in the CCA church.
  • Pray for my ease in Spanish, for clear thinking and communication and for excellent facilitation of the seminars and classes I’m teaching.

Jan Cammack’s Rwanda Trip

Purpose of Trip:

Invite Rwanda and Burundi yearly meetings to join us in EFM’s new vision of establishing 5 new fields with 10 new households by the end of 2025. We currently have 10 possible new mission fields and we are hoping Rwanda will join us in the South Sudan/Ethiopia venture and Burundi in the Tanzania exploration. This is also a time for Jan and Emmy to explore more their sense of call possibly to this region.

Praises:

  • God is still in the business of calling people into cross-cultural missions. We have over 100 people on a list of prospective future missionaries. Thank God for Jan and Emmy exploring this call on this trip.
  • I am especially grateful for godly leaders we have in both the Burundi and Rwanda yearly meetings, and I am grateful for Brad Carpenter and his focus to equip Rwandan’s going into cross-cultural ministry outside of their countries. I’m also grateful for Matt Macy and his EFM leadership and passion for missions. Also, Kevin Hoppock has given the EFM board valuable leadership and support over the years. This is a group God is moving in & bringing together.

Prayer requests:

  • Pray for blessing on Jan and Emmy and the families they will be visiting at the beginning of the trip. They get to stay with some of my very good friends and experience their lives.
  • Pray for safety in all their travels, and for health, including protection from COVID-19.
  • Pray for God’s blessing and guidance on all leaders involved in the two days of meetings in both Rwanda and Burundi. Pray for them to catch and own a missionary sending vision.
  • Pray for wisdom, blessing and encouragement for Matt, Kevin as they meet with leaders involved in the Rwandan Pastors Development Fund focused on small businesses.

 

 

 

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]]> https://friendsmission.com/en/news/david-thomas-january-prayer-update/feed/ 0 Happy New Year from Rwanda! https://friendsmission.com/en/news/happy-new-year-from-rwanda/ https://friendsmission.com/en/news/happy-new-year-from-rwanda/#respond Wed, 05 Jan 2022 23:10:50 +0000 https://friendsmission.com/?p=21474 Dear Prayer Partners, Happy New Year 2022! We hope and pray that you are aware of God’s love and peace around and in you in these days. It is so amazing to spend time focused on God’s gift of Jesus, “God-with-us”!!! The past year has been great in some ways and quite difficult in other […]

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]]> Dear Prayer Partners,

Happy New Year 2022! We hope and pray that you are aware of God’s love and peace around and in you in these days. It is so amazing to spend time focused on God’s gift of Jesus, “God-with-us”!!! The past year has been great in some ways and quite difficult in other ways. But through it all, we praise God that he is with us!

It has been encouraging to hear testimony from pastors and others that we have discipled in D for D. We have heard great stories of how some took times of lockdown to be more intentional in discipling their kids to be whole-life disciples of Jesus. When churches were closed, many in our groups started times of worship and Bible study with their families. Some pastors have shared how God helped provide for all of their needs through very difficult financial times due to COVID-19. Many people have not had enough to eat, but God has helped these pastors to steward what what he gives them and they have continued to have enough.

Yesterday two women from the U.S. arrived in Rwanda and will be here for almost three weeks. They are both seeking direction from God about a sense of being called to be missionaries. Would you please pray with us for their time with us?

Next week we will be visited by a few EFM leaders who will be with us in important conversations about God’s mission to bring people in all nations to himself with the Evangelical Friends of Rwanda and then in Burundi with Evangelical Friends there. Would you please pray for those conversations? The Rwanda meeting will be on the 13th and 14th. The Burundi meeting will be on the 17th and 18th. Please pray that God will raise up African Friends to go as missionaries and that the churches will catch the vision for taking the gospel to the nations!

Please pray for blessing in conversations, for the Lord to speak to these future missionaries, our safety in trips (COVID-19 is spreading rapidly in this part of the world as it is elsewhere), and for my family as I will be in Burundi for several days and then mandatory quarantine when I return to Rwanda.

Brad

 

 

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]]> https://friendsmission.com/en/news/happy-new-year-from-rwanda/feed/ 0 January 2021 A. and M. A. Udpate https://friendsmission.com/en/news/january-2021-a-and-m-a-udpate/ https://friendsmission.com/en/news/january-2021-a-and-m-a-udpate/#respond Thu, 11 Feb 2021 23:04:43 +0000 https://friendsmission.com/?p=19796 Bangladesh Newsletter | January 2021 “What shall I return to the Lord for all his goodness to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord”. Psalm 116:12-13 We have just said “bye bye” to 2020 and welcomed 2021. We can also echo with David “what shall we return to the Lord for all […]

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Bangladesh Newsletter | January 2021

“What shall I return to the Lord for all his goodness to me?

I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord”. Psalm 116:12-13

We have just said “bye bye” to 2020 and welcomed 2021. We can also echo with David “what shall we return to the Lord for all his goodness for us?” God is good all the time. He is faithful. He is the caring God. We can do nothing without him. There are numerous blessings and kindness we have received last year. The great blessing is that we are still alive until today.

Let me share some of the ministry activities in brief.

Friends Church Multiplication Seminar: We had arranged the Friends Church Multiplication seminar for our pastors and leaders from 16-17 December. 25 attended this seminar and we translated and contextualized the workshop “Becoming a Multiplying Mother Church” into Bangla. We had group discussion, teamwork, and took some action steps. We prayed together by touching our country map. We want to see multiplying Friends Churches in every district in Bangladesh.
Radio Bible Study Home Group Training: We have developed another partnership ministry with TWR Bangladesh. They came to our training center and led a short training seminar about Radio Bible study home group with pastors and lay leaders. They also gave us instruments to lead Radio Bible study home groups in our communities. We are so glad that we have received Santali (one of the tribal groups in Bangladesh) audio bible study materials for our Santali church. Pray that many home bible study group can be developed by our lay leaders and disciples.
Community Christmas Party Training Seminar: December is the busiest ministry month for us. We try to maximize our time sharing the gospel in various ways. The Community Christmas Party is one of them. We planned to do 50 Community Christmas Parties where there are no Christians. We developed Christmas Party materials and trained our volunteers. They then joyfully organize those Christmas parties in their own community.
Community Christmas Party: We held 47 Community Christmas Parties. 2,209 people heard the gospel and many showed interest to know more about Jesus. Pray that our pastors and lay leaders can do the follow-up.
Blanket Distribution: Thank you so much for sharing your love by giving blankets to our believers as well as non-believers.
New Year Fellowship with a Persecuted Believer Family: Thank the Lord that we have wonderful fellowship with a persecuted believer family. They became very encouraged and felt joy of fellowship with many believers after many months of physical meetings.

Thank you so much being a faithful ministry partner by praying and giving for past years. Your sincere partnership and generosity will help reach many lost souls in Bangladesh. May the Lord bless you and guide you and use you for his own glory. Immanuel.

A. and M. A.

Bangladesh

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]]> https://friendsmission.com/en/news/january-2021-a-and-m-a-udpate/feed/ 0 January 2021 Sarkar Newsletter https://friendsmission.com/en/news/january-2021-sarkar-newsletter/ https://friendsmission.com/en/news/january-2021-sarkar-newsletter/#respond Thu, 28 Jan 2021 20:29:43 +0000 https://friendsmission.com/?p=19639 Newsletter Evangelical Friends Mission Kolkata October-December 2020 Greetings in his matchless name. 2020 has gone and when we look back, the year was not good for us. But we believe that God is in control and that he controls everything. After many losses, by his grace, we came to the end of 2020. Now, we praise […]

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Newsletter

Evangelical Friends Mission Kolkata

October-December 2020

Greetings in his matchless name. 2020 has gone and when we look back, the year was not good for us. But we believe that God is in control and that he controls everything. After many losses, by his grace, we came to the end of 2020. Now, we praise the Almighty for his wonderful care for us. Personally, I lost my brother and his wife. My brother was an important leader of EFM Kolkata.

By the grace of God, our work is continuing. For four months (March-June), the church was closed, but we met in house fellowships. The number of attenders at house fellowships was very limited, but the number of house fellowships grew. Each of our staff and pastors worked hard to preach in different house fellowships.

We had regular Skype meetings with our staff. Finally, we opened our churches on the first Sunday of July. Our coaching classes opened in July as well. In October, our staff was able to be together in Kolkata where we planned how to organize our Christmas program.

We had a two-fold goal: 1) To encourage our members and churches to submit themselves to his hand and support the church; and 2) to preach the good news through the house fellowships. By the grace of God, the result was good. Many people came to Jesus and some even accepted him by taking a public testimony of baptism. In Kolkata there were eight people, in Shyamnagar there were nineteen, and in Malda there were six. Praise the Lord!

Though the churches were affected by COVID-19, we had the opportunity to hold Christmas programs in different places. When many churches were closed, the Friends Churches opened for everyone, which made our gatherings wonderful. Special Christmas programs on the open streets were also very good. I am sharing some pictures of the open Christmas programs below for your enjoyment. Please pray for our churches and ministers. God bless you.

Yours in Christ,

D. K. and Choity Sarkar

West Bengal, India

Celebration in Shyamnagar F. C.
Celebration in Bhadreswar F. C.
Celebration on Kolkata Street
Our Kolkata Team

Celebration in Krishnapur, Malda
Celebration in Gopalpur, Malda
Celebration in Gosaba F. C.
Celebration in Gazole, Malda
Celebration in Uttarakhand

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]]> https://friendsmission.com/en/news/january-2021-sarkar-newsletter/feed/ 0 Carpenter Deputation News | January 2021 https://friendsmission.com/en/news/carpenter-deputation-news/ https://friendsmission.com/en/news/carpenter-deputation-news/#respond Wed, 20 Jan 2021 20:35:30 +0000 https://friendsmission.com/?p=19580 The Latest Brad is experiencing some healing progress in his back and neck; he and Chelsea have been busy with medical appointments, deputation work, and family life. We have started connecting with a few churches and supporters, and look forward to connecting with many more as the month progresses. Sarai (8) is doing schoolwork from her school […]

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]]> The Latest
Brad is experiencing some healing progress in his back and neck; he and Chelsea have been busy with medical appointments, deputation work, and family life. We have started connecting with a few churches and supporters, and look forward to connecting with many more as the month progresses. Sarai (8) is doing schoolwork from her school in Rwanda, Gideon (5) is attending a local preschool 3 mornings a week, though he recently stayed home for several weeks due to COVID. Ian (9 months) is really enjoying practicing walking and loves being with his family. We are very thankful for time with family over the Christmas holidays!

Goal Updates

Prayer Partners – 693 out of 1,000
Financial Commitments – 93%
The financial commitments percentage assumes that each financial partner will be able to continue giving in the same way. We are in the process of checking with our existing partners about this (if you haven’t already let us know, you can just hit reply to this email to tell us. Thank you!)

 

If you’re not already, would you prayerfully consider making a monthly giving commitment (even a few dollars) towards a whole-life disciple-making movement in Africa? One-time gifts are important, but monthly giving commitments help us be able to go back to and remain in Africa. Here’s a link to our EFM donation page: https://catalog.friendsmission.com/carpenter.

Praise and Prayer

  1. We praise God for the healing and relief that has been gradually taking place in Brad’s back and neck.
  2. We praise God for the safe and healthy place our whole family is in right now.
  3. We praise God for His people who are willing to invest in His work around the world, including in Africa.
  1. Please pray for our Rwandan colleagues, who are both experiencing their own difficulties due to COVID and also leading their people in and through difficulties.
  2. Please pray for our friend Egidie, the wife of a long-time Rwandan friend, who needs medical help after the birth of their first baby.
  3. Please continue to pray for Brad’s healing and for wisdom for next steps in the process.
Thank you all so much for your prayer and support! We hope to send another update in a couple weeks
Love,
Brad & Chelsea
Sarai, Gideon, and Ian

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]]> https://friendsmission.com/en/news/carpenter-deputation-news/feed/ 0 January 2021 Prayer Letter https://friendsmission.com/en/prayer/january-2021-prayer-letter/ https://friendsmission.com/en/prayer/january-2021-prayer-letter/#comments Mon, 04 Jan 2021 17:38:47 +0000 https://friendsmission.com/?p=19467 Deuteronomy 18:4 “You shall give him the first fruits of your grain, your new wine, and your oil, and the first shearing of your sheep.” As we look forward to 2021, our prayer is that we look forward to what new journeys the Lord has in store for us and what new “First Fruits” will […]

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Deuteronomy 18:4

“You shall give him the first fruits of your grain, your new wine, and your oil,

and the first shearing of your sheep.”

As we look forward to 2021, our prayer is that we look forward to what new journeys the Lord has in store for us and what new “First Fruits” will we deliver this year?

2020 has been a challenge to us in many ways: personal, physical, and spiritual. For us, it was the separation from family and friends. Although we could Zoom and see our family and friends, the shared meals and free-flowing conversations, just not the same. Spiritually there is something about physical presence that is enlivening, for instance, a touch of the hand, a hug, or the kiss of friendship and love.

So what does this have to do with the First Fruits in Deuteronomy 18:4? It has to deal with his presence amid challenges. The livelihood projects from 2020 occurred in such a manner that we were not personally present. Normally we would visit the various sites to encourage and share in whatever was taking place, both highs, and lows. Yet, we were able to share the concerns and joys in and through his presence. And in the end, the simple bag of rice from the Capiz Friends Church farming project confirmed this to us. One of the interesting events of bringing the first fruits of the harvest to the temple was the joy of being with so many family and friends that you had not seen and the meeting of new friends. This has shown us that we can take joy in knowing that we will be together again, in this life or the next. The pictured bag of rice (below) is from Capiz’s first harvest.

Spiritually, we have seen this as a time of increased study of the Word and prayer. Social Media has opened the door for us to be more intimate in praying for one another. Often someone will post the need for prayer; the overwhelming responses are a testament to God’s people sharing these burdens, sometimes with the simple response-Praying. Students in our FEAST school are committed to grow and learn as well. They seized the moment to dive into studies that they might not do otherwise, had there not been a pandemic.

So, as we look forward to 2021 and all the new challenges that we face, our prayer is that whatever you will face, remember that you do so in, and with, the presence of the Lord. Look forward in Joy, to bringing whatever “First Fruits” that will come out of your life; as you bring them to the Altar of the Lord.

Please Pray…

  • For the physical opportunity to travel to our various ministry sites soon.
  • For new opportunities to bring Glory and Honor to Christ in our lives and ministry.
  • For FEAST as we develop new residential and online classes, as well as reproducible resources in Tagalog and English.

Click Here to Download Full Prayer Letter…

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