Prayers From Around the World

I have been anticipating this trip for a long time.  Excited is an understatement.  I cannot wait to see what God will do with our team.  Sometimes we have grown a little wary because everything has gone relatively smoothly.  That is not to say that there have not been some attacks, mind you!  It is great to know that we serve a God that is bigger than anything that comes against us. 

Personally, I am amazed by the wonderful support of our family, friends, and the congregation of Grace Chapel of the Coast from Oceanside, CA.  Although, I don't know why I should be so amazed.  They have helped me with many other projects and outreaches.  They are more amazing than I am amazed!

God's timing is always amazing, too.  I receive daily emails from Sanctuary First (a group from Scotland) that contains a prayer and a Bible verse.  The prayers come from all around the world via missionaries or people at their home-base praying for the peoples in other countries.  This weekend I received one that had a prayer for Zambia that I just have to share with you. 

Blessings,
Christine Mulligan

Zambia
God of all days, blessings and praise to you, on this cold dry Mwandi morning
As the winter sun’s golden light casts gum-tree shadows on the piebald sand.
Beside the Zambezi with its wide water, silver dunes and narrow waterways,
White cattle egrets and mewing fish eagles shall be glad
The reeds, the rising riverbank and flat island pastures, the velvet bush and scarlet bougainvillea shall rejoice and blossom.
We give thanks for this moment’s bliss and awe in the beauty of your creation
And the perspective brought to our life in this gift of solitude with you at the start of the day.

For our brothers and sisters we will meet today with all their diverse needs we commit them all to you. The Aids patient, the widow, the orphan, the destitute, the oppressed, victims of violence, injustice and exploitation, the rejected and marginalized.

Let your presence in us support them, let them know they are loved and treasured as we are.
Sweeten our bitterness, soften our hard hearts and guide us in our confusion.
Help us to encourage the sick and to comfort the dying and broken-hearted.
Help us to be bringers of laughter and joy, compassion and forgiveness.

To share food, clothes, medicine, money, trust, friendship and knowledge and stir that new growth of love within us so we are blessed by those we bless.

We thank you for our call to Mission and praise you for the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Amen
By Keith & Ida Waddell

Scripture of the day: Mark 1:35-39