Mid-week pause to breathe and pray: IRON SOUL NEEDED!

It is Thursday, which I suppose is a bit past mid-week, but since the event-of-the-year (for us) is planned for Monday the week seems to stretch ahead until then. For the first time in days I’m at my desk, and with so many things to do it seemed wise to start with gathering prayer. So here is a posting of a prayer request email, for any readers who would be willing to pray. Thanks. Let my cry come right into your presence, GOD; Provide me with the insight that comes only from your Word. Give my request your personal attention, Rescue me on the terms of your promise. Let praise cascade off my lips; After all, you’ve taught me the truth about life! Invigorate my soul so I can praise you well, Use your decrees to put iron in my soul. Psalm 119:169ff (last section, tau), The Message Dear Praying Friends, I rarely get to the end of Psalm 119, its length is rather intimidating. But this week these verses jumped off the page for me. I need iron in my soul! My tired heart needs invigorating in order to praise! Please pray these verses for us, and for yourselves, with the same attitude of desperation and aggressive expectation that the psalmist uses. Because the last few weeks have been a weary struggle, and we are far from the rest time of late August! Pray for souls of iron.

1. PRAY for the dedication of the Paediatric/Maternity Ward on Monday. The American Ambassador, some Ugandan members of parliament, our district leadership, health center staff, choirs, drama groups, and probably a couple of hundred people from the general public, will all gather for this event. It is an opportunity to give testimony to God’s faithfulness and care, and to appeal to the government for justice and mercy in the health system. Pray that Scott would speak clearly and in a way that glorifies God. You can also pray for SUN (we’ve heard it still exists but haven’t seen it all week, so the place is a sopping muddy mess) to dry the airstrip, for enough food to go around, and for the general delicate dance of empowering the health center staff to take charge of the party yet being on top of details enough that we feel WHM is well represented by the outcome.
2. PRAY for Christ School: peace, reconciliation, maturity. Today is the first day of normal class after the two-week process of closing, meeting with the board, investigating, interrogating, testifying, meetings with parents, etc. In the end 8 students were dismissed as instigators of violence and instability; one suspended temporarily; and the rest are back in class. I sat through 2 1/2 of the 4 day-long meetings with parents. There was a lot of sadness for me as the problems were described again and again, and some encouragement as parents thanked Kevin and the board for averting disaster. The students were roundly chastised by all, so there may be some sense in which the events increased community support for the staff and administration, and showed students that their demands and threats will not achieve their goals. But pray now for real growth, real maturity, on all sides, for a sense of unity between teachers and students, rather than being enemies. In the last meeting a young man who is now in university lamented the lack of parenting in the culture as a root of the problems (amusingly his example of good parenting was describing Scott taking to task a speeding motorcycle driver who endangered our kids as they rode up the road together on bicycles, because he was a father who was with his kids, aware of the dangers, and willing to step in!). Pray for wisdom as the Pierces and Bartkoviches in particular ponder discipling staff to be real leaders, able to discipline in love, able to exercise authority without damaging displays of power. Pray for all the staff and team who interact with students in class and cell groups, to encourage their hearts in godly directions. And praise God with us that the school could re-open, and that none of my children’s good friends had to leave, which would have been devastatingly difficult for us and them.
3. PRAY for our TEAM to be gracious and invigorated souls as we move through a challenging summer. With nearly 40 people to care for and be aware of . . . Scott and I need some of that soul iron just to love and lead our team. We have five great interns and you can join us in praying that their final few weeks will open their eyes to God’s character in new ways, and confirm any call He may have upon their futures. Pat Abbott returns from her six month HMA later today (YEAHHH!!!!). Last week we were visited by a team of 21 Americans on a mission trip through another church; plus a group from SIL launching the book of Acts newly translated into Lubwisi. Next week we have another student group from the US Naval Academy (Pierce’s connection) visiting for a couple of days. Others have had family and friend visitors. In a place where transportation and food and basic necessities of life require hours of planning and effort, the visits do take a toll. On the other hand we are thankful for the blessings these people are bringing to us and others and thankful to be able to facilitate. But you can pray for stamina. All of this activity also comes in the context of transition for our team as the Massos pursue leading a new team into Sudan about 18 months from now. Pray that we would have faith to wait upon the Lord as things around us change.
4. PRAY for PROVISION of food for children who are sick and hungry. Since World Food Program pulled out of Bundibugyo, thanks to Karen, Pamela, and Stephanie’s efforts and many of your responses we’ve managed to continue to provide nutritional supplements to the neediest: babies whose mothers have died, children infected with HIV, families with few resources who just can’t manage to get enough calories. However this week two significant things happened to make us pretty desperate on this front: UNICEF officially rejected a funding request that had been in their hands for many months, and we used the last of our current resources. Stephanie is frantically working on another proposal for The Stewardship Foundation, but that is far from certain. It costs our mission about 30 thousand dollars/year to buy peanut paste, milk, oil, and sugar for high-calorie rescues and milking goats and egg-laying chickens for sustainable change. We know God cares more for the orphans and poor than we do, so pray that we would see how He wants us to proceed.
5. PRAY for teachers—we’re looking for two young men!! Praise God that we have Ashley Wood and Sarah Reber coming to teach at Rwenzori Mission School in the Fall, and their support-raising is in full swing. John and Loren Clark with baby Bryan (development) and Heidi Lutjens (nurse) were also approved for apprenticeships to begin in early/mid 2008. But we still have a need for a full-time RMS and a full-time CSB position, and want to pray that God would send us two young men. Perhaps they would both teach both places half-time? Pray.

Let these cries come right into God’s presence as you plead for Him to act. We’d like to see an amazing dedication party, real spiritual growth at CSB, a thriving team, surprisingly abundant food funds, and the sudden appearance of two young men who want to come and teach. But if not . . . .pray that we would still praise the One who invigorates our souls, who gives us the iron to endure and wait. With gratefulness and love, Jennifer for the team