Myers Weekly Prayer Letter

Please pray for Nathan Curtis Allen on his second birthday, March 7th.

VOLUNTEER TEAM UPDATE:
-After a wonderful weekend at the Kruger National Game Reserve, the volunteer team from First Baptist, Washington, North Carolina boarded the plane for their return flight to the states around 5:00pm (Jo’burg time) today. It is a very long flight, so please pray each member of the team will be able to rest during the flight. May each remember the wonderful blessings the Lord provided during their time of ministry in Swaziland.

-Revival services ended on Friday at the Vuvulane and Mafacula Baptist Churches. Several made decisions to follow Christ, others showed a desire to know how to be a child of the King and others recommitted their lives to the Lord. Please pray for each of these who made some sort of decision during the revival services. Pray revival will continue in the communities of Vuvulane and Mafacula.

--To add to last week’s snake stories, yesterday during our time of looking for animals and birds at the Kruger Game Reserve, we stopped at the Olifants Camp for a restroom break and purchase of refreshments when Wayne spotted a very young snake. At first he thought it was dead but upon further exploration, saw that the snake was in the process of eating a lizard. Needless to say, several in our party ran to get their cameras and we all watched (some with interest others with horror) as the snake slowly swallowed the poor helpless lizard. Not only did we watch intently but so did a rock monitor lizard not too far away. When all our attention was turned to him, he quickly scampered up the building and onto the roof. Truly that was enough excitement for one day!!

--Saturday March 6 the executive committee of the Baptist Convention of Swaziland meets. Planning for the National Swazi Baptist Easter Services will continue. Pray for unity in the planning of this event. Pray soon all logistics will be finalized.

--Steve and Monica Allen are scheduled to begin their stateside assignment on the 25th of March. Pray their flight (with two small children) will not be too stressful and the children will be able to tolerate confined spaces and long periods of sitting. Pray while in the states the family will have times of rest and refreshment with family and friends.

--Pray for Alan and Belinda Jordan who will be “filling in” for the Allens during their stateside assignment (March 25th-end of September) as they leave the US March 16th arriving in Johannesburg March 17th and then onto Swaziland on the 19th of March. Pray for their final preparations and travel and their reconnecting with the Swazi people.

--Next month (April 1-4) the National Easter Services will meet in Manzini. This yearly special event begins the day before Good Friday and ends on Easter Sunday with approximately 200 people attending. The past two years incidents have occurred that have threatened the life of our Baptist churches and the Baptist Convention of Swaziland. Pray this year’s services will have a spiritual foundation and will reflect the true Resurrection message. Pray those attending will seek the Lord’s direction and guidance in their thoughts and beliefs.

Our next volunteer team from the South Roanoke Association in North Carolina arrives the end of April to minister in the Lawhawheni area of Swaziland. A Baptist church was begun in this area by this association a couple of years ago. Pray for this team as they prepare to continue with follow-up ministries with the Lawhawheni Baptist Church and community. Pray for each member of this team as they prepare for his/her time of reaching the lost and encouraging believers.

Today upon our return to Swaziland from the Kruger National Game Reserve, we received a letter from the Swazican office that has the lease on the house where we currently are living. The letter flatly stated due to reorganization of Swazican, our lease would not be renewed (due to the need of this house for managerial employee) and we have two months to leave. A slightly smaller house has been offered to us by Swazican. To say this was a shock is an understatement. We just finished moving to this house after our return from stateside assignment in January. To pack up and move again is something we did not think we would have to do or even want to do until retirement!! Please pray for us as we begin repacking boxes and preparing to move. Pray also for wisdom on whether to accept the house offered or look at other housing options.

SPECIAL MEDICAL PRAYER REQUESTS:
1. Wayne’s sister Patsy Collins was in the hospital for pneumonia and COPD. She has a follow-up visit in March. Pray she will be able to breathe without difficulty and will have full recovery from her illnesses.
2. -My sister’s husband (Pete Rutledge) is still recovering from his herniated disc surgery. Pray Pete will soon be able to move and walk without difficulty.
3. -Pray for Terry (Wayne’s brother dealing with stage 4 cancer) and his wife Darlene as they go through a time of uncertainty.
4. -Pray for my nephew-in-law’s mother diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s Disease.

AIDS UPDATE:
According to the National Emergency Response Council on HIV/AIDS in Swaziland, 38 percent of the children in Swaziland are raised by single mothers while only 21 percent of children have both parents. HIV infection rate is stable at the moment but still faithfulness in relationships and prevention measures still remain a challenge. Pray Christian Swazis will teach their children and grandchildren the ways of the Lord. Pray the Christian way of living will touch more lives in the Swazi Baptist churches and communities.

PRAYER FOR HAITI:
“Steve” is seventeen. Dad’s unreliable. Mom’s dead. The only relative he has is his aunt, who was injured during the earthquake in Haiti. She died three days later and now he has no one, no home, no food, no clothes, nothing.
Missionary Sam York is helping at the hospital where the aunt died and Steve starts following Sam and helping him get supplies, run errands, transport bodies, work on water for the hospital, etc. It looks like Skipper and Gilligan walking everywhere. Steve sleeps in Sam’s car. Sam brings food from the restaurant for Steve. Steve already knows that Jesus loves him because that love has been demonstrated through the local missionary.
-Please pray for all the new street kids to find help, hope and Jesus, before they become calloused and cunning.
-Ask God how you and your congregation can offer the love of Jesus to orphaned children in your community. (Today’s Prayer)

The biggest event coming up in South Africa is the FIFA World Cup 2010 that starts June 11th
And ends on July 11th. Over 32 countries have qualified to send their football (soccer) teams to South Africa. Please pray for the many events that Christians all over this country are planning to reach out to those who are coming this way or reach out to South Africans. Pray for safety for everyone that comes. Pray all the events planned as outreach will glorify the Lord.