Myers Weekly Prayer Letter

You will find in your “closet of prayer” what you frequently lose when you are out in the world. The more you visit it, the more you will want to return. If you are faithful to your secret place, it will become your closest friend and bring your much comfort. The tears shed there bring cleansing.
--Thomas A. Kempis

With courage and the help of directions and their GPS, Todd and Deborah Hoskins made their way to Jo’burg on Tuesday. Wednesday they flew to Burkina Faso to begin their time of learning to live in Africa as well as developing relationships with the African people. Pray the Lord will continue to prepare them each day during their intensive African training. Pray each day will be full of wonderful blessings. 40/40 concludes on the 19th of November.

My computer is still in the shop. The processor needs to be replaced (again) and the technicians are having difficulty finding a chip that is needed. I am still using Wayne’s old laptop. The technicians hope to have the computer running sometime soon or as the Africans say, “Anytime from now!” L Pray I will soon have my computer back from the shop!!

--Today begins the third children’s camp (October 22-24) at the Mphungwane Baptist Church. The theme is “Let Us Talk To God.” The children will spend time listening to stories on Christ, Daniel and Hannah, worshipping Friday and Saturday evening using the Resurrection Eggs, singing, reading/acting out stories in the Bible, playing, coloring and having a good time. (I will be pitching my tent Friday and Saturday night.)
Through their camp experience, pray each child will be touched by the Lord.

--The Maphungwane Baptist Church will also conduct a baptism service Sunday morning. Pray as the church continues to reach the loss in the community. Pray for these being baptized to be committed to the Christian way of living.

--Wayne and I are looking forward to our four days and three nights at the Kruger National Game Reserve next week (Oct. 26-29). Please pray it will be a relaxing and peaceful experience.

NOVEMBER MINISTRY EVENTS:
--The Swazi Team meets on the 2nd of November (minus the Hoskins attending 40/40). This is the first team meeting in several months. Pray as the team discusses future ministries and other business.

--The executive committee of the Baptist Convention of Swaziland meets Saturday Nov. 4th. Pray for the committee as they continue to discuss and plan future ministries and events.

-November 13th, the Shiselweni Baptist Association will meet at the Velebantfu Baptist Church. Pray as this association continues to organize to meet on a regular basis.

--November 14th, the Thunzini Baptist Church will host a licensing service for their pastor, Nkosingiphile Dlamini. Pastor Dlamini has led this church for many years and is a strong leader and committed Christian. Pray for this very special service and the Lord will continue to bless Nkosingiphile and the Thunzini Baptist Church.

SWAZI TEAM PRAYER CONCERNS:
-- Continue to remember Wayne’s sister, Patsy suffering from COPD and on oxygen. His brother Terry recently had his gall bladder removed. Pray his quarterly tests for the return of stage 4 cancer will show his cancer in remission. Pray for Wayne’s oldest brother having health issues related to his diabetes. Pray for Barbara’s brother-in-law as he continues to recover from his herniated disc surgery in 2009.

--Please pray for the Allen family each Sunday as they worship with their Swazi brothers and sisters in the different Baptist churches. Swazis do not always attend church as a family and Steve and Monica want to be a strong example to those around them. The hard part is Nathan (2-year old) does not like to sit still very long and it can be quite challenging.

---Please continue to pray the rains will be plentiful throughout Swaziland. Pray the Swazi’s field of mealies will receive enough rain to provide food until the next growing season.

***Do You Know?
Under which executive secretary of the Foreign Mission Board did both the missionary force and the number of mission fields triple?
Answer: Baker James Cauthen, 1954-1979

The sun was shining on the sparkling waters of the San Francisco Bay when the Costa Rica steamed out at noon September 1, 1873. A cluster of long-faced missionaries of several denominations, all bound for the Orient, waved good-bye from the rear of the ship. These missionaries never expected to see the shore of America again or to embrace the loved ones left there. Lottie Moon although on board, did not stand with this group. She had measured the realities of her departure weeks before. She was commissioned to stay in China until total breakdown or death. So she had cut her ties in Virginia and shed her tears along the central railroad route to the Pacific. Now the pain of leaving dimmed behind the future’s bright glow. (From the book, The New Lottie Moon Story, 1980)
It is time for your church to start promoting and setting a goal for the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. Pray for the faithfulness of Southern Baptist churches to give to the 2010 LMCO so missionaries can be sent to minister to many lost and dying people and nations.

PRAYER REQUESTS FROM IMB OFFICE OF GLOBAL PRAYER STRATEGY:
--Please continue praying for the IMB’s Presidential Search Committee as they seek God’s man to lead our organization.

AIDS UPDATE:
“The Lord will heal me. I don’t need to take my ARVs.” ARVs basically prolong the life of one with the AIDS virus. There is no cure for AIDS but with the help of these drugs patients live their lives as though they do not have AIDS. One of our friends told us that he feels the Lord has healed him and he no longer needs to take the ARVs. We pray that is so but the condition of his body tells us a different story. He has also convinced another friend with the AIDS virus that the Lord will heal him, and he too has quit taking the drugs. Pray the Lord will truly speak to these two concerning their future treatment of the AIDS virus. May He continue to lead and guide His children that walk the dark and uncertain path of AIDS.
--Remember www.inhomecarekits.org is your contact site to help fill kits that help families care for their loved ones with AIDS. You or your church’s help is needed to supply enough kits to meet the requests from IMB missionaries ministering to AIDS victims. Please pray about this critical need.

This week’s country focus: PORTUGAL:
- There has been little concern for world evangelization amongst Portuguese churches, even with the unique role they have to play with the Portuguese language being used widely in mission fields throughout the world. Pray for a burden for missions amongst Portuguese Christians.
-Estimated 90% of the population consult spirit mediums and witches. The teachings of Jehovah Witnesses, Mormons and New Age philosophies have gained a wide hearing. Pray for many people to be released and for discerning Christian leaders to be able to expose these false doctrines.
-Young people in Portugal are often spiritually neglected. Over 50% of them have experimented with drugs in some way. Pray for those working with drug addicts, and that the eyes of young people would be opened to the dangers inherent with drug dependency.
- (Information from The Ultimate Goal (TUG) a project of SASCOL and is the outreach initiative taking place during June and July 2010.)