December Prayer Calendar

DECEMBER 2010 PRAYER CALENDAR
The Swazi Team

Wednesday December 1: WORLD AIDS DAY!! Today Lacie Allen graduates from Grade 0/kindergarten. Pray for Lacie as she finishes up one school and starts a new one in January.

Thursday December 2: Yesterday was World AIDS Day. The pandemic in Africa continues to take many lives. How can you help? Pray for a cure for HIV/AIDS that would be readily available worldwide. Pack a Home Health Care Kit-this is a hospice care kit packed in a 5-gallon bucket that gives hope and dignity to someone who is terminally ill.. and most importantly gives them the opportunity to see and hear God’s love for them. www.inhomecarekit.org

Friday December 3: WEEK OF PRAYER FOR INTERNATION MISSIONS AND LOTTIE MOON CHRISTMAS OFFERING November 28-December 5: $3,315 was the amount in 1887 for the first Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. Your church involvement in this offering provides for your IMB missionaries’ day-to-day needs. Because you give sacrificially, your missionaries can spend their time reaching lost people. The offering comprises 53 percent of the IMB’s total income and every penny goes to missionaries and their ministries. In 2006 cost of supporting a missionary: $.08 a minute, $4.66 an hour, $111.96 a day, $785.90 a week, $3,405.55 a month, $40,866.61 a year. Pray the 2010 LMCO goal will be reached so missionaries can continue to be sent to reach the world’s people missing from God’s family.

Saturday December 4: Praise the Lord that Steven Allen was able to have his appendix removed in South Africa last month. He is getting “his feet back beneath him again.” Continue to pray for his complete healing.

Sunday December 5: Pray for godly, strong and faithful leaders to take a stand for Christ and press on against deep rooted cultural beliefs as well as expectations from the family. Pray for a strong leader for every Swazi Baptist church.

Monday December 6: December 6-11 the Ntuthwakazi Baptist Church (Shiselweni region) is conducting revival services. Pray the members of the church will experience true revival. Pray many lost in the community will hear the gospel message and respond.

Tuesday December 7: Larry and Dianne Randolph, member care missionaries will visit the Swazi Team December 7-9. Pray for Larry and Dianne as they touch base with the Myers, Allens and Hoskins. Pray for good fellowship and good visits.

Wednesday December 8: Todd and Deborah Hoskins began two month culture and language study on the 30th of November. Pray for a clear understanding concerning the culture and traditions that shape the lives of the Swazi people. Pray Todd and Deborah will also be able to learn a bit of the siSwati language.

Thursday December 9: The Allens report many Swazis are waiting baptism and ask for prayer for the right weather and opportunities for different churches to have their new believers follow Christ in believer’s baptism. One special person also waiting to be baptized is their daughter, Lacie. Lacie wanted to return to Swaziland to be baptized. Pray Lacie understands the importance of baptism in her life.

Friday December 10: The Swazi Team has been blessed with good volunteer teams that have worked with within strategy to help reach Swaziland for Christ as well as teach and disciple believers. Both the Allens and Myes have volunteer teams scheduled to work and minister in 2011 in Swaziland. Pray as teams plan to come to Swaziland prayerful preparation will be part of the planning. Pray for the anticipation of wonderful blessings.

Saturday December 11: Chris Msibi and S’phesihle Sithole are getting married today. Chris is currently teaching primary students as well as attending classes to receive his degree (currently has a certificate to teach). He is the former pastor of the Mgamudze and Nhlangano Baptist Churches and the son of Annah Thwala a leader in Swazi Baptist work. Pray Chris and S’phesihle will understand God’s plan for marriage. Pray they will be witnesses to other Christian couples.

Sunday December 12: Pray for the controversy and conflicts that are happening at the Victory Baptist Church due to leadership by one person. It is causing members of the congregation to leave the church. Pray for the Allens as they seek the Lord’s direction with this sticky situation.

Monday December 13: The 2010 Swazi Team end-of-the-year retreat begins today (December 13-15) in White River, South Africa. In the past this time has enabled the Team to not only have great fellowship together but also praise the Lord for His blessings the past year and a time of planning and prayer for future work. We thank the Lord for this special time of celebration. Pray this retreat will continue to be a special and beneficial time for the Swazi Team. Pray in all things the Lord will be glorified.

Tuesday December 14: Continue to pray for good rains this growing season. Pray this will be a good year of harvest for the Swazi people.

Wednesday December 15: As Swazi Christians celebrate Christmas this month, pray they will look around and see their Muslim neighbors who are not celebrating the Lord’s birth. Pray Swazi believers’ hearts will be burdened for these and will find ways to share the salvation story with them.

Thursday December 16: Pray for the Allen family as they desire to do a prayer drive in the Hhohho region to see where God is leading them to start a new outreach group. They have a couple of leads and ideas on areas but want to go where the Lord leads.

Friday December 17: Please continue to pray for the IMB’s Presidential Search Committee as the seek God’s man to lead our organization.

Saturday December 18: “Pastor, here are my tithes which I have been owing my Jesus Christ (Aug.-Nov.). Please pray for me for doing that, the situation was too bad. From now I swear I won’t owe him.” These words come from a member of the Vuvulane Baptist Church who realized she was sinning against her Lord by not giving him a tenth of her earings. Pray the Swazi Baptist churches will teach their members the importance of tithing to the Lord. Pray for great spiritual fruits from these teachings.

Sunday December 19: A young pastor finds himself in a position that is not good. He is single and was sent by his family to stay with his sister-in-law whose husband died. In Swazi culture it is acceptable and in some instances required for a brother of a deceased husband to wed the widow. This is not the case with this couple and the young man understands he must have a good testimony inside and outside the church. He wants to do right but is in no position financially to move to another place. Pray this young pastor will find the means to make the move. Pray he will be able to lead the church as Christ would lead.

Monday December 20: Pray for Wayne Myers today on his birthday!!The Swazi Team is celebrating Wayne’s birthday today in Tshaneni. Pray for a great time of fun and fellowship. Pray Wayne’s special day will indeed be special!!

Tuesday December 21: Pray for Wayne and Barbara Myers today on this anniversary!!
The Mkhaliphi family of the Ntuthwakazi Baptist Church has been faithful leaders allowing the church to meet on their homestead and providing weekly worship services. As with most Swazis the Mkhaliphis did not understand God’s plan for marriage and were married in the Swazi traditional way. Now the Mkhaliphis desire to be married in the Christian way (after being together for many years with several children) and will do so on the 30th of April. Pray for this family as they make this big important Christian commitment. We praise the Lord for this family and their desire to be the leaders God would have them be.

Wednesday December 22: This Christmas season, pray the King of Swaziland, his wives and children will hear the true Christmas story and will realize trusting in Jesus is the most precious gift of all.

Thursday December 23: ARV (anti-retro viral) drugs basically prolongs the life of one with the AIDS virus. There is no cure for AIDS but with the help of these drugs patients will live longer and healthier lives. But they must take the ARVs on a regular basis. One Swazi 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 troublesome path of AIDS.

Friday December 24: There is little evidence of decorations or brightly decorated trees to indicate it is Christmas in Swaziland. Most Swazis know nothing of this American tradition just as many do not know the significance of this special day in the life of every Christian. This Christmas season pray many Swazis will truly understand who Jesus is and follow Him completely putting aside traditions that conflict with the Christian way of life. May the joy of Christmas touch the hearts of the Swazis of Swaziland.

Saturday Christmas 25: MERRY CHRISTMAS!! The Swazi Team wishes each of a most Merry Christmas. Thank you for your faithful support in prayer of the work with the Swazi people. Pray as the Swazi Team meet together in Mbabane to celebrate this very special day.

Sunday December 26: Last month the Thunzini Baptist Church conducted 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. Plans for a ordination service for Pastors Dlamni and Nsibandze (Velebantfu Baptist Church) have begun. Pray planning will go well in making this special service and event possible in 2011.

Monday December 27: SUB-SAHARAN AFRICAN UNENGAGED PEOPLES: In northeast Mozambique there are people groups who have had so little opportunity to hear of Jesus. The Yao, Mwani, Koti and Makhuwa-Nahara are included in those who have had little opportunity to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ. The cry comes out for more laborers to come and help reach these people for Christ. Please pray God will bring more laborers to these people.

Tuesday December 28: Medical care for the Swazi people is not always available due to clinics with no doctors or adequate supply of medications, nurses diagnosing and prescribing medications, hospitals usually are over crowded and patients sleep on the floor, family must care for the patients’ needs while in the hospital, cleanliness is a concern and many still consult sangomas and witch doctors for medical attention. Please pray the government of Swaziland will see the need to provide doctors in clinics and a supply of medications will be adequate. Pray Swazis will not seek the use of traditional methods for medical care.

Wednesday December 29: October 22-24 the third children’s camp was conducted at the Maphungwane Baptist Church. Approximately 65 children attended this camp and enjoyed a time of Bible study and activities, worship, praying and organized games. Pray the members of the Mphungwane Baptist Church will support a strong discipleship program for their children.

Thursday December 30: February 26-March 4, a volunteer team from the Atlantic Association in North Carolina will minister to Swazis in the Shiselweni region. We are thankful for this group of volunteers giving of their time and money to help evangelize and disciple Swazis. Pray for this team as planning continues for their trip to Swaziland. Pray for the Myers as they prepare for the team’s arrival and ministry.

Friday December 31: Pray members of the Swazi Team will seek the Lord’s guidance as they look forward to 2011 with joy, love and desire to make their lives count for Christ.