Myers Weekly Prayer Letter

The four “Hands On” missionaries and Wayne are on their way to Swaziland after spending the last couple of days enjoying the Kruger National Game Reserve.  Wayne phoned yesterday to say the group saw four cheetahs stalking a herd of wildebeest.  They watched the cheetahs for about an hour to see if they (cheetahs) would make their move on the wildebeest (they didn’t).   The group has also seen many rhino, giraffes, close and personal views of elephants and much more !! What  wonderful sightings for their first time at the park!!

While Wayne and the girls were enjoying the cheetah sightings, I experienced my own sighting here at the farm.  I am keeping a friend’s dog for a couple of days and left the back door open so he could go in and out without bothering me during my quiet time.  As I was finishing, I heard a sound that made me realize a bird was in the house.  Since I was alone I didn’t relish trying to find a way to extract the bird (Black-capped Bulbul) from the house.  The first thing I did was get the dog out before he could pounce on the bird.  He preceded to go to the window where the bird was trying to get out.  The bird was looking at the dog from the inside and the dog was looking at the bird from the outside.  Several attempts proved futile in trying to get the bird out through an open window (different window from where the dog had positioned himself).  A little while later the bird flew to the sitting room and I was able to open the front door for it to fly away!!

--The Shiselweni Baptist Association did meet last  Saturday but was unable to plan the ordination service for Pastor Nkhosingiphile Dlamini.  Pastor Dlamini was not able to attend due to a school function.  Planning will continue for this special service that has been scheduled for January 2012.  Please pray for the planning of this special event and for Nkhosingiphile as he continues his education.

--Please pray for the executive committee meeting of the Swaziland Baptist Convention tomorrow November 5th.  Pray those attending will come with an open mind and a desire to have unity between the convention and missionaries.

--Tomorrow (11/5) the IMB video team (from Jo’burg) arrives in Swaziland to spend time with Kim and Brandi (Tshaneni/Mafucula) and Sienna and Heather in Mbabane.  They will be in Tshaneni Nov. 5-8 and in Mbabane Nov. 8-13.  Stories from this visit will appear on AfricaStories.org the first appearing on the 30th of November.  Pray for this group’s visit with the “Hands On” missionaries on the Swazi team.  May wonderful blessings occur while making these stories.

--Sunday (November 6th) after the worship services the children of the Vuvulane and Mafucula Baptist Churches will meet together at Mafucula. Brandi and Kim will share the truth/facts about AIDS.  Pray the children will hear and understand the causes and effects of AIDS on their bodies and their lives.
-November 18-19 is the scheduled date for the Mgamudze Baptist Church Ladies’ Retreat.  Pray the church will adequately prepare for this event and ladies will plan to attend every session.

Pray for Brandi Harris (Hands On Missionary) on her birthday the 9th of November.  Pray her special day will indeed be special!

The country of Swaziland is experiencing one of the worlds worse AIDS pandemics.  HIV/AIDS infection among pregnant women is 41 percent.  31 percent of Swazi children are orphans and the life expectancy is 43 years of age.  Pray for a solution to the AIDS problem in Swaziland.  Pray Swazis will come to realize that their lifestyle contributes to the early death of friends and family.

It was Luther Rice’s efforts that help lead to the formation of the Triennial Convention in 1814, the first national body of Baptists.  Organized primarily as a foreign mission society, the convention’s main purpose at first was to support the Judsons.  Soon, their purposes expanded.  In 1817, the convention voted to recommend to its churches that they observe the first Monday of every month as a day of prayer for missions.  For many years, this remained an important emphasis.  Commissioned by the Triennial Convention, J. Louis and Henrietta Hall Shuck sailed for China in 1835.  As a youth Shuck had attended a missions rally where an offering was received.  Having no money, he wrote on a slip of paper, “I give myself” and placed it in the offering plate.  The Shucks were powerful missionary influences in China and America. (From the book The Life That Prays by Minette Drumwright.)

Your IMB missionaries give their lives to the missions task.  Your faithful support keeps them on the field doing what God has called them to do.  With each soul won to Christ, each new believer’s baptism and each church-planting movement started, you are a faithful partner in the harvest.  Please support and give to the 2011 Lottie Moon Christmas Offering so missionaries can continue the “Great Commission” calling to go, teach and baptize in the uttermost parts of the earth.