Myers Weekly Prayer Letter

A THANKGIVING DAY PRAYER
“Faith of our Fathers” renew us again
And make us a nation of God-fearing men
Seeking Thy guidance, Thy love and Thy will,
For we are but Pilgrims in need of Thee still—
And, gathered together on Thanksgiving Day,
May we lift up our hearts and our hands as we pray
To thank You for blessings we so little merit
And grant us Thy love and teach us to SHARE IT.
                            --Helen Steiner Rice

We hope each of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day!! The Swazi Team gathered together in Mbabane at the Allens and enjoyed a wonderful meal with wonderful fellowship.  The day was cool and rainy a much needed break from the hot/humid conditions we had been experiencing in Tshaneni.  It was so good to feel the gentle rain and know the Lord provided this blessing.  We have much in which to be thankful.  Know that the Lord is God.  It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, the sheep of His pasture.  Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name.  Psalm 100:3-4

November 18-19 the ladies of the New Hope and Mgamudze Baptist Churches did have their scheduled retreat at Mgamudze.  It was a very warm day with a very loud thunderstorm during the evening that made it very difficult to hear (metal iron roof) while people were testifying but it didn’t stop us from being together and worshipping.  The theme of our retreat was “The Joy of the Good News” with studies centered on this theme.  The pastor of Mgamudze (Chris Msibi) had asked that a time for homestead visitation be included in the program.  This we did on Saturday morning.  After the visitation one of the participant’s returned to the church and told me and the group that the host of one of the homesteads that she had visited was overwhelmed by their visit.  He told her, “we have never been visited by church people before.”   The ladies were quite touched by this special ministry.  Pray for these churches as the ladies reach out to those who need the Savior’s touch.  May many come to know Jesus through their evangelistic efforts.

--Sunday November 27th is a scheduled baptism service at the Luhhwahhweni Baptist Church for those who accepted the Lord during the church’s 2-week revival in October. Pray for these who made this very important decision to become a child of the King.  May their witness touch the Luhhwahhweni community.
After years of few in attendance the church is growing and currently meeting in a school.  Unfortunately, there have been issues between the current leadership and the young man who was leading but had to step down due to living with his sister-in-law and not being married.  A special meeting was called between the community leaders, young man’s family, church leadership, Wayne and the young man Monday (Nov. 21st) to discuss the situation. Because of the conflicts the land given to the church for a church building was in danger of being taken away.  Praise the Lord the meeting went well with a good outcome.  Pray for continued growth for this church as members try to reach the community.  Pray for a good working relationship between past and current leadership and pray the young man will be able to improve his current living arrangements.  His family sent him to stay in the home of his deceased brother after a couple of break-ins to the house.  His sister-in-law works in Big Bend and is not around most of the time.  This couple has discussed marriage but agreed it would not be a good idea.  He does not have a job and cannot support himself but the community feels he is not doing right in this situation.  The issue has caused quite a bit of problems for the Luhhwahhweni Baptist Church.

NEXT WEEK’S MINISTRY EVENTS:
--WORLD AIDS DAY! December 1st.  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 now 43 years.  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.  Swaziland will be featured for the World AIDS Day emphasis at http://www.africa.stories.org/.

--Friday December 2nd, the Swazi Team will  say “Thank You” to the four Hands On missionaries with a trip to the Swazi Candle Factory.  Sienna, Kim, Heather and Brandi arrived in June for six months of True Love Waits and other AIDS related ministries.  Pray these four missionaries will have a feeling of accomplishment as they prepare to return to the states.  They leave Swaziland for Jo’burg on the 10th of December for their debriefing (Dec. 12-14).  Their return flight to the states is December 14th.

--Saturday December 3rd the executive committee of the Baptist Convention of Swaziland will meet.  In recent months there has been increasing tension between the leaders of the convention and missionaries.  Convention leaders seem to want to rule over the Baptist churches and the missionaries and impose non-Biblical hierarchal leadership structure.  Pray the missionaries will have wisdom in knowing how to deal with the convention leadership in a Christian way. There will be a special prayer emphasis for this meeting on the 3rd.  A special “season of prayer” prayer requests will be included in next week’s prayer letter.  Please begin praying today for this meeting.

--Sunday the 4th of December the Vuvulane and Mafucula Baptist Churches  have the opportunity to say “Thank You” and “Goodbye” to Brandi and Kim who have ministered in these areas since their month long homestead stay (Mafucula) in July.  Pray this time will be very special as the churches express their gratitude for their work and sadness for their departure.

In 1883 the Foreign Mission Board called for special services of prayer for missions, and in 1888 the Convention adopted a committee report urging a return to the establishment and maintenance of the monthly concert of prayer for missions.  The founding of the Woman’s Missionary Union in 1888 greatly enhanced the focus of prayer on missions in Baptist life.  Lottie Moon had pleaded, in her many letters, for the forming of such an organization.  Through her inspiration and intense devotion, a special day of prayer and offering for foreign missions was observed each year 1888 to 1891. Beginning in 1892, the prayer emphasis was lengthened to include an entire week.  (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 world.  Lottie Moon Offering Goal: $175 million  www.imb.org/offering