November prayer calendar

Tuesday November 1:  Thank you for praying for the Hoskins last month.  Todd had a wonderful time learning during the Bible school at Phuzumoya.  Deborah loved the fellowship with friends from all over the country at the National Women’s Retreat and particularly enjoyed the opportunity to spend time with Barbara and Monica.  Pray for the Hoskins as they continue to minister in Swaziland.  Pray for great periods of fellowship with Swazis and learning opportunities through daily experiences.

Wednesday November 2:  November 2-4 the “Hands On” missionaries Kim, Sienna, Brandi and Heather are treating themselves to a much deserved trip to the Kruger National Game Reserve.  Pray the group will see many wonderful sights and enjoy their time at Kruger.  Continue to pray for these missionaries as their time in Swaziland is “winding down”. December 9-13 is their scheduled debriefing in Jo’burg before their departure to the states.

Thursday November 3:  The missions movement in America is said to have begun in 1806 in a haystack.  Five students from Williams College, a Congregationalist school in Williamstown, Massachusetts, were caught in a rainstorm.  Taking refuge under a convenient haystack, they used the time to pray for spiritual awakening of the students and for the lost of the world.  Robert Morrison was the first Protestant missionary to go to China.  He reached Macao in 1807 and made an important contribution in his translation of scriptures.  (From the book, The Life That Prays by Minette Drumwright.) Your church’s involvement in the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering provides for your IMB missionaries’ day-to-day needs.  Because you give sacrificially, your missionaries spend their time reaching a lost people instead of raising support.  The offering comprises 53 percent of the IMB’s total income, and every penny goes to missionaries and their ministries.  Pray the 2011 Lottie Moon Christmas Offering will reach its goal so missionaries can be sent to minister to many lost and dying people and nations.

Friday November 4:  November 5-13, an IMB team that includes a photographer/graph designer, journalist and videographer will be in Swaziland to spend time with Kim and Brandi (Tshaneni/Mafucula) and Sienna and Heather in Mbabane.  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.

Saturday November 5:  Pray for the executive committee of the Swaziland Baptist Convention.  Pray those attending the meeting will come with an open mind and a desire to have unity between the convention and the missionaries.
--Heather and Sienna are working with the youth today at the Mphembakati Baptist Church sharing more about True Love Waits.  Please pray they will be effectively able to share the truth about love from the Bible.

Sunday November 6:  Today after worship services the children of the Vuvulane and Mafucula Baptist Churches are meeting 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.
Monday November 7:  Pray for Brandi Harris (Hands On Missionary) today on her birthday.  May her special day be special!! J
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 life expectancy is 43 percent.  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.

Tuesday November 8:  The rainy season has begun in Swaziland.  Swazis hope the rains will be plentiful this growing season.  After the planting of crops and gardens frequent rains are needed.  Pray there will be plenty of rain throughout Swaziland.  Pray the Swazis’ fields will receive enough rain to provide food until the next growing season.

Wednesday November 9:  The South Coast Bible School finished its 2011 year with the last session October 10-14 at the Phuzumoya Baptist Church.  Approximately 20 students attended from Swazi Baptist churches and the communities around Phuzumoya. Pray the attendees were richly blessed through their studies last week.  Pray as planning begins for the 2012 (four sessions) South Coast Bible School.

Thursday November 10: Please pray for the Hoskins as they continue to work on translation (English to siSwati) of Bible study materials  throughout the month of November.  “Please pray that the translation will be done and that we make the most of the opportunities to disciple those working with us on the material”.

Friday November 11:  October 9th was World Hunger Day!  But you can give to promote the World Hunger Fund anytime of the year.  One hundred percent of every dollar given to the World Hunger Fund is used to help hungry peoples.  Pray for support from our Southern Baptist churches to this fund and ministry.  http://www.gobgr.org/

Saturday November 12:  The Baptist Global Response (BGR) In-Home Care Kits are being used by the Swazi Team to teach and empower local churches to make home visits and show love to those dying with AIDS in their community.  Presenting the care kit to a family opens a great door of opportunity to share a Bible story about Jesus’ ability to heal the soul. Pray the use of these items by loving care givers will show the love and compassion that Jesus Christ has for the terminally ill.  http://www.inhomecarekits.org/

Sunday November 13:  Continue to pray for the outreach ministry at Ngowane as the group desires to start Sunday services in the near future.  Pray for leadership to rise up and be trained to lead this possible new church.

Monday November 14:  For some who attended, this was their first Swazi Baptist Ladies’ Retreat at the Manzini Baptist Church (October 13-15).  For others it was their second or third or even more times of coming to fellowship with ladies from Swazi Baptist churches, study God’s Word, sing His wonderful praises and enjoy Swazi cuisine.  Missionary Monica Allen did a great job leading three sessions on the topic “God, our Father”.  At the closing of Friday night’s session, with broken hearts and great needs, the ladies spent time confessing their sins and seeking the Lord’s help.  What a blessing to experience the strong presence of the Lord.  Pray for our Swazi Baptist ladies as many daily struggle with cultural issues, a husband with more than one wife, responsibility of family needs and a desire to grow spiritually.

Tuesday November 15: Todd and Deborah Hoskins has been working on a project to expand Biblical Education opportunities for believers.  This resource (BEP-Baptist Education Program) is designed t be an additional tool for Swazi Baptist church members.  Pray this resource will be a very useful discipleship tool.  The first  one-day training event has been scheduled for the 8th of December.

Wednesday November 16:  2011 was a year of turmoil for the government of Swaziland.  Strikes for higher wages, an end to high spending of the monarchy as well as the end of the monarchy and a better life have constantly been scheduled.  Pray a peaceful solution will be reached between the government and the Swazi people.  Pray the King of Swaziland, his wives and children will come to know Jesus as their Savior.  May true revival touch the hearts of the Swazi people.

Thursday November 17:  It was a very warm day at the Phuzumoya Baptist Church when friends and family gathered to celebrate the 12th wedding anniversary of Mandla and Philiswe Sigwane (October 22nd).  What a special event and witness for this couple (pastor of the Phuzumoya Baptist Church).  Swazis live in a polygamous society and do not understand what God expects of marriage and the marriage relationship.  Pray for strong Swazi Christian marriages that follow the teachings of Jesus Christ.

Friday November 18:  November 18-19 the Mgamudze Baptist Church has scheduled an overnight women’s retreat and asked missionary Barbara Myers to lead.  Pray as Barbara prepares to lead this group of women in a time of Bible study and fellowship.  Pray the ladies of the Mgamudze Baptist Church will desire to come together.  One of the sessions will be door-to-door visitation in the community.  Pray the Lord will reap great benefits from this ministry.

Saturday November 19:  Todd and Deborah Hoskins will lead the youth Bible study today at Mphembakati Baptist Church.  Please pray the study will go well.

Sunday November 20:  Last month the Shiselweni Baptist Association conducted their bi-monthly meeting at the Velebantfu Baptist Church.  The main topic of business was the ordination service for Pastor Nkhosingiphile Dlamini (Thunzini Baptist Church).  This special event is being planned for December 2011.  Pray planning will go well.  Pray the Lord will provide for the needs of Nkhosinigphile as he attends teacher training college.

Monday November 21:  With the upcoming holidays, pray for missionaries all over the world not able to be with their extended families.  Holidays are probably the times most missionaries can be homesick and missing family gatherings. 

Tuesday November 22:  Through Jesus’ blood, we call God “Abba Father”, an intimate phrase of tender love between a parent and child.  Muslims know nothing of this intimacy in prayer.  Many are deeply religious, but to them, their god, Allah, is far off and inaccessible.  They face their struggles alone.  Pray for these to know the One who will never leave or forsake them.  “And  I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight.  These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them”. Isaiah 42:16

Wednesday November 23: In 2011 volunteer teams from Southern Baptist churches ministered alongside the Swazi Team conducting retreats, Bible studies for adult, youth and children, revivals, hut-to-hut visitation, prayer walking, AIDS orphan ministries, sharing the True Love Waits message and more.  Pray as planning begins for the ministry of volunteer teams with the Swazi Team in 2012.  May God’s wonderful blessings continue to flow.

Thursday November 24: The Swazi Team will celebrate Thanksgiving at the Allens in Mbabane.  Pray for a wonderful day of celebration and thanksgiving!!

Friday November 25:  Sub-Saharan African Unengaged Peoples: The Caprivi Strip of Namibia reaches east like a long finger, stretching to touch the great Zambezi River.  This landlocked peninsula is bordered by Angola, Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe.  The Fwe of Namibia make their home in the sandy Caprivi Strip.  Currently no one is intentionally starting churches among the Fwe. Pray the Fwe believers will boldly proclaim the Gospel to their families and friends, and the Fwe will see their need for Jesus Christ and the salvation He offers.  Pray that a strategic plan will be developed to plant biblical churches among the Fwe of Namibia.

Saturday November 26:  The Hoskins will lead a Bible study with youth and women at the Big Bend Baptist Church.  Please pray the Bible study will go well.

Sunday November 27:  “Q” is a Swazi child that has been diagnosed with TB.  His mother refuses to allow him a follow-up visit to the clinic for fear he will be given the ARVs (anti-retroviral drugs) designed to prolong the life of an AIDS victim.  Instead she took him to a traditional healer and was told the drugs the clinic gave him would kill him.  “Q” (a very thin child) is now afraid to take any form of medication given to him by the clinic.  Pray the mother will see that not allowing her child to be properly treated will lead to an early death.  Pray for the many Swazi families that are afraid of abandonment if it is discovered that one of their family members is HIV positive.

Monday November 28: Pray the government of Swaziland will see the need to provide doctors in clinics and a supply of medications that will be adequate.  Pray Swazis will not seek the use of traditional methods of medical care.

Tuesday November 29:  Plans have begun for the Swazi Team’s end-of-the year retreat December 12-15.  In the past, the 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 prayer for future work. Pray as the Team selects a venue and agenda for 2011’s retreat.  Pray in all things the Lord will be glorified.

Wednesday November 30:  Pray Swazi Christians will understand the customs and traditions that are a normal part of life are not always acceptable to the Lord.  Pray they will study more and learn about the Lord and His ways.