Prayer Initiatives

Brazil

Brazil is one-half of the land surface and population of South America. The world’s fifth largest country in both area and population. It is a melting pot of nations, with much intermarriage and blending of the many immigrant ethnicities. Most Brazilians have at least some mixed ethnic heritage.

Sustained strong growth has stabilized the economy. One great challenge will be to increase agricultural space without traumatizing the Amazon and Pantanal ecosystems, stewardship vs exploitation. There remains a vast gap between rich and poor, but is has improved significantly. The residual bias to Catholicism in government circles is decreasing as the influence of the evangélicos grows.

India

Geographically and politically, India dominates South Asia and the Indian Ocean with 28 Union States and 7 Union Territories. Kashmir is a contested area administered by Pakistan and China.

India’s constitution provides full religious freedom of worship and witness for all religions. The rise of Hindutva extremist resulted in a hate campaign against Muslims in the early 1990s and against Christians in the late 1990s as followers of ‘foreign” religions. Due to mass-conversion movements by Dalit groups away from Hinduism, and to evangelistic activities by Christian groups, issues of conversion and anti-conversions laws are high importance and sensitivity. Persecution levels range widely, depending on the strength of Hindutva groups from one state to the next.

Israel

The state of Israel is 20,700 sq. km, with an additional 7,540 sq. km. from the West Bank, Gaza, and Golan Heights which has been controlled by Israel since 1967. Six wars with surrounding states in 1948, 1956, 1967, 1973, 1982-1985, and 2006, plus the Gaza War in 2009 have kept the country on a war footing. Repeated military engagement in Lebanon, the rising pressure of Palestinian civil unrest, the intifada, civil unrest, and increased threat from Iran have sapped Israeli stamina. The Israeli society remains deeply divided.

All religions are free to minister within their own communities. Reform and Conservative Jews are often marginalized by ultra-Orthodox influence, which applies constant pressure to limit freedom of religion through anti-conversion laws and persecution of Messianic Jews.

Palestine

The Palestine Authority is 6,243 sq. km. comprising of two separate parts, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. The Palestine Authority controls the main towns and scattered enclaves. Jewish settler enclaves and Israeli military authorities control the rest. Much economic activity is limited to small family businesses. Restricted travel and access to water and power supplies undermines industry and foreign investments. The Palestine administration has offered few economic solutions thus far.

International efforts to achieve a compromise settlement of the bitter confrontations between Israelis and Palestinians have only a small chance of overcoming the deadly stalemate. Political struggles continue and Israeli occupation and Islamist persecution is squeezing out the Christian minority. 

la Chapelle

Top 3 prayer requests:

1. Please continue to pray for Pastor Josias Laporte and the church plant in Gatineau. We will be able to start gathering of 100 people in June.  Also pray for a future part-time operations pastor based in Gatineau. (A person who is the right arm of Josias and who is in charge of the operations, all the service team, logistics, etc.). We need one person who is a servant-leader and good in management with a pastoral heart. Probably a volunteer at the beginning. 
2. Please pray for the 3 people who want to be baptism in Gatineau on June 13th! It’s the first baptisms of la Chapelle Gatineau.
3. Please pray for a more permanent facility for our church in Montreal.  We need a stable place in Montreal for our worship services and offices, we have been looking since 2014 for a building, but it’s really hard to find a place in Montreal. We pray that God will provide. It’s becoming urgent in Montreal since we lost 2 of our 3 places that were rented. We hope also to be able to meet in the place where la Chapelle Rosemont were before Covid. We need to sign something for September. Pray that God open the heart of the school (where we rent). 

Mission of Hope (Haiti)

Top 3 prayer requests:

1. We are praying we can start opening up trips soon (2021) to Haiti, DR and Guatemala. The team just released reservation options on the website for churches to reserve their spots. We are prayerful that we can reconnect with our partners and start mobilizing again.
2. Pray as we make more progress in Guatemala. MOH expanded into Guatemala not too long before COVID. So there are still some ministry infrastructure pieces that need to be built out. The opportunity is great, by God’s Grace we will have firm footing by the first quarter of 2021, though even now so much Good stuff is happening in Guatemala.
3. Continue to pray that the MOH team can serve the church in the states well. Part of our heart and vision is to be a resource to our partnered churches. With the lockdown, it has made it difficult to fully do so.

Marissa's House Projects

 Top 3 prayer requests:

1. A swine fever has gone through the entire herd at the Kyengera Church Home and killed them all. Please pray for a new batch of piglets which can grow and reproduce in health. They use the breeding of these pigs for food as well as outreach to the community.
2. Pray for the children and Pastors and their families in Uganda as they are having another COVID-19 outbreak and the government is considering lock down again. They are fearful of this because of the incredible disruption to their daily lives.
3. Pray for the new project in Zenebe-Work Landfill outside Addis Ababa. We will be beginning to design a support program for the 120 children who live in the landfill.

Legacy Church Preschool (LCP)

Top 3 prayer requests:

1. Pray registration for next school year will fill up so that we can start planning accordingly (hire needed teachers, etc.).
2. Pray that God would send the kids/families to our program who need to hear about His unconditional love and that we would be that light for them.
3. Pray that as we grow, God would send teachers our way who are passionate about early childhood education and sharing the Gospel with children.

Belle & Sparrows

Top 3 prayer requests:

1. Moving into our new Stella Job Training Center and praying for volunteers to help with painting and finish out as well as praying for the women that will be coming to the center - for their salvation and for them to regain dignity and feel worthy!
2. Upcoming Boots & Belles event - sponsors and attendees to help raise funds for the The Stella Center
3. Grant Writer to join our team and help us with a few grants that will benefit the women coming to the center.

Emily's Place

Top 3 prayer requests:

1. Programming for the Program and Resource Center.  Specifically, that it truly can be a source of empowerment, equipping and resourcing.
2. We are filling the empty rooms we have/upcoming as a few more graduate. We could use prayers that God will bring those that are in need of our services, to EP.
3. Camp Emily is in the planning phase; praying that it can be a healing, therapeutic fun camp for current and graduate children. 

Real Options

Top 3 prayer requests:

1. There are several woman who have come to Real Options who have abortions scheduled. Please pray that God intervenes. Pray that the clients would come back to Real Options for a second sonogram and choose life.
2. Please pray for the upcoming baby shower this month. Pray that we would receive all the items needed for these brave mothers who have chosen life for their babies. Pray that the baby shower is a success and that the mothers would feel special and loved by the Lord.
3. Please pray for more phone calls and foot traffic to come into Real Options. Pray for new ideas and as we continue to navigate with our marketing company how to reach more women who are seeking abortions.