Bridge of Prayer Nov-Dec 2012 – Christmas Love preparations, Winter Rescue project

Dear MWB Prayer Partner, Thank you for your prayer support! – MWB New Zealand

Background info and prayer needs Key points: Winter approaches; Christmas projects like Operation Christmas Love parcels and Operation Winter Rescue (firewood for heating and cooking, warm clothes and bedding, boots for the snow); Christmas events and outreaches to State Homes, churches, community centres.

November: Please pray - For plans for Christmas Love project: Plans are under way for the Operation Christmas Love distribution of some 30,000+ special parcels of staple food, Christmas treats and Christian literature for families, elderly and disabled. This is a big logistical exercise involving many staff and volunteers, especially in Romania, Ukraine and Moldova where there are larger teams and facilities. Packing will start around 1 November onwards with the first distributions starting as early as mid-November. For the children who have been to summer camp in 2012: MWB Bosnia ran a Saturday summer camp follow up event on 20 October for a group of children who had gone to summer camp this year. Several others will run in our other field countries, this side of Christmas. Please pray that the seeds that have been sown in the children’s hearts will germinate and that they will find a joy that dispels the usual hopelessness of their outlook.

The Zhakun family

needed two Christmas Love parcels last year

Moldovan Homes children

proudly display their Correspondence Course

certificates

Merida – a Masters

degree against the odds

Operation Winter Rescue warmth being delivered,

Romania 2012

For provision for Scholarships for further study: It is the time when we hope to have scholarships put in place to help needy young people from State boarding homes who wish to undertake trade courses or university studies. Please pray for provision of support to help those students who have limited or no means of supporting themselves during the academic year. Please pray for Marsida Mezi (23) (pictured), the first F2F family sponsorship child in Albania to gain a Masters degree (in Nursing Management). She comes from a poor Roma family (father died when she was young). Many Roma are illiterate. Please pray that there will be more like her, who will in the future go on to take up leadership roles in government and business positions.

December: Please pray - For Operation Winter Rescue: As the coldest weather approaches, we gear up for helping many families, elderly, children and homeless people with warm clothing, boots (for the snow), blankets, firewood for heating and cooking, and food. Roads become impassable in the worst of the cold (usually January-February), with temperatures down past minus 20C. Please pray for God’s provision of funds and resources to share; and for safe travel for our staff and volunteers; and that we will have many opportunities to bless and encourage the needy that God cares about them. For children and families needing sponsors: We are thankful for a small but steady growth in the number of sponsors of children and families. This is an important and growing facet of our work as it enables us to link needy families and children in State orphanages or difficult home situations with caring NZ sponsors.

Albania:

Please lift up Monika Qerimi (pictured) and her MWB staff based in Durres, in the west of Albania. They are a small dedicated team working alongside local churches to reach poor and needy families and communities (of which there are many) in this former officially atheist country.

Monika Qerimi, Manager, MWB Albania

Moldova:

John Groza, MWB Moldova, who had serious on-going heart problems, has recently had to step down. Please pray for John and his family, several of whom, including John’s wife Valentina (who does a fantastic work with the correspondence courses) work in the Mission. Please pray that we can find someone to fill John’s shoes and continue the excellent work that John was able to expand, under what are very challenging conditions in this poor country.

Bosnia and Herzegovina:

Please pray for Dalibor and his staff and their families in the Mostar office of MWB Bosnia. Please pray for the effective message of the Christian newspaper Korak Naprijed (Eng: “Step Forward”) published four times a year.

Bulgaria: Please pray for Sarkis, his wife Marina who works with him, and their staff and volunteers. Please pray for the outreach into Buhovo Hospital, which has just started.

Romania: Please uphold Jimmy Macavei, his wife Ana and the Romania staff. Please pray for the StreetMercy project in Craiova (a very poor city) and that the resources to maintain it will continue. We would like to expand the project as the needs are great and many live in desperate physical and emotional poverty and need both practical love and the message that God deeply cares for them.

Ukraine: Please pray for our Christian Input team who go into State Homes and run a regular programme for the children. Thank the Lord for two State Homes in the Ternopil region (both for special needs and learning difficulties) at Strusiv village (203 children) and Grymayliv village (189 children). In early 2012 these two Homes permitted the Mission to hold regular Christian Input sessions after being hesitant to allow us to do so. The MWB Coordinator for both Homes is Andriy Brahznyk. Please pray for Andriy and for the children there that many will be touched by the Gospel and want to join the Bible Correspondence programme and listen to our Radio broadcasts.

A CRI Coordinator in Ukraine talking with a

group of boys

International and general needs

International leadership: Please pray for CEO Harry Graham (UK); his international Board; and the two International Directors Peter van der Bijl (NL) and Harald Hem (Norway). We still need someone to take over the MWB Australia office, so please pray that God will bring the right person forward to take on that role.

Operation Cover Up: Please pray - giving thanks for the huge number of items on their way to those in need and for those who will distribute them. - that the items on their way to Eastern Europe will be used effectively and that the children and families and others needy folks who receive them will know that they are cared about and matter to God. (Pictured: A little boy in Bulgaria with a treasure of knitted things from Operation Cover Up)

Jimmy Macavei, Manager, MWB Romania

Sarkis Ovanesyan, Manager, MWB Bulgaria, and Marina his wife

Dalibor Kojic, Manager, MWB Bosnia and Herzegovina

John Groza, Manager, MWB Moldova