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Praying Globally
Prayer requests from Global Diaspora Forum participants
Myanmar (Burma) recently held its first openly contested election in decades. Decades of civil war have led to hundreds of thousands of current and former refugees, asylum seekers and stateless peoples. Please pray for the leaders of Myanmar to govern with wisdom and justice. Pray for the Prince of Peace to be exalted among the Burmese, Chin, Kachin, Karen, Karenni and Rohingya diasporas.
Pray for the Spirit to move among the many people from Hindu traditional backgrounds observing Diwali (Deepavali) and Tihar this month. Pray for the good news of Christ's victory over all evil and strife to be celebrated in their hearts. Pray that these festivals will become reminders of Christ-centered truth.
Australia and Papua New Guinea have reached an agreement for PNG to process and resettle nearly a thousand single men who had traveled by boat to seek asylum in Australia. Please pray for Christ-followers in PNG to see the Lord's purposes in this and join His work. Pray for these asylum-seekers to know the Lord as their shelter and rescue.
Prayer requests for the Diaspora Missiology Compendium Project
For everyone working on the compendium during these final stages of preparation, please pray that God will give clarity of thought, efficiency, obedient feet, and rejoicing hearts.
Dr. Ted Yamamori and Dr. Joy Tira will continue to give guidance for this project. Lorajoy Dimangondayao, Assistant to the Senior Associate for Diasporas of the Lausanne Movement, is managing the project to completion. Ruth Eppele Dickens, who has extensive experience in proofreading and editing a wide variety of scholarly works for publication, is handling most of the technical editing. Pray for Spirit-led unity among these four editors.
Pray that the final revisions of chapters by authors and final edits by the section editors will be submitted this month and lead to an excellent book.
Please pray that the publication agreement can be finalized early in December 2015. Pray for the publisher’s productivity to allow the book to be released in April 2016.
Please pray that God will provide all the funds necessary to get the compendium published.
May the diaspora missiology compendium spur more Christ-exalting involvement in what God is doing in moving people from everywhere to everywhere.
Diaspora People in Focus: Ukrainians
Ukraine’s historical position of influence in the Slavic world is evident in today’s patterns of people movement. Ukraine both sends and receives one of the largest numbers of migrants, especially with Russia and former Soviet republics in both Europe and central Asia.
Praise God for the many Ukrainians who have been trained and sent forth to work in other countries. Ask the Lord to give these missionaries wisdom to build bridges across different cultural and religious backgrounds. Pray for Ukrainian Jews who have moved to Israel and elsewhere to have softened hearts and to recognize the Messiah. Pray for the large number of Ukrainians in Russia; ask God to reveal to them why He has chosen this time and place for
their lives.
Country of Diaspora: South Africa
South Africa has freedom of religion, one of Africa's largest economies and a functioning democracy. Its stability and growing tourism industry help make it a top destination (temporary and permanent) for international migrants. The ongoing effects of apartheid, extreme poverty and high HIV/AIDS rates present major challenges for the country. One of the most influential people of the last century, Mohandas Gandhi, was once a migrant in South Africa.
Praise God for the ways the Church has grown in South Africa, is training new leaders and sending forth missionaries. Pray that South Africa will experience Christ’s healing power in cross-cultural reconciliation, strengthening godly social structures and assisting the vulnerable. Pray for the Spirit to move among Zimbabweans, Congolese, Nigerians and other African immigrants, that the entire continent may be impacted. Ask God for increased opportunities to proclaim the kingdom among Jews, Greeks, Cape Malay Muslims, South Asians, East Asians, and Portuguese.
(Information gathered from BBC News, Migration Policy Institute, and Operation World)