MNN Prayer List For 28 Oct, 2011

Greetings from Mission Network News, a daily news service of Cornerstone
University of Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA. This is your weekly Mission
Network News prayer bulletin. Here are your weekly prayer items. Please
pray over them during your personal devotional time and at your church
prayer meeting.
___________________________________________________________________
Who will run the new Libya now? Libya (MNN) -- With Libya united to
topple Muammar Gaddafi, the question upon his death is: Whose revolution
was it? There were multiple heavily-armed militias fighting together to
remove the regime, and now that the smoke is clearing, they've laid
claim on a territory and cause. Carl Moeller with Open Doors says there
is reason to be concerned. "There are indications that many of the
elements of the revolution to overthrow him were funded, fueled, and
inspired by extremists. The question is: 'Is the new transition that we
receive going to do any better for religious liberty, Christians, and
basic democracy than what we had before" The insecurity of the future
has many Libyans asking deeper questions and looking for hope. As a
result, "The number of our Bible deliveries and Scripture deliveries has
been greater than in the previous whole nine years of work in that
area," says Moeller. "So we see a tremendous upswing in the desire for
people to have a copy of God's Word and maybe hear the Good News message
of Christ." * Pray that the hunger for God and His Word will continue to
increase in Libya, as well as world-wide. * Pray that the changes in
Libya will accomplish God's ultimate purposes and exalt Him among the
nations. (FULL STORY: http://www.mnnonline.org/article/16380)
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Death toll rises from Turkey quake Turkey (MNN) -- Rescue workers used
both bare hands and heavy machinery to dig into the rubble of Sunday's
massive quake in Turkey. The 7.2 magnitude quake rattled the parts of
Turkey near the Iranian and Kurdish borders. Nearly 300 died and 1300
injured, and many thousands more were homeless when buildings collapsed.
IN Network's Rody Rodeheaver says the death toll is likely to rise as
time passes. "Our director there is assessing the situation. We're
making calls and connecting with the various believers in churches. My
guess would be that those folks will be helping out in a very strategic
way." Their church planting team has responded before to similar
disasters in Turkey, and they will again. "We are called to minister and
to bear the burdens of people, because I think that's part of being a
believer--that's part of sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ is being
there to heal wounds and to bring a cup of cold water." * Ask God to
send the funds and the right people to meet the needs of the survivors.
* Pray for wisdom and strength for ministry leaders. * Pray for
continued open doors for the Gospel. (FULL STORY:
http://www.mnnonline.org/article/16385)
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Hope is fading as Turkey searches for quake survivors Turkey (MNN) -- As
of Tuesday, the death toll from the 7.2 magnitude quake in eastern
Turkey was over 400 and rising. Hope is fading for those survivors yet
unreached in the rubble. Immediate needs are for food, water, and
shelter in below-freezing temperatures. In light of more than 200
aftershocks,Pat Melancon with Baptist Global Response says, "In the
past, when earthquakes happened and the aftershocks started, people
refused to sleep in their homes, even if their homes were structurally
sound. So what our teams have done is to go in with tarps, plastic
sheeting, and blankets." BGR has an assessment team on the ground right
now. Recovery will take a long time. Pray for wisdom for the team and
strength for the workers. Also "pray that this would be a very great
opportunity for Christians to step in, to minister to the needs that are
there, and leave in the memory of those survivors not just the fact that
they've been impacted because of their demolished homes or the death of
loved ones, but that they've been impacted by the Gospel." * Ask God for
Gospel opportunities. * Pray for the resources to meet the needs. (FULL
STORY: http://www.mnnonline.org/article/16390)
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Flooding closes second airport, threatens Compassion Thailand (MNN) --
Government response to flooding in Thailand could mean devastation for
Compassion International families. Flooding has already killed over 360
people in Thailand, and in the government's attempt to prevent more
flooding damage, Kathy Redmond says Compassion kids are in danger.
"They're trying to open up waterways and that sort of thing to lessen
the flooding. But unfortunately, we have a lot of projects in the way
where they would be opening up those areas." But exactly who would be
affected by flood waters if they were diverted this way? "There would be
about eight projects, and our projects have about 250 kids on average."
Water would flood the already affected project areas. However, "A lot of
the times the flooding can be the least of our issues--it's what comes
after the flooding," says Redmond. That could include disease, house
rebuild, and significant relief work. So far, Compassion doesn't know
what the government will choose to do. Pray with them as they seek to be
Christ to these kids and government officials. * Pray for God's hand of
protection over Compassion staff and the children under their care. *
Pray for Compassion workers to respond with the love of Christ to
government officials and families. (FULL STORY:
http://www.mnnonline.org/article/16398)
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Turkey earthquake crisis a 'very dangerous time to share the Gospel'
Turkey (MNN) -- Christian teams are still responding to the massive
earthquake that killed over 500 in Turkey on Sunday. In crises such as
these, believers often get excited to share Christ's hope with victims.
But Pastor Karem Koc, who was saved in The Evangelical Alliance
Mission's St. Paul Cultural Center, has a surprising warning: "This is
actually a very dangerous time to share the Gospel." Koc knows from
experience. In 1999, a similar earthquake hit Turkey. As Christians
distributed aid, they also gave Bibles. The effect: years of outreach
efforts were undone. "People think that you are helping them without
really any expectation. And as soon as you share the Gospel or give the
Bible to those people, they really get offended. In our country, people
are already offended by the Gospel itself, so we are very careful how we
do this." Koc is advising ministries to just simply serve for now. "It's
a great time to make some friends; help them, serve them, and just be
the light that the Lord wants us to be." Pray for other opportunities
later on. * Pray for wisdom for believers as they respond to this
devastating crisis. * Pray that God's Spirit will draw many Turks to
inquire about Christ as His love is demonstrated through the loving
service of Christians. (FULL STORY:
http://www.mnnonline.org/article/16398)
___________________________________________________________________
Mission Network News is dedicated to keeping Christians informed about
missions and evangelism around the world. Our goal is to help you become
engaged in missions through praying more effectively, giving or going to
the field short or long term. Thank you for your dedication and heart
for world missions. Your prayers are greatly appreciated. May God richly
bless you as you serve Him today! In His grip, Greg Yoder, Executive
Director Mission Network News 1.800.284.9361 616.942.1500
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FW: [mnn-friends] MNN Prayer List For 14 Oct, 2011

Greetings from Mission Network News, a daily news service of
Cornerstone University of Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA. This is your
weekly Mission Network News prayer bulletin.
Here are your weekly prayer items. Please pray over them during your
personal devotional time and at your church prayer meeting.

___________________________________________________________________

Court verdict on Iranian pastor issued soon

Iran (MNN) -- The plight of Iranian Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani is still up in
the air. Nadarkhani, called a cult leader by some, was charged and convicted
of apostasy and could face the death penalty. While Mission Network News has
been talking about this case for a couple of years, Todd Nettleton with
Voice of the Martyrs says the world is just now waking up. "Secular media
organizations have covered it. U.S. government officials--including the
White House--have spoken out about it. Other officials in other countries
have spoken out on his behalf." Now the government's bring false charges
against him. But why? Nettleton thinks he knows. "The government of Iran is
petrified by the growth of the church in Iran. They are shocked and appalled
at the amount of people leaving Islam to follow Jesus Christ. I think there
is an element of: 'We need to make an example of this guy.'"

* Pray that Pastor Nadarkhani will remain steadfast in his faith and will
not despair.

* Pray that God will exalt His name and protect His sheep in the face of
injustice and persecution.

[FULL STORY -- http://www.mnnonline.org/article/16326]

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Violent clashes erupt between Egypt's Christians, police

Egypt (MNN) -- Deadly violent clashes between Christians and security forces
erupted in Egypt last weekend. It started with a Muslim dispute over a
reconstructed church and an unusually violent response from police. Terry
Ascott, CEO of SAT-7 -- a Christian satellite television ministry to the
Middle East and North Africa -- thinks the situation will be a recurring
part of the landscape. "It just reflects pent-up frustration and bad will by
a minority of Muslim peoples who want to marginalize Christians and to keep
them 'in their place.'" Egypt's Christian leaders declared a 3-day mourning
period this week. While staff morale is struggling, Ascott explains that
SAT-7's programming response plays a vital role toward encouraging viewers
toward the peace of Christ. "We'll have Christian leaders there reminding
them of their calling to be 'salt and light,' to be forgiving, to 'turn the
other cheek,' and to be loving in these situations." Keep praying for both
wisdom and boldness for the Gospel.

* Pray for a peaceful resolution.

* Pray for safety and wisdom for ministry leaders.

* Pray that God will give many listeners "ears to hear" the Gospel as
SAT-7 faithfully broadcasts the truth of God's Word.

[FULL STORY -- http://www.mnnonline.org/article/16334]

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Government officials resign in protest of Egypt's handling of protest

Egypt (MNN)-- Egypt has lost her finance minister and her deputy prime
minister. Both men resigned in protest over the government's handling of
protests that left 26 dead this week. Open Doors USA President Carl Moeller
says, "I think it's a good sign that the seriousness of this issue is taking
root in the political structures and in the emerging political reality.
Egypt cannot have a future if it chooses to have extremists dictate the
future for Egypt." Muslim/Christian tensions have a low flashpoint right
now. "Pray that the natural, normal emotions of grief don't evolve into
anger and rage to produce a cycle of violence that would further escalate
this crisis." Moeller adds that there is opportunity for Gospel change.
"Egypt is a thought leader; it's the intellectual capital of Islam. We need
to remember that as Egypt goes, so goes most of the Muslim world, so this is
a vital place for us to be targeting our prayers."

* Pray that extremists will not rule in Egypt.

* Pray for believers in the region to find strength and refuge in
Christ.

* Pray for peace to be restored.

[FULL STORY -- http://www.mnnonline.org/article/16341]

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Iranian pastor gets retrial

Iran (MNN) -- Sloppy work on the apostasy case against an Iranian pastor has
led to a retrial. For now, it's a reprieve for Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani.
Spokesman for Voice of the Martyrs Canada Greg Musselman adds, "The
Ayatollah Khomeini is getting involved with this, which is very unusual. The
Iranian government is looking for some kind of back door out of this
situation." Prayer and international pressure also played a role in the
decision. While it's good news, the danger hasn't passed yet. "There's still
the possibility that Nadarkhani could be executed at any time. It's a very
erratic kind of government, so we need to pray for him and his family, and
also for the church in Iran that they would continue to be strong, that they
would not be intimidated." There's no date set for a new trial yet. In the
meantime, even though the church is growing, the intimidation poses a risk
to Gospel work. Musselman urges prayer against fear. "We do know that the
church is growing in Iran. Many young people are coming to know the Lord,
but these kinds of cases make it very difficult for Christians."

* Pray that international pressure will have great effect for Pastor
Nadarkhani and others like him who are persecuted for their faith.

* Pray that Pastor Nadarkhani will experience unexplainable peace and
joy despite his circumstances.

[FULL STORY -- http://www.mnnonline.org/article/16345]

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Orphan Outreach team in Guatemala as floods kill 13 nearby

Guatemala (MNN) -- A tropical depression has slammed Central America with
heavy rains and is responsible for at least 13 deaths in Guatemala already.
In surrounding nations, many more have lost their lives as a result of the
weather. At least 23 total have been killed, according to reports. An Orphan
Outreach short-term mission team is there in Guatemala, in the midst of the
storm. Trip leader Robin Tompkins says people have died nearby. "We have
heard that eight people have lost their lives in the last 24 hours in
neighboring villages." All members of their team are safe, but their work
has been disrupted. Torrential rains have ruined roads. "There are puddles
everywhere, and you just don't know if roads are going to be washed away or
not." The team is in Guatemala primarily to help with medical needs, but the
rains have affected even that work. "It has caused changes in schedule. In
fact, today was our last day at clinic in Chickmuk, and we had a total of 12
people as opposed to 125 the last two days." The team has been asked to stay
in Guatemala for emergency medical work at a local hospital if needed.

* Pray for the safety of the Orphan Outreach team.

* Pray that the team will be a light to those around them in the midst
of this adversity.

[FULL STORY -- http://www.mnnonline.org/article/16347]

___________________________________________________________________

Mission Network News is dedicated to keeping Christians informed about
missions and evangelism around the world. Our goal is to help you
become engaged in missions through praying more effectively, giving or
going to the field short or long term.

Thank you for your dedication and heart for world missions. Your
prayers are greatly appreciated. May God richly bless you as you
serve Him today!

In His grip,

Greg Yoder, Executive Director
Mission Network News
1.800.284.9361
616.942.1500