Tearfund Prayer Diary October 2015
TEARFUND PRAYER DIARY OCTOBER 2015
REBUILDING VANUATU: 27 SEPTEMBER –3 OCTOBER
We are continuing long-term recovery work to help the people of Vanuatu after Cyclone Pam brought mayhem to their South Pacific nation in March this year. Winds of up to 180mph slammed into the 65 islands that make up the archipelago, flattening homes and crops and destroying bridges and roads. This week, we pray for the islanders’ ongoing recovery...
SUNDAY 27 SEPTEMBER
Through our friends at TEAR Fund New Zealand and their local partners in Vanuatu, we are responding on the main island of Efate and on Tanna, one of the islands which bore the brunt of this super-storm. Pray for families as they try to meet costs such as school fees with very reduced incomes, due to the loss of coffee plantations.
MONDAY 28 SEPTEMBER
‘People are doing their best to replant and rebuild,’ says Helen Manson from TEAR Fund New Zealand. ‘Schools are still largely damaged and students are using temporary classrooms. Most people have rebuilt at least a basic house with local materials or roofing iron.’ Pray for the rebuilding of infrastructure, homes and particularly schools in Vanuatu.
TUESDAY 29 SEPTEMBER
Because it’s a poor, remote series of islands, many people in Vanuatu rely on locally grown produce for food. Praise God that crops such as island cabbage, Chinese cabbage and kumara (sweet potato) are starting to grow again – but the cyclone has caused food shortages. Ask God to bless the efforts of farmers so that families enjoy a bountiful harvest of vegetables.
WEDNESDAY 30 SEPTEMBER
Tearfund partner Nasi Tuan aims to rebuild the damaged gardens that supplied cash crops for 3,800 households in three Area Councils of Tanna affected by Cyclone Pam. Their early efforts were hampered by poor weather conditions, but they have propagated more than 10,000 seedlings. Ask that these seeds will reach the right people and grow successfully.
THURSDAY 1 OCTOBER
We were overwhelmed by the prayers and gifts offered to our Vanuatu appeal – thank you! Praise God that the success of the appeal means that Nasi Tuan has expanded its tool distribution and training programme to support 5,000 families: that’s more than half the population of the island of Tanna.
FRIDAY 2 OCTOBER
Patrick Joseph, who lives on the island of Efate, was trained in disaster risk reduction by a Tearfund partner. Before the cyclone struck, he put his training into practice to protect homes. ‘We put sandbags and stones on the roofs because we weren’t sure if the houses would be strong,’ he said. Pray for Patrick as he trains more people to be prepared for future disasters.
SATURDAY 3 OCTOBER
Shortly after the cyclone, President Baldwin Lonsdale of Vanuatu said that the disaster wiped out all of the country’s development. Lord, we lift up the people of Vanuatu who have lost so much. We ask for you to give them strength and resilience as they rebuild. We pray for the support to continue to reach those most in need. Amen.
THINKING THEOLOGICALLY IN BANGLADESH: 4 – 10 OCTOBER
Biblical values are at the heart of all we do at Tearfund. We take time to reflect on what the Bible has to teach us about our work as we follow Jesus where the need is greatest. Join us in prayer this week for people at Tearfund’s Thinking Theologically conference in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
SUNDAY 4 OCTOBER
About 80 people are preparing to travel to Dhaka today to take part in the conference. Give thanks that their churches and organisations have released them from work for this week of reflection, and pray that they will travel safely.
MONDAY 5 OCTOBER
Thinking Theologically aims to deepen people’s understanding of mission and encourages them to let God’s word shape their work with people in greatest need. Pray that God’s Spirit will be with the speakers and that participants will be open to being challenged, inspired and encouraged by what they hear.
TUESDAY 6 OCTOBER
Throughout the conference, people will share with each other what they believe they have heard from God. Pray that God will bless their relationships and that they will continue to connect with and support each other in their faith and through their work when they return home.
WEDNESDAY 7 OCTOBER
More than 50 per cent of the global population now live in cities, and Dhaka is one of the most densely populated in the world. At the conference today, we’ll be discussing how the church can live out its mission in an increasingly urban world. Pray that the church will be able to meet the challenges and take up the opportunities that urbanisation brings, as we work to release people from poverty in cities.
THURSDAY 8 OCTOBER
Today is the last day of the conference: participants will make commitments about what they plan to do with the things they have learnt, and we will commission them as they are sent back out to their churches and organisations. Pray that they will hear God’s call, be able to share what they have learnt, and be confident that God has equipped them to serve others and introduce them to the love of Christ.
FRIDAY 9 OCTOBER
Throughout the gospels, we see Jesus taking time out to pray and commune with his Father. Pray that those who attended the conference, and other Tearfund partners and staff, will be able to set aside regular time to pray, reflect on the Bible and seek God’s will for their work.
SATURDAY 10 OCTOBER
Pray for Bangladesh, and for the church there as it seeks to serve the country and share the good news of the gospel. Suchitra, Tearfund’s Bangladesh Country Representative, asks that we pray particularly for justice and peace, and for Christian leaders to be role models for the next generation of Bangladeshis.
BRINGING GENDER JUSTICE: 11 – 17 OCTOBER
More than half a million women die in pregnancy and childbirth each year. Gender-based violence causes more deaths and disability among women aged 15 to 44 than cancer, malaria, traffic accidents and war.* This week we’re praying for restored relationships, justice and healing.
SUNDAY 11 OCTOBER
In conflicts across the world, sexual violence against women is rife, reflecting the lack of respect many men have for women. Pray for any areas of the world you know to be in conflict, that women who live their and their rights will be respected and protected.
MONDAY 12 OCTOBER
In one of the Central Asian states where Tearfund works, it is common for husbands to abandon their wives and children. One desperate mother, Maria, was helped when a Tearfund partner provided her with hairdressing training. Now she wants to employ other mothers too. Pray that God will turn men’s hearts back to him and to their families.
TUESDAY 13 OCTOBER
Many women contract HIV because poverty drives their husbands to work far away from home in big cities where some live promiscuous lives and return infected. Lift up the work of Tearfund partners like Diaconia in Brazil, who help families to develop sustainable livelihoods in their own communities so that men don’t have to go to the cities to work.
WEDNESDAY 14 OCTOBER
Thank God for all our partners around the world who are empowering women to embrace their God-given potential. Kusum Bala in Bangladesh was living hand to mouth with her family, barely surviving from her husband’s income. Our partner, Participatory Action Development, helped train her to grow crops at home: now her whole family benefits from the income.
THURSDAY 15 OCTOBER
Suad, from Egypt, underwent female genital mutilation (FGM) when she was 12. Today, aged 30, she has learnt through training from Tearfund’s partners that it is a cruel and dangerous practice. ‘I will not let my ten-year-old daughter go through FGM,’ says Suad. Pray for Suad and other Egyptian women, that they will turn away from this brutal traditional practice.
FRIDAY 16 OCTOBER
Nsanzimana from Rwanda attended Tearfund’s Positive Masculinities training. He says, ‘Before I used and managed the family assets on my own and did not consider my wife’s opinion. My wife had no right to the money. But after these workshops my wife and I decide together on how best to use our money, land and other family assets.’ Praise God for this amazing change!
SATURDAY 17 OCTOBER
Edith Hien Oho, 15, works in a gold mine in south-west Burkina Faso. Tearfund partner ESO Radio has been educating the community about the dangers of child labour and particularly the vulnerability of young girls to sexual abuse. ‘That is why I said [on the radio] that we must go back to school before it is too late,’ says Edith. Pray that the message will reach more communities.
* WHO, World report on violence and health, 2000
INSTABILITY IN NIGER: 18 – 24 OCTOBER
This has been a very difficult year for Niger. Violence continued as Boko Haram militants carried out a number of deadly assaults in the country. The security situation remains unpredictable and fear and tension are still widespread, despite forces from Nigeria and neighbouring Chad uniting to combat Boko Haram.
SUNDAY 18 OCTOBER
Pray for those affected by recent attacks who are in the process of rebuilding their homes and livelihoods and recovering from trauma. Pray that God’s love and comfort will touch their hearts and that his strength will empower families to overcome their difficulties.
MONDAY 19 OCTOBER
In January, homes, schools and orphanages were burned down and and many lives lost in the capital, Niamey, and in the southern town of Zinder. Pray that God’s peace will return to Niger and that any further attacks by Boko Haram against Niger and neighbouring countries will be prevented.
TUESDAY 20 OCTOBER
The attacks in January resulted in about 60 churches being burned down. Pray that God will make provision for new places of worship, as those affected can continue to rebuild their lives and communities.
WEDNESDAY 21 OCTOBER
Thank God for the gradual recovery made possible through the faithful service of Tearfund partners who are supporting local organisations to provide relief aid and trauma counselling to those who have lost homes and loved ones. Ask God to fill these workers afresh and renew their strength.
THURSDAY 22 OCTOBER
Ask God to raise up the church in Niger so that they will unite to support each other, especially those who have been left traumatised and the most vulnerable of victims who fear further attacks. Pray for God’s grace to increase over the work of the church for the furthering of his kingdom here on earth.
FRIDAY 23 OCTOBER
‘No longer will violence be heard in your land, nor ruin or destruction within your borders, but you will call your walls Salvation and your gates Praise.’ Isaiah 60:18
Pray for peace and stability all over the nation of Niger and for a strong and effective governance at both central and local levels.
SATURDAY 24 OCTOBER
God of heaven and earth, you who have declared the heavens as your throne and the earth as your footstool, we praise you for you are an awesome God. Thank you for the nation of Niger which you have called to yourself and you know each person by name. Thank you that they are all precious in your sight. May they come to know you and the fullness of your grace towards them each and every day. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
NEPAL EARTHQUAKE – SIX MONTHS ON: 25 – 31 OCTOBER
A powerful earthquake struck Nepal on 25 April. More than 8,700 people were killed and about 14,000 injured. Then a second earthquake struck on 12 May, killing a further 65 people. Tearfund staff and partners trained in emergency response travelled to Nepal immediately after the first quake. This week we pray for the ongoing relief efforts...
SUNDAY 25 OCTOBER
Within days of the first earthquake, Tearfund partners reached remote Nepali villages where nearly all homes had been destroyed, to deliver vital medical care and aid to survivors. Pray for the many poor communities devastated by the earthquake: ask God to comfort them and give them the strength to rebuild.
MONDAY 26 OCTOBER
The focus of Tearfund’s emergency response is on shelter, sanitation and protection.Teams have been trekking over landslides and mountains to some of the remotest unreached communities – following Jesus where the need is greatest. Pray that Tearfund and partner staff, who have seen and endured much, will find comfort and rest in Christ.
TUESDAY 27 OCTOBER
While the earthquake was a crushing blow to an already impoverished nation, there is still much to be thankful for. Because the main earthquake happened on a Saturday, that meant large school buildings were standing empty. Otherwise, many more children may have been killed by falling debris.
WEDNESDAY 28 OCTOBER
Looking back on the first few weeks after the earthquake, Steve Collins, head of our work in Nepal, said, ‘It’s been a difficult month for survivors… But the amazing generosity of Tearfund supporters is enabling us to bring much-needed hope.’ Pray for Steve, his wife Jude and their two children, Amy and Paul, who lived in Nepal’s capital – they are all safe and well but have been through a traumatic year.
THURSDAY 29 OCTOBER
In the weeks following the earthquakes, Tearfund’s partners in Nepal stepped up their work warning children and their parents of the dangers of trafficking. Pray that children will stay safe. With many survivors losing their homes and livelihoods in the disaster, traffickers are likely to target their vulnerability and try to entice them to let their children go, with promises of education or a better life.
FRIDAY 30 OCTOBER
In Tear Times and the Prayer Diary last year, we introduced you to Ishoori, a church leader in rural Nepal, who ran an after-school club in her church for children vulnerable to trafficking. Please pray for Ishoori who is safe and well but who lost her grandfather in the earthquake.
SATURDAY 31 OCTOBER
In the six months since the earthquake, Tearfund partners – enabled by your prayers and generosity – have helped more than 60,000 people get through some of the most challenging weeks they have ever faced. Pray for the many whose lives were left in tatters, like Tuk Bahadur Adhikari, 62, who lost his home in the quake.
Tearfund Prayer Diary October2015 – tearfund.org/praying