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Mission Updates July, 2022

Praise God for CWC Missionary, Augustin Tharsis! Augustin serves as an evangelist and church planter in the 15th arrondissement of Paris, France.

France is known as one of the most atheistic countries in the world, and many French people are very skeptical of Christians. After working closely with retired CWC Missionary Linda Weber, Augustin moved to Paris, where he meets new friends while sharing the love of Jesus on street corners and in metro stations and cafés. They are invited to join his team at a local café for English lessons and friendship, and then invited to visit the new church.

Praise Reports:

  • Augustin's friend Cédric was baptized last month.

Prayer Requests:

  • May God help Augustin to walk in the boldness and power of the Holy Spirit as he interacts and prays with new friends.
  • Ask that Davy, Julien, and Cédric will make disciples and lead others to Jesus, and that they will grow to become mature Christians.
Afghan & US Flags

Praise God for a successful Afghan outreach with the family Calvary Worship Center has sponsored since January! "Our" family has moved to join other family members in Texas, but we thank God for the time and friendships He blessed us with. As the family prepared to leave, we were able to continue loving and supporting them, even to the last day as a team member escorted them through Denver International Airport all the way to the boarding gate.

Praises:

  • The items CWC donated to "our" family were shared throughout the Colorado Springs' Afghan community, so those household goods continue to bless local refugees. A recent visit to a new friend's home let us glimpse a couch, soccer ball, and sewing machine that were all donated by CWC members, and several other households have likewise been blessed.
  • The family blessed the team with a feast (pics above) before they left, and at that meeting, they introduced us to another Afghan refugee friend. We have visited several times with that friend and his family, and he was recently hired for the job that was so lovingly prepared for our first family. He will be working closely with one of our team members!
  • God has opened up several new friendships and connections within the Afghan community. Several conversations about religion, including the comment that our new friend likes Colorado "because of the Christians", have already come about. Thank God for His faithfulness in making those seeds grow!

Prayer Requests:

  • Pray for "our" family in Texas. 2 team members plan to visit them in the next few months to help with ongoing legal and medical needs. Pray for God's timing and favor on that visit! Also please continue to pray for their adjustment and safety, for a job for the dad, for Christians to be strategically placed to bless, love, and encourage them. Most of all, we pray for their salvations!
  • Please pray for these ongoing connections - for us to have wisdom on how best to help and for true friendships to develop and grow.
  • Pray for new workers for this harvest! If you have connections for jobs or job training for those with limited English, or a new or gently used sewing machine, or another way God has gifted you to be able to help, please let us know at kellyb@cwccs.org.
Afghanistan

We were all so blessed to hear from Wes Bentley from Far Reaching Ministries last week!

If you'd like more information on FRM and its many ministries in difficult areas of the world, check out the link below!

Pastors' Conference - Uganda

We're so thankful for the brief visit Noelle Harris was able to make from Uganda last month to witness her sister's wedding! Please continue to pray for Matt & Noelle and their children as they begin a new school year of teaching a new group of over 50 pastors in Northern Uganda.

Also, please pray for Matt as he helps plan a Calvary Chapel pastors' conference for Northern Uganda that will be held in August. They expect leaders from over 80 Calvary Chapels, and plan to teach and discuss doctrine.

Devine - His Safe Haven Village (Liberia)

Thank God for His Safe Haven Village, which continues to minister to children with special needs in Liberia.

Praises:

  • The agricultural team continues to provide food for the HSH Village. They have planted corn for chicken feed. They raise the hens for eggs, which are a great source of protein for the children. They also plant, cultivate, and harvest vegetables, peppers, and potatoes for their meals.
  • Praise God for sparing Devine's life! When asked, “How ‘d’ day?”, a standard Liberian greeting, his sweet little voice sheepishly says, “I alright!" Two weeks ago, Devine was not alright. On Sunday, June 12, Devine woke up and was playing normally when he suddenly had a seizure and fell unconscious. He remained unconscious for 11 hours. During that time, he had multiple seizures, some lasting up to 9 minutes. After Devine’s initial seizure, the HSH medical team tried to treat him in their small clinic. Devine’s condition quickly became critical so the team transferred him to the nearest hospital. Hospitals in developing countries like Liberia often lack supplies and medicines and are often underfunded and understaffed. This is exactly what they found upon arrival. Devine was given oxygen from an oxygen concentrator while the nurses told them they did not have rubber gloves to treat him. They went and bought gloves. Next, they were told that there were no needles to establish an IV line, so they went and bought the needles. The hospital’s medicine was critically low. While nurses tried to establish an IV line, the team asked for a doctor. They were told that the doctors were in Monrovia. After messaging a partner doctor on furlough in Wales, the doctor was able to direct nurses and prescribe medicines over the phone. The doctor soon realized they needed to transfer Devine to another hospital. As the HSH team considered this option, they learned that the ambulance’s oxygen bottles were depleted and that there were no doctors at the next hospital. They frantically began to call around to all the hospitals and clinics. They had to get Devine to Monrovia (Liberia's capitol & largest city, 3 hours away) quickly, but they knew he would not survive the trip without oxygen. Believe it or not, they could not find any full oxygen bottles in the whole county! It quickly became clear that Devine would have to be stabilized before he could be transferred to a hospital in Monrovia. As Devine’s life hung in the balance, the HSH team prayed and asked God to have mercy! They have prayed this prayer many times for children and many times the Lord has answered their prayers with a painful “no.” This day was different! On this day, God’s answer was a resounding, “YES.” Shortly after praying, Devine’s oxygen levels and heart rate started to stabilize and his breathing became regular. After observing him briefly without oxygen, they loaded him into the Land Cruiser and made the risky journey to Monrovia. That evening, after checking into a hotel, they got a phone call from Susan, Devine’s foster mom. She said, “Devine wants to talk to you.” They asked Devine, “How ‘d’ day?” and he answered, “I alright.” God had brought miraculous healing! The doctors ran several tests and found nothing abnormal other than Devine’s usual hydrocephalus. Thank You, Jesus, for making Devine “alright!”

Please continue to pray for Hope's Promise Sanctuary of Hope and Mathare Worship Centre, both serving the Mathare Valley Slum in Nairobi, Kenya!

  • Pray for Kenya! Elections are scheduled for August, and each election brings disruption and often riots to the slum areas. This is exacerbated by COVID lock-downs in the last few years and current grain shortages and price increases due to the war in Ukraine and years of drought. Pray for government stability; safety for the children and families living in Mathare Valley; provision for the hungry.
  • Pray for S, who was swept up in 2021 school fire incidents and continues to go to re-scheduled court hearings. He is currently re-scheduled for July 22nd.
  • Pray for Kuza, Kenya's relative-based orphan care program, as they expand from 30 to 50 kids by the end of the year and prepare to expand to 100 in 2023. Each of these children and families will find support and discipleship in Mathare Worship Centre and the Kuza program. Pray for wisdom as they select each child, and for wisdom in programming from the church & Kuza leaders.
  • Pray for Sanctuary of Hope kids as they transition into post-high school studies. Four more graduated recently (Sammy, John, Stacy W, and Samuel), and five students are now attending vocational, college, or university programs: Geofrey (organizational evaluation), Janet (agriculture), George (IT), Victor (air cabin crew), Peter (culinary arts).
  • Pray for the kids who are struggling with motivation in school. Kenya attempted to shove a couple of years of missed school into one year, and the children are struggling from the lack of normal breaks & holidays.
Afghanistan

Please continue to pray for Michael Parks, CWC Missionary to the Middle East. He specifically requests prayer for the country of Afghanistan and his friend, "Rahim", who we have prayed for these last several months.

Since the US pullout of Afghanistan in August, 2021, the people of Afghanistan have experienced a decaying economy and increasing troubles & persecution. The Taliban continue to hunt those they believe to be a threat to their rule of tyranny, including men and women who have become followers of Jesus. Mike's friend and partner, Rahim, has desired to leave Afghanistan since last October. His life remains at risk for being a Christian and leader in the Church of Afghanistan. As much as Mike & his team have tried, they have been unable to get Rahim and his family out. In the meantime, Rahim continues helping the desperately poor, traveling many miles in remote regions, encouraging the believers, and making disciples. Rahim recently shared this note with Mike:

We are really at risk. The situation is worse. If the Taliban arrest us, they will not keep us alive. Four days ago few YouTubers were arrested and put in jail. The police are trying to force a confession from them that they are supported by the West to promote immorality. There are local brothers and champions I travel with to the (remote) villages where we talk with people about Jesus and listen to people's needs. The Taliban also controls these villages, but there are local people ethnically Hazara, so we have more freedom there, but it is still dangerous.

Please pray for Rahim, his family, and the believers who remain.

Nolan & Marie Schockey (Juarez, Mexico)

Nolan & Marie Schockey, CWC Missionaries in Juarez, Mexico, have been under a lot of spiritual attack. They requested prayer:

  • Nolan was recently hospitalized with a perforated appendix. He is home and recovering, but still has several months of recovery in front of him. Please pray for continued healing!
  • The family of one of the Mexican pastors is struggling to know where God is. The son, Esteban, is 17 years old. 2 months ago, Esteban was shot and his friend murdered in front of him. Then last week, Esteban witnessed another shooting. He and his mom are really struggling.
  • The director of the police academy reached out to Marie for counsel. The director found out 3 of the teachers were abusing some of the young female cadets. Her superiors have closed down any investigation and she is unable to intervene. Please pray for this director, and for Marie as she prays with her and gives her counsel. She has been open and appreciative of Marie's Biblical counsel.
Ukraine

Janice Evans (Ukraine) has been stationed in Hungary, where she receives Ukrainian refugees in an apartment as they make plans for their long-term settlement.

Janice has been back to Ukraine once for a brief visit to help friends in Western Ukraine. Currently she is hosting refugees in a spacious, cool 1-BDR apartment in Budapest. Most recently she has lived with an extended family of 8 Ukrainian refugees, including children ages 6-15, but they will leave in a week or two to move to Canada. After they leave, she plans to host 2 young Nigerian women, who were international students in Ukraine before they fled the war. So far, all the refugees she’s been working with are friends or friends of friends. She now needs to return to Kyiv, Ukraine in the next few weeks for her Ukrainian Residency Visa, which will probably take about a month in Ukraine to finalize. She believes having both Ukrainian and Hungarian visas will make it easier to serve wherever she is needed in the next few months, and the Hungarian visa application process requires her to leave the country, so the timing seems good.

Prayer Requests:

  • Safety on her trip to Kyiv. A good visit with Roma, the young man who she cared for as a foster mom for many years.
  • God’s favor on her Ukrainian visa renewal, Hungarian visa, and Hungarian car registration.
  • Quick language learning; she is fluent in both Russian & Ukrainian, and is now adding some Hungarian to her repertoire.
  • Love for and wisdom with those living in the apartment. Love for the neighbors, some of whom are not thrilled to have refugees living among them. Continued favor with the landlords, who gave the apartment free for several months.
  • Wisdom on further ministry after the large families moves. Possibilities include a clothes closet or feeding ministry to the Ukrainian refugees. She’d also love to meet more Ukrainian International students. Most are Nigerian and can’t return home due to the violence there.
  • Please continue to pray for Ukraine and Russia and an end to the war. Pray for wisdom as churches and aid organizations work to get funds, food, medicine, and other supplies to the refugees and churches in Ukraine and all of Europe.
Jon & Teresa Simons (with Norah, Caedmon, and Lina) - Medellin, Colombia

Praise God for the work He is doing in Medellin, Colombia, through CWC Missionaries Jon & Teresa Simons! They are preparing to begin a new semester at the seminary where Jon teaches. Please pray for:

  • Jon, as he prepares to teach 2 sections on the History of Christianity and also a Greek 2 class.
  • Jon's preparations for an in-depth research group who will study how Athanasius' letters from exile can inform the displaced and exiled church of today. He will first have to translate the letters from Greek to Spanish and then will lead a group of students in research.
  • The seminary students as they start their second semester.
  • The nation of Colombia; there is a new government with the changes that brings. Please pray for peace and truth to prevail.
  • For the seminary as they hire new professors. Pray for wise plans for the future.
CWC Missions

Thank you for praying for our CWC missionaries! If you would like to be more involved in sending or encouraging our missionaries, please contact us at kellyb@cwccs.org.

Credits:

Created with images by Pixel-Shot - "National flags of USA and Afghanistan as background" • Anton - "Portland, Oregon. USA 02.26.2022. People protest against the war in Ukraine. Russia's aggression towards Ukraine. Support for Ukrainians in the USA. Worldwide protection of Ukraine"