Prayer Mobilization Line: The following are praise reports and prayer requests from Nazarene Missions International for Wednesday, 10 September 2014 "For we walk by faith, not by sight."(2 Corinthians 5:7 (NIV))

Prayer Mobilization Line: The following are praise reports and prayer requests from Nazarene Missions International for Wednesday, 10 September 2014   "For we walk by faith, not by sight."(2 Corinthians 5:7 (NIV))

PRAISES: Levi – Five Years Later   Five years ago, the church joined in prayer for Levi, the grandson of missionaries Paul and Sharon Martin. Praise the Lord for this update the Martins sent: “Our grandson, Liam, is 5 1/2 years old. When he was a baby he had to have a liver transplant - 5 years ago next month. He has been on anti-rejections drugs. However, Levi was determined to be a good candidate for a study to gradually withdraw from the drugs. This past year he has been on that process, August 12 was his last dose. For the most part he has done very well with the withdrawal process! We praise God! Please help us pray that all will continue to go well through to the very end of the withdrawal process and Levi will be confirmed to be risk-free! Riggins Baby   Pray for the safe and soon delivery of Scot and Jill Riggins’ baby girl. Jill’s ultrasound last week showed that the baby was in the wrong position. Many people were praying and a checkup on Sept. 1 showed everything in order once again. Scot and Jill live in Manila, Philippines where Scot serves as the Asia-Pacific Regional Finance Coordinator. Fernando Cesar de Oliveira   Thank you for praying for Fernando Cesar de Oliveira. He has received great news regarding a recent biopsy—no chemo is needed! It is just a matter of recovering from the surgery and he will be able to get back to normal life. Praise God! Fernando is the superintendent of the Sudeste Paulista District in Brazil. Nazarene Extreme Ibarra Church   The Nazarene Extreme Ibarra Church in Ecuador has to hold two services to accommodate the 100 people that are attending services. The church plant started just over a year ago.

PRAY FOR: GLOBAL MINISTRY REQUESTS Master’s Plan   We invite you to help us pray for the Cali, Colombia annual Master's Plan Convention September 24-28, 2014. People will come from around the world to learn about the Master's Plan and be inspired to make a difference in our world. The Saturday, Sept. 27 event in the stadium has a goal of 80,000 in attendance. God’s Not Dead Film Showing UPDATE   On August 22 a house group meeting in a sensitive area hosted a dinner and showing of the film, "God's Not Dead." Some of those who were invited are not yet followers of Jesus. Today, this note was received: "Workers in a sensitive country appreciate the prayers for the dinner and showing of “God’s Not Dead." Several pre-believers were there and the movie generated conversations on issues of faith. Several are now attending the weekly Sunday afternoon gathering.” Pray for these pre-believers, that the living God becomes real to them and is accepted as their Lord and Savior. South Sudanese Refugee Camps   From a Nazarene worker in the area of South Sudan,      “Last week, I felt like I was walking on holy ground as I visited one of the South Sudanese refugee camps. When I realize all that these refugees have been through and still see their faith and hope in God, it's overwhelming.”      “The camp looked like something out of a civil war movie. I was reminded of the scene in the movie "Glory" where Morgan Freeman's character says "shoes... they need shoes". Yet, even in such difficult conditions, our leaders are still full of faith and hope. The needs are real, please pray." Venezuela   We’ve prayed often for the people and country of Venezuela. Your continued prayers are needed. Pray for protection, strength, and wisdom in this time of difficulty within the country. Pray also that the Lord will use his church and its leaders to preach the gospel through the whole country. Missionary Prayer Focus   Please pray for the following requests sent in from missionaries who are part of the August and September prayer focuses: Sharon and Paul Martin, serving in Ghana Although we don't live in Sierra Leone now, after our move last year to Ghana, Paul still serves at the superintendent for the Sierra Leone District (with capable national leadership moving forward well on the ground there). The Ebola virus in Sierra Leone is reaching serious proportions, especially in the eastern part of the country, about 12 hours from the capital, Freetown. We have several churches in the Segbwema area in the east. In Freetown, the general society is pretty much in a state of fear and panic. Thankfully no Nazarenes have been affected so far and they are working with compassionate ministries during this crisis. - Please pray that the Nazarenes in the Segbwema (eastern) area will remain safe. - Pray that Nazarene pastors and churches in the Freetown area (as well as   Segbwema area) will be able to minister to the people in their communities in   compassionate ministry ways. - That this will be a time of meaningfully sharing the love of Jesus in their    communities in a way that opens more doors of evangelism and many come    to Jesus. - That God will provide the needs of our Nazarenes during this very challenging    time in the country. - Please pray for the renewal of the lease of our missionary home here in Ghana. Judy Ralph, serving in Papua New Guinea Please pray for my family in Oklahoma as they process the passing of my dad who died on August 24th. It was hard not to be there but I am very thankful for the time I spent with him this summer. Pray for this school year as I teach at the Missionary Kid School, 1st - 3rd grades, that faith and love in the Lord will be caught and wisdom/creativity will be given to enhance each student's learning. Kyle and Rebecca Sukanen, serving in Ukraine God granting us Wisdom and discernment as we serve the people of the CIS Field that our efforts would be effective.    That God would give us the right opportunity to aid in preventing Human Trafficking and serve those affected by it.  Please pray for endurance for our family.  Kyle and Jayme Himmelwright, serving in Portugal Recently Kyle and Jayme spoke at a Portuguese youth camp where 40 young people were in attendance. Please pray for the young people as they return home, that they will incorporate the truths heard at the camp into their lives.   The missionaries from our field will come together to meet with Eurasia Regional Director Arthur Snijders. Please pray that this is a time of renewal and growth for our team. To read more about the Himmelwrights and their ministry in Portugal, click here to read the Engage magazine article.  Missionary profile: Kyle and Jayme Himmelwright Kyle and Jayme Himmelwright are missionaries, serving the Western Mediterranean Field of the Eurasia Region, living in Portugal since 2007. Kyle is the field strategy coordinator as well as the district superintendent of France. Jayme is the field theological education professor and mentor. They have three daughters: Ana Lucinda, 10, and Nadia Filipa and Bruna Filipa, who are both 8. Engage: How did you first recognize God’s call to be involved in missions? Himmelwrights: Jayme received her call to missions at age 8. She can still remember standing up in elementary school and saying, "When I grow up, I'm going to be a missionary."  Kyle received his call while taking a cultural understanding travel course to Sighisoara, Romania, while a student at Olivet Nazarene University. Engage: What is your favorite aspect of what you do in your present assignment? Himmelwrights: Jayme's favorite part of her job is teaching.  She teaches courses for EuNC, disciples people, and speaks for events.  Kyle's favorite part is dreaming, strategizing, and implementing together with his national colleagues the God-size plans that He has for his Church in Western Europe. Engage: What are some of the challenges that you face in carrying out your work? Himmelwrights: The four countries on the Western Mediterranean Field consist of more than 90 percent Roman Catholics.  Protestant denominations are viewed as "the church of the immigrant" at best and a cult/sect at worst. Roman Catholicism has informed the majority culture's understanding of "church" to the point that the 30 to 40 Nazarene immigrants that may be gathering in our small location that may have once served as the local fruit stand simply doesn't align with the giant cathedrals they've always known as their church home. Many of our European Nazarenes also face pressure and disassociation from their families due to their involvement with the Church of the Nazarene. Other challenges include: materialism and relative financial security, the cost of living (even a small apartment can cost 300,000 to 500,000 USD in some parts of our field), an immigrant mentality that can serve as an obstacle to creative thinking about what an effective church in the post-Christian, European context might look like. Despite the challenges, we continue to develop the church in three areas: 1) helping districts serve local churches by being more missionally intentional, administratively effective, and doctrinally consistent; 2) helping local churches multiply by discovering who God has made them to be and whom God has called them to serve, and best practices for completing their clearly articulated mission; 3) to help emerging leaders to be identified, trained, equipped, and sent into service.  One example of this focus on emerging leaders and continued indiginization is the election of Rev. Ignacio Pesado, the first national district superintendent in Spain after 35 years of ministry. Engage: How do you maintain a close relationship with God, and your family in the midst of the demands of missionary service? Himmelwrights: The demands of our assignments that take us to five districts in four different countries makes finding a proper balance a challenge. Couple our job challenges with the new demands that came with the adoption of our three daughters in 2011 and we find ourselves constantly challenged to find time to foster our relationships with God, with our spouse, and with our children. Engage: What are the rewards of what you do? Kyle: The freedom to work creatively. The privilege to work with people who are just as passionate as I am to see His Church healthy and reproducing.  The joy of working in a historically rich and geographically beautiful part of the globe. Engage: What are some aspects of the culture where you live that you have come to love or embrace? Himmelwrights: The Portuguese people are amazingly warm and embracing. While they find themselves in Western Europe and part of the European Union, they have been slower to develop than some of their neighbors. Therefore, you find in Portugal a more honest, laid back, unpretentious people. Surrounded by the big cities and world class attractions of their Italian, Spanish, and French neighbors, Portugal is often overlooked by tourists who come to our field. Selfishly, we hope this doesn't change as one of our favorite family activities is heading to a nearly vacant beach near our home for a family picnic. Engage: What do you like to do for fun? Himmelwrights: For fun, our family enjoys traveling and camping. For a small country, Portugal has amazing geographical diversity. Since Portugal would rank 40th in size if it were one of the 50 US states, we can camp and snow ski in the Serra de Estrella mountains in North and swim in the South in the same weekend. Engage: What is something people would be surprised to learn about you? Kyle: People may be surprised to learn that I make about one phone call per month and almost never send texts. I rely almost exclusively on email, Facebook, and Skype for communication, both with missionary colleagues and with family. Engage: What advice would you have for others exploring a possible call to missions, or embarking on their first missionary assignment? Kyle: If I could speak to a missionary candidate, I would say to prepare themselves professionally and plan on working bi-vocationally as tent makers. What I see worldwide is a professional clergy so immersed in the life of the church and its members that they have lost connection with lost and broken people. Potential missionaries should spend more time eating with the lost, walking in the shoes of the lost, and finding creating ways to engage the least. Keith and Ruth Ann Morris, serving in Ecuador Our desire is to exemplify Christ to our students Pray for God’s direction for the following school year. Pray for our health and physical strength. Ruth Ann has issues with a pinched nerve that causes pain and numbness in her right arm. Pray for the salvation of their two younger sons, Scott and Daniel. Pray for God’s healing touch on their sister-in-law who has an aggressive form of brain cancer and has been given four months, at best, to live. Ted and Rachel Henderson, serving in Papua New Guinea Pray for safe travels from Australia to Kudjip, Papua New Guinea Pray for the Lord’s peace in the various aspects of preparing for this year in mission work Pray for peace and discernment as we get settled among the established missionary families Pray for our week of cultural immersion. We are praying for God to lead us into His compassion for the local people District Superintendents   Over the next several months, NMI will publish the names and place of ministry for Nazarene district superintendents. Please join us in praying for these individuals who God has called to shepherd pastors and churches around the world. Today’s district superintendents are from countries on the Mesoamerica Region: Joscelyn Martin, Dominica Rene Acosta, Dominican Republic Central Samuel Cabrera, Dominican Republic North Carlos de la Cruz, Dominican Republic Northeast Miguel Yudén, Dominican Republic Oriental Luis Peréz, Dominican Republic South Oscar Villanueva, El Salvador Central Victor Alfaro, El Salvador East Mario Castro, El Salvador West Uber Izales, Guatemala Atlantic Francisco Cuquej, Guatemala Baja Verapaz Nery Pérez, Guatemala Central Miguel Xol, Guatemala Coban North Rogelio Quej, Guatemala Franja Central Héctor Caz Och, Guatemala Franja Occidental May the Lord add His blessing to the work of these district superintendents. District Superintendents   Over the next several months, NMI will publish the names and place of ministry for Nazarene district superintendents. Please join us in praying for these individuals who God has called to shepherd pastors and churches around the world. Today’s district superintendents are from countries on the Mesoamerica Region: Cesar Juárez – Guatemala Franja Oriental Moisés Lucas – Guatemala North Danilo Solis – Guatemala North Verapaz Moisés Larios – Guatemala Southeast René Marroquin – Guatemala West Victor Bin - Guatemala Verapaz South Mateo Reyes Bolvito – Guatemala Verapaz Oriental Tony Autar – Guyana Berbice Alphonso Porter – Guyana Demerara-Essequibo Walliere Pierre – Haiti Central Augustín Michaël – Haiti La Gonave Pierre Jacques – Haiti Lower Artibonite Fritzner Aristyl – Haiti Lower Artibonite Livernier Doreus – Haiti Lower Northwest Garry Jeudy – Haiti North Central May the Lord add His blessing to the work of these district superintendents. Board of General Superintendents   Please pray for the ministry and safety of the general superintendents as they travel this month: Jerry D. Porter J. K. Warrick Eugénio Duarte David W.Graves David A. Busic Gustavo A. Crocker HEALTH-RELATED REQUESTS Nery Maria Herazo   Nery Maria Herazo is the mother of missionary Jose David Acosta and she is in critical condition due to pulmonary cancer. Nery Maria has suffered with respiratory problems her whole life and the cancer has been diagnosed as fatal. Jose David needs permission from the Peruvian Immigration Office to fly to Venezuela where his mom and family are. The Acostas serve in Peru and are in the process of renewing their residency in Peru, and for the moment they do not have permission to leave the country. Prayers are needed and appreciated. Cindy Downey   Cindy Downey, missionary in South America, has gone through a number of glaucoma surgeries. The most recent one was successful until now. It seems the tube inserted in her eye to diminish the pressure that damages the optical nerves has moved and is now placing pressure on the iris, which can be very damaging. Cindy has already lost partial vision and we pray for God's intervention to not only be able to maintain what is left of her vision, but to also recover what has been lost. Cindy is in the process of finding doctors who can provide good follow up on her case while she is on the mission field (Argentina) as well as in her home country, the U.S. Your prayers are really appreciated. Leah Jean Haines   Prayer is requested for Leah Jean Haines, the mother of missionary John Haines, assigned to the Eurasia Region. Following a recent surgery, Mrs. Haines has been released from the hospital requiring 24-hour care for the initial healing process. It is financially prohibitive in her current housing situation for this to be arranged. Therefore new housing is necessary that can provide for her needs. Please pray for healing for Mrs. Haines, a good solution for her housing and care, and peace during these turbulent times. Please also pray for John as he is in India and making plans to return to the U.S. to resolve the most urgent needs, as well as pray for grandson Zach and family friends who are taking turns caring for Mrs. Haines during this interim period. Leopoldo Rivera   Leopoldo Rivera, the grandfather of Liliana Reza, missionary in South America, suffered a stroke in late August. He has progressed in his recovery, nevertheless, he still needs round-the-clock assistance and struggles with memory loss, which frustrates him. Please ask the Lord for Leopoldo to have a full recovery. Pray for Liliana and her family as they care for him. Iris Sandoval   Prayer is requested for Iris Sandoval, adult daughter of Dr. Alejandro and Teresa Sandoval, retired superintendent of the Southwest Latin American District. Iris is suffering from a rare skin disease which causes much pain and bleeding. Because she is unable to walk and drive, she has not been able to work. Your prayers in her favor are kindly requested. BEREAVEMENT Family of Donald H. Davis   Donald H. Davis, retired missionary, passed away on Sunday, September 7, 2014, in Salinas, California. Donald, along with his late wife, Emma, served in Argentina for 23 years. Donald is survived by his second wife, Virginia, and Donald and Emma’s children: Garth, Steven, and Martha (Davis) Latham. A private service will be held at a later date. Pray for the Davis family to be reminded often about Donald’s living testimony of God’s unfailing love and mercy as they grieve his passing. Global Concerns – Body of Christ India and Pakistan Flooding   Landslides and flash floods triggered by heavy monsoon rains have killed nearly 300 people in northern India and Pakistan. Please pray for the people in these areas. Bangladesh Flooding   Two weeks of flooding in northern Bangladesh have affected two million people, leaving up to half a million homeless. Pray for the people of northern Bangladesh who have been affected. Ebola   The Ebola virus continues to spread through West Africa. Please pray for those who have been affected by the disease. Pray for the third missionary doctor, Rick Sacra, who has been flown back to the U.S. for treatment. May the Lord's healing hand cover the countries of West Africa and their people.

Thank you for praying. "To fall in love with God is the greatest of all romances; to seek Him, the greatest adventure; to find Him, the greatest human achievement."(St. Augustine, Latin North African theologian and philosopher)

____________________________