The Arabian Peninsula Partnership
The Gospel for every person and a church for every people in the Arabian Peninsula amongst indigenous peoples
December 7, 2009
Christian Fellowships.
Praise
Thank God for the consultation that finished last week. Organisationally there were no problems (an answer to your prayers), and it was a great time of networking, initiation of new ministry and strengthening of existing work. Pray that the Lord will build on this unifying event to the Glory of his Name in the AP.
Prayer
Unemployment is growing in this land. Young people can't find jobs and are frustrated. Ask that people will be creative in finding jobs. Pray for a stop to bribery and corruption that stifles creativity. Ask that a young lady, Nora, will be succeed starting her business.
The schooling system in this nation is saturated with Islam. The children have history, but this is Islamic history. They have society subjects, but these instruct how to behave in a Islamic way. They read English texts and the content of it tells how to do e.g. the ritual washing before prayer. Pray that the students will be protected and not completely brainwashed through an overflow of information about the goodness regarding Islam and the badness about Christianity. Pray that they come to know that there are other opinions and ways of life.
One of the followers of Christ from an Islamic background in our budding fellowship seems to be driving others away by assuming leadership and unhelpful side comments. Pray that he and these new believers will learn the principles of peacemaking, reconciliation, loyalty in speech and humility.
There are many Christians among the foreign workers in our land. Pray that their light will shine (Matt 5:14).
This month, the King made announcements promoting human rights awareness in the country. This is an important process which we believe will allow evaluation of current culture and the opinions of people from the rest of the world. Pray that this process will lead to a surge for righteousness and that this will lead people to Christ.
Testimony
Recently in our country, new regulations have been enforced with regards to our church compound. All house groups and fellowships must meet on the compound when the law takes effect in about 18 months and this will serve to only strangle the running and growth of these fellowships. Schedules must be submitted to the police on a weekly basis informing them of their weekly meetings and activities. Thus, no other meeting can be held at anytime if it is not on the schedule. Each Friday, police note who attends services, under the guise of protection (when asked whom the protection is from, they are told Al Qaida). At the moment, some Fellowships have not registered and thus are not allowed on the church compound. It seems these "unprotected" Fellowships have, in fact, more freedom.
Further to this, one of the church compound Fellowships is in the process of losing four of their leaders this week (no reason given by the authorities). Another Fellowship (non-registered) is losing one of their leaders this week (also no reason given).
The number of intentional Christian workers, i.e. those who look for ways to share their faith, is not growing; in fact, another family is in the process of leaving by their own choice. The number of Christian workers who are still active after the drama in May of this year is decreasing. FEAR has a mighty foothold.
Oh Lord, may you be our focus and protector and provider. May our faith be seen in action with wisdom. But may we not falter in our calling.