August 2002
"Lift up your eyes. "
Last fall, while flying out of Nepal, I lifted my eyes to
the highest point on earth, Mount Everest. Many
thoughts flooded my mind. One, though, predomi¬
nated: Edmund Hillary wasn't the first to climb
Everest, he and Tenzing Norgay were. In 1953, they
reached the summit together.
Just as the world has forgotten the heroic Norgay, so
have they forgotten his people, the Sherpas, and those of
his religion, the Buddhists. One hundred thousand
Sherpas live in Nepal. They are devout Tibetan
Buddhists. Many people are fascinated by the Sherpas
and their religion, but only a few care about their souls.
We are among those and for the past few years we have
set aside two weeks each May to intercede for them and
the other 400 million Buddhists of the world.
And God has gloriously answered. In the
Kathmandu valley of Nepal, the first Sherpa church has
been birthed! And in the Everest area, a second house
church has been started.
Today, join me in giving glorious thanks to God for
this word. Christ's kingdom is coming among the peo¬
ples of the earth, even forgotten ones like the Sherpas.
And then let's lift our eyes and lift our prayers ...
That all may hear and believe,
Randy Sprinkle, Director
International Prayer Strategy Office
1NDAU OF MOZAMBIQUE (in-DOW). Please
I pray for the people called Tewe (teh-way), a small sub¬
group of the Ndau, who are growing in their commitment
to follow Christ. Their chief, a woman, confessed Christ as
Savior after years of hearing the gospel message. Pray that
''He who began a good work (in her) will be faithful to
complete it" (Phil. 1:6) and that she can be a light among
her people, who walk in darkness.
2 TAIWAN (east Asian coast). The Unbound
Student Ministries team asks for prayer for seeker stu¬
dents who are seriously considering a relationship with
Christ and accepting Him as their personal Savior. Many of
these students face hardship and rejection by family mem¬
bers if they become Christians. As they seek the light of
Jesus and freedom from spiritual bondage, they will face
spiritual attack to keep them in bondage and darkness.
Pray that God will give them the strength they need to step
out in faith and trust God, who desires that none would
perish, and to trust His faithfulness and love as they face
rejection. Pray that they will be dynamic witnesses of His
light to other students who live in darkness. Pray that God
will pour out His Spirit over Taiwan and bring multitudes
of students into His kingdom.
3 MUSLIMS: PRAYING BEYOND THE
WALL. Attending university is a special privilege
granted to a very small minority of Muslim young adults.
Pray for the future leaders who have this privilege and are
currently students on campuses around the world, includ¬
ing here in America. Ask the Holy Spirit to open their eyes
and hearts to His love and truth at this critical time in their
lives. Pray that they will meet Christian students and faculty,
hear and understand the gospel, and commit their lives to
Jesus Christ. Pray for Christians on their campuses to cross
cultural barriers persistently to offer them true friendship
and to share God's love through their words and actions.
4 UNITED KINGDOM (northwest Europe).
Please remember a Pakistani family with whom a
worker is spending time. Several generations of this family
run a business in one of the most densely populated South
Asian areas of the large city where the worker ministers.
Ask the Father to bless this family's industry, and pray for
them to see the great love that He has for them. Petition
that they will desire to know Him. Intercede that they will
have dreams and visions of the Son and the sacrifice that
He made for them. Ask the Father to bless the relationship
that is slowly developing between the family and this
worker, that it will become one of trust, encouragement
and discipleship.
5CRIOLLO OF NORTHERN ARGENTINA
(cree-OL-yoh). The Rural Chaco team writes: "We
thank God for the faithfulness of Southern Baptists who
pray and who give to international missions. Funds for dis¬
aster relief enabled our team to minister to families harmed
by a recent flood in our area. Pray for those who made
decisions to receive Christ during this time of crisis. Pray
for the efforts that will be made to minister to their physical
needs in a lasting way after the floodwaters recede."
6TELUGU OF INDIA (TAY-loo-goo). Her par¬
ents had been Christians for a couple of years and had
asked the pastor to choose a name for her when she was 3
