December 2006
Dear Global Intercessors:
This month as we give gifts to friends and loved
ones and celebrate God's most precious gift, His Son
Jesus Christ, I would like to draw your attention to two
important missions emphases.
The first is the Week of Prayer for International
Missions, Dec. 3-10. This year you will experience
West Africa through the hearts of 10 missionary units
serving in this vast region.
"Living Water, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, has been
carried to West Africa for more than 150 years. But
today, West Africa is still spiritually parched ground.
Some 287 million people call West Africa's 22 countries
home. The region is one of the most ethnically diverse
and impoverished in the world. Diseases, especially
malaria and HIV
/
AIDS, are rampant. Political strife
and ethnic violence are commonplace. And one-fifth of
West Africa's people groups have never heard Jesus'
name."
Need I say more? I hope you will make every
effort to not only participate in this year's week of
prayer, but to encourage others in your church to join
you before the throne of God, lifting up our missionar¬
ies in West Africa and the peoples they hold so dear.
The second emphasis is the Lottie Moon
Christmas Offering®, with a goal of $150 million.
Please pray that God's Holy Spirit will stir the hearts
of Southern Baptists to give sacrificially to this annual
missions offering. May our gifts be a testimony of our
faithful devotion to the Lord, our passionate love for
the lost peoples of the world and our fervent desire to
see them enter into the family of God.
You may learn more about these international
missions emphases online at ime.imb.org.
Thank you for prayerful support of
the ministries of the International
Mission Board.
Most sincerely,
Ed Cox, director
International Prayer Strategy Office
International Mission Board
"Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed
down, shaken together and running over, will be poured
into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be mea¬
sured to you" Luke 6:38, NIV.
1 HUNGARY (eastern Europe). Hungarians enjoy discuss¬
ing a variety of topics and have an intellectual approach
to life. Even though religion is considered a private matter,
respectful discussions about God and faith are acceptable.
Most will join in and present their view and listen to what
others have to say. Pray that God will use the Hungarian
intellectual approach for many to come to know the
Scriptures and experience the God who inspired them.
П
CENTRAL, EASTERN AND SOUTHERN AFRICA (CESA).
L The year 2006 marks the 50th anniversary of Baptist work
through the International Mission Board in the Central,
Eastern and Southern Africa region. Rejoice with workers as
African Baptists assume responsibility for many of the insti¬
tutions begun in those early years. Recently, the buildings
and land belonging to the first seminary begun in Eastern
Africa were presented to the trustees of that institution.
Transitioning leadership and ownership is never an easy
process. Pray for African leaders to know how best to oper¬
ate these institutions to serve believers and churches.
3 BHUTAN (south Asia). One rarely encounters a Bhutanese
traveler outside of Bhutan. Yet, some do leave Bhutan for
education, tourism, sports competitions or health care. Pray
that Bhutanese travelers will encounter Christians who are
willing to share the Gospel with them. Pray that they will
take the testimony of God's people back into Bhutan and
share it with their friends and family. Pray for their salvation.
1 IRAN (southwestern Asia). Because of the political situa-
i tion, it is difficult for Westerners, especially Americans, to
receive approval to live and work inside Iran. Praise God,
His church is global and includes many peoples! Pray that
believers from countries surrounding Iran will seek to take
the Gospel to the unreached peoples in Iran. Their languages
and cultures are more similar to those in Iran than those
from the West. It is easier for them to attain visas. But in
many ways, this is a big step for them. Pray for open doors
and resources, as believers moving to Iran will need to find
jobs and places to live. Pray that they will be grounded in
Scripture and bold to proclaim their faith.
Г
ALGERIAN ARABS OF ALGERIA AND FRANCE (al-JEE-
u ree-an). A few months ago, the church in Algeria held its
first-ever missions conference, where dozens of national
