International Witness Update and Prayer

Thailand

Tom and Christine Poovong (MC Canada Witness workers in Khon Kaen, Thailand) recently celebrated their 20^th wedding anniversary. We give thanks and praise to God for their married life together and for all workers and their marriage relationships. Pray for all of our workers that God’s grace and perseverance would be evident in their marriages as they face unique challenges of living and ministering cross-culturally.

United Kingdom

An update from Mike and Cheryl Nimz, Anabaptist Network in the U.K.

“It isn’t feasible for us to travel all over the UK to continue on with the connections we have made and so we have suggested and the Anabaptist steering group has agreed that having regional ‘ambassadors’ is the way to go.

Prayer

Venezuela

Congo

(*The above two items regarding Venezuela and Congo first appeared in Mennonite Mission Network’s December 2018 Prayer Vine.)

MC Canada Congregations Called to Prayer

MCA is inviting all congregations to join in a nationwide call to prayer for comfort and strength for our Jewish faith communities, particularly those here in Canada and the USA. In the wake of the Pittsburgh massacre of Jewish worshippers this week, all congregations in MC Canada are being asked to pray this Sunday for Jewish faith communities that have been impacted by this act of violence.

This horrific act of anti-Semitism is one that we as a denomination strongly condemn. While anti-Semitism has been a an ugly part of the history of the Christian Church, we believe that our Christian faith and the words of Jesus compel us to love all persons regardless of race or creed and to denounce all forms of violence against each other.

 Please join our sisters and brothers across the country in lamenting all forms of violence against those who are different from us. Pray that those who grieve may be enfolded in God’s comforting embrace and that God’s healing power might restore shalom in communities whose peace has been shattered by violence. May our prayers stand in solidarity with all who call on God in this time of sorrow and grief.

• Pray for a smooth transition for the Tshimanga family in making a new home in Nova Scotia, developing new friendships and for a good integration for Emmanuel and Joshua into school.
  
  
• Please pray for the English ministry of Sook Kyoung Park (wife of Bock Ki Kim). During the summer months the number of Sook Kyoung’s students has decreased to half. Despite the smaller size of group her students continue to enjoy English learning and appreciate their relationship with Sook Kyoung.
  
  
• Meserete Kristos College (in Ethiopia) invites prayer that the Holy Spirit will guide in the selection and enrolling of students especially as it anticipates the coming fall semester. Pray also for those providing training and instruction to students.

• Pray for MCA's Vision 2020, a re-visioning process that will guide us into 2020 and beyond. Help us to listen, to be open to God's leading, to discern His call, and to live it out. Pray for pastors and congregational leadership who will participate in the process.
  
  
  
• George and Tobia Veith have returned home for a brief visit to family and their home congregation. Praying their visit to Canada will provide the rest and peace after a busy and hectic ministry schedule.  
  
  
• Keep the Nicolson family in prayer as they continue to adjust to life in Canada after serving several years in Burkina Faso. Pray that the worship service at Holyrood Mennonite Church would be wonderful time of encouragement and affirmation both for the congregation and for the Nicolsons.  
  
  

• Please keep the Otto/Rabus family in your prayers. They are settling in to a new home in Lethbridge, Alberta where Jennifer has recently begun a teaching position at the University of Lethbridge. Pray for Greg and Jennifer (and their young sons, Alex and Ian) as they transition to life in Canada after 6 years of Witness work in Germany. 
  

• Pray for MCA's Vision 2020, a re-visioning process that will guide us into 2020 and beyond. Help us to listen, to be open to God's leading, to discern His call, and to live it out. Pray for pastors and congregational leadership who will participate in the process.
  
  
• Please pray for Steve Henrich during his trial Aug 7-10 and for our larger community as we continue to discern how Christ is inviting us to flesh out our commitment to Indigenous rights and our repudiation of the Doctrine of Discovery. Pray for peaceful engagement with this issues, seeking resolution involving dialogue with indigenous communities in keeping with UNDRIP. This dialogue should also include all levels of government, industry leaders, and other stakeholders in seeking a resolution together.
  
  
• Please join Dann and Joji Pantoja, Witness workers in the Philippines, in special prayer as they grieve the recent passing of Joji’s mother, Aurora Francisco Bautista (84 years of age). Pray also for Joji’s siblings and for the grandchildren that God’s peace would surround them all during this time of grief and loss.    
  
  
• Pray for the families of Eva Tumbay, Jeannette Wright, Glorious Davis as continue to morn the losses from the tragic accident on September 22. Pray also for Janet Wright Gaye for physical and emotional healing.

• Pray for MCA's Vision 2020, a re-visioning process that will guide us into 2020 and beyond. Help us to listen, to be open to God's leading, to discern His call, and to live it out. 
  
  
• We are thankful that the Nicolson family is visiting the MC Canada/MC Manitoba offices this week. Continue to pray for Lillian, Norm, Nadine and Kenneth, as they live into “re-entry” transition from many years of life in Burkina Faso to Canada.
  
  
• Please keep the Gregory Rabus and Jennifer Otto and their two boys, Alex and Ian, in your prayers as they transition to life in Canada after serving 6 years cross-culturally. Gregory, Jennifer and boys will settle in Lethbridge, Alberta in mid-July.
  
  
• Pray as Mike and Cheryl near the completion of their itineration, that they would continue to enjoy good health, perseverance and establish new relationships. They will be returning to United Kingdom in mid July.
  
  
• We invite all congregations and members of Mennonite Church Canada to join with us in prayer as we seek an EXECUTIVE MINISTER. We invite applications and nominations for an individual who will work cooperatively with the Executive Staff Group to nurture, represent and inspire a unified vision of MC Canada

• Pray for the women attending the retreat June 8-10. May this be a time and place for bonding across churches and cultures. May the women be challenged by Rachel Miller Jacob's message on Ordinary Forgiveness. 
  
  
• We invite prayers of peace and God’s grace for Lillian, Norm, Nadine and Kenneth as they transition to Canada after 20 years of ministry in Burkina Faso. They arrived safely in Grand Prairie on May 31st. 
  
  
• Please pray for NAIITS conference that hearts are open to learn from the wide diversity of peoples who will be offering their gifts; that we would share our gift too; and that we would come home ready to pass on what we have received to our congregations.
  
  
• Witness workers, Hippolyto and Miriam, invite prayer “for the Grace Community Church so that the Lord may keep her faithful in unity as she is still struggling to build herself as a Pentecostal Peace Church and a strong member of Mennonite World Conference in South Africa.”
  
  
• We invite all congregations and members of Mennonite Church Canada to join with us in prayer as we seek an EXECUTIVE MINISTER. We invite applications and nominations for an individual who will work cooperatively with the Executive Staff Group to nurture, represent and inspire a unified vision of MC Canada