Bridge of Prayer May-July 2014

Dear MWB Prayer Partner, We love having your prayer support! To see this Bridge of Prayer online in colour, go to our web site: www.mwb.org.nz. We now publish our Bridge of Prayer every 3 months. Thank you for praying for us and the people we are helping – Mission Without Borders NZ.

Background info and prayer needs

It is summer in Europe. Summer camps are the main ministry work from the end of May right through to August. MWB staff in the field told us when we visited in October that summer camps are the single most powerful tool to see lives turned around of all of the ministry activities of the Mission in their countries.

We also remain aware of the painful and difficult time that our Ukraine brothers and sisters face as the current crisis unfolds and as their struggling economy causes even more hardship to the poor.

Ukraine crisis

Ukraine is undergoing a major political crisis, not only internally in the east, but also with Russia just over its border. We have some 72 full and part-time staff in MWB Ukraine and many volunteers from local churches. Here is how our colleagues have asked us to pray:

Please give thanks that the Mission staff, their families and our offices are safe and please continue to pray for their continued safety

Please pray for those in leadership in Ukraine and Internationally, that they might be wise and humble in their decision making

Pray for the many families that we work with, and the children in government institutions

Pray for the churches and church leaders that we work with that they might be a light in their communities

Please pray for the distribution of goods that is such an important part of our work, that it is not disrupted by problems with government departments that are in a state of flux

Please pray that Ukraine can move forward again to become a stable nation with fair and honest government and stable, peaceful relations with Russia and its other allies

And please pray for more family and child sponsors of Ukrainian families and children in institutions

Please pray for Summer camps May-July:

Pray for the final preparations for summer camps in May. Pray also for the children who will get to go to camp in all of our field countries, that their lives will be touched by God and changed as they get to hear and understand the Gospel in ways that they can relate to. Pray especially for safety in travel to and from camps (the roads are bad) and in camp activities, and for the leaders, both staff, part-time staff and volunteers who help with the running of the camps. Pray also for the children from sponsored families and for the children from State institutions who have no active Christian faith, but who desperately need hope in Someone who can change their lives for good. Please pray that sufficient financial support from all of our donors will come in during this period to give as many children as possible the chance to go to camp. Costs have risen steeply in our field countries. Please pray for the follow-up events and opportunities that are so important for those children whose lives have been touched by their summer camp experiences.

Albania:

Please pray for the children and leaders attending three camps that will run at the seaside of Durres from 16 June to 6 July. For most, this is their first time at the seaside and the first holiday they have ever had. The venue is an old beach “resort” from Communist times. Pictured: Children at camp playing on the beach.

Please pray for these children, that they will grow to become strong Christian leaders in Albania, in homes, schools, workplaces and communities – and in government.

Bosnia and Herzegovina:

Please pray for the two camps that will be run at the Boracko Lake area, one for teenagers and one for younger children, in the period from 24 June until 2 July. The Gospel of God’s saving power and love is really needed. Miona in our MWB office writes: “One can see that there is no quality of life within Bosnia. People are getting poorer, they lose their jobs, they become more depressed and we witness that suicides are common today.” Pictured: MWB Bosnia Director Dalibor Kojic with his team of boys at last year’s children’s camp.

Moldova:

Please pray for the children who will be at the seven camps planned to run between 1 June and 30 June in the north, centre and southern areas of the country. We hope to have at least one New Zealander go to help as a volunteer this year – please pray as planning and arrangements are made and for safe travel. Please pray for the 1000 or more children that will go – that they will be changed by the love they receive and the message they hear. Pictured: leaders treating the children at one of at last year’s camps to a traditional Moldovan welcome (bread and salt)

Bulgaria:

Please pray for the camp (possibly in two shifts) to be held from 15 to 25 July at Liaskovets. Many of the children are from the poorest families, mostly in our Family to Family sponsorship programme, and some are Roma (gypsy) and therefore on the outer edge of society. Please pray that God’s love will reach past all feelings of unworthiness and that all will sense His great love for them. Pray for the leaders from MWB Bulgaria headed by Sarkis and for his team of committed volunteers. Pictured: Bulgarian children at a big group meeting at last year’s camp.

Romania:

Please pray for the children and leaders attending the 13 camps that MWB Romania will run in six locations in the period from 20 June to 6 August. Please pray that the children will be deeply impacted by what they hear and experience, including those from poor villages and communities where we work. Pictured: children at Garbova Camp near Alba Iulia listening intently during

a talk. (The facilities there, where three camps will take place, were built and are run by a Dutch couple as their Christian ministry to Romanian young people, and are better than anything the children will ever have experienced – including the

outdoor swimming pool!)

Ukraine:

Please pray especially for our staff in Ukraine. They have planned six camps from 31 May until 28 June in five locations. A question mark hangs over these plans because of the threat of civil war. At the time of writing, the camp venues may not be available because the government has requested the camps for refugees - military and other personnel and their families from Crimea. This is very difficult for our people, but they will look at alternatives, such as camps held at the State Homes (as they have successfully done before). We will provide updates on our Facebook page and web site as we receive news. Pictured: Children at a Ukraine

camp last year each with their own Children’s Bible.

International and general needs

We are in an important season of planning for our future work. This will culminate in a leadership gathering in the UK in September 2014. Please pray for all of our leaders that they would have great wisdom and inspiration in making plans for 2015 and beyond; the

field countries for their new initiatives; and the fund-raising and supporting countries like NZ that they would find ways to involve our existing supporters more effectively and more new supporters will join in our work.