Prayer Room
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Here are some special prayer requests from MedSend grant recipients serving around the world: |
Severe flooding in Honduras: Please pray
“Please keep the people of southern Honduras in your prayers,” urged MedSend grant recipient Meredith Jones, director of health services for Mission Lazarus, a ministry co-founded by a grant recipient. After days of record-breaking rain, much of the region is under water, including the mountain town of San Marcos de Colon.
“In four-and-a-half years of living here I have seen some major flooding in Choluteca, but never in San Marcos,” she said.
Mission Lazarus teams are busy distributing emergency food supplies to isolated areas. They report nearly 3,000 hectares of sugar cane have been lost due to the flooding, 31,000 homes have been severely affected and 80% of the town of Monjaras is under water. The flooding stretched from the mountains, where small streams turned into raging torrents, to the coast. The only paved road south from the capital of Honduras,Tegucigalpa, has been completely destroyed by major landslides, thus isolating the most affected areas. Mission Lazarus is appealing for emergency aid to be able continue to buy food supplies and supply medical care.
Pray for Peace in Jos
A grant recipient serving in Jos, Nigeria reports that although large-scale riots and fighting have been suppressed, smaller-scale fighting continues in isolated locations. He writes, "Please pray for peace in Jos and for God's glory to spread throughout the city."
Urgent: Don't forget north Sudan
From a MedSend grant recipient: “Please remember our Christian brothers and sisters in north Sudan who are undergoing new persecution. With the creation of South Sudan, Sharia law has been instituted in north Sudan… We received this urgent prayer request from a worker in Sudan: ‘Your prayers would be appreciated for our church members in north Sudan. The believers in north Sudan are facing some tough times and tough decisions.
'In recent days President Bashir has declared that Sharia Law will be strengthened and its application enforced. In addition, he has rejected the results of the negotiations between the Muslim Government and those parts of north Sudan that have Christian communities, namely Nuba Mountains and Blue Nile. He has said that these areas must surrender to his rule and their local militia must disarm… Open Doors ministry has reported that large numbers of believers have already fled Khartoumand headed into South Sudan. Please pray for the believers in north Sudan that they will remain firm in their belief and have wisdom from the Lord.’”
South Sudan: Pray for the new nation
A MedSend grant recipient requests prayer for South Sudan, which formalized its independence from North Sudan on July 9: "When the South announced its independence it brought happiness and joy to so many including myself! Please remember South Sudan in your prayers. The reality is that they face a lot of problems and the next years will definitely be a struggle. You may want to research the main challenges (security, economy, tribal conflict, etc…) and commit these to the Lord. Also pray for the many slaves in Sudan torn from their families and homeland and who are forced to labor or are exploited for sex by their masters. Wrestle in the spiritual realm for their freedom and for the abolishment of this evil institution that has somehow openly survived in Sudan and Mauritania. Although the South has many, many challenges to face externally and internally, they are all filled with HOPE and EXCITEMENT as to what freedom will bring!”
East Africa: Pray for those who are displaced
From a MedSend grant recipient serving in East Africa where a struggle between government and rebel forces has resulted in village bombings and thousands of displaced persons: “Please pray for these displaced people. Their situation seems so hopeless and unfair but we serve a caring and faithful Father whose love is beyond us and despite all the bad things that are happening I trust His goodness would prevail in this torn and famished land.”
Haiti: One long roller coaster
Cheron Hardy, FNP, is MedSend grant recipient who has served in Haiti for more than seven years. As a nurse practitioner and nurse-midwife, she oversees an orphanage for critically ill and abandoned children, as well as healthcare outreach programs in the community. Below are Cheron's requests for prayer as Haiti faces one catastrophe after another, in addition to the grinding poverty and spiritual darkness that is always prevalent there.
Thank you for your prayer for Haiti during this year of catastrophes and continual problems. Please pray and give thanks that:
- Hurricane Tomas wasn’t as severe as expected- Cap Haitian where the orphanage is was not significantly affected, although other parts of Haiti especially in the south were.
- Cholera Outbreak- There are 5 cases confirmed in Cap Haitian! Please pray for infrastructure issues in Haiti to be resolved (i.e. running water and appropriate sanitation starting at hospitals and places of care and reaching to all parts of the community). At the orphanage we have a couple staff members with family from the area greatest hit. Please pray for us as we prepare to be able to address the spread of this disease to our area.
- For safe elections on November 28th. There are over 20 candidates and no clear front runner with real vision and solutions for Haiti’s problems. Political violence is increasing. Pray for a godly leader.
Thank you for your prayers and support which have made ministry possible. This year has felt like one long roller coaster since the January earthquake. I have been riding the highs and low without much time for communication, so I thank you for continuing your support.
Don't Forget the Earthquake Victims
Obviously the greatest group in need of prayer in Haiti at present are the earthquake victims. Their needs are not only physical and emotional but also spiritual. One day this summer I was sitting at the orphanage with two victims of the quake. We have one of the children from that family in the orphanage until they can stabilize themselves and care for S. and the rest of the family. At one of the clinics, staffed by Eternal Hope in Haiti volunteers, for victims transferred from Port au Prince to Cap Haitian the mother of S. went into labor. Her husband, his parents and six of his seven siblings all died in the quake. One of her husband’s brothers survived and was there to help her as they both had lost everything. They proceeded to give me a list of all their needs: from food, to shelter, jobs, health problems etc. Then the young man said to me, “but the thing we need the most urgent help with is a new house because there are little demons running around in our home (victims housing) and they climb onto our beds and torment us and we cannot sleep.” I replied, “new housing wouldn’t solve that problem, for spirits can move anywhere- the only solution is salvation through Jesus Christ.” The assistant director of the orphanage, Tison, shared the gospel with them, while I gathered medicines and resources for the baby and the family. I highlight this as a reminder that aid money alone will not solve all the issues affecting the Haitian people, consistent prayer is NEEDED.
Haiti: Return of a terrible disease
Prayer request from MedSend alumna Elizabeth Fleming, DO, serving in Haiti:
Hello! I'm writing from Hench, a small city a few hours north of Port-au-Prince. Cholera hit this town six days ago, and a cholera treatment areas was set up next to the local hospital by using several tents and a small church. Since I am working with the J/P HRO team these two weeks, they sent me here with a group of volunteers on Friday. We plan to stay till Wednesday when another team will replace us.
Cholera has not been seen in Haiti in at least 50 years, and it can take some time even under the best of circumstances to set up a good system. This site is run by the Ministry of Health in partnership with Partners in Health (PIH). Doctors without Borders arrived yesterday to provide technical support -- they are building special cholera beds and have laid down gravel, which are critical steps.
Cholera leads to profuse diarrhea, and it has been incredibly difficult to keep patients, floors, and cots clean. We have also been having heavy rains with the passing of the hurricane, and the tents we work in were very muddy before the gravel.
I'm working with a great group. We're currently sitting around not talking about work for the first time! We've realized that we've been working from late afternoon to mid-morning every night and while not at work have been strategizing. We know this isn't sustainable.
We've established good relationships with the medical director, Ministry of Health, and the Haitian and Cuban physicians who work here. We've had significant challenges working well with the national nurses, and we've been told that this perhaps due to the government hiring and retention system, although we're also aware that we are from a different culture and are outsiders. Please pray for wisdom and good working relationships. Constant vigilance is needed with IV fluids and oral rehydration, since the main cause of death with cholera is dehydration. We have a great team of cleaners who recently received excellent training and are applying it with vigilance. Their efforts have wonderfully changed our work environment.
This is a very challenging environment. We work at night with little light. We do not have all of the supplies we need, those we have don't stay stocked and it can be difficult to access supplies even when they are here. Patients have died, although thankfully not in our areas on our shifts. Whenever a patient does die the family members wail, which adds to the emotionally-charged atmosphere. There are many patients who are children, and since this site is currently not allowing family members to come in as caregivers, the children are alone.
In addition to praying for the patients, families, and staff, please pray for the efforts of community health workers in prevention of this terrible disease. Our Community Health Evangelism (CHE) volunteers have now gone to 100 villages, teaching prevention methods (handwashing, latrine usage, drinking water). However, in the areas in the north where they are starting to see cholera they do not have enough medical personnel. We don't have any CHE programs where I am now, but PIH has been training and sending out their community health workers.
Thank you for your many notes of encouragement and particularly for your prayers.
In God's mercy,
Liz