Plea for Emily

The picture shows Emily on her nanny's arms with Jane right beside them.

When I first saw 4 year old Emily, I asked her mom Jane if I could pray for her healing. Little did I know that years ago, Jane received a word from the Lord that He would bring healing to her adopted daughter Emily. In fact, she’s been singing Psalm 118:17 to her since the doctors said Emily would die before the age of 4 years old. "She will not die, she will not die, she will not die, she will not die but she will live to proclaim your glory" goes her song. I believe the Lord gave Jane that verse to encourage her and more importantly because Emily will indeed live to give glory to Him. Will you please pray for the fulfillment of this word? Emily can’t focus her eyes, can’t lift her head, can’t eat food through her mouth (but straight through to her stomach by a tube), can’t stand nor use her arms, and can’t talk. I don’t know how she’ll glorify the Lord in her present state. Would you please pray for her complete healing? She was found in the garbage as an infant but our Lord has a plan and a purpose in her life. Yes, Lord, do let her live to proclaim your glory. Thank you for praying. -~Linda

Thank God

Two days ago I sat down to the computer to find an email from Matthew Reitnour, Houghton College’s Director of Admission, in my inbox. The email was entitled “FYHP and scholarship letter‏.” I can clearly remember thinking to myself, “Wait, I can remember the First Year Honors Program thing, but what’s this about a scholarship?”



Opening the email I read:



Greetings from Houghton College! Attached you’ll find a letter outlining our decision regarding your application to the First Year Honors Program, and you’ll also find information regarding your scholarship award.



There was a Word document attached, and I downloaded it wondering to myself what the outcome would be. Here is an excerpt from the second and third paragraphs of the letter:



Choosing students from this extraordinary group of candidates was difficult - a task undertaken with discussion, care, and prayer. I'm pleased to advise you, Evan, that the Committee was favorably impressed with your application and interviews and wishes to extend to you an invitation to be part of the London track of the First-Year Honors Program.



The Scholarship Committee has also made its final selections for awards. Let me congratulate you on your selection for one of the Chamberlain Scholarships of $10,000, or a four-year total of $40,000. This award is renewable from year to year, requiring you to maintain a grade-point average of 3.25 and remain a student in good standing.



I was totally blown away. Not only was I accepted into the First-Year Honors Program, but I was also accepted for the scholarship! I had continually believed that both would be coming my way after the interview, but actually reading it with my very own eyes was breathtaking.



All of my thanks go to God for blessing me with this. I went into the interview covered with prayer, and left it with the full confidence and faith that I had done my best and that God had helped me all throughout. There really are no words for this amazing blessing, and this only serves to prove how faithful and how generous our God is.



I continue to thank Him for what He has done.

Help Wanted

As most of you know my dad serves as the finance manager for the Regional Accounting Center and the business manager for Mekong. This being the case he is responsible for a great many missionaries, and is continually involved with all of them.



His job is very time consuming, and he has come to the conclusion that he needs another staff member working at the office; someone who can answer emails and talk face-to-face to some of the workers they are helping to finance.



Although he is leaving for the summer to go on furlough, Andrew Jackman is someone who is willing to step in for him while he is gone. It would be better, however, if his temporary replacement could have a little more help around the office while he is away.



Pray that the Lord would provide a sixth staff member to assist with the workload that will undoubtedly increase while my dad is away. Also pray for Andrew Jackman as he will have a lot of responsibility falling on him over the summer.

The Dejing

The Dejing live in Guangxi, China, and have a population of roughly one million people. Although less than one percent of them are believers they are being worked with. Please join us in prayer as we lift these people up to God, and ask that His hand would be among them.

In Lieu of the Interview

To all who prayed for my interview with the people at Houghton, you have my most sincere thanks.

The interview definitely did not go as smoothly as I had planned, as it was rescheduled to a week after the initial date, falling on March 5^th. Finally, when the night came, the school had connection problems, as they phoned five times after nine o’ clock and each time I was unable to hear what they were saying. They resolved to try again after their interview with another student at 9:30, and this time around we were able to hear each other on both sides.

I answered all of their questions to the best of my abilities, and with God’s help. There was no way I would have been able to do as well as I did without Him and your prayers. Thank you all of you, it is an incredible feeling being lifted up on the prayers of others, and I ask that He would bless all of you more greatly than you have blessed me.

The Truest Freedom

Yesterday, March 9, 2008, was the Global Day of Pray for Burma. We last spoke of Burma back in January of last year, in 2007, and described the political situation there, as well as the status of Christianity within the country. The rest of that year brought about a revolution, as thousands of Burmese marched the streets, accompanied by monks in defiance of the government. This upheaval brought great international awareness to the atrocities being committed, but ultimately ended without much closure or change.

We ask this week that you would pray for Burma as a country under harsh military rule, and as a people waiting to be rescued. Last year’s revolts revealed that they are tired of being persecuted and mistreated and are ready for something new. Every month there are dozens of deaths as the military, which numbers 400,000, continues to use the people of Burma for labour and for their own gain.

In praying for the country and the people remember that the military are not exempt from our prayers. The Burma Army needs our prayers just as much as the people do, as they are where the changes must occur if a revolution is truly to spread across the nation. In lifting up every village child we must also lift up every general and officer, continually asking the Lord to bring all of them into His kingdom.

The people of Burma cry out for salvation from their oppressors, and they long for a freedom they have never known. We ask that they would experience spiritual salvation, and that in Christ they would know the truest of freedoms.

The Yongnan

The Yongnan can be found in Guangxi, China. There currently people working with them, but there are not near enough to reach all 1.5 million. This being the case, only 0.14 percent of them are believers. Join us in prayer this week for their salvation, and that His word would be spread throughout them on to all nations.